Over two years ago we remodeled our 30+ year old Kitchen, but you know how it goes…if you give a girl a paint brush…
And so after a lot of hard work, elbow grease and kids projects, homework, sports and life…we are almost officially finished with our kitchen. Now, I am sure I will continue to make some small changes here and there because, let’s be honest…I really enjoy changing things up, but for the most part we can cross this project off our “to do” list.
When we started 2 years ago, we had plans to just repaint the fronts of the cabinets since we thought they were still in pretty good shape. We knew we also needed to get new countertops. When we moved in the countertops were tiled with large floor tiles and the grout was in terrible condition…and even though I spent hours chlorox-ing every single grout line…I still kind of felt like the grout was filled with germs.
We also had plans to lay down new flooring. We had already sanded down the floors and refinished them when we had first moved in 10 years earlier, but I wanted dark wood flooring and the wood we had would not stain as dark as I had wanted. The other room you can see off to the right of the above picture is my home office/craft room if you are interested in checking that out.
(before)
(before)
We also knew we had to fix a terrible patching job the previous owners had made on the kitchen ceiling. They had removed a panel of cupboards that sat right above this bar but had not done a great job filling in the hole. We knew it was going to take some serious elbow grease to repair and wondered how good the results would be. So we decided to add a wood plank ceiling to hide the ugly and I have LOVED how it turned out.
(before)
When decided to hire out for the countertops and the wood flooring and do all of the tear out and the rest of the remodel ourselves to save as much money as possible. When we tore out the countertops, we realized that half of the cabinets were in terrible condition including the sink and dishwasher cabinets which were rotted out. So we made the decision to replace the cabinets too.
The big boys were great helpers and actually begged to help us with the tearing out process. I think they were enjoying being destructive.
After the flooring was in, the cabinets were put in…we had some drama with this when the guy installing our cabinets was upset about something at work unrelated to our job (we could hear him on the phone) and then stormed out in the middle of the job quitting right on the spot…#awkward. So we had to call the company and work out getting a new installer. Turns out the original installer had made some big mistakes on our install and others and someone had to come in and fix his mistakes.
After finally getting them installed correctly, we were waiting on the countertop to be delivered, we had someone come and replace the kitchen window with a window that would actually open. When the window installer was taking out the old window, he dropped it and it busted one of the top sections of the new sink cabinet. Seriously? So we had to wait for his company to pay the cabinet company and for the cabinet to be remade. Oh…and did I mention that the husband was out of town during the entire floor laying and cabinet breaking fiascos? I really don’t like dealing with stuff like that!
(The opening to the other room (with the brick) is our Family Room. I will be sharing the updates to that room soon as well).
When all of that drama got taken care of we were able to have the countertops installed. The installation of that went flawless and I was so happy to have my kitchen almost back in order. At least we were able to move the refrigerator (which was in the family room) and the stove (which was on the back porch) back into place!
We installed the backsplash by ourselves and went with a very practical and neutral white subway tile. Since I love to change things up we wanted to be sure we had something that would be able to change with us. I also LOVE how bright and clean it makes the kitchen feel.
During the whole process, we kept our eyes open for a kitchen table that would fit our entire family. Our current kitchen table only fit 6 people around it and we needed space for 7. The table had worked fine for us up to that point because we had the youngest in her high chair. She had since outgrown the high chair and so we were forced to pull up an extra chair every meal for her to sit in and it wouldn’t work out much longer. But our kitchen has a weird square space and a door that encroached on the dining area that made it hard to find a table that would be large enough for our family to fit on. The ones we found that would work were WAY out of our budget…so we decided to make one! Knowing our history, we knew we could make one to fit our needs and taste perfectly.
We will be sharing the tutorial for how we made the kitchen table here shortly. I will add the link here when we have it. We picked up the linen chairs from RC Willey (after much searching) and the cross back wood chairs from a small local furniture store who we LOVE! I can email you the information if you are interested. She searched for the perfect chair and special ordered them for us!
We also made the white dish hutch. I had always wanted a hutch to display some colorful dishes but because our space was so limited we couldn’t find anything in our price range that we loved. So…we designed one according to our space and built it to fit our style. I LOVE it! We are also planning on sharing our plans and a tutorial here shortly.
We also built this fresh herbs box that we have in our kitchen window. I shared with you the first phase of that herb box and will update you with the final tutorial in an upcoming post. So you get a little sneak peek of the finished herb box. I also made the herb sign below which I will be sharing in another upcoming tutorial (guess I better get writing some tutorials…). It hangs right as you come in the kitchen from the front door which is to the left of the refrigerator.
The large sign we have hanging by the kitchen table is one that we got from Between You and Me Signs. It has now become one of my favorite areas of the new kitchen.
We put in the wainscoting in one of the earlier phases of our kitchen remodel several years ago which I shared in an earlier post. We also added some crown molding. The paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments which is a nice soft blue with gray undertones. I LOVE it. I LOVED it so much I used it to repaint my daughter’s room.
We bought our stools from Amazon here…Kitchen stools.
The doorway you can see at the end of the above photo is the entrance to our Laundry Room, if you are interested in checking that out.
I made the GROCERY sign that is hanging over our pantry. To see the tutorial for the Grocery Sign go here:
And finally, the sliding doors were replaced a few years earlier with the French Door. We shared how we framed in the door in an earlier post.
The spice rack that you can see in the pictures by the stove is one that I made out of an old Dr. Pepper Soda Crate. The labels on the flour and sugar glass canisters I have on the counter were purchased on Amazon here…Kitchen Labels. But I swear I only paid half that amount…because I would have made my own for that price….
Anyways, I am so happy to finally have it finished. But once, we finished the kitchen, everything else in my house didn’t “fit”. Not the MAJOR expensive home furnishings, you know…but the paint colors. You know…because if you give a mouse a cookie, she is going to want a glass of milk…. So I had to freshen up the other rooms by repainting them. Everything is almost finished and it feels so good. We have been working on our first starter home and this home for about 17 years now and this momma is ready to be done.
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Lori says
Your kitchen remodel is so gorgeous.
Amy says
Thank you so much Lori! I really appreciate that! Thanks for stopping by and for commenting! xo
Beautiful kitchen! I would love to see plans or directions for the dish hutch. Did I miss them?
Thank you so much Kerstin. No, you did not miss them. I have not posted them yet…but I will…hopefully soon! It will be quite the lengthy tutorial so I need to get some courage to write it :) I will be sure to share it and let you all know.
Absolutely stunning!! You guys did a great job!
Thank you so much Morgan!
This is beautiful, I love the ceiling. I eventually want to do that to my kitchen and this just makes my decision that much easier. It is gorgeous!
The ceiling is definitely one of our favorite parts as well! I LOVE the extra detail it adds to the whole room! You should totally do it!! Your neck will ache but it will be so worth it ;)!!
Do you think sheets of bead board would work for a less expensive and quicker way to do a wood planked look ceiling? Looking at your remodel makes me totally want to remodel mine. We have an extremely similar floor plan and your remodel gives me hope!
You can do the bead board…although…I personally don’t love the bead board because you will have big seams where all the sheets of them connect. You could try and fill the cracks with painter’s caulk…and see…but personally it is one of the reasons we chose the planks.
I love your style. I am pretty sure that I have the exact same flooring in my kitchen and our countertops are pretty similar too. I would love to have the name of the small furniture store. I like buying from small local businesses.
Well you have great taste haha! I LOVE my dark flooring. It does tend to show more dirt and crumbs but I don’t mind it because I love it overall!! I will email it to you.
This looks amazing Amy! I am showing my husband because our kitchen now looks just like your OLD kitchen. LOL I want to paint cabinets bad. Wish me luck on talking him into it:-)
Oh yay!! Good luck!! xo
I love your kitchen!!! Where did you find the stools beside the tables? I would love to find them!
Thank you Kimberly! I put a link to amazon where I found them in the post!
The Link takes you to the labels. I would love to know where you got these and how much!
SWOON! I LOVE everything about this! It’s beautiful! Can’t wait to see the table instructions. We have a REALLY long odd space and I’m thinking about making our own farm-style table for the space.
You totally should and it would be so easy to make one to fit your specific needs! Thanks so much for the sweet comment! Hope you are doing well!
Amy, I love your ideas and your website! I just looked at your kitchen and it’s beautiful…I am a kitchen designer, I have my own business…and I think you did a wonderful job! God bless!
Thank you so much Jill! I really appreciate that! I struggle with the little details! Thanks so much for the kind words!
It’s gorgeous! Nicely done. I’m sure you will enjoy it for years to come!
Thank you so much Rachel! Hoping to finally take a break from the larger remodeling projects!
Well done, I love it.
Especially the ceiling idea- genius. Also the microwave above the cooker.
Stealing ideas galore!
Steal away! Glad to be able to give you some ideas for yours!
It’s gorgeous Amy! What a transformation!!
Very pretty, nicely done. Congrats! May I ask about your countertops, are they granite?
Love the kitchen, could you please tell me what you used for your countertop?
So beautiful! Can I ask about how much it cost you to make the table and the skill level needed? Also, how big is it? I live it and an wondering if it’s something we could do and afford.
Oh Amy! Your kitchen is gorgeous! I love it as it has a calm, clean and tidied atmosphere and looks elegant yet cozy ;-) I love your blog and all your ideas, you’re my idol ;-)
I LOVEEEE it… seriously, you guys did an amazing job!!!
beautiful kitchen…. Where did you get your light fixtures? I love the smaller ones.
We picked up the lights from our local Duncan Lighting store. I will ask my husband if he can remember the manufacturer and get back to you!
Did you find out the manufacturer/collection of your light fixtures?
beautiful Amy! so many details are just perfect!
Thank you Andrea! I really appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment! xo
Thanks, Amy.. I’ll try to implement it in my kitchen :D
BEAUTIFUL JOB! I would love to do that in my kitchen. Your style is perfect and I love it!
Thank you so much Melody! What a sweet compliment! xo
So beautiful! Well done! What are your countertops? Granite, Corian, etc.? We are planning a remodel and the biggest thing killing my budget is the countertop. Any affordable suggestions?
The countertops are quartz. I LOVE them. They are a bit cheaper and because it is manufactured stone you can put hot plates right on it. No need to seal them either.
What kind of flooring is that, oak? I love the dark wood look! Planning on one day doing the kitchen and dining :)
It looks gorgeous! I love the ceiling and the floors.
So cool to see how much DIY was involved- your space is so cheery and BRIGHT! Love it, Amy! Can’t wait to see the rest of the tutorials (: XO
Thank you so much ladies! I miss ya! We NEED another get together! xo
Great job! What an inspiration and dedication! Congrats on your completion!
Love, love, love your kitchen! Every last detail is beautiful and we definitely share similar decorating styles. Nice job…high five!
Gorgeous!!! I love it all!! You did a fabulous job!! Love the kitchen signs. Cabinets, floors, everything is so beautiful. Love, love, love it!!
I LOVE the color of your wood floors and wanted to know what type of product (solid wood vs. engineered hard wood) it is and the color . Thanks!
Your kitchen is beautiful. We have a similar layout in our current kitchen (of course it looks like your old kitchen). We are discussing a remodel and I just mentioned a place for stools at the countertop to my husband. Would you mind sharing the dimensions of your kitchen up to the edge of the counter with stools?
This is very inspiring. I like to the paint color, its looks very bright…
Thank you so much! I appreciate that! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Love the remodel as we have the same situation you did and wan to do the same thing. Can you tell me what the make and model is of your cabinets?
Love the kitchen makeover!
Thank you so much Susann!!!
I really love your kitchen!! I’d love the tutorial for the kitchen table but can’t seem to find it on your site, have you posted it yet?
Thanks for all the great ideas & photos.
Coni
I love your kitchen! The link for the stools keeps taking me to the labels on amazon. Do you have a link for the stools? Also would you mind sharing what cabinet company or brand you used.
Beautiful work!!! I would so greatly appreciate it if you could please email me the purchasing info re: your dining chairs (the ones w/the wooden “x” back) and your kitchen stools (the link you’ve provided takes me to the labels for the glass jars on your counter). Thank you for generously sharing!!!
Accidentally happened upon your blog and have subscribed to it. We are starting a remodel of a kitchen of a home we moved into a little over a year ago. I am going with white cabinets….love love love your kitchen ideas…seems we have similar tastes. I love your chalkboard spice jar labels and have been searching for a download for the labels. Could you send me the link. Thanks!!!
Sue
I love your kitchen. I have one question, I noticed no electrical plugs in your back-splash. Do you have under cabinet plugs? If so what product did you use? We are in the middle of doing our kitchen now.
Thank you,
Teresa
Any update on the kitchen table tutorial? The link I have still says coming soon?
Where did you source your cabinets?
Love the remodel, you have a great eye! The link that you put up for the stools sends me to the flour/sugar labels. Could you give me a manufacturers name so I can research. . .I love them!
Thanks :)
Hi! I am enjoying your remodel. I love the bar stools. The link you provided goes to some sort of labels. Do you remember the brand? I’ll search. Another question, now that you’ve lived with them a bit, how are they? Comfy for all sized people? Would you still recommend them?
Thanks!
I think they are these…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005GDZOUW/ref=mp_s_a_1_66?qid=1424976792&sr=8-66&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=Wood+and+metal+barstool
I don’t usually comment on DIYs but this one is great! Good job! The only question I have is the sign that says “Always tell the truth”.
The kitchen looks absolutely amazing Amy, what awesome inspiration you are sharing with us! Hugs from Conroe, TX
A beautiful, clean functional kitchen! Have you told about your new sink
Jealous! I’ve been making do with a temporary kitchen for about five years, and when I say temporary, I mean temporary! Freestanding bits and pieces of furniture. A second hand oven (which is *really* old). A hole in the floor where a wall was removed…
I am soooo jealous of your beautiful crisp clean kitchen and dining area. I especially love the ceiling. And the floor. And the subway tiles…
Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!
I just discovered your web site and I absolutely love your kitchen/dining remodel. I love the paint color, Quiet Moments, and was wondering if you would share the paint colors for your other rooms.
Thank you! My other paint colors are Winds Breath, Revere Pewter, Rockport Gray, and Rockport Gray reduced 50% (the paint store can do this for you when you order it).
Would you please tell us the dimensions of your kitchen? Thank you.
You have done amazing job! I love your kitchen! I want to renovate mine too. It is cozy but it also looks out of date so it really needs a little paint. Thank you for sharing your experience here!
Love the remodeled kitchen! Where did you get the inspirational quote sign?
Thank you!
Hi, Can you please tell me where you got the Olive Oil label? Thanks!
I love your “new” kitchen!
Greetings from Polnad :)
Oh wow, beautiful! Putting wood on the kitchen ceiling is on my wishlist. I love the character it adds to the room.
Thank you Stacey! The ceiling is one of my favorite parts of the new kitchen!!
Please send me info on how you built table I love it!!
Love everything that you’ve done here! Well done, it’s beautiful!
I love this remodel. Is there anyway you can share the dimensions of your room? Thanks so much!
i really loved this kitchen design!
Can you tell me what kind of smaller trim is around your plank ceiling is? We are doing Crown around our cabinets but I don’t want to run it around the entire plank ceiling. Absolutely love that you have broken up the crown with smaller trim. I’ve been searching for days and so excited to see someone doing it the way I want mine done!!
Beautiful! I was wondering if you could give me more info on the wood planks for the ceiling. We have textured ceiling and I absolutely hate it. There are a lot of patches that don’t match. Was it easy to install?
I would love more details on the plank ceiling as well. Are there anh seams, did you get planks that ran the full length if thr ceiling or did you stagger?
Here is a tutorial on the plank ceiling. Hope this answers the questions you have. Thanks. http://www.theidearoom.net/2012/08/wood-planked-ceiling.html
Where did you get the pendants?
We got them at Lowes. Thanks.
Enjoyed your kitchen. It shows all the love you put into details for your family. I’m looking for flooring like what you have. Can you tell me who makes your floor and what color it is? Many thanks!
Thank you. Not sure on the flooring. We got it installed by a local company.
Can I get the plans for the table? OBSESSED!!!
I need to write a post about it. As soon as I do I will let you know.
I love your style and frugality!! We are planning our kitchen remodel and yours is the first kitchen I have seen with literally the same amount of doorways, on the exact same walls, in the same positions! Your pictures have helped me envision how it will work. Also, if you need seating for 7 you must have 5 children? Me too! It is just so funny how similar your space and needs are to mine. Keep up the beautiful fixes!!
I love the “family rules” sign by the kitchen table. Can you please share where you got it?
Mind if you share the dimensions of this space? This is exactly what I had in mind for our remodel.
Gorgeous! What is the size of your table and is there enough space comfortably for 8 people, enough room for plates at the corner seats? We are trying to decide if we should go with a square table.
Thanks?
Marla- I will have to go measure it. I do feel like it seats 8 comfortably. We have loved it.
Would you be willing to share the overall length and width of the kitchen and dining area? Trying to determine if a similar layout would work for our upcoming remodel. Thank you, looks great!
Craig, I will have to measure it. I will get back to you.
Craig, it is 12 x 28 feet.
So well executed, what an amazing job on the ceiling color & texture.
Thank you!
It’s beautiful, Amy! Looks cozy and gives a peaceful feeling. Thanks for sharing!
Katherine, Thank you so much!