These Kitchen Before and Afters Are So Good, You'll Do a Double Take
Whether you order in, dine out, or stick to the snacks, the kitchen is an important, functional spot in our homes. The meal-prep space holds valuable tools and appliances that don't exist in any other room, and most importantly, it's where the food is stored. But if your kitchen is — for a lack of a better term — a total dump, then time spent cooking, meal prepping, and eating can (literally) leave you with a bad taste.
If you have been craving a remodel, want to make some small upgrades, or simply enjoy a good before and after, then our friends at Sweeten (a free service that connects renovators and contractors) have hooked us up with some sweet kitchen rebuild photos to inspire you. Fair warning: if you're not planning to redesign your kitchen, then turn away now — these before and afters might change your mind.
Before: Contemporary Touch
The outdated appliances, poor lighting, and tile flooring make this kitchen feel enclosed and tight.
After: Contemporary Touch
The opening of the wall made this kitchen go from small and outdated to bright, contemporary, and open.
Before: Light and Traditional
With all of the clutter and dark wood tones, it's hard to tell that this is even a kitchen at first glance.
After: Light and Traditional
The white cabinets and bright tones bring this kitchen to life.
Before: Bright and Chic
Aside from the poor lighting, the outdated wood grains, appliances, and tiling are in major need of an upgrade.
After: Bright and Chic
The difference in colors alone shows how much a color palette matters when designing a space.
Before: Fun Tile
A small and confined area, this kitchen needs a few simple upgrades to make it more welcoming.
After: Fun Tile
The fun tiling, white cabinets, and additional shelf space make this room an inviting place to cook or entertain.
Before: Goodbye to the Pocket Kitchen
Sometimes pocket kitchens make sense, but in this case, it is small, confined, and can easily be expanded.
After: Goodbye to the Pocket Kitchen
Before, the kitchen was closed off and could only fit one or two people at a time. Now, by abandoning the pocket kitchen concept and adding an island, the space is much brighter and more open.
Before: Sleek and Sophisticated
Although this kitchen may look small, with an efficient use of colors, it can appear more open!
After: Sleek and Sophisticated
Taking advantage of all the walls adds more cabinet space, while the contrasting black and white colors help to make the modern design stand out.
Before: A Modern Upgrade
The open design looks cluttered with no clear intention.
After: A Modern Upgrade
The upgraded wood tones and sleek appliances bring this kitchen from dull to modern.
Before: A Sophisticated Design
The dark colors and low lighting makes this meal-prepping space feel enclosed and confined.
After: A Sophisticated Design
The bright, contrasting colors give this updated kitchen a sophisticated appeal.
Before: Detailed and Intentional
Although a kitchen does not exist here, it's an area that can easily be transformed with some finishing touches and added appliances.
After: Detailed and Intentional
The bright colors help to open up the space, making it feel less cramped.
Before: Play Off Colors
Sometimes it just takes a few pieces you already own to inspire a remodel.
After: Play Off Colors
The colorful seating in the old design fits in fantastically with the new bright and bold remodel.
Before: Contrasting Colors
The dark tones and poor lighting give this space an unwelcoming feel.
After: Contrasting Colors
By opening up the wall, the kitchen already feels more inviting. In addition, the contrasting colors and fun tile make the room pop.
Before: Bright Tile
This small, enclosed kitchen feels cramped and dark.
After: Bright Tile
With just a few simple fixes — backsplash, lighting, and new flooring — this eatery has gone from drab to fab!
Before: Bright and Welcoming
The inefficient use of lighting and storage makes this kitchen feel cramped and distasteful.
After: Bright and Welcoming
The new colors and recessed lighting give this kitchen an upgrade from cramped to airy.
Before: Modern Upgrades
This small, enclosed kitchen is out of date and tightly cramped.
After: Modern Upgrades
By abandoning the closet design, this room now has a lifted, modern twist.
Before: Brightening Up
To liven up the space, this dull kitchen just needs a few cosmetic changes to make it pop.
After: Brightening Up
The addition of white cabinets and marble backsplash reinvents this bland area to a more vibrant atmosphere.
Before: Tasteful Tones
This small cookery barely feels walkable due to its dark color choices.
After: Tasteful Tones
The tasteful colors and added light make a huge difference in opening up the room.
Before: Cheeky Tile
This galley kitchen is not only inefficient, but it's also bland and ill-lit.
After: Cheeky Tile
With the focus on the fun tile, it's easy to forget how small the space truly is.
Before: Simplicity
This cramped kitchen has no sign of life with its muted tones.
After: Simplicity
With new cabinetry and simple coloring, this eatery goes from confined to feeling much more open.
Before: A Statement Kitchen
Although this kitchen is open and bright, it's not making a statement of any sort.
After: A Statement Kitchen
With the contrasting gold and black centerpiece, as well as the additional seating, this kitchen has become a perfect place to entertain.
Before: A Bright Transformation
The design of this dark kitchen has no clear intention with its bright accents.
After: A Bright Transformation
Brightening up the space with whites and light grays helps to make it more inviting.
Before: Clean and Crisp
The poor lighting and color choices make this eatery feel tight and uncomfortable.
After: Clean and Crisp
With the addition of bright whites and grays, this space now feels bright and airy.
Before: Lighting Is Everything
With just one light source, this cooking space looks cramped and outdated.
After: Lighting Is Everything
Reconfiguring the kitchen by adding more light and decluttering the window makes a huge difference.
Before: All Modern
Although on the right track, this kitchen feels a bit cluttered.
After: All Modern
The sleek, modern design makes this kitchen's intention more straight-forward.
Before: Traditional Overhaul
This '70s-style eatery is ready for a major upgrade.
After: Traditional Overhaul
Without the modern touches, this upgrade feels traditional and organic.
Before: Whiteout
The brown cabinets and large furnishings don't complement the size of the room.
After: Whiteout
By redesigning and simplifying the space, the kitchen feels much brighter and less cramped.
Before: Bold Colors
This dimly lit and stuffed kitchen has mixed designs.
After: Bold Colors
Brightening up the space by adding bold pops of color helps to make a statement.
Before: Gold Finishing
This bland kitchen has no design element that makes it unique or original.
After: Gold Finishings
The bright colors and gold accent pieces make this redesign unique and different.
Before: Traditional and Bright
The mixed colors give this space a busy and confusing feel.
After: Traditional and Bright
Simplifying the color scheme and adding eye-catching fixtures makes all the difference in this redesign.
Before: A Simple Galley Kitchen
This galley kitchen looks busy with all of the cabinets.
After: A Simple Galley Kitchen
Rearranging the cabinetry and appliances to make the stove the focus gives this galley kitchen a less busy feel.
Before: Bright and Modern
The mixed patterns, outdated appliances, and poor lighting make this kitchen dull looking.
After: Bright and Modern
The upgraded design showcases a modern kitchen with bright lights.
Before: White and Traditional
With the wood cabinets and black appliances, this kitchen feels cramped and dark.
After: White and Traditional
The upgraded appliances, white cabinets, and bright countertops give this kitchen an airy and light feel.
Before: Modern Upgrade
Darker tones can work in large spaces, but in this small space, it looks cramped and busy.
After: Modern Upgrade
Without all of the patterns and wood tones, the kitchen design appears more open.
Before: Open-Concept Design
This pocket kitchen is walled up with its dim lighting and a poor color scheme.
After: Open-Concept Design
Knocking down the wall gives this now-open kitchen a brighter feel while showcasing the upgraded appliances and colors.