This $53K Kitchen Renovation Is the Anti-HGTV Aesthetic

When Masha Tsimring and Nicholas Hussong set out to renovate the kitchen in their Queens, New York, apartment, they encouraged architects Lane Rick and Can Vu Bui of the firm Office of Things to make it zanier. "I was really interested in it not being an HGTV-like home renovation," Nicholas says. But they were also aware of limitations. Rick says the team was guided by the question "How do you get the most you can from as little work as possible?"

Masha and Nicholas, who are theater-industry designers, wanted to change many things in their 900-square-foot place. But Rick and Vu Bui recommended concentrating their efforts in order to stretch the budget. Uniting the generic galley kitchen (think white cabinets and faux-granite counters) and adjacent room (which the previous residents used as their primary bedroom) would get the couple more space to entertain and better natural light.