My Rental Kitchen Makeover Plans

My dream kitchen is very rustic and natural. Wooden butcher block countertops, a window above the deep country sink, and hand made tile or wooden floors. I picture rustic brass details. This room is warm and lived in. It is simple and devoid of bright colors and sterile modern appliances. Think natural textures like linen curtains and hand towels and woven baskets. My rental kitchen is anything but, however, it is still cute. The layout is kind of strange with three separate “work stations.” One for the fridge and pantry and counter, another for the sink, and the last for the stove with another mini pantry. All of the counters cabinets, and handles are different, but they are at least all painted white. The floor is also vinyl of some sort which has been painted brown. The brown does lend extra warmth to the room. A unique choice. Turning this into my natural rustic kitchen of my dreams is not going to happen, but I can try on a different style for fun. Renting is the perfect time to try bolder styles and new ideas because it is all only temporary. Exploring new styles and designs is a fun way to be creative and see what you truly love. My goal is to turn this into a cute country style kitchen with a hint of the Mediterranean; a subtle nod to my French roots and love for Italian and French food.

I’m starting with what I already have; natural linens, cute baskets, floral tea cups, and wooden utensils. I also have a little collection of cute vintage kitchen gadgets such as enamel mixing bowls and my tea sets. This house is an old Victorian, which perfectly compliments my floral kitchen utensils. We already own a hand made white and blue rug that I placed in front of the sink. As the cabinets are already white, I thought a white and blue color scheme would work best with some tiny hints of florals and even lemon prints. We’re using the rug that we already have to set the stage. This works perfectly because we already own a pretty blue glass wall candle sconce. This wall sconce was the first purchase I ever made for our first apartment and it has hung in every bathroom we have rented since. This time the blue glass just did not work with the current rental bathroom colors at all. The previous tenant left behind a rooster and pheasant plate on a hook in the kitchen near the stove:

I’ve replaced it with the wall sconce already and it looks like it was made for that little wall space. Now our color scheme is definitely decided.

Our last apartment was a tiny studio so we bought a cute folding table from Ikea. It is a light natural pine and can actually open up to be a long dining table. In the past we would open it up in our living room to make space for guests and we would use our sofa and loveseat as seating. Now it is open full time in the open space to the right side of our kitchen and we plan on turning this little eat-in spot into a casual dining room. This is the Ikea table we purchased two years ago. We now keep it completely open instead of folded or only open half way. To connect to the Ikea page click on any of the photos. I have linked the pages to the pictures.

                                                               

 

 

The table is open here in this space:

We have two folding chairs from our studio apartment days, but I am hoping to add two more country farm house chairs (searching for used ones at local shops and thrift stores) and a wooden bench for the back side. We figured having a wooden bench would allow us to seat more people on one side of the table. With the bench and extra chairs we can hope to seat up to eight at our table, which is essential because Matthew and I both come from large families and they plan to visit.

I’m looking for chairs along this idea:

                            

To make the table into a unique dining station, I also plan on purchasing a “Ruggable” brand rug. I like the Ruggable brand because they are affordable and machine washable, which is ideal for a dining spot where food and drinks might spill onto it. It will also be in a white and blue color to match our theme and to bring the room together in a cohesive way. This is the one:

The white and blue will also continue with the removable rental-friendly tile stickers I am planning on purchasing for the backsplashes and countertops.

                                                              

For a finishing touch in the dining room, I’m looking for a small corner hutch to display vintage family farm photographs that I have in my archives and my lovely vintage tea cups.

As for the three windows, I’m looking to keep it simple and hang white sheer curtains on simple gold curtain rods.

By the windows I’m looking to have potted indoor lemon trees to complete the look and to produce our own fruit. I think it will add just the right amount of greenery to our kitchen.

 

                       

 

One problem we have encountered while cooking is that the stove is off all on its lonesome with no counter space. Bringing pots, pans, and ingredients back and forth has been messy. The last purchase for this space will be a small white cart on wheels with a wooden butcher block countertop. This will serve as an extra counter space while cooking y the stove and also serve as a wine and cocktail cart that we can roll into the living room when we are entertaining guests. Most days it will serve as my baking station as the counter will be an ideal space for rolling out dough. I fave been considering these two from Amazon:

         

I’m leaning towards the white one because it will match and it has a cute cabinet too. Extra storage in a kitchen is always appreciated.

The finishing touches will be making sure that everything has its own proper space and organizing the pantry (by also building an extra shelf), our spice basket, and produce. The cabinets above the sink are already being used as a tea station. I will be hanging two small woven baskets on the counter to hold cooking items such as garlic and lemons. I’m hoping to keep this space clear of clutter.

She of the dream kitchen images I have gathered from Pinterest. You can see my complete apartment inspiration board from Pinterest by clicking right here.  

Please follow me on Pinterest to support my blog and see more of my inspiration photos for Happiness House.

 

So there you have it; my plans for our rental kitchen. From a rug to distract from the painted floors, a lemon tree, corner hutch, portable island, and removable tile stickers. How would you update and decorate this space in a renter friendly way?