When renovating a house that’s over a hundred years old, the style debate revolves around how to revitalize it. Do you strip it back to the structure and finish it with a cool modern mandate, or do you restore the past while updating it with historical architectural details and accents? For this homeowner, the fine balance was achieved through an extensive renovation that embraced traditional ornamentation and an interior that marries the best of both worlds.
The key to managing a tight budget is being practical and pragmatic about what you can and cannot afford. Forget about a custom kitchen and head to your local big-box store or home outfitter for solutions that are fashion forward and wallet friendly. Keep in mind that buying a ready-to-go kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t customize it to make it your own. There are oodles of door profiles, sizes, and configurations that can be manipulated to stunning effect. The amount you’ll save by using stock elements will enable some flexibility on other aspects of your kitchen reno. An off-the-rack solution isn’t suited to every project, but if you’re trying to keep an eye on the overall investment in your home, it can be a winning solution.
Suggesting a white kitchen isn’t exactly groundbreaking design advice, but I can tell you from experience that it’s hard to go wrong with white and much easier to err in colour. When it’s dressed up properly, it can be tough to tell the difference between an inexpensive versus an expensive white kitchen, but the same cannot be said for a red one, so I’d recommend playing it safe. There’s plenty of room to make your mark when it comes to accents and accessories (and you are far less likely to wake up regretting your choice of a bold red vase than an all-red kitchen).