behind the scenes - green goodness

Located in Toorak, Victoria, Bronwyn and James wanted to transform their small apartment kitchen and most of all inject some personality into the space! Their old kitchen had little to no storage, and with the cupboards falling off, it was well and truly time for an upgrade.

“The cupboards were very boring white and cheap-looking, with truly hideous metal handles, and also the doors had fallen off some of them. There was also very limited storage space, which meant the cupboards and drawers were cluttered and bursting, and there was hardly any bench space, which made food prep very difficult. …Did I mention it was very ugly?” Says Bronwyn. 

We asked Bronwyn and James if this home was intended to be an investment property or a forever home and what a new kitchen meant for the value of the home.

“A little bit of both. We’d like to be here for another couple of years or so, and we wanted to really enjoy our space before we move out because it’s a gorgeous apartment and a beautiful area, and then you’d go into the kitchen, and it was like a slap in the face. We also want to rent out our flat eventually, and I honestly think, with the kitchen the way it was, we would have had to charge a lot less.” Explained James.

The paint your own door range allowed Bronwyn and James to inject their own personal aesthetic into their kitchen space, making it truly theirs!

“The advice we got early on was to go for a white kitchen because, apparently, that’s safest for renting and reselling. But it’s also so boring! So, we decided to go for the paint-your-own-doors option because we wanted to inject some personality and character into the space, and we wanted to have total control over the exact shade.” Says Bronwyn.

We had to ask about the beautiful green they chose to paint their kitchen, it’s vibrant and makes the space pop while also blending seamlessly with the rest of the home, making the space feel quite tranquil and inviting.  

“I did some Pinterest research and very quickly settled on olive green, which I find so fresh and soothing, and it’s just a beautiful, natural, earthy, grounded colour. To get the shade just right, we used this super nifty little tool called the Taubman’s Coloursmith Reader, which was one of my favourite parts of the whole process. It basically scans (or “reads”) colours that you like and then sends that colour to your phone, so you can order paint in that colour. It also suggests similar colours and other combinations, and you can dial the intensity of the shade up or down, so it’s lots of fun to play with.” Says Bronwyn. 

When it came to the design process, Bronwyn and James were first time renovators and a bit nervous about the whole journey. The 3D kaboodle planner helped  reassure them that they could design their dream kitchen and create a space they love spending time in

“We’ve never renovated anything before, and were extremely nervous about the whole process. But kaboodle made it so fun and easy – you just pick the different elements that you like and put it together like a jigsaw puzzle. Using the 3D planner gave us a chance to move things around and see how different variations would look and work, so we could maximise storage and bench space and get it just right.” Explained James.

Next, we asked Bronwyn and James whether they’d recommend kaboodle to their friends and family, turns out you really can get the designer look for less!

“100%. If you want a designer kitchen without paying the hefty fees of an actual designer, kaboodle is going to get you there. Even if you can afford a designer, I would still recommend kaboodle because it’s got such a great range of quality fittings and materials.

I especially love the little mushroom doorknobs on the cupboards – they are so cute! And the self- and soft-closing drawers and doors are another favourite element.” 

Finally, we wanted to hear how having a new kitchen has impacted their everyday life…

“One thing I really love now is walking up the hallway and seeing the kitchen through the doorway. It used to be such a big fat bummer to be in there or even just walk past it, but not anymore! It’s so calming and fresh and visually pleasing, and it really suits the bohemian, tree-house, artsy vibe of our little flat. It’s a little bit retro, but at the same time classic and modern, and it just works so well – I actually never expected it to tone in as well as it does with the rest of the flat.

Plus, it’s so much easier to prepare food and cook together with all that bench space – and the storage space! We don’t have to overstuff the cupboards and drawers, so it’s much easier to keep things neat and organised. It really does tick all the boxes in terms of function, flow, and aesthetics.”

We hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about Bronwyn and James’ kaboodle transformation journey! You can view the green goodness gallery here. For more inspiration and ideas to create your kitchen, your way™, visit our design blog or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.