It has taken a year to get to this point and I am so excited to share this kitchen makeover with you! We took out walls, put in new countertops, new cabinets, new appliances, and made the space so much brighter and more inviting. Our kitchen truly is the heart of our home now and I’m so proud of how we did this project, so I hope this reno inspires you to DIY your own space!
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Tools + Materials
T O O L S
Appliances
Organization
Starting point
Before we really jump in let’s take a look at what we started with in this space.
The kitchen was really closed off, to the point of feeling boxed in and can we talk about how dark it was? The goal was to make a bright and inviting space, so this is how we did it!
1. Demo
Like any good project, it’s always good to bribe your dad to help with demo day. But seriously, doing this step ourselves saved a ton of money.
Demo was massive undertaking, I actually made a whole video dedicated to it if you want to check out what that process was like.
2. Redefine the Kitchen Space
First thing’s first, new drywall, primer and paint went up.
Then the windows got new trim which I installed with my brad nailer.
I decided to focus on the dining room space a bit and we brought in this gorgeous dining room table that I built with my friend Danny, installed a new light fixture, and a number of other updates that made such a big impact. You can also find my full dining room makeover video on my channel.
The appliances arrived and once I had them set in place it was starting to feel more like the kitchen I’ve been dreaming of!
Next came cabinets. These were Home Depot’s ready to assemble line of cabinetry and I do have a full video on this part of the project on my channel.
Once the cabinets were finished I had the experts bring in my custom quartz countertops. I love the way these turned out!
After the counters were installed it was time for the backsplash. There is also a full step by step video of the backsplash install on my channel for you to check out!
3. Install the Range Hood and Microwave Drawer
We’ve always had microwaves that were above the range and we decided to just install the range hood in our home and try something a little different.
We decided to install a microwave drawer into the island to free up space on the counters. Counter space is really limited in a small kitchen.
4. Install Floating Shelves into the Tile
Ever since I found out I couldn’t install a cabinet on this wall because of the large window I was really excited to install some floating shelves into the tile. I used blue painter’s tape to trace out the holes for where I needed to screw into the wall.
I used a level to make sure the blue tape was aligned properly before drilling the holes.
Then I measured to find the center and double make sure we were in the right spot for the shelf.
Then I began drilling holes for the anchors.
One final check with the hardware to make sure the holes were properly aligned.
Then I hammered the anchors into the wall.
And peeled back the blue tape before installing the hardware.
At this point I attached the floating shelf hardware to the wall with screws.
Then it was time to put the shelves on the wall. For this project I used pre-made floating shelves.
I did decide to stain the shelves to make them match the same stain I used on the fireplace mantle. Although these particular shelves were pre-made I do have a tutorial for floating shelves on my channel, so if you’re looking for a step by step to DIY your own shelves you can find that here on the blog and as a video on my channel.
5. DIY Fridge Storage Shelf
At this point I could really see what this kitchen was going to look like and it was so exciting! However, when you walk in my front door this was the view you got and I just really felt like we could do better than a blank white wall along the side of the refrigerator…So a custom storage shelf was my solution.
There is a full build video and blog on this project, so check those out if you want more than the spark notes version you’ll find in this blog.
Essentially this is what I did, first I cut the shelves on my table saw.
Next I screwed the shelf pieces into the frame I built.
Then I stained it to match the floating shelves in the kitchen and the fireplace mantle in the living room, in order to tie the spaces together. After the stain dried I installed it on the wall.
6. Cabinet Organization
Because this is a small kitchen we needed all the organizational help we could get. So I installed a waste bin under the sink (pro tip, this really helped when we got our puppy, because it prevented him from going through the trash).
I also installed this basket to help store water bottles, cleaning supplies or ziploc bags. It can literally hold anything and conveniently rolls out with two levels to maximize the space.
These tiered shelves were great for organizing cans, bottles, and spices. No more losing the things in the back of the cabinet!
Final Touches
Final details were all that was left, and wow, wait till you see how it looks.
Can you even believe these before and afters? This kitchen was so dark and so boxed off when we first moved in. It’s really hard to believe that this is even the same kitchen after a year of renovating. When you open the front door of our home the space is so warm and inviting and it’s exactly what I dreamed it would be. From the quartz countertops, to the shaker cabinets and every detail in between, I am really proud of how I transformed this space. I wanted to show that you truly can DIY major projects, yes I did have some help from my dad and I did call in professionals when I needed to, but I couldn’t be more proud of this space and the work it took to get it to this point.
I couldn’t do what I do without your support, so thank you for following along, I hope this project inspired you to tackle a big project in your home too! Stay tuned for the next projects, and until then, happy DIYing friends!
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Thank you so much for this post! I was searching for ideas for my kitchen installation, and your tips are exactly what I needed. The layout and design suggestions really helped me envision my space better. Looking forward to trying some of these ideas!