Zephyr Lofts Before and After
This condo is in an industrial redevelopment district in Jersey City, right across from Manhattan. Before, the dated wooden cabinets and black granite was not in synch with the modern loft look. Ceilings were low (7'2"), light was weak. The peninsula/breakfast bar under stairs was awkward, and the laundry jut out, making the entrance too narrow and claustrophobic. First, we raised the ceiling 7 inches, and straightened the sight lines, widening the entry to the condo. This allowed us to install new upper cabinets are on average 10 longer than the older ones. We put down white, scratch-resistant hardwood floors, white acrylic cabinets from IKEA, quartz counters, and Bosch appliances. The laundry was brought into the kitchen. We also added a second 1 foot wide 9 foot long counter space with cabinets underneath, making this a galley kitchen. We used stainless legs and upper cabinets to make the 2nd row of cabinets (an IKEA hack), which kept the kitchen from feeling narrow. We extended the kitchen into the living room, extending it 5 ft longer, and making it open concept and functional. The floating staircase was closed with risers to keep the kitchen cleaner. Finally, we used a large format tile as backsplash, making clean up a breeze and put in LED undercabinet lights. I love how the reflective surfaces bounce the light around. The most expensive part of the project was raising the ceiling and straightening the entrance, which cost about $10,000. We splurged on Bosch 800 appliances, top of the line flooring (Mohawk Architexture), countertop (Caesarstone), tile (Porcelanosa), and doors (Ringhult IKEA) but managed to stay under $20,000 otherwise. The kitchen was part of a full renovation designed by the owner, and undertaken by Nazco Interiors.
Light countertops, flat cabinets