House Voyeur: Jen's New Kitchen

Some of us who've been homeowners for a few years -- and who may even have a remodeling project or two under our belts -- are still a bit daunted by the Mother of All Home-Improvement Projects: The Major Kitchen Remodel.

Not so Jen Garcia of Huntington Beach, California. After purchasing her first home last October at the tender age of 26, Jen barely waited until the ink was dry on the closing papers before completely gutting her new condo's bland, timeworn kitchen, below. (Actually, Jen made her boyfriend do the gutting -- but you get the idea.)

Here, Jen shares the story of the makeover:

"This was the first place I ever remodeled. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I did some research, tried my best to do things in the correct order, and made a few mistakes along the way. Still, I'm thrilled with the way everything turned out.

The look I was going for is what I like to call 'contemporary/cozy.' I love clean, straight lines, no clutter, and sophisticated design. But my main concern was to have a place that's comfortable and relaxing while still keeping a contemporary feel. I definitely think I accomplished that.

My favorite thing about the kitchen is the 'brick' backsplash, which is actually made from granite. When I was choosing my granite countertop, I picked another piece of granite and had the stoneyard cut it into an uneven brick design and lay out the pieces on 12-inch-square mesh for installation. I think it completely makes the kitchen.

The other thing I'm thrilled about is the range hood (a Broan Rangemaster 30-Inch in stainless steel). I didn't even know what those things were called before I had to buy one. I looked through magazines and other kitchen resources, saw one similar to this, and was on my way to finding an affordable one of my own.

Other resources:

* Kenmore Stainless Steel 30-inch Freestanding Gas Range

* Pergo laminate flooring (I would have loved wood, but I have to say that with all of the remodeling I did, the Pergo held up amazingly well. Wood would've been thrashed.)

* Kenmore Side-by-Side Stainless Steel Refrigerator

* Avanti EWC28 28-Bottle Wine Cooler With Lock

* Kenmore Elite Stainless Steel 24-Inch Built-In Dishwasher

* The cabinet hardware was purchased on sale from Home Depot. A ten-pack of handles for $20! That was the best deal I found.

* The mocha-beige paint is from Dunn-Edwards, which some friends of mine had used. They had a little sample of it left, but no name. I took it to the paint store and had them color-match it for me."

Thanks so much for sharing your kitchen remodel with us, Jen!

Want to share your own home -- or simply show off a room or a project you're proud of? Please let me know!