The kitchen may be considered the heart of the home, but in my case, it’s also at the heart of this DIY renovation. When I moved in, EVERYthing needed to be cleaned, upgraded, and replaced in some way. This kitchen renovation has been years in the making. Nearly everything I did in this room was done for the first time, with no prior experience. But sometimes all it takes is a little imagination, discovering some nifty new tools, and some elbow grease.
And sometimes, it also involves throwing tools or crying on the floor in frustration. But I got up and kept going, because that’s what’s important.
Before the kitchen makeover: 1980s brown and yellow
I started by taking out the old appliances and replacing with new. The microwave was then installed over the range, and the cabinets were moved up to accommodate the size I needed and add exhaust. Later, the cabinets were painted in a two-tone style (white uppers, gray lowers), the floor replaced with laminate, and the trim painted white. The countertop was replaced with walnut butcher block, while the sink, window, and faucet got an upgrade as well. I also added a tile backsplash and a DIY striped faux Roman shade to the mix, and things are looking much cleaner, happier, and updated.
Kitchen makeover progress
white and gray cabinet posts
- Cabinet Paint Prep and Color Scheme
- How to Prime Kitchen Cabinets (without Sanding!)
- Re-Hanging Cabinet Doors (without helping hands)
butcher block counter posts
- Adding the butcher block, parts 1 and 2
- How to Treat Butcher Block Counters
- How to Protect Butcher Block Counters During Projects
tiled backsplash posts
- How to Prep Walls for Adding a Backsplash
- How to Install a Tile Backsplash
- What to Do with a Window Ledge When Tiling
- Extending Wall Outlets
coffee maker area posts
While there is still more yet to do, such as adding cabinet pulls, crown molding, and more, this room has come a very long way… enough to decorate this Christmas!
Kitchen window at Christmas
Other Key Posts in Kitchen Makeover History:
- Painting the original laminate countertop (as an experiment… and here’s what it looked like months later)
- Replacing the floor
- Fixing the Drywall
- Finishing the Wall Paint!
- Kitchen Details: The Sink
- Kitchen Details: The Faucet
For even more kitchen projects, click here.
Shop the room
House Tour
Nice job! Getting ready to do kitchen cabinets alone. I repainted my den bar cabinets but they were white to begin with. I used BM Mascarpone and thinking of using the same paint for my kitchen. Although I was lazy in the den and didn’t bother taking cabinet doors off, just repainted them on since color was so close.
What brand and color did you use? They really make your kitchen bright and modern.
Also, any recommendations on paint brushes/rollers?
I highly recommend foam rollers for an even finish rather than paint brushes or the kind of rollers you’d use for a wall. I covered lots of the paint details in this post. Hope that helps!
I love that you got rid of the flower wallpaper and replaced it with an awesome backsplash. Did you stain the counters too? And are you going to paint the top cabinets gray, like the bottom ones? Awesome work, regardless of what you choose to do with your kitchen. I wish I was that handy, but I can cook! It’s a trade off right? Thanks.
No, the uppers were painted white and the bottom are gray (here’s the color breakdown). The counters are actually natural dark walnut, no stain (here’s some more info about that). And yes, cooking is definitely a good talent to have!
Hi Sarah.
I have been doing some research on painting my countertops ,I love what you had recommended when you painted yours grey.My question being how strong are the fumes as I am highly sensitive to scents,yes even scents that smell nice.I am a one woman band (and don’t play a single instrument LOL).. and decorating on a dime . I’m wonderiing if you found this to be as easy as it looks,it looked great BTW!! .I also love your brandnew kitchen.Keep posting love your ideas and walk through steps.
Thank you
Julie
Short answer: THIS STUFF STINKS. If you’re as sensitive to odors as you say, you need to either get someone to do this for you and take a vacation until the fumes clear out, or wear a chemical respirator until they’re gone. The epoxy fumes really are no joke!
harmonious colors. look very modern kitchen. How long does it take you to complete?
Thank you! Little by little, this kitchen has taken several years to complete.
I love your finished kitchen!!!! I just wanted to say that, if you had not commented on your “mismatched appliances”, I would never have noticed. The black and stainless look very fitting with the color scheme. When I first looked at my home, the previous owners were still living here. They told me that the kitchen appliances would be included, which was great because all the appliances were black. My own microwave was stainless and black, which was fine. So, we met at the local notary’s office, signed the paperwork, and exchanged keys. They asked for a week to finish moving out and I was more than happy to accommodate them. On moving day, my Mom suggested that I stay behind at my old place and she would go to the new place. This way, we could keep my movers (my dear brothers) from getting too careless. While I was getting another load ready to go, my Mom called and said, “Didn’t you tell me the appliances were all black?”. Long story, well, not AS long. They had taken the nice, fairly new, black fridge out and left an antiquated, almond-colored monstrosity in its place. So, for the first two years here, I had an almond fridge, black range, and stainless microwave. So, yours looks pretty perfect to me!
Thank you! And arg, I’ve heard stories like yours before! The fridge is usually the thing that people find have been replaced or moved. The previous owner of my house had a brand new fridge and also took it with her. I was already prepared to spend the money though, so no surprises when it wasn’t there! Glad you eventually got your upgrade, even if it took a bit longer than you expected!
Wow! That looks great and I don’t see any ding marks from you throwing stuff either. :-D
Beautiful counter tops!
where are the pic of the other side of the Kitchen???
Beautiful kitchen, thanks for the tour. Your wood countertops are a perfect fit!
I like that counter tops.
This is looking really beautiful specially the holiday section. I also want to remodel my kitchen.
Oh, this is so nice! I like the color of the flooring and the butcher block, and everything! I’ve got a really dated kitchen. the house was built in 2000. I’m ready to get rid of the grayish carpet and put down a pretty flooring like this.
Is it laminate or hardwood?
-Stephanie
Laminate! Had them for six-ish years now, and I still love them!
I was wondering, where did you get your curtain? It’s really cute!
I made it! The post is here.
Love the darker color of the butcher block counter tops. Have only seen lighter colors in our area. I would not have thought to use grey for the cabinets but it looks amazing. Is the conditioner you have in the article what you used to achieve the color?
The color is the natural hue of the wood after it’s been conditioned. Walnut is a rich, dark wood.
Beautiful! How has the butcher block wood held up to water use with your under mount sink?
It’s held up well IMO. It requires some maintenance (wiping down the sink after water splashes, etc.) and re-oiling every now and then. I have posts about maintenance that I’ve included above on this page (here and here). I’m thinking of sanding it all down again since it’s been 7+ years and more areas get wear and tear while others don’t, so there are rougher areas over time when they are less in use compared to the spots that get wiped down constantly (the area around the sink is smoooooooth). I love the perfectly-imperfect character of the wood vs. a pristine granite or manufactured top.
Hi, I have the same type of cabinets and I cannot figure out what their name is called (I’ve been looking for painting inspiration and I found this amazing blog!!). I’m planning on painting them and wanted to add in handles but I have no clue if handles would look right with the edging on them, you have amazing style and DIY senses, do you think they would work?
I’ve been meaning to add cabinet handles for AGES and it’s one of those projects that I’ll kick myself over not having added sooner! So I absolutely think handles will work. I find that handles often elevate the kitchen when added, even on cheap cabinets like these. As for what to call them, the closest thing they are like is “flat front cabinets” but they’re not quite the same when you Google, since these doors have that rounded edge, have a “standard overlay” as opposed to full, which means they only partially cover the “face frame” (whoa man, the number of terms that exist for cabinets!). When you Google, most flat front cabinets will be a more modern style that is totally flat (more like IKEA cabinets). Someday I may consider upgrading them to create my own doors that give that more modern look (a current debate in my house since we’re thinking of staying here longer than planned; we may have a more sophisticated “Phase II” remodel).