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Homeowners Michelle Samuels and EJ updated their kitchen by keeping and repainting its original upper cabinets while replacing worn lower cabinetry, counters and flooring. The renovation also moved the refrigerator, added storage and brought a red, yellow and white palette inspired by fruit wallpaper into the adjoining rooms.
Homeowners Michelle Samuels and EJ renovated their cottage kitchen, retaining its original upper cabinets and having them painted Benjamin Moore’s Palace White while replacing worn lower cabinets and changing the room’s layout. In an Apartment Therapy report, Samuels said moving a large steam radiator let them shift the refrigerator away from a doorway, while new cranberry-colored cabinetry, checkerboard tile and colorful details gave the kitchen a warmer, more functional design.
The couple’s house had a 1940s kitchen whose upper cabinets were original and, according to Samuels, still in “halfway decent shape.” Most of the lower cabinets were IKEA boxes she described as having “seen better days.” She also recalled mottled gray laminate countertops that never looked clean and faux-wood linoleum flooring. The refrigerator had been positioned by a doorway, where it was in the way, with no obvious alternative location.
For the larger renovation, the homeowners worked with Boxco and contractor Dan Baker. A heating company relocated the steam radiator, making it possible to move the fridge. Baker removed the old counters and lower cabinets and the existing floor, then installed new cabinets and appliances with plumber Harvey Rivard and electrician Harry Kuenzel. Taylor Powell of Hill Street Concrete worked on the new countertops. The homeowners also installed Fireclay floor tile in a checkerboard pattern.
The upper cabinets received a professional paint job in Palace White; Samuels and EJ painted the rest of the kitchen and nearby rooms themselves. The new lower cabinets are exposed-edge plywood in Boxco’s Cranberry finish. The kitchen also gained a spice rack, LeMans shelves for a blind corner and soft-close drawers. EJ built an upholstered bench in the former refrigerator corner, with a lift-up seat for pet food storage. Beadboard and baseboard helped connect the bench to the surrounding walls, Samuels said.
How the Renovation Reworked the Kitchen
The project shows how a renovation can retain serviceable features while addressing the parts of a room that limit its function. Rather than replacing the original upper cabinets, the couple kept them and changed their appearance with paint. Replacing the lower units and counters, along with moving the refrigerator, addressed storage and circulation issues that a cosmetic refresh alone would not have resolved.
The account also documents a mix of professional work and homeowner projects. The couple hired tradespeople for major installation and utility-related work, while taking on painting, fixture and hardware changes, and decorative details themselves. The result is specific to their home and preferences; the report does not provide a measured renovation budget or establish how much value the work added.
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From Worn Finishes to a Cottage Palette
Samuels and EJ were first-time homeowners who had previously rented, and the report describes several smaller kitchen projects before the major renovation. They had already removed an unwanted ceiling panel light and upgraded the backsplash tiles themselves. The larger work followed as they took on the kitchen’s worn surfaces and awkward refrigerator position.
The design drew on William Morris fruit wallpaper, which Samuels identified as the inspiration for red, yellow and white used across the kitchen, entryway and bathroom. EJ painted green designs on tiles behind the stove, including the year the couple bought the house, their dog and cat, zodiac imagery, nearby landmarks and a rooster tile copied from Samuels’ childhood home. These details were described by the homeowners in Apartment Therapy’s before-and-after report.
“The old fridge was stuck in the corner by the doorway to the rest of the house and in the way, but with no other spot to put it.”
— Michelle Samuels, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Costs and Project Timing Not Reported
Apartment Therapy listed the project cost as not available, and the report does not state when the renovation took place or how long it lasted. It also gives no detailed measurements, product pricing or comparison of the kitchen’s value before and after the work. The homeowners’ description of the finished room as their dream kitchen is a personal reaction, not a claim about resale value or performance.
Samuels said the relocated refrigerator left the ceiling lights no longer perfectly centered. The report does not say whether the couple plans to adjust the lighting. It also does not specify when EJ will build the floating shelves planned for Michelle’s cookbooks.
Floating Shelves Remain on the List
The report identifies floating shelves for cookbooks as EJ’s next planned project. No completion date or further renovation schedule was provided. For now, the published account describes the kitchen as finished enough for the couple to use and enjoy, while leaving the shelf project and the slightly off-center lights unresolved.
Key Questions
Did the homeowners replace all of the kitchen cabinets?
No. They kept the original upper cabinets from the circa-1940s kitchen and had them painted Palace White. They replaced the lower cabinets with exposed-edge plywood units in a Cranberry finish.
Why was the refrigerator moved?
The fridge had been beside a doorway and was in the way. A heating company moved the large steam radiator, freeing a more suitable spot for the refrigerator.
What colors and materials were used?
The design uses white upper cabinets, cranberry lower cabinetry and checkerboard Fireclay floor tile. William Morris fruit wallpaper inspired the red, yellow and white palette across the kitchen and adjoining rooms; EJ added green painted details to tiles behind the stove.
How much did the kitchen renovation cost?
The published report does not provide a total. Its project listing identifies the cost as not available.
What work is planned next?
EJ’s stated next project is to add floating shelves for Michelle’s cookbooks. The report gives no schedule for that work or for changing the ceiling lights, which Samuels said are no longer perfectly centered.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
