Ren + Billy’s Kitchenette Reveal

Northern Virginia

Eventually I will rename Ren + Billy’s Kitchenette to “The _____ Project” insert the new baby’s name who is coming to their family any day now. Ren and I were throwing names back and forth and we eventually landed on naming the project after her new baby! (Peep the ultrasound picture set on the open shelves)

Here’s how the project began…

We are blessed to have an amazing cabinet supplier here in Virginia Beach. The Paneling Factory has been so good to us since we became established here as house flippers in the area. They helped us sketch out the kitchenette from afar since Ren and Billy live in Northern Virginia and we live in the south. Working with them allowed us to save money and time by ordering the white cabinets ahead of time so that we could deliver them to the project.

Ren and Billy saved money several ways on this basement kitchenette. Because they will have parents and siblings renting the space for now and have aspirations to rent the space out after the family has found a new home, they wanted to make sure to not spend a crazy amount of money on a basement project they themselves will rarely use.

Savings #1: White Lower Cabinets

I wanted to make sure they got good quality cabinets that could withstand renters and time. Wood is the best option for great quality and white is the most affordable. Especially since they plan to rent, it was important that the cabinets were strong but Ren didn’t want to sacrifice character either. We decided to contrast black fixtures with the neutral cabinets and walls to create depth and personality.

Savings #2: Butcher Block Counters

I feel like there will always be a great debate as to whether butcher block counters are worth the investment. If you’re looking for our input… we vote: YES! Let me explain why. Butcher block is customizable. You can stain them any color and the nature of the wood warms up any space. Like most other countertops, I recommend cutting on a cutting board and not directly on the surface. The good news if they do get scuffed or scratched is that you can sand them down lightly and re-stain or recondition. They do require conditioner every few months or so as well. If you are willing to put in a little bit of effort, we think they are worth the savings.

Savings #3: Affordable tiles

I should add here “affordable and CLASSIC tiles.” Subway tile won’t go out of style anytime soon. It’s too clean and simple on top of being one of the most affordable tile choices available. Subway tile comes in many shapes, sizes, materials, and color that they just can’t be outdated. These simple 4 x 6 white subway tiles are 15 cents a tile at almost every hardware store that sells tiles. Ren and I decided to bring some contrast with a warm grey grout for an easy clean and character addition. Below, you can see that Ren wanted more uniqueness to the kitchen as well so she insisted on an accent strip behind the range hood. I helped her pick out these tiles from Lowes for .99 cents a tile to go up the wall on the left. We both adore how it turned out.

Savings #4: No Upper Cabinets

Did you even notice right away that the kitchenette has no upper cabinets? On first glance, you can’t even tell! The long open shelving pulled warmth from the wood and contrast from the brackets to add even more personality and save a ton of money. Amazon sold these brackets for $10 a piece and they support a ton of weight especially when installed into studs. The shelves allowed for decorative and practical displays. Being a rental, this is one of the smartest kitchen saves. Open shelves look amazing and cost much less than cabinets. Sean hand cut, sanded, and stained the pine wood to match the butcher block counters.

Here are the links for other supplies found in the kitchenette: faucet, sink, range hood, and pulls. I tell everyone that the only sink to purchase is silgranite or quartz sinks especially in black. They are worth paying a little bit extra because they do NOT scratch or stain. They make the perfect headache-free rental kitchen sink.

The project overall took one whole week with two men working full time (and most days overtime too). This was exactly the amount of time that we budgeted for and it came out perfectly.

Another feature I wanted to point out is that Sean and our employee and friend, Andrew, installed all new laminate flooring throughout the entire kitchen, dining, and living area. Carpet was originally installed by the builders and couldn’t be negotiated out.

New flooring and a brand new custom kitchenette will 100% increase the value of their home so overall, it was worth it.

An oven couldn’t be installed due to code so we opted for a cooktop. This is another way to save money in a rental if you are looking to transform a kitchen space on a budget.

The square footage also allowed for an eat-in kitchenette which in my opinion was pinnacle. Especially with renters, eat-in islands or peninsulas are a huge selling and renting point for potential renters or home buyers.

I wanted to make sure baby’s picture was included in our photo shoot to show the world how excited we all are! The house is ready baby!

I can’t say THANK YOU enough to all of you who supported us through this process on Instagram and real life! This journey with Ren and Billy has been a blast and we loved every second of adding this adorable kitchenette to Ren and Billy’s home.

Ann | DESIGN