San Jose Flip Kitchen
We closed on the sale of this cute little charmer on San Jose Drive a couple of months ago. We poured a lot of love into this flip and had so much fun staging the home just before putting it on the market. She sold right away and we are so excited for the new family that is going to make this sweet home theirs!
Of all the flips we have done, this one was definitely in the best shape to begin with (as you can see in the photo below). We tend to find ourselves buying the most neglected, decrepit, smelly homes on the market, ha! This one, in contrast, just needed a little sprucing to bring it to its full potential. It was something we call a "cosmetic flip," meaning it just needed new cabinets, tile, paint, etc., but no layout changes, major repairs, or alterations to the bones of the house. That's how Ty convinced me to do this one. After showing this home to a buyer who decided not to pursue it, he came and told me about the house saying that it would be the perfect quick flip for "someone." Well, the someone became us. Though, "quick" did not describe this one as it took longer than any house we have done! You can thank the newest addition to the Jansma flipping team for that. Flipping with a baby in tow definitely slows down the process!
You can find the original design plan for the kitchen here. After a decade of installing white kitchens in flips, I hunted for a soft gray or beige. We got these cabinets locally through Williams Distribution, The color is called "Mineral" and it is one of their stock products. On the fridge wall, we went with white pantry cabinets that go to the ceiling. I'm a huge fan of two toned kitchens as they much more custom and a little less "builder grade." The countertops are Silestone Soapstone Suede, the same as what we installed in our last EGR flip (the Rosewood flip). The suede finish mimics the texture of soapstone. I would highly recommend these quartz tops if your are looking for a soapstone look without the maintenance!
Brining tile to the ceiling is always a great way to go if it makes sense for the layout of the kitchen. This zellige look-a-like is called Casablanca by Wow Tile, very similar to this tile, that we used inour master bathroom (in the brick shape). I love a square tile installed in a brick joint pattern! The brass knobs were a fabulous find from amazon (pack of 20 for $37)! I figured I could give them a try and return them if they felt cheap. To my surprise, the knobs were heavy and the brass color was beautiful! I actually bought some more to use on a dresser in our bedroom.
One small change that made a huge impact in this kitchen? Swapping the existing fridge for a counter depth unit. I cannot express enough how much better a counter depth fridge feels! This fridge, with its beautiful straight handles (a must for any appliance, in my opinion) retails for only $800. We contemplated leaving the old fridge many times. I am so glad we took the plunge and replaced that bulky fridge with this one!
I love how the warm wood floor (original), vintage rug, and brass knobs add balance to the gray cabinetry, black counters, and white backsplash. In a perfect world, each room has just the right balance of warm and cool!
Shop this kitchen below
Already missing our day trips to East Grand Rapids to check up on this cutie!
HJ