Kitchen Transformation in Progress!

March 12, 2014 /

Can I just tell you how excited I am? My husband and I have been living in our current home for about four and half years. We have done some upgrades to several rooms (paint, crown molding, change of light fixtures, etc.), but one room we haven’t done any upgrades to (other than new appliances) is our kitchen.

The heart of our home and we have neglected it. But not anymore…


My husband is off on vacation this week, and being the amazing man that he is, instead of resting up and enjoying his free time, he is redoing my kitchen. The progress so far is astounding me. I know that I am going to fall in love with this kitchen when it is all done, and I get to put my finishing (decorating) touches on it.

Here is a shot of our kitchen when we first moved in:

And here is a detail shot taken a couple of years ago (you can see the FFF on the stove – the reason we needed a new one –  it died on us but we wanted to replace it anyway).

This kitchen has good enough “bones” you might say…just needs some lovin’. That being said, we are on a very tight budget. Having two little ones both still in diapers, and only one income is reason enough for us to be super thrifty with this re-do.

So how will we go about doing that?

-First, we have already upgraded our stove and dishwasher. The new stove is all white to match the dishwasher and refrigerator. We also purchased a microwave to fit above the stove. I actually picked it up at a yardsale down the road for only $15 (and it works great). It is white also. My husband gave me a brand new Samsung dishwasher for Mother’s Day last year and it is a godsend – it is so much roomier than the previous one. Anything to make a mom’s chores easier is a blessing.

-Next, and the biggest transformation, is with the cupboards. My husband is lowering them all about four inches since they are up so high (and we are both on the short side). He found out they are actually much higher than the average kitchen. It is very inconvenient getting things in and out of them, so even though it doesn’t seem like much, four inches will make a big difference.

-We purchased the Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformation kit in “Winter Fog” (gray) and my husband has been working hard the past two days to get them all de-glossed, painted and sealed. I didn’t believe before he started that they would look like new cupboards, but they do!

-Once he finishes that process, we will be purchasing all new hardware for the cabinets and drawers.

-I am also going to finally realize my dream of having open shelving in the kitchen. My husband is going to take down the three corner cupboards on the right. I can’t wait to display all of my white dishes, ironstone collection, glassware and farmhouse decor.

-We will be giving the walls and trim a fresh coat of white paint, and looking into adding a backsplash as well, possibly tile.

-At some point, we hope to upgrade the countertops, but that will be awhile from now. Until then, we may try the Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformation Kit. If anyone out there has used it, I would love your feedback.

-I dream of an apron front sink, but we have decided to nix that idea for this house since we only plan on staying for five more years tops (we have practically outgrown this place as is). But, we will be upgrading the faucet. My husband already picked one out that he likes. It is very “industrial” looking, which works for me.

-We plan on replacing the current light fixture, possibly with my grandparents chandelier that they passed down to me a few years ago. It will definitely fit with the “farmhouse” style the rest of the room will have. My husband will also be installing a light fixture above the sink. I have had nothing there since we moved in and it is definitely not cool to work in such poor lighting.

I am the type of person that is always coming up with “big plans” for everything. One that I have for the space shown below is to remove all of the cupboards and countertop next to the fridge, and create an open doorway that would lead to the playroom. Then to add back storage, create a pantry on the side. It would be quite a bit of work, but it would be great for keeping an eye on the kids when I am in the kitchen, and who doesn’t wish for a pantry?

So those are the plans thus far. I am very eager to share the make-over with you once it is complete (or at least further along in the process).

Linking up with…
Fridays Unfolded

Till next time (my kitchen is currently a wreck…but it’s all good 🙂
~Alice W.

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