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Condemned shack becomes dream home
When Susan Churcher moved into her 1950s home, she faced a decorating dilemma in the kitchen. The "before" photographs show why — it was a dreary space, with dated cabinets and dark brown appliances. Long-term plans called for a complete remodel, but what could she do in the interim? Her solution was to brighten up the room with paint. What takes the room beyond an ordinary makeover is that she repainted the old appliances, achieving an entirely new look with about $30 worth of paint.
The basic color scheme is a soft buttery yellow for the cabinets, with periwinkle blue on the cabinet handles. For the appliances, Churcher used rust-resistant paint for metals. She painted the oven doors periwinkle blue then touched up knobs and dials in a bright orange enamel paint.
On the other side of the kitchen, she rejuvenated the existing wall cabinet by removing four of the doors to create open shelves, exposing the handsome beadboard paneling. The "new" display cabinet — which shows off china and glassware — repeats the yellow-and-blue theme.
As a final touch, both decorative and functional, Churcher fashioned a kitchen table from one of the removed cabinet doors. She sandwiched French playing cards between sheets of teal and clear acrylic plastic for a sleek new surface. With the transformed appliances and fresh new color scheme, it makes the kitchen a bright, happy space.
PAINT COLORS: Kelly-Moore Rust-Oleum in Periwinkle Blue; latex and enamel paints are custom-mixed.
See more kitchens
More amazing makeovers
Condemned shack becomes dream home
