Before and After: Kitchen Reveal

The kitchen was by far the biggest project we took on during our renovation. We didn't keep ANYTHING from the pre-reno days--windows, cabinets, doors, baseboards, light fixtures, etc. It's not the biggest area, but I think we were able to maximize the kitchen space and improve the flow of the entire house. I'm in love with the end result!

We changed the layout a little.

We replaced the wall with an island to create an open concept. 

No more hideous cabinets!

The view from the living room.

Ta da!!!

Here's a look at the in-between of our renovation:

To start off, Eric and his dad removed all the kitchen appliances and the cabinets. I tackled the nasty wallpaper while these guys were hard at work. 

 Thanks to some handy dandy YouTube videos, Eric learned how to remove the wall separating the kitchen and living room. I was very impressed!! He also took down the soffits (it's pretty much wasted space the upper cabinets were hanging from) because it's a dated look and we need all the cabinet space we can get. This actually ended up being harder than taking down the wall, and Eric had the privilege of being rained on by insulation. 

The soffit is the thing in the top left corner. 

 I continued to take down wallpaper. It was a very tedious process that I didn't finish until the day before I needed to. 

 As much as we LOVED this linoleum, it had to go.  

This was another huge, back-breaking project (for the guys). There was actually an extra layer of linoleum and an extra subfloor beneath the first two layers. Then there were millions of staples that needed to be removed so the new hardwood could lay completely flat in the kitchen. 

The staples were about every two to four inches! 

 We got rid of the gross drywall, put new insulation in, and patched it back up. All the while Eric poked holes for the ceiling lights (one light in the kitchen and one light in the dining room was not going to cut it) and Eric and our friend did all new electrical.  

Our new doors were installed (new windows were installed throughout the house months before). 

 New hardwood floors were put in to create a cohesive space between the kitchen and living room. 

 Then I picked the stain so all the flooring would match. We went with the darkest stain we could that wouldn't lose the grains from our original oak floors. 

 Finally, we were to the point where we could start putting things IN the house. The baseboards and window/door casings were installed. The walls, ceiling, and trim were painted. And the cabinets were installed. All that was left was the granite and finishing touches. 

 You have no idea how good it felt to see it all come together. I shopped for months for different items for the kitchen (appliances, backsplash, light fixtures, hardware) and I was finally able to confirm all my choices looked good together. What a relief! 

 Here are a few of our favorite parts:

This sink is so deep and has NO divider! I love it. I can put dishes in it all day long and still have room to rinse off more. 

 We made space for a pantry. In our five+ years of marriage Eric and I have NEVER had a pantry. It's amazing. 

 This island has four deep drawers that fit our pots and pans and much more. I haven't even filled them all, which is pretty amazing. 

 It was a long wait for me to see my new kitchen, but well worth it. We're really happy with how everything turned out and feel pretty much like renovation pros now.