Cottage Kitchen Charm
A Michigan homeowner fills his dreary kitchen with warmth and cheer
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Checks, Please
Dan Evons cozied up his kitchen by installing beadboard on the walls, alongside the refrigerator and at the cabinet's end. Inexpensive spindles and arched openings give shelves some personality. To update the floor, Dan replaced layers of ancient linoleum with a checkerboard of inexpensive asphalt tiles. "Visitors always want to know if it's original," he says.
Relying on his carpentry skills and imagination, homeowner Dan Evons transformed a dull kitchen into a sunny haven and still managed to have funds left over to rejuvenate the rest of his 1927 abode in suburban Detroit. "For awhile, I lived upstate in a resort area where all the houses had this wonderful cottage look," Dan, a remodeling contractor, says. "When I moved back to the suburbs and bought a home, my goal was to create a similar ambience without spending a ton of money." New cabinet doors, beadboard paneling and decorative molding were just the start of the makeover. Over the course of about six months, Dan also swapped out the old countertops for durable maple, tiled a stunning backsplash and found a vintage stove. A palette of soft, buttery yellow and white—colors repeated in other rooms—ties all of the elements together and keeps the space looking cheery and fresh. "My friends love this kitchen," Dan says proudly. "And, now, so do I."
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