I Watched My Kitchen Go From a Dated Disaster to Simply Stunning

I never thought that I would have one of those kitchens you see in magazines, but that's exactly what happened when we decided to finally do something about our dated mess of a kitchen.

When we moved into our home in the late 1990s, the flowered tile backsplash and composite countertops already seemed a bit old fashioned. And through the years, like many homeowners, we became blind to just how ugly it was. Now, our kitchen has become the centerpiece to our home after getting some much needed help and guidance from Affordable Granite and Cabinetry.

My wife and I were not sure what we wanted our kitchen to look like. But we certainly knew what we didn't want it to look like anymore.  We no longer wanted those dated tiles,  the strange-looking mosaic that was plastered in front of our stove or that ugly linoleum floor. We also didn't want to deal with a chipped up countertop that we had to cover with a huge cutting board just to make it useful.

After visiting with Brianne at Affordable Granite and Cabinetry, we were finally given the confidence we needed to decide that we could, in fact, turn around this sad old kitchen. Luckily, our cabinets were still in excellent condition (and still quite beautiful) so we decided to keep them and replace everything else, including flooring, countertops and backsplash.

After looking through what seemed like an endless sea of granite options, Brianne helped us narrow things down by picking out a few beautiful pieces that complemented the cabinets we already had in place. We took home pieces of stone, along with tile and floor samples to see just how everything would look under our own lighting. Convinced we had made the right choices, we let Affordable Granite and Cabinetry take things from there.

And boy, did they. The change is so dramatic that most people are shocked when we tell them we have the same cabinets as before. Here's a look at our sink before the transformation.

In the before photo you'll notice the dated tiles, ugly blue sink and cutting board that was necessary just to make the workspace useable.

The after tells a completely different story. The classic-looking subway tile with a dark grout plays off of the black hardware on our cabinets. And that stunning countertop is not only beautiful, but gives us almost triple the work space in the same amount of room. A wide, double sink now sits below the countertop, making cleanup a million times easier.

Now, we certainly don't have the largest kitchen in the neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination, but these changes have really made it feel so much bigger. This is a before and after of the other side of the room.

The first thing you probably see is that ugly ceramic tile mosaic. That, and the yellowish backsplash and flooring made the room feel like we were living in the past.

But now, with just a few changes, the kitchen has been completely transformed.  Even though we didn't change our cabinets, Brianne was able to track down false doors that match the wood and style of the originals to replace that ceramic tile mosaic. The herringbone pattern on the floor is much more relaxing than that busy, country pattern from before. And the granite that sweeps around the cooktop can now handle hot pots that come directly off the stove.

We believed that our small, outdated kitchen could never be saved. But with some expert advice and some top quality craftsmanship our sad little room has turned into the centerpiece of our home. Now this has us wondering about those other lost causes in our house. We're looking at you, half bath!

Ready to get started on your own transformation? Check out Affordable Granite and Cabinetry at graniteshopny.com or call (845) 208-5804.