Kitchen Remodel

I love a good "before and after", so today I am sharing a "before and after" of our kitchen remodel and I think it's a pretty good one! The kitchen really is the heart of the home, so it's important that the space is functional. I knew when we moved into our home, that we would remodel our kitchen eventually and I was so happy when that day finally came! I am glad though that we waited as long as we did so we could live in the space for a while and take our time deciding what we really needed when it came to storage, design, and the overall flow.

My main frustration when walking into the space was the layout and the lack of storage. The kitchen table sat directly in front of the back doors making it hard to navigate around. In between the table and the island was a walkway that was a waste of space, and the island was awkwardly shaped. We also did not have much storage or a formal pantry, so anytime I would go to buy groceries I couldn't see what we had because everything was just kind of thrown into the cupboards and it was almost impossible to organize.

 

 

My husband Curtis came up with the idea to take down the wall next to our fridge and pull storage from the garage so we could build a pantry. We have a 2 1/2 car garage, we decided to pull the 1/2  garage and we opened it up into the kitchen, insulated, and then had it professionally wired for electricity. We used the same wood tile that ran throughout the downstairs, added the wallpaper, baseboards, and lighting. The shelves were a super simple DIY that only took about and hour to prep and an hour to install. I love all things cactus and kelly green, so the wallpaper was perfect!

 

I spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest and Google trying to find ideas and plans for a large 2in1 Island/Table combo, so we could get rid of our table and double our storage. Unfortunately we search came up empty. Curtis and I talked about different layouts and ideas and then we literally just laid down tape on the floor until we found a design we liked and would work well. From there Curtis took 2x4's and nailed them directly into the foundation through the tile to get the basic shape, and then he continued with more 2x4's and MDF to build the rest of the island. The island can now seat 12 people, and our food storage is housed in the center of the island! We can access the interior of the island through the pull out garbage door that my husband built into the island.

The cabinets are pre-existing and were an oak color before painting. We were quoted $10,000 for brand new cabinets but we ultimately decide it was unnecessary and not a priority. There was a set of taller double cabinets on the far left where the open shelving is now and we removed them so we could extend the counter. We had to buy new cabinets just for that section so they don't quite match but you can't even tell unless you look really close. We had the very far left cabinets installed upside down so we can (eventually) install sliding dog bowls that will be tucked away when not in use. The cabinets were professionally painted in the color Simply White by Benjamin Moore.

We went with Corian for the countertops which gives the look of granite but was a more affordable option, I like to call it “poor mans granite” it acts like granite , looks amazing, without the price tag that granite comes with. I chose white subway tile for our backsplash and we extended it all the way up on behind the open shelving to create the illusion of the ceilings and over all space being bigger than it really is. I went with a brass finish for the cabinet pulls. The shelves there are the same ones we DIYed in the pantry, and Curtis installed them using a diamond bit as to not crack the tile.

My favorite part is always decorating and adding my own touch! Most of the decor pieces came from TJMaxx and Home Goods. The curtains are from Anthropologie and were a bit of a splurge, but I knew I wanted them so I saved for a few months! I get so many compliments on them and I love the hand sewn embroidery and the pops of color help to add more character.  The barstools are from Textured Home , I love the warmth and texture they bring to the space, BUT  they aren't the most kid friendly unfortunately. I would highly recommend them just for the fact that they are darling , but if you plan to use them , like actually sit in them , just be warned they may get hurt . And of course my remodel would not be complete without some JaxnBlvd signs!

 

I am so happy with the way the remodel turned out and I love that it's a space that we can enjoy with our family and friends!


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