Brooklyn Garden Apartment: Before & After

I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on this apartment. The salvaged french doors leading out to the garden instantly won me over. I could already picture it  in my mind's eye looking somewhat like it does today. But it took some imagination, because the apartment back then was raw. 

Check out the before and afters.

Brooklyn Garden Apartment: House Tour

View from the Bedroom down the hall

This apartment is beautiful today, and I love living here. But it was in fixer-upper condition when I found it. There was no kitchen to speak of, just an ancient stove, a foul-smelling dishwasher that didn't drain, and a fridge circa 1970 that didn't get cool enough to make ice. And the bathroom had a four-foot tub, with no tiled surround. Just peeling wallboard.

This renovation marked the first time that I laid out both the kitchen and bath designs myself. Though the home is small, that almost made designing it all the more enjoyable. I had to take full advantage of the vertical space the 10 foot ceilings offered.

Let's take a look.

Brooklyn Garden Apartment: Kitchen Reveal

Photo, David Castillo, Blue Barn Pictures

The kitchen is finished! Come, have a look.

Brooklyn Garden Apartment: Kitchen Plan

This is the line of cabinets I'm ordering. Aren't they sleek? I'm over my disappointment that I can't use Ikea cabinets. They don't come in enough size increments for me to be able to make the best use of every inch of space. The main sticking point is the corner sink cabinet. IKEA corner sink cabinets are all L-shaped with a lazy susan in the blind corner. While I applaud IKEA for their price points and innovative thinking, their sink cabinets are all simply too big for the space. Having a corner sink is key to my design. It's the only layout that will give me enough room to fit all the appliances I need and let me locate the refrigerator in the one place where it will not block the line of sight to the French doors and garden.