Before and After: Kitchen Transformation

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Hi everyone. We’ve finally wrapped up our mini-kitchen renovation and I can’t believe these before and after pictures! Those of you who have been following our kitchen renovation journey may feel like I do. Everything happened in stages and now looking back at everything.. the ‘before’ is unrecognizable – I can hardly believe how far we have come in so little time. We just moved in last August and during that time period we’ve not only worked on the kitchen and living room but the exterior as well!
What do you think so far of the kitchen transformation?

When we first moved into this home we were so excited for all the home improvement projects. Jeff and I knew that we could make this house feel home-y with it’s potential. The house has a cottage vibe buried underneath all the newly modern added layers. We knew once some of those were removed we could add some of our own style to give it the cozy and updated look we craved. :)

The kitchen is historically one of the biggest and most expensive home renovations to undergo so Jeff and I decided to wait on the larger transformation. Instead we concentrated on mini changes to the space to allow us more time to live in the home and to prioritize what was important to us. This also gives us time to properly budget what we would need for another renovation. Let’s not forget about time for city permits to be approved and a proper design drawn as well. Renovations are extensive and waiting will help us save in the long run by not making mistakes. It also forces us to think long and hard about some of the changes we had been considering prior to moving in – like pushing out the window wall and moving the fridge.

Going in this direction also gave us the opportunity to begin a few other projects.. making living room cabinetry changes and bringing updates to the garden. I’m so happy with our decisions this far. The kitchen is where we spend so much of our time and waiting a couple of years would have felt like an eternity to us. ;) Another thing – I was excited to try and experiment with things like painting backsplash tile, trying out porcelain countertops & the best part.. sharing everything we learn along the way with all of you – Win-Win!

Before Photos

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Our Mini- Renovation Stages:

These are the 5 steps we followed to get to where we are now!

1. Paint the cabinets and backsplash. The most consistent element of my style is my love for light and bright spaces. The kitchen originally had black countertops and a dark green backsplash that made the space feel small and dark. It also has a small window which doesn’t let in as much light.. eventually when we renovate, we’ll add a bigger window that will encompass that entire wall but for now we knew that paint would brighten up the space tenfold! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how painting the tile would look but, this project really paid off! Click here to learn more about this step and to see more behind the scenes of our painting process.

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2. Update the Hardware. This part was the most fun because you really get to showcase your own style. I love warm brass and gold tones and selected pieces that I felt a personal connection to. Plus, all this hardware was so elegant and gorgeous.. it felt like I was picking out jewelry! I found these stunning pieces of hardware at Modern Matter. See more about my choices & the full process here.

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3. Swap out the center island bar height & granite for porcelain. What a difference changing the height and counter top made to our entire house. Before, we had a multi-level island that left us with less prep space and visually cut our home in half. When we swapped it out for the clean large porcelain slab, our home became more cohesive, provided us with more usable space, and made our kitchen the gathering place that we love to be in. It was a complete gamechanger for our kitchen transformation!

4. Add Wall Trim. I just love how wall trim elevates this space. We knew we needed something here but didn’t want anything that would make the space seem busy. Introducing wall moulding and lighting was the perfect solution! It provided detail and texture without taking over.. More details to come on this project very soon, if you have any questions you want me to answer about this let me know in the comments below.

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5. Bring in Beautiful Window Treatments. If you’ve been following me for awhile you have probably heard me reference my window treatments from Wendy Bellissimo’s Collection at Smith and Noble. I had them in my last home as well and loved them so much that this was one of the first improvements I made in this house. They are beautiful and state of the art. The fabrics and textures provide so much warmth and layers.. I can’t imagine my home without them. More to come on this the installation process! Let me know if you’d like my to answer specific questions in the comments below.

6. Swap Out Lighting & Modernize the Controls. We are halfway through this step and it has already made a huge impact on the overall ambiance of the room. We added some gorgeous sconces with dimmers (click here for more information on our smart switches.) We also switched out the lighting to warmer 2700 Kelvin lighting above and below the cabinets. We love the bright light when cooking & cleaning and the dimmer lighting once it’s time to relax. We plan to add a few pendant lights above the island in the near future with our larger kitchen transformation!

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7. New Furniture Pieces. Last but not least we updated the decor and furniture to round out our new space. Now that we switched out the island, I was finally able to add a few barstools. They completely transform the room! I love timeless style when it comes to cabinetry and hardware but when it comes to decor I like to experiment with more trendy pieces. I’ve added some comfy new stools, a beautiful stoneware vase for large branches and my favorite crown that holds a candle on the stove. All in all it feels like home to me. :)

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After Photo

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Final Thoughts

This kitchen transformation has really made us feel at home in our new house without breaking the bank. At the beginning stages, I wouldn’t have believed this would be the final product. I’m so happy we decided to go this route instead of taking on a full renovation right away. Have you taken on a project like this? Are there any updates that you’ve made to your home that you think everyone should do? Do you have any questions for me about any of these steps? Lets start a conversation in the comments :)

Click here to see more on our renovation process.

xoxo,
Kristy