Extreme Home Makeovers

My entire life history is one marked by kitchens. Specifically, the renovation of kitchens. My starter home on Stephen Long Drive was the site of my first misadventure in remodeling. Long before the advent of the Internet and the introduction of online customer reviews, remodeling your house without the benefit of a general contractor meant random calls to friends for a “kitchen guy.” Did I say “friends?” What I mean is enemies to the death.

Our first kitchen re-do was done by a friend’s friend’s boyfriend’s brother—a train of accusation for later. Once we had ripped out everything down to the sub-floor—when the red Georgia clay below suddenly became an accent color—they quit. OK, they went into rehab. And, evidently, rehab had discounted rates because the team of three had vanished. With our money. And some two-by-fours.

Two contractors later, and now boasting a black-and-white theme with a red sink, we listed the house and had a signed contract in one day. I never so much had a six-pack of Tab in that gleaming Sub-Zero refrigerator. A couple of more moves and renovations later, I had finally “had it” by the time we landed at our last house on Peachtree-Dunwoody. I added half-round molding to the existing plywood cabinets (at least I think they were some sort of wood) and a thick coat of high-gloss enamel paint in black.

With some oversized antique glass knobs, a quick polish of the circa 1973 Mexican tile and the addition of a marble countertop and a cheery Turkish carpet, we had friends oohing and ahhing. As for cooking, well, the pantry stored my out-of-season clothes, and I’d head to my car to pick up the take-out. At my current pied-à-terre in New York, I decided that if someone’s granny had liked that avocado green backsplash in 1940, then so do I!

what’s inspiring me The new book, DIsh: 813 Colorful, wonderful dinner plates ($35, artisan), A Kitchen by Inspirations Kitchen & bath studio and A timeless faucet.

Portrait by Steve Pomberg. Kitchen photographed by Erica George Dines. Faucet by Perrin & Rowe.