The Studio Kitchenette Remodel Begins!

Here’s my plan for the Studio Kitchenette and all the DIY projects I have planned to remodel this zone in our basement, aka Organized-ish HQ.

Here we go again! It’s the first project of 2022 and I kicked it off with a bang yesterday with a little demo and paint. The Studio, aka Organized-ish HQ got a makeover last year, and while there are still a few more projects I want to do in there, our office and craft space is pretty much done. I also remodeled the adjacent bathroom to make it accessible for Brad, who works on the Organized-ish team (and is my brother that visits just for fun, too).

There are two zones left in Organized-ish HQ. The lounge and the kitchenette. And yesterday I kicked off the new year by starting the kitchenette renovation! I had a nice break from projects through November and December, but it was really nice to get that pry bar back in my hands and start ripping things apart. I realized how much I actually enjoy remodeling.

So today I want to take you through my plans for the kitchenette and all the projects I have coming up for it. This will be a very DIY-heavy renovation because I’m on a super tight budget this time. I won’t be able to hire a handyman for help and I won’t be able to buy new fixtures, so I’ll be updating the existing ones instead. A little paint goes a long way, right? So here we go…let’s jump right into the plans!

The Current Kitchenette Area

Here’s the kitchenette zone. The Studio originally was loaded with bright colors, and the kitchenette definitely reflected that. We all really loved how it looked with the cool wallpaper and pink countertop, but we quickly realized that our specific brains don’t work well with loud colors.

Myself and my team came to the realization that we did our best work sitting at a table in Starbucks, surrounded by wood tones, deep shades of black, and cozy intimate aesthetics. So we thought to ourselves, why can’t we turn our Kitchenette into a Starbucks? Not technically of course, but we could definitely play on their design style and recreate something of our own.

The Studio Kitchenette Design Plan

Are you getting the nod to the iconic coffee shop with the mood board above? I am obsessed with that stacked wood tile, and I’ve got to admit, it looks beautiful just sitting in the box in my garage. I’ve had the tile for over a month and sometimes I take a piece out just to stare at it. That’s not weird, right?

The Studio Kitchenette Project Scope

Here’s the full lineup of all that I have planned. Keep in mind that these are still “ideas” right now, so some may get changed or even scrapped throughout the next couple of weeks. Like I said, my budget is really tight this time, so I’m kind of taking projects one-by-one in priority order to see what I’m able to pull off.

• Paint and update cabinetry
• Cover countertop with marble adhesive paper
• Add stacked wood tile to the bar front
• Add fluted casing to the back wall
• Hang TV on the fluted wall
• Paint the sink faucet
• Install backsplash
• Organize pantry area
• Create a coffee and beverage zone
• Paint ceiling tracks
• Replace water-stained ceiling tiles

What I’ve Done So Far

Yesterday was the beginning of the project. I removed the cabinet doors and interior shelves, sanded down the cabinets inside and out, and gave them two coats of black paint. I also ripped off the countertop backsplash (which isn’t really a backsplash) and removed the corner trim from the plumbing wall’s bump-out.

I won’t be able to work on the kitchenette again until Sunday, so that will give the cabinet paint lots of time to cure. You can follow along in my Instagram Stories to watch the project unfold, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated here on the blog, too.