Great improvement! On a budget too!

Nice change. It looks much brighter and inviting for guests. Is that in Brooklyn?

Great updates!

It is a little small

Great transformation - the kitchen looks twice as big and super modern and fresh. And as I'm usually against items on top of cabinets- your framed prints are fab!
Total winner!

great job. You turned on the lights! ;)

It's amazing. And that looks like a really great paint job on the cabinets. I can't believe how much bigger it makes the room look.

Because of the plant shelf and the heating unit, the refrigerator cannot fully open

Lighting makes the biggest impact! The prints bring in personality. It appears more "user friendly" now :-)

Should have filled in the holes where the knobs were and moved up the handles on the doors...

The pictures on top of the cabinet are a great addition.

Good idea keeping a clean crisp white interior. Doesn't it make such a difference with good lighting? Nice!

Nice! Love the granite - what is the name of it!

Lighting is the major player here! Love the artwork above the cabinets, great job picking out appliances! The paint is perfect as well! I'm seeing a backsplash in the future!

I would also add a roller shade in a translucent modern pattern, like this one

great job!

So pretty! Could you please tell me the name of the cabinet pulls you got from Overstock? Thank you!!

Sure! GlideRite 7-inch Solid Stainless Steel Finished Cabinet Bar Pulls (Case of 25)
When I got them they were $52 per case. I think they are a little more now. They are really a nice weight and very pretty.

rhondamilauskas - I don't know the name of the granite - it was there when we bought the apartment.

Nice kitchen but I don't know why anyone would live in a place where you have to have bars on the windows. My esthetics don't extend to penitentiary décor.

your after pictures are very generic and now instead of country. Or what Country has always been

Much better than many Manhattan kitchens.

wow! Much brighter space!

Have to say...I like before and after. Very nice!

the only differences I see are a taller fridge, and the window shelf... having the lights turned on for the after and not the before is cheating!!!

wow, some people can be grumpy! You did a great job with such limited budget, and the frames on top of the cabinets make all the difference, they are very nice!

Thank you gioamorim for saying that. You should see the comments on Facebook as Houzz posted it there two days ago without my comments and explanation of what it is. I posted this to show what a little money can do to make a big difference. Actually the first picture IS lit - thats the point. The addition of better lighting can make a room pop. But I love all the sweet comments and suggestions. I'm definitely going to get that window shade.

It looks great! Well done! Isn't it funny how much just changing up the hardware can make a difference? If you added a nice window treatment and a cool ceiling light, the room would really be fab!

I LOVE IT! Great decisions made in this room!

great job!! looks so clean and bright!

Stunning, job very well done.

Love the light. Beautiful transformation!

Beautiful...

Great transformation.. congratulations!

I can't believe how much you accomplished on a budget of $1,000! Amazing!

I saw someone mentioned that you can't open the fridge completely, because of the shelf. Is that a problem for you?

You can't see it but the shelf was cut at an angle to accommodate the fridge. We put a little rubber bumper but it's fine.

Beautiful transformation! Adding the new lighting really opens up your space and makes it look bigger. You can really see the cabinets and the beautiful counter tops. Nicely done!

Great job! It would be extremely helpful if you could elaborate on how your $1,000 budget was allocated. I'm very curious about the refrigerator brand and pricing. Also, can you provide the height of your wall cabinets?

Thank you.

Quite the transformation.

What transformation! Great job!

Wow!!

Absolutely fantastic and especially with only $1000 to spend!! Great job.

Wow! Impressive.. $1,000 well spent!

Very nice! Good lighting makes such a difference.

Carmel Decor

Nice transformation. I like it.

Great job on your updates! Enjoy.

What a fantastic job. Where are the prints from or are they some of your own photography?

Great job!