1927 California Spanish Bungalow
My husband and I held an estate sale in our neighborhood, liquidating the personal property. As it turned out, we also found a buyer for the house. Raelene, a friend of ours, bought the house (and a car for her 16 year old daughter). She and her two terrific teenage daughters were going to be living in the house so she had a lot of work ahead of her. Number one on her priority list was the kitchen. Raelene always told me when she bought a house she wanted me to help her with it. So I did. So here are some photos of the transformation of this gem of a house. The above photo was taken right after Raelene bought it. The palms have all been cleared away to reveal the beautiful windows.
Here are the before photos:
The arched pass-through where the stove top is was removed to open the kitchen up.
These windows were removed & the door was replaced by double French doors
The corner windows were removed to make room for more cabinets
Before and After
The doorway to the dining room was made into an arched doorway to match the other doorways throughout the house. In the photo on the left, the far right corner is where the sink is.
Below are the after pictures. Debbi Greaves, a neighbor and decorator who can arrange decor like none other, myself and Raelene, spent and evening in the kitchen accessorizing.
Quite a change, no? Raelene wanted honed stone countertops - she picked out beautiful soapstone and used white subway tiles for the backsplash. The custom cabinets are very slightly distressed. Raelene wanted the kitchen to be updated but also flow with the rest of the house.
This is my favorite photo. I love the curtain that Debbi created as Raelene and I just handed her things. Amazing! Made with fabric, twigs, twisties and rubberbands. We brought in antique Mason's red & white transferware (from Cottage Antiques). Raelene had bought the iron hanging votive holder recently from At Home with Laurie Ann and had it hanging outside. It was the perfect final touch above the sink!
The coup de gras is the fire engine red vintage stove. It's a show stopper, a BEAUTIFUL piece and works like a champ. We found this treasure from a friend who's husband collected these stoves and had this red stove, just waiting for us! The red mixer was a housewarming gift from Rae's mom's boyfriend. This kitchen was so fun to accessorize.
The oak floors were continued into the kitchen to create continuity.
The cabinets on the left of the French doors house a stacking washer and dryer. This kitchen is very efficient and utilized the space.
The paintings on the wall are on canvas and painted by Raelene a few years ago. They are just perfect hanging on the wall of her beautiful new kitchen.
We're all very happy for Raelene and her family and welcome them to the neighborhood!
