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.
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.
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