My kitchen has never been shared, except for my move in day post years ago. I suppose that's because it's "nothing special". Honestly, I don't hate it. I'm renting, so there's not ever going to be a huge kitchen renovation here. There are definitely things I wish I could change, but the space is great and it's in decent shape. I've already made some changes that make it better and have plans for more!
Here's a reminder how it looked the day I moved in:
Another free change was that ceiling fan. I kind of played musical fans in this house. The dining room had a white one, that I wanted in my bedroom. My bedroom had a brown one, that I put in my son's room. I took his brown fan and put it in the kitchen since it didn't have one, and it was the same fan as the one in my office nook. It's not pictured, but it's around the corner and open to the kitchen. It was pretty cool I was able to match the fans!
It's definitely so nice having a fan in the kitchen! We don't have air conditioning, and cooking in the summer can get mighty steamy. ;)
One major thing that actually really bothers me are the appliances. It's not that they're outdated or anything (which they are)...it's that they don't match.
They replaced the dishwasher since I've lived here, and it's great to have a brand new one (I swear literally the other one was original to the house), but they installed a black one. All the other appliances are white! Like, why would you do that?? And aren't the white ones typically cheaper? It's mind boggling.
I think I would like all black appliances better than white, but it's easier to change one than all the others. I've considered alternatives. I think you can order, just the front panel for a dishwasher, but I haven't checked the cost for that. I've also considered using an opaque white contact paper over top to see how it looks.
Another one of my free changes is the white paint! Yes. free. I get all my paint free. Check it out if you wanna know how! The white really brightened up the space, and I definitely prefer it over that high gloss yellow-peach color. It just didn't look good with the cabinets at all.
Otherwise, all the changes are just accessorizing. I'd like to add a shade to this light above the sink. Since I've taken these photos, I added a floating shelf to the space below. It makes it feel more complete with less wasted space!
While not free, I scored this amazing pair of midcentury barstools for $30! Y E S ! I love them, and they're perfect for that small bar area!
Part of me wants to see if the owners will let me paint the refrigerator with chalkboard paint. I'd jump all over it if the oven was black. Alas it's not, so I would have one mismatching appliance regardless.
There you have it! It might not be a pinterest kitchen, but I think it's cute! Sometimes life is about embracing and loving what you have! I think I've done a pretty good job of that here!
What renter friendly changes would you make if this baby was yours?! I'd love more ideas!!!