This is the new view coming in from the front door so instead of looking at a wall, you now see our brand spankin’ new kitchen. Luckily we already had newish appliances so all of them stayed in the remodel. Here is a similar view pre-remodel.
We got rid of the bulkhead that the cabinets sat under since that was total dead space and there wasn’t duct work or electrical wires in that space. That allowed us to have cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling which gives us more storage space.
This corner used to be so dark because of the dark cabinets, countertop, and backsplash and although it’s still pretty dark compared to the rest of the kitchen, it’s amazing how the lightness of the cabinets and countertop have made the whole space seem brighter.
Because the kitchen is not huge, we went with open shelving on either side of the window. I didn’t want to do cabinets again because two boxes on either side of the window would have blocked the little light that we have in the kitchen. Now the light flows through the shelves into the rest of the kitchen. Down the line if the whole open shelf thing looks outdated, I can always add cabinets. I love the open shelves though and can’t imagine not having them.
I got the shelves (and cut them myself) from a restoration store that specializes in recycling housewares and appliances. The shelf wood was one giant slab that I cut into shelves making sure that the raw edge was the side you could see. I love having elements of outside in a modern space and these shelves are a perfect fit for that vibe.
One thing that keeps the shelves looking clean is having very simple dishes. If the dishes are busy then the shelves are always going to look messy. I also have only plants on the top shelves as a decorative element since, for now, I don’t need the space. The plants have since been replaced with faux plants since I couldn’t keep these herbs alive to save my life!
We kept the peninsula but did shorten it so that the area where Dixie loves to lounge (she’s such a perfect model!), isn’t such a choke point. Now two people can easily walk between the wall and the peninsula whereas before only one person could.
I love my new countertops! They are quartzite which is a man made material and I chose them because they look like marble but hold up like granite. They are beautiful in person and I haven’t had any issues with scratching or staining. I put hot things directly on the counters with no problems. Along with the open shelving, they are the best things I picked out for the new kitchen.
I got one of those fancy faucets that looks like a professional chef works up in here! Honestly, this faucet does work slightly better than my old one where the spray was uneven but in terms of looks, it’s a 1000 times nicer.
Okay, so here are some before and afters since everyone loves a good Cinderella story:
Now that the kitchen is done, I’m looking for another rental to add to my giant empire. Mwahahahaha! It’s going to be a fixer upper; more on that when I find it. 🙂
