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Updating A Dated Kitchen Yourself

We were so happy to stumble upon Beth’s email in our inbox. Her retelling of her kitchen redo had all the elements that we love in a good renovation story: an ugly before (a brown fridge!), lots of DIY details (yesss!), a bit of drama (the counters arrived the day before Christmas, yowza!) and – best of all – a beautiful after. Here’s her note:

Hello, Sherry & John! We bought our current home a little over a year ago, and to say it was outdated is the understatement of the century. Like you, we wanted something to fix up and make our own. Our kitchen was dark, ugly, and closed in. No matter how often/well I scrubbed the fridge, it smelled like garlic, and the OLD electric stove/oven burned everything.

Beth Before

The first thing we did was remove the existing linoleum and carpet in the adjacent family room. We lived on sub floor for almost a month because while the floor was up we tore down a wall between the formal dining room and the kitchen. With 4 kids under the age of 10, and a dog, it was a challenge to say the least.

Beth During Wall Down

Finally, we were prepped to install prefinished hardwood flooring that matched the hardwood throughout the rest of the house. So, we ripped out all of the rest of the cabinets, demo’d the soffit, and installed the floor in a little over a weekend. Once the floors were in, we started installing cabinets that we had ordered from Home Depot. They’re technically ‘in-stock’ cabinets, but we had to order ours since we wanted 36 inch upper cabinets, and a few drawer configurations that they didn’t offer in the store for some of our lower cabinets. 

Beth During Busting Soffet

Originally, I wanted to have my brother-in-law help my husband make concrete counters (he is a concrete finisher by trade) but we worried about the weight being supported enough, particularly because our island is pretty big. So, we went with Silestone counters in the color “cement.” The counters were installed the day before Christmas Eve (you can imagine my stress level!). My husband Jake installed a marble subway tile backsplash that goes all the way to the ceiling.

Beth After Main

Beth After Straight

Obviously, we got all new appliances (Kitchen Aid). The lighting is warehouse lighting and an outdoor light. The red counter stools are from Overstock. The open shelving was made with bits and pieces that Jake found at Home Depot. The corbels were actually ordered from the same company that we got our cabinets from.

Beth After Shelves

The whole project took more time than I had hoped for, but with four littles and Jake and I doing all the work ourselves, that is to be expected. I still can’t believe that this is my kitchen! Hope you enjoy! -Beth

Beth After Faucet

Thanks so much to Beth and Jake for sharing their beautiful kitchen! You can read and see more about the project on Beth’s blog. Didn’t they do an amazing job? It doesn’t even look like the same room. Let’s play the favorite part game (Sherry and I both picked those killer stools). I have to admit they’re giving me some ideas for ours…

Comments

  7. Emily says

    Wow! They did an amazing job! I love those counter tops with the stainless appliances, and the cabinet hardware. I might have gone all the way to the ceiling with the cabinets/trim though…

    Reply

  8. Amanda says

    Beautiful! This kitchen looks really similar to what my husband and I are hoping to do in our kitchen, so it’s really cool to see it! And, um, our “before” is almost just as bad!

    Reply

  14. Sherri says

    Beth mentions the installation of the floor and I love it in the photos but what kind of flooring is it? Engineered, solid, plank linoleum? Would love to know!

    Reply

  18. Mandi S. says

    I’ve had the chance to play with one of those faucets, and they are the BOMB! So that’s the favorite here, although it’s all seriously fantastic.

    Reply

  27. LeeAnn says

    WOW!! Love the transformation and big island facing the living room. And I appreciate the pops of colour from your stools, aprons and mixer:)

    LeeAnn

    Reply

  28. Julie @ There and Back Again says

    I so sympathize with this before – my house had that EXACT fridge when I moved in!!! We called it the Chocolate Monster :) Can’t say I’ve done quite the amazing turnaround that Beth has, but the Monster is gone and we’re certainly making progress. Amazing job, Beth!!

    Reply

  29. Laura says

    Love the whole kitchen but those stools are fantastic! Just the perfect shade of red and punch of color. The contrasting stand mixer is also fantastic. Love!

    Reply

  33. Sarah says

    Wow – the first “after” pic had me thinking it was an inspiration picture, then I realized omg…that’s the after! Haha, it’s just THAT good.

    Reply

  34. Kathy says

    It’s amazing how white paint can transform a dark room to a bright one! Is the countertop on the island a different color than the counters, or is it just my monitor? Either way, it’s beautiful!

    Reply

  35. Randa says

    Wow! Gorgeousness.
    As for my favorite, I’d have to say the color scheme in general (the white, gray, stainless, pops of color in the stand mixer, stools, linens)… just so beautiful!

    Reply

  39. Melissa says

    I really like the look that lots of people are doing lately – black/white/wood for the durable room style and pops of color with accessories/furniture. The stools, mixer, aprons, bowls, and towels make this clean and crisp room so much fun!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  40. Heather V says

    What a gorgeous after! I love white kitchens with dabs of colour here and there – especially the greens and reds of this one. Fresh and fun!

    Reply

  43. Karena says

    Stunning! I love the pop of red and the colorful aprons hung on the hook.

    We’re still trying to figure out the lighting situation for our kitchen remodel and those lights might be just the ticket. (And by figure out, I mean that I have a table lamp plugged in on the counter as my current lighting situation because we have yet to pull the trigger. Haha.) I am certainly loving the price. My issue is that we need a smaller, complimentary light for over the sink. It needs to be a pendant because the sink is under a window and we are putting a shelf above the window. :/ Any suggestions?

    Reply

  48. Anita says

    This looks amazing! Hmmm does that last line imply that we may soon be seeing (spray painted) red stools in the Youngsters’ kitchen as well? :-)

    Reply

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