Before and after: 'Smallest kitchen I had ever seen' goes from grim to glam

<a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/1ABVrRG">Kathleen Corlett</a>
1. The original kitchen is hidden behind walls. 2. Inside the tiny square kitchen. 3. The kitchen without the two interior walls or cabinets. 4. Roughly the same view as No. 1, but without the interior walls.
1. The original kitchen is hidden behind walls. 2. Inside the tiny square kitchen. 3. The kitchen without the two interior walls or cabinets. 4. Roughly the same view as No. 1, but without the interior walls.

Together, Cathy and Garrett Poshusta renovate one home after another in Seattle, living in the project house before moving on to their next adventure. "My husband and I are a couple of old-house renovation junkies," she says.

Right now they live in a 1926 Tudor they've dubbed the Ravenna House. One major area of focus has been the kitchen, which at the outset was woefully outdated and inconveniently closed off from the rest of the home.

The plan? Transform the space into the sort of heart-of-the-home kitchen that modern families have grown accustomed to. The result? See for yourself (details below):

The new kitchen, seen from roughly the same vantage as before photos 1 and 4.
The new kitchen, seen from roughly the same vantage as before photos 1 and 4.

The Grit and Polish blog is where Cathy documents her challenges and triumphs, but we tracked her down to find out more about the do-it-yourself feats that went into achieving such an impressive kitchen before-and-after.

What was the kitchen like before?

When we bought the house, the kitchen had 1920s cabinets, an original cast-iron sink, and a wall-mounted faucet. It was also the smallest kitchen I had ever seen and completely closed off from the rest of house. It all added up to a space that no one wanted to be in. Our renovation goal was to open up the space and create a room that people actually wanted to gather in.

A closer look at the marble herringbone backsplash.
A closer look at the marble herringbone backsplash.

Where did you look for inspiration?

I have a pretty robust "kitchen" board on Pinterest, where I keep all my inspiration. Once I saw a kitchen with a marble herringbone backsplash, I knew that's what I wanted to do. In the last two kitchens we remodeled (the Bryant House and the Wallingford House), I installed a white subway tile backsplash. This time, I wanted to try something new.

What did you learn from installing the tile yourself?

My husband and I learned a lot from that DIY tile installation, mainly that laying tile in a herringbone pattern is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of custom-cuts and sore thumbs involved. We probably won't attempt herringbone again.

An island would have added workspace and storage, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of not having a table, since our family gathers there every night. She did squeeze in a window seat next to the fridge.
An island would have added workspace and storage, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of not having a table, since our family gathers there every night. She did squeeze in a window seat next to the fridge.

What was the biggest challenge? Any compromises along the way?

Like many old houses, nothing in the Ravenna House is square or plumb. That proved tedious, particularly when it came to hanging cabinets and installing molding. The ceilings were a real construction challenge as well. After taking out the wall between the kitchen and living room, we had varying ceiling heights. The simplest solution to hide the imperfections, we decided, would be to install a faux beam and beadboard ceiling. In the end, those details are two of my favorite features.

We did have to compromise on counter and cabinet space in order to fit in a dining table. An island would have added workspace and storage, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of not having a table, since our family gathers there every night.

If all else fails, shim it and caulk it, and everything will look just fine.
If all else fails, shim it and caulk it, and everything will look just fine.

As someone who's renovated a few different houses, do you have any tips for our readers?

If all else fails, shim it and caulk it, and everything will look just fine. That’s a mantra my husband and I find ourselves repeating during every renovation. I’ve also learned to take my time and do the job right. It’s natural to want to rush through a project... but doing that second measurement and checking the level one more time will ultimately save you time and money. Having to redo a project that you or a previous homeowner has already done is beyond frustrating. Just check out the tile floor we had to rip up and redo in our basement shower!

The new kitchen is way more open. It is a small space but well laid out and really efficient.
The new kitchen is way more open. It is a small space but well laid out and really efficient.

Now that you've lived with the new kitchen, how do you think it's changed the way you use the space?

The new kitchen is way more open. It is a small space but well laid out and really efficient. It's now a gathering place for our family and friends (instead of a closed-off room that could only fit one person). And we use the space every day for every meal and often sit at the table to do coloring or reading with our 1-year-old son. This kitchen is now truly the heart of our home. Click here to see even more photos of this kitchen before-and-after over at The Grit and Polish.

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