Worst Kitchen in America III: Kitchen Crashers to the Rescue
With help from Alison Victoria and DIY's Kitchen Crashers team, a tiny and dated matchbox of a kitchen gets remade into a state-of-the-art cooking space with loads of visual appeal.
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March 23, 2015
By:
David L Haynes
Related To:
Motivated to Renovate
Kitchen Crashers host and professional contractor Alison Victoria joins forces with this lucky Florida couple to help give them the dream kitchen they never dreamed they'd have. Brigitte and Chase Ratzlaff were the winning contestants in the Worst Kitchen in America contest, a joint collaboration between DIY Network and Food Network Magazine.
A New Kitchen Takes Shape
The Ratzlaffs' kitchen was selected from among thousands of entries to get a complete top-to-bottom makeover — Kitchen Crashers style. After being surprised by Alison and the Kitchen Crashers crew, Brigitte and Chase Ratzlaff get their first look at the plans for their revamped kitchen.
Bring On the New
Alison shows Brigitte and Chase the new copper farmhouse sink that will be one of the highlight features in the new kitchen.
Worst Kitchen: Before
Prior to the renovation, some of the less-than-stellar features in this sad little kitchen included mismatched cabinets (wood panel above; painted white below), bad lighting, cabinet doors that were falling off their hinges, worn laminate backsplash and appliances that barely worked.
Worst Kitchen: Before
The countertops in the kitchen were wood composite with a faux granite laminate. The wood particleboard had begun to deteriorate from underneath to a point that it had started to leave sawdust residue on the floor.
Worst Kitchen: Before
In a noteworthy decorating faux pas, several of the kitchen surfaces, including the awkwardly placed free-hanging shelves, were covered in shelf paper made to look like marble. The dishwasher — which appeared to date to around the middle of the last century — did run, though it left dishes dirty.
Worst Kitchen: Before
In the old kitchen, the refrigerator juts out beyond the door frame, partially blocking the entry. A worn triangular cabinet stands next to the refrigerator, precariously placed and unsecured. A wallpaper border with pink hearts does little to augment the overall motif.
After
Smart workspace planning, subdued lighting and carefully integrated elements are all key in the design of the new kitchen. An eye-pleasing color scheme, beadboard ceiling, recessed pot lights and a sliding barn door help define and unify the new space.
After
The updated kitchen features custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, a copper-top center island and new appliances in brushed stainless steel.
After
While the old kitchen was closed off and claustrophobic, the new one is pleasingly spacious and comes with a large window providing a beautiful lake view.
Before
The old sink and worn-out laminate offer precious little in the way of kitchen aesthetics.
After
The new kitchen fairly sparkles — dressed out with quartz countertops, a copper farmhouse sink and designer faucet in coordinating brushed copper.
Reinventing the Space: Before
The old kitchen was cramped, badly laid out and barely functional for cooking — and even less so for entertaining.
Reinventing the Space: After
The renovation results in a kitchen that's perfectly equipped for meal prep, offers more breathing room and which transitions nicely into a casual and comfortable living space.
Reinventing the Space: Before
The former living room had plenty of square footage, but much of it was left underutilized — except by the occasional rocking horse. This is the room that would soon be transformed into the new kitchen and living space.
Reinventing the Space: After
By incorporating a contiguous kitchen and living area, the new design is better suited not only to cooking, but to family gatherings and casual entertaining. The simple coffee table, custom-built by Alison and homeowner Brigitte, was crafted out of wood crates, stained dark then assembled to create modular storage as well as tabletop surface.
Before: Dated and Dingy
After: Clean and Contrasty
Details are key to helping spruce up the new counter tops in homeowners Chase and Brigette Ratzlaff's newly remodeled kitchen in Lake Wales, FLa.
So What Ever Happened To ...
The actual space where the old kitchen once stood is now reconfigured into something far better suited to its size: a pantry and utility room with plenty of shelving and storage.
Designer Touches
Alison Victoria adds a few accents to finish off the newly renovated kitchen.
Accessories and Details
The new color palette, making use of off-white, greens and earth tones, brightens up the space while providing a tastefully serene backdrop.
Accessories and Details
The new faucet hardware in a brushed-copper finish "pops" against the lighter quartz countertops.
Accessories and Details
Cabinet pulls tie in visually with other fixtures and hardware.
Accessories and Details
A few simple accent pieces help finish out the newly renovated kitchen.
Another Crash With a Happy Ending
Alison and the Kitchen Crashers leave homeowners Brigitte and Chase Ratzlaff with a kitchen that's gone from ugly duckling to striking showplace.
