My Vintage Pad: Kitchen Makover with Photographer Rachel Saldaña

 
Before

What was your goal behind your kitchen re-do?

 The kitchen of our 50s ranch had been "updated" sometime in the
seventies which had taken away all of the charm of a 50s kitchen.  I am
an avid cook, so it needed to function like a gourmet kitchen on a
shoestring budget, while staying respectful of the character of the
house.  Our primary goal was just to bring this little kitchen up to
date and have it be as open as possible in this 900 sq. ft. home.

Does vintage or antiques play a role in your new design?

 Well, I collect vintage dishes and kitchenware.  My open
shelving allows me to have these every day items on display at all
times.  This made it important that the kitchen design would not fight
against these vintage pieces.  I don't think it really would have
worked if I had used a more ornate, traditional style.  And by keeping
the color scheme neutral all of those vintage pieces pop.

 
After

Any advice on creating your look?

 My best advice is to really do your research as to what you
want in your kitchen.  I spent months going through magazines to find
elements that I loved.  Also, it helps to really decide what items are
a priority.  For us, it was the solid granite coutertops.  I then found
a supplier of a thinner granite for a fraction of the cost of the
standard granite.  Then to save money I used a simple vinyl composite
tile like you find in schools for the floor.  We did all of the work
ourselves as well and found deals on appliances through craigslist,
which is how we kept the remodel under $4,000. 

Sources:

Cabinet paint: drabware
by Martha Stewart: wall paint: panna cotta by Martha Stewart; cabinets,
subway tile, and hardware from Lowes;  granite by muranocollection.com;
VCT floor tiles-check your local carpet store; kitchen island at Target
(you can also try Restaurant Supply stores); lattice wall was
handpainted by me although there are many graphic wallpapers available
now.