I love our new kitchen! Nothing like a little kitchen reno, on a budget, starting three days before family comes for Christmas!!
It was so worth it.
So, I’ve written this post about 87 times. OK, I exaggerate a bit. But I’ve been trying to figure out how to convey everything that happened, why it happened, how it happened, and the sources of everything in the new kitchen…and I was trying to do that in one post.
That isn’t going to work. It’s too much. So, I am breaking down the kitchen reno into several posts this week:
Today: The Big Reveal and Why I Decided to Renovate the Kitchen
Next: The Plan and Process – How I Removed the Cabinets and Dealt with the Aftermath
Finally: Sources for Materials, Total Budget, and Q&A.
Why Reno the Kitchen?
After living with this kitchen for several months, I realized that:
(1) I’m too short to effectively use the upper cabinets. I would put things in there and then forget they were there. I couldn’t see what I’d put in those cabinets.
(2) In a relatively small kitchen, the upper cabinets made the room seem darker and more cramped.
(3) The corner cabinet was useless. The “appliance garage” was too small to put appliances in, and I couldn’t help but think the counter space would be more useful.
(4) Unlike in our old house, there was no vent hood in this kitchen; the stove has a down-draft vent. Because there was no vent hood, there was no light above the stove. I needed some light there – I was used to it and I missed having it there.
(5) The stainless steel sink was not in good shape. It was dented and stained and really not attractive.
Let’s get on with it! The big reveal!!!
Here’s the BEFORE:
And now the AFTER:
The vintage-looking, industrial lamp provides much-needed light over the stove. I can adjust the height with the lever (see left side of lamp) and I can swing it around to the counter side if I need more light there. Perfect!
Of course, the vintage Coke crate spice rack stayed. I just moved it from across the kitchen to right next to the stove, which makes more sense.
D. Lawless Hardware sent me these cup pulls for the drawers and I love them! They are oil-rubbed bronze with copper highlights, matching the knobs that were already on the bottom cabinets. They’re perfect for the age and style of this kitchen! Thank you, D. Lawless! D. Lawless Hardware is awesome to work with and has a huge variety of pulls, knobs, handles and more!
Ah, my coffee corner. Can’t live without coffee and now I have a handy little coffee station just for me.
I got that beautiful white porcelain cast-iron sink at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $12. TWELVE dollars! For that gorgeous sink! What a steal!
The bread is in the basket on that shelf, right above the toaster. The whisks and spatulas and baking supplies are right by the stove, where I use them. Much better.
Several of you have asked me whether I lost needed storage when I removed the cabinets. While the cabinets definitely provided more storage than the shelves, it wasn’t useful storage. I couldn’t reach them or see what was in the cabinets. Now I can see everything.
Things that didn’t fit on the shelves are now in a new shelving unit in the pantry.
This area used to have a built-in desk there.
Before we moved in. Note the desk in the pantry area.
And that desk just became a magnet for piles of paper. The shelves are much more useful.
So there it is: the finished kitchen!
For the post about the plan and the actual work, click HERE.
For the post listing the cost of the reno and sources for materials (and I answer your questions!), click HERE.
I redid my pantry, too – to see the pantry redo, please see THIS POST.
ONE YEAR LATER: an update with my honest feelings about the open kitchen shelves. Click HERE.
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
I love it Karen! It’s brilliant!! Just shared on FB XO
Thank you, Red!! P.S. I’m making that frittata for dinner soon!
It looks amazing, Karen! I love every detail, especially the chalkboard backsplash! Well done my friend!
Thank you, friend!! Xoxo
Love it!! I have mixed feelings about overhead cabinets. I agree they make smaller kitchens feel too top-heavy and dark. I’m 5′ tall (yeah ZERO inches) and can’t reach even too far into the second shelf in overhead cabinets. I love the open shelving you did. People complain about dust but if you put things you use frequently on the shelves, there shouldn’t be much dust problem, right?
That’s exactly right. The stuff that’s on the shelves are things I use all the time anyway. The top shelf has things I use less frequently, but I can just dust them before I use them or when needed. Short friends, unite! 🙂
Love it, pinned it! I want open shelves, come help me!
Debbie
I’m on it! Thank you so much!!
it looks great! I have a similar layout, only no pantry. I’d get rid of my upper cabinets if I had someplace to put the cereal!
LOL, Kirby! Thank you so much!
It turned out fabulous! Love the open shelving.
Thank you so much!!
I love what you did and love the open shelving!
Thank you, Kim!
How amazing is this! I love the chalkboard wall too!!!
Thank you, Bethany!!
Such a huge transformation – I can only imagine how much you love your new kitchen. It’s great inspiration for the mini kitchen reno we’re about to embark on!
I do loooooove it! Thank you so much, Kris! I can’t wait to see your reno!!
love the chalkboard backsplash!
Thanks, Nikki!!
Love the chalkboard “backsplash” and the new cup pulls…we have them in our home too and love them!
Thanks, Jenn! I love them, too!
Thanks for the share! I’m collecting ideas to tackle our useless kitchen so I appreciate all you’ve done!
Thanks, Becky! I can’t wait to see what you do with your kitchen!!
So awesome! You sold me on going to the Habitat store. I feel the need remove all of the removable seats from my car … just in case! 😉
Excellent! Let me know what you find! Thank you!
Karen,
This is a~m~a~z~i~n~g! You know I must love it, because typing amazing that way took so time! Sharing!!!!
Hugs, Jeanette
Thanks, Jeanette! I appreciate that! Hugs back!! xoxo
Great job! I love the chalkboard backsplash, as well! You’ve inspired me to finish my own kitchen reno that I’ve taken way too long finishing, so thank you! 🙂 Your pantry door you mentioned in the other blog entry…interested to see that when it’s finished!
Again, great job….beautiful kitchen!!
Thank you, Teresa!!
Very cool. I did the poor man’s version of this and took the doors off the upper cabinets by the sink and by the stove. I primed and painted the inside a bright color and put contact paper on the shelves. It looks ok, and accomplished the goal of opening up the feel of my small kitchen. I like your shelves better, but don’t want to deal with taking the cabinets down. Doesn’t that require putting up new sheetrock? 🙁
Great job!
Thanks! Actually, it didn’t require new sheetrock. I only had to patch the two areas (see the next post about the plan and the process) – one where the previous owner had ripped (literally) an electrical outlet out of the wall and one place where the cabinet did tear the sheetrock. Wasn’t bad at all. Like advanced spackling.
Karen, I have an electric down draft stove but want a gas one. Please tell me your oven brand. I love what you did with your kitchen and want to incorporate some of your ideas.
Thanks, Tracy! I have a Jenn-Air gas stove. It was in the house when we moved in, but it works well.
Looks great! I also have a Jenn Air downdraft, but still get food splatters in the immediate area of the stove, do you have a problem with food splatters or grease on the glassware on the shelves? Also, since you put the shelves in the pantry, where do you put your food? Always looking for better solutions for my kitchen organization. Thanks!
Thanks, Pam! I do get splatters on the counter, but not on the glassware or shelves. I don’t fry that much and the splatters that do happen don’t get that high. In the pantry, the food is on the left side as you walk in – there were shelves already built-in there when we moved in – and the bakeware and small appliances are on the right.
WOW! Your kitchen looks amazing!! Love the open shelving.
Thanks, Pamela! I appreciate it!
Love your makeover! The open shelves add a lot of character and open up your space. OK you’re pretty brave too taking this on during the holidays! Sharing & pinning 🙂
Thanks, Wendi!! I love the openness of the space now!
Looks great! Your before was not bad either, I love the open shelving! Pinning!
Thank you, DeDe!!
Love the chalkboard backsplash and how much light is over the stove!
Thank you, Marci! I started writing what we were eating for the week on the backsplash and my kids would say, “We have to eat [insert whatever was for dinner] – it’s on the menu!” Cracked me up!