I realized not too long ago that there seems to have been a pretty big oversight around here in the home improvement/DIY renovations area. We updated our kitchen a little while ago, and by a little while ago I mean about a year and a half ago (oops), and I have yet to do an actual “Before and After” post on the room. You’ve definitely seen the room many times and I’ve posted about a bunch of different little projects in the room but never an actual full room before and after! So today I’m making things right!
We updated this room quickly and on a budget but the changes we made pretty much completely transformed the room. We painted the cabinets one day when our tree was being cut down, so Chris was home from work anyway to watch the whole process. This was back when he was still working at his office job instead of here at home with me working on internety things so we had a hard time justifying putting the time aside for a project like this, but since he was home anyway, we got to work! The sink and the counters were done one weekend and we completed the backsplash a few months later. It all got done eventually though!
We actually used tile that was leftover from our master bathroom renovation, so the backsplash was basically free!
This is kind of the main room that people see when they come into our house, so we definitely wanted to do something about it, but it’s also one of those spaces where we could decide to go all out one day and really do a full (expensive) renovation, since it is so highly visible. So we kept things simple and budget-friendly this time around and then we won’t feel bad in a few years if we want to do more in here. I feel like I say that about every project, but that’s pretty much where we’re at right now! 🙂
Here’s how the room looked for the first few years we lived here.
As I’ve said before, the cabinets were really well done and the room has always been comfortable and functional, it just wasn’t really our style. We learned how to enjoy it as it was before and we enjoy it now too, but I have to say that it’s a lot more fun to play around with holiday decor and things like that now that everything’s in “my” colors. 🙂
Here’s how it looks now!
Basically, the things we updated in here were the appliances (slowly, over a few years), the cabinets, the counters, and the sink. So definitely not everything, but it made a big difference!
We painted the cabinets and removed the little dip-de-do bits of trim over the windows first. We used the Rustoleum Cabinet Refinishing Kit in Winter Fog. Of course painting your cabinets is a lot of work, but it definitely makes a huge change in a kitchen for very little money! I think we ended up using a kit and a bit for all the cabinetry in here and the cabinets in the laundry room just off the kitchen as well. I’m glad to have extra paint now though so we can do touch ups or for other projects that we want to match the cabinet color, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about using one of these kits too!
The counters are IKEA butcher block and you can read all the details about those in this post here.
I also wrote a post all about our IKEA domsjo sink so make sure you pop over to that post if you’ve been thinking about getting one of these sinks! I knew I wanted a white farmhouse sink and you can find them at all different price points. The IKEA sink and faucet are both super affordable and we really love them both! We could have spent thousands on just these two items, but I’m so glad we didn’t because these are just perfect for us so far. 🙂
I always have a hard time getting a clear picture of this light fixture over the sink because of the window behind it and because it’s so light and delicate. We upgraded that as well though and I really love it! Here’s a similar one if you’re thinking of getting one like it.
Did you catch that post from a few weeks ago where I was talking about all the fun uses for caddies that I’ve been seeing lately? Well, here’s another one! They can hold herbs on your kitchen counter! 🙂
I think the reason that it’s taken me so long to share a “before and after” post about this room is because I felt like I never really finished the project. It seemed like I was supposed to go buy a whole bunch of new countertop accessories and kind of “redecorate” the room, but I always just ended up with the counters mostly clear all the time except for things we actually use in here. So basically just food and cooking tools. Eventually I just had to realize that it was probably going to stay like that because I just really love how nice and functional it is in here without a lot of extra stuff, and even more so now with the new sink and counters. (I know, it doesn’t make sense because we didn’t change the layout, but I explain better in the posts about those two parts of the room. :))
Sammy was up on the table when I was trying to grab these photos, as he often is, so I just had to share his cute little face with you. Don’t worry, I wipe the table down a lot!
If you turn around and look at the other side of the room towards the living room door you end up facing this big empty wall where we used to have a desk. This picture actually still gets pinned quite a bit, even though the room hasn’t looked like this for years. Thanks, pinners! 🙂
We did a bit of a switcheroo and moved the desk into the living room and the hutch into this room on this wall.
I took a similar shot to this one for my Spring/Easter tour last year and that one was pinned quite a bit too. This must be a lucky wall for pinning!
If you turn your head from here, you can see our little semi-make-shift entryway area. We do have a mudroom just outside the kitchen door, but it’s still uninsulated, so it can’t really be used during the colder months. Our family of four definitely has a lot of coats, boots, shoes, and winter gear, but we manage to stay on top of keeping it organized and this little corner actually works pretty well. It doesn’t hurt that my three-year-old, Jack, is slightly obsessed with keeping the shoes all nicely lined-up. 🙂
Sorry, it’s a bit dark in that corner of the room, but I took that shot as a spur-of-the-moment thing. It just seemed necessary to include it so you can really get a feel for what this whole room is all about. It’s not all lemons and white dishes! 🙂
So there we go! Problem solved! Crisis averted! You’ve officially had your before and after tour of our little kitchen update and all is right in the world again. There are so many things we’d still like to do in here, like everywhere else in the house, but we do like it just as-is as well! Hope you had fun!
MORE POSTS YOU’LL LIKE
- Our Master Bathroom Renovation Before and After
- The 10 Minute DIY Pillow Cover
- Christmas in My Kitchen
- How to Clean a White Porcelain Sink Like a Cleaning Ninja
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.