We purchased this home in 2015. When we closed, I was 8 months pregnant with our 2nd child and I cried when we pulled in the driveway with our keys. The property had so much potential but my eyes were blurred by the overgrown brush, years and years of decaying leaves, and an overall lot that was let go completely. The inside had cobwebs, original lighting and appliances from 1970 and a laundry list of issues. Home ownership kicked us right in the ass the second we closed.

Fast forward 6.5 years and I cannot believe where we are. I am so happy I waited 6 years to do the kitchen because living in it first was key to learning and knowing what we wanted out of this space. When we first moved in we did paint the cabinets and changed a few things to make it more livable. You can see those images in this blog post! Without further ado, here are the before + after images along with the sources at the very bottom!

We renovated our mudroom space last year and you can see the before/after images of that space here! The way they had set this space up was a colossal waste of space and we opened it all up and vaulted the ceiling to give it an open feeling. We were even able to add in a locker area and a pantry.

We stole about 2.5 feet from my office (the other side of this wall) for more space in the kitchen. We were able to make all the appliances flush against the wall by doing that and it increased the amount of available space significantly.

You can see where our previous island was. It basically cut the kitchen into two and I didn’t like that so we decided that the island needed to go the other direction to open it up more!

Before I get into some more images of the new kitchen, I wanted to show you some images of the kitchen as it stood when we first bought this home. We didn’t have any money to renovate when we moved in 7 years ago so we simply painted the cabinets, walls + updated some fixtures/knobs. Do NOT underestimate the huge difference that paint can make. I highly encourage you to live in your kitchen for a few years before renovating. Make note of what you like/don’t like and really think it all through before renovating. You want your kitchen to work FOR you and living in it first, is best.

A lot of planning went into the renovation and it was after we did the mudroom renovation (a year prior). We vaulted the ceiling (into the attic) in the mudroom and you can check out that part of the house HERE. For the kitchen we used some design planning/help from Rehabitat Interiors. They were amazing for planning out a design to get the most out of the space and I highly recommend using a designer if you can since you want to get the most out of your kitchen space. It was well worth it, in my opinion. They range in pricing depending on your specific area but I have seen anything from 8%-15% of the total cost of the renovation (usually).

Sources

Paint: “Cotswold” by Benjamin Moore on the cabinetry + “Simply White” by Benjamin Moore on the walls

Flooring: White Oak with Bona’s Naturalseal and then Loba 2K Supra AT Satin Water-Based Wood Floor Finish on top

Kitchen Table (has two leaflets that extend the table to seat 10-12) + Chairs

Countertops: Soapstone along the perimeter and Pental Misterio Quartz on the island

Fridge + Induction Range: 40″ Subzero + Wolf – we saved up for these appliances because we have heard they last forever. So far, I am absolutely in love with both.

Bar Stools

Vase + Faux Stems

Table Lamp

Lighting: Sconces by arch, above the sink, pendants above the island, chandelier above table + here are the sconces we have since added to beside the fireplace