The original place wasn’t terrible. Orima Kamalu admits the old kitchen had bones—open space, decent storage, room to actually move around without tripping. It just looked like… the year 2005. Gloss-white cabinets. Chrome handles that probably didn’t even look real.
Not their style.
After moving in with her husband Joel, they decided to gut the aesthetic. Function stayed. Soul changed. Orima had been scrolling social media. Seeing black everywhere. She’d had sage green before—a soft, safe choice this time. She wanted drama. She wanted Shaker designs. Brass hardware was non-negotiable.
“I was keen to try out a new tone that matched my other preferences.”
They started painting the walls Valspar Stormy Day. A cool green. Then they ripped the old cabinets out. Sanded. Cut new MDF panels. Painted them matte black. Drilled for the new pulls. It was dirty work. Real work.
She found a countertop paint kit online. Andrews Aerosols made it look too easy. Spray. Dry. Done. They tackled the island themselves next. Backsplash included. Green porcelain subway tiles went on one by one.
Why hire out everything when you can learn?
The floors were the line they drew. They hired a pro to lay luxury vinyl parquet in the kitchen and living room. Smarter that way.
It took six months. Not days. Weeks bled into months. Cost them roughly $680. Half what a standard remodel charges. Worth the sweat. Orima keeps looking at that tiled peninsula and feeling that spike of pride. Not just because it looks good. But because she made it happen.
Why pay a fortune to watch someone else work when you can build it with your hands?
It’s a loud room now. Black meets green meets brass. No chrome. No gloss-white mediocrity. Just their taste. If you want to see how the rest of the house survived this energy shift, Apartment Therapy has the full tour.
