One Room Challenge Fall 2016 ~ Week 1
Hello Thursday and welcome to One Room Challenge Fall 2016! For those who are new to DesignMaze, my name is Tim and I am an interior decorator based in Toronto Canada, and I love layering patterns, textures, and colors to create eclectic yet elegant, sophisticated spaces. Specializing in small spaces, my work has been featured in Style at Home (#ProjectChris, #Project Rental) as well as other printed / online publications including Toronto Life and National Post.
After being a spectator for over two years and being inspired by hundreds of incredible transformations (see my favorites from the last two challenges here + here), I have decided to join in the fun and be a guest participant this fall to tackle a generic kitchen to give it its much needed personality. Here is what I've dreamed up with to achieve in the next 6 weeks:
I will share more details of my design plan next week but for today, let's chat about the kitchen AS-IS and my inspirations for this makeover. The builder kitchen we inherited is actually quite decent with quality cabinets in espresso, quartz countertop in classic taupe, spacious island for food preparation and bar seating, generous amount of storage for kitchen essentials, and two large windows to fill the kitchen with bright natural light.
After being a spectator for over two years and being inspired by hundreds of incredible transformations (see my favorites from the last two challenges here + here), I have decided to join in the fun and be a guest participant this fall to tackle a generic kitchen to give it its much needed personality. Here is what I've dreamed up with to achieve in the next 6 weeks:
I will share more details of my design plan next week but for today, let's chat about the kitchen AS-IS and my inspirations for this makeover. The builder kitchen we inherited is actually quite decent with quality cabinets in espresso, quartz countertop in classic taupe, spacious island for food preparation and bar seating, generous amount of storage for kitchen essentials, and two large windows to fill the kitchen with bright natural light.
Now these are the elements I am not too crazy about:
- deprived personality and we could probably find many identical kitchens within the complex
- dark cabinets make the space feels smaller and enclosed
- standard generic faucet, hardware, and pendant have to go!
Despite its shortcomings, this kitchen has great potential to become a showstopper, entertaining hub with the following key ingredients:
- backsplash wasn't installed ... meaning I can install what I love without taking down the existing tiles and risk damaging the drywall
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| image courtesy of Chatelaine |
- clean slate in front of a big window for a stylish yet cozy breakfast nook
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| image courtesy of House & Home |
- large empty wall next to existing cabinets is the perfect spot for a feature wall incorporating custom storage + doubles as an entertaining hot spot for drinks and delicious treats
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| images courtesy of Sarah Richardson Design |
It's a tall order to complete the kitchen makeover in 6 short weeks but I am glad to be amongst the amazingly talented ladies including Vanessa of Vanessa Francis Design, Sarah of The Curated House, and Nancy of Marcus Design.
Be sure to check out the brilliant ideas of the 20 featured designers and other guest participants! Thanks Linda for hosting One Room Challenge Fall 2016 and let the fun begin!