The kitchen redo plan
January 09, 2015
Share this
These are my initial kitchen makeover plans for a project I’ve been waiting YEARS to start!
I waited because I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I wanted to do in this room till last year and I have to know my direction before I start. I’ve seriously been planning to redo our kitchen for the longest time and I’m determined to get going this year.
I want to do most of it myself…there are a few things that I may need help with, but for the most part I think I can handle it. We shall see. :) I’m sharing photos of our kitchen as is to share the plans – but it’s been in a bit of a half-way point for awhile so ignore the stuff like missing baseboard and the wonky island:
The island looks like that because it was torn apart to remove it during our renovation. I had it pulled up so we could patch the floor underneath (we had the hardwoods installed around it years back) – this allowed us to move it a little further away from the fridge and quite a bit back from the sink and stove.
I want to extend the island so I wanted to make sure we’d have plenty of room to move around the stove with the door open. I shared the plans for the island before, but the basic idea is to make it quite a bit longer and build out the front just a bit:
It won’t be THAT big, but it will probably be nearly double the current length and a bit wider too. I plan to do a stone countertop on there and I think I’ve found what I want – but I haven’t looked that much yet so that could change. It will be a light stone for sure.
I also plan to remove the upper microwave and install it in the island:
(source)
I don’t know if I’ll do it like that (one that you just slide in) or a built in one – the built ins are SO expensive, so I’m guessing it will be the former.
This view has changed a bit recently:
You can see I still have to paint the ceiling patches. So much to do!
This is where the back door used to be. The trim still needs to be painted, I’ll do my craftsman trim around the pantry door and built a window seat in the bay window:
I talked about my excitement for that project here. :) I think it will be lovely!
This is the view that will undergo a dramatic change:
The upper cabinets and microwave will go and will be replaced with a hood and shelving.
I know some consider the shelves to be trendy but I think they are timeless – and more efficient honestly. I cannot wait! I love the look of thick wood shelves:
The backsplash will change too. The beadboard backsplash has held up incredibly well – I’ve actually been quite impressed with it. But I’ll be doing something different because it stops where the cabinets are installed and I just want a different look. It will be tile but I’m not sure about what yet.
I’m most anxious about the backsplash. I can tile just fine, it’s removing the beadboard that will be an complete and utter disaster. It’s installed on top of the old backsplash tile because that tile was impossible to remove – so there will be a lot of drywall repairs I’m sure. :)
These cabinets will stay:
BUT they will get major updates too. Yes, I’ll be painting them. I know, I know, some of you hate that but they are nearly 11 years old and showing their age. The stain is worn off on spots on all of the base cabinets – not so much on the uppers. The little stain marker they gave us when we moved in doesn’t cut it to fix them. ;) I’m quite sure the paint on these will be the biggest difference in this room – I think they will be beautiful!
But the bigger reason for painting them is my plan to extend them to the ceiling like so:
Ours will go all the way to the ceiling and will be open like those above. I would love to put some kind of lighting in them too. Our uppers are the standard size and I used to kick myself for not doing the taller ones, but then I realize my friends with taller ones need a step stool to use the extra shelf, so it doesn’t bother me as much anymore.
I still have to figure out measurements but the new section will probably be about 14-16 inches tall and then I’ll add a header with crown to fill in the rest. Those will just hold decorative items. Another BIG job but it will make a huge difference!
I also plan to build in our fridge with a new upper cabinet and wood on the left side:
And instead of our corner appliance cabinet I’d like to build in something like this next to the fridge:
That’s definitely something I’d need help with though.
The plan right now is to do butcher block countertops everywhere here to save money. Like I mentioned before I still haven’t decided on the stone I want to use on the island so if it’s not crazy expensive I may flip that and do the stone on the counters and wood on the island again. Not sure yet.
That’s the plan as it is right now and I’m so VERY excited! There’s one more possible project I’d like to tackle but I’ll hold that for later – if we decide to do it. It would just offer more storage in the kitchen overall.
I don’t know if we’ll be able to do all of this this year but that’s my goal. I’d love love love to have a pretty new kitchen by the holidays. Have you tackled a kitchen renovation? Feel free to share anything worthwhile you learned along the way!
This is going to be so gorgeous and I'm really excited to follow along as you tackle it! I think extending the cabinets and painting them white is going to make a huge impact, and has me staring down my normal-height-and-pickled-oak uglies right now :)
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me to jump start my kitchen reno.!! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteWow, this will be stunning! And it seems that for not much money, you will have completely transformed the function and look of your kitchen! I love your plans, especially for the island and shelves. Can't wait to follow your kitchen reno journey!!
ReplyDeletemy aunt and uncle have a built in microwave and it just went out and it cost just as much to get it fixed then to get a microwave that was not built in.
ReplyDeleteThe lightbulb went off when I saw the microwave inside the island. This is a perfect example of the type of ingenuity I need in reorganizing my kitchen. Right now, I have lots of cabinets with no organization, no purpose, and I need an island to focus everything. Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhen you bought your home did you want to re model so much? It seems like you are never happy with any room or do you just like to change things up? I am not trying to be mean I really am curious as we go into buying our second home. We remodeled our first and love every room for now...thanks
ReplyDeleteWe built our home 11 years ago and picked out all of the finishes. But we didn't upgrade much and our tastes change. And I adore our house! :)
DeleteSounds like you've got lots of work to do. We just did a whole house remodel, which included the kitchen. We went with butcherblock countertops from Lumber Liquidators and we love them. I think you'll love them too. If you are curious as to how they look, just search for the the blog post titled Mid Kitchen Reveal.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you! One of the things that I loved when we built our house was the kitchen cabinets we extended all the way to the ceiling-I know you will LOVE this extra storage and the way that it seems to extend the ceiling upwards. It makes the whole kitchen seem so much bigger. Can't wait to see how it unfolds through out the year! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love the direction you're taking with your kitchen and can't wait to see it take shape! I think it's very doable in the year ahead. I haven't done that extensive of a renovation, but painting cabinets is my specialty. If you ever need help, I'm not too far from you. Have HVLP sprayer, will travel. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! I love all of your ideas and understand your feelings about wanting to change the cabinets after 11 years. We are in the process of renovating our kitchen...actually in the planning process. We plan to take our cabinets to the ceiling as well. Can't wait to watch your transformation!
ReplyDeleteShelley
We just bought an old farmhouse and the kitchen needs to be redone. We are not quite ready to tackle it yet, but you have a lot of the same ideas that I have, so it will be fun to follow along and watch and learn before I do mine!
ReplyDeleteoh i can't wait to see! the island will be amazing! and what is up with that one comment? i don't think people realize how long you've been blogging- we all make changes over time. :)
ReplyDeleteThis came up as the suggest post at the bottom of the page today and I thought it might brighten your day to look back and see that you have accomplished all these things and more!!
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/04/if-i-had-million-dollars.html
That is pretty amazing!! Thanks for sharing that -- so cool.
DeleteHave you seen the microwave drawers? My parents just had one put in their island, it is AWESOME and way easier to function.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be amazing!!!! I love my microwave in the island. And I have two appliance storage areas that come clear down to the counter and I LOVE them too. (They're not corner ones.) My doors open like normal cabinet doors but I like that way that one pops up. Can't wait to see all that you get done!
ReplyDeleteI love the cabinets being built up all the way to the ceiling, your blog is great inspiration as my fiance' and I get ready & put together plans for our perfect home that will built in the next year or two-I can't wait to see how all of your renovations turn out!
ReplyDeletexoxo, SS
www.TheSouthernStylista.blogspot.com
OMG I cant wait to see how you will extend the cabinets! I have been trying to find a good/easy tutorial to do mine and just cant find one. Cant wait to see the finished kitchen!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the shout out, Sarah! I just know your kitchen will be amazing! I'll be following the transformation, how exciting! :)
ReplyDeleteYou have some wonderful ideas for your kitchen. We just finished remodeling our kitchen and also did all white with wood touches. Looking forward to reading about the renovation process, good luck!
ReplyDeletehttp://newlyhoused.com/
I just finished my kitchen right before the holidays. New laminate floor, new counter tops and I painted my cabinets. I both rolled and sprayed. It's a lot of work but I would do it again. An HPLV sprayer is SO worth it!!! Doing the work yourself saves tons of $. Your ideas sound great!! Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteI love all your plans! It's going to look so good. Have you considered concrete for the island? I toured an amazing home last year and I couldn't believe the counters were concrete. They looked just like stone. And don't worry about drywall repairs. We had a few holes (or a lot) in our drywall when we took out our old backsplash. Just nail up some backerboard and you're good to go. I can't wait to see it all done!
ReplyDeleteI have -- I've loved some versions in pictures. My dream has always been to have soapstone but I hear that's a pain to keep up with. I've seen some concrete that looks very similar! I'll have to look into it more!
DeleteI absolutely Love the thick wood shelves. We are in the middle of a 5 year renovation at the tale end. The kitchen is last. But i wish i saw this prior to us getting the cabinets already. feel shelves bring me back to the 1800s
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Im just about to start my kitchen reno, and it is so similar to yours,we are having a large charcoal island with seating at the end of the island, with butchers block top, L shaped lay for rest of kitchen is white shaker style with marble top, formica with an arcrylic edge, looks just like marble but 1/10 of the price. also open shelves and an end utility cupboard with microwave and toaster etc, love your style, cant wait to see the results, wish I could do most of the work myself like you are, but ours needs a whole new kitchen, no good bones like you one. exciting and good luck, what are you thinking for lighting, Im having trouble deciding about large black shades above island??? or wood/cane basket type ones
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm not sure! I am thinking two lights over the island -- I've always wanted to do that but with the current size of the island I thought it would be too busy. With the longer one I think two hanging pendants will look great. There are so many beautiful options I think that will be one of my hardest decisions!!
DeleteI did a complete reno on my then three year old kitchen. I loved the house but the kitchen had not enough storage and the look never pleased me. I believe many of my friends and neighbours thought me crazy. My thinking was I'm here for the long run so why not have a space I love. Now, I do! I took my cupboards ( a creamy white ) to the ceiling to maximize storage, give more presence and not have that opening on top that is a grease/dust collector. I have an appliance garage that allows me to keep my counter tops clutter free. Love them! I also painted my island a different color but kept my counter tops the same. I love the direction of your new kitchen. Such an exciting time! Your a brave lady to tackle this big project. I'll be following along, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteGuess I am probably "old school" here, but I would never cover up beautiful wood cabinets with paint, but rather find a way to make the wood look good again. (Not too many years ago the fad was to strip the paint off, stain and seal.) Also with open shelving I would not want to deal with accumulating dust on dishes, etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the very creative decorating ideas you come up with. I appreciate reading your blog. :-)
Thank you! Bringing the cabinets back to good shape would mean stripping them completely (which is not an easy job with the grooves) and then trying to match the stain and finish exactly to the other cabinets. Even painting them all would be easier. :) And adding on to them creates the same problem. Also, there won't be dust on the items on the shelving since I plan to put things we use throughout the week on them. The shelves themselves will need dusted occasionally but I'm OK with that -- I've probably got an inch of dust at the top of the cabinets anyway. ;)
DeleteIt's going to be gorgeous! Can't wait to see it.
ReplyDeleteI have standard height cabinets as well, but I'm not into decorative items up high collecting dirt and grease. Instead, I removed the cabinets and hung them up near the ceiling and added a shelf below for the things we use constantly. It has changed my life! Then I store rarely used stuff on the top cabinet shelf. I'm getting ready to paint my cabs now, but the change in function has been awesome for years before the pretty showed up. 😉
I've actually considered doing just that! I've seen that a few times and have been considering it. I just think with the other shelves around the stove it may be a lot of shelves. If you see this send me a pic!
DeleteMy husband and I have a kitchen renovation planned for this year, so I love seeing the ideas in the post and from the comments. The last idea in the comments is something I am planning to do in our kitchen, at least in some parts. Glad to see that someone else loves that idea, too.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing the blog updates and kitchen progress!
Oh my gosh, girl! You make me tired just lookin' at the photos! At 62 I wish I had your energy and strength. You go girl! I love the changes.
ReplyDeleteJust a few comments:
ReplyDelete1. How often do you use your microwave? Will the bending over to view and/or clean bother you? Are you tall people? (My tall husband would never allow this location.) How will you keep tiny tot fingers from playing with the microwave that is basically right on their level (either guests or future grandkids)? A melted toy or spark-throwing Hot Wheels can ruin a microwave. I’ve heard of people putting a cabinet door in front of the microwave to keep the littles out and hide it from view (kind of a hassel), and some microwaves come with child-proof lock features.
2. No matter how careful you are or how much you run the vent hood, there will be a great deal of upward heat convection around a stove area. With or without greasy cooking, the heat convection carries everything upward that’s in the air and it drops immediately when it hits cooler air or its upper limit and is deposited where it falls. (I was shocked one time when I saw all the dirty, greasy grime on decorative plates on a plate rail above the oven side of my kitchen.)
3. Be certain the overhang you intend to put stools under extends a good distance (recommended dimensions are all over the internet). It is no fun banging your knees, being forced to sit sideways, or having food go down your front because you can't ever get scooted up close. They make invisible supports that look like strong, metal diving boards you install prior to the countertop going down - and they support even the heaviest and largest overhangs with no need for additional support posts that often only get in the way.
Just some things to think about. Your living area remodel is absolutely one of my very favorites. I've shown your new fireplace wall to my husband several times in hopes he keeps it in mind when we redo ours. You do gorgeous work!
Thank you! All good thoughts. We use the microwave often and we are tall. :) But I'm not concerned about it -- I would rather pull the hot food out and place it right on the island. I'm always scared to death I'm going to drop hot bowls when I'm pulling them out from that high. The overhang on the island will be much bigger because that bothers me too. I don't feel like ours is enough and I hope to add some decorative legs or something to the front too so that should be good support. Thanks for all the info -- I'll look into those supports you mentioned when I finalize the island plan!
DeleteMy mother in law has island microwave. Her's has a lock button on it to prefect the toddlers / Grand babies from doing anything bad. Because yes they do push all the buttons. The only other hitch we've had is a ventilation issue. During Christmas the men folk like to make chex mix in the microwave, and many many batches of it. So one year the microwave over heated and my MIL almost had a heart attack thinking they broke it. We unplugged it and few hours later all was well. So just make sure yours is really ventilated.
DeletePrevious comment was very helpful too. I love your ideas and your kitchen will look gorgeous with painted cabinets. Unsure of your selection of cabinet color but your pic source shows white cabinets, which are beautiful! I will definitely be following your blog on kitchen reno and will you have electrical line installation in your island.
ReplyDeleteLinda
We already have an outlet and a trash compactor in there so we should be able to run the microwave plug to that outlet. That helps a TON.
DeleteI think if I had a window seat in my kitchen I would never leave it. Beautiful ideas!!
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas and I am excited to follow you on this new journey. For the backsplash tile here's a suggestion and I bet you have even thought of it; do something similar to the tile around your fireplace which is lovely. Do a similar color/style or even a different color but in the herringbone pattern to tie it back to the family room.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm considering some of the options I had for the fireplace but want to make sure I'll still love it in five years! Especially in a bigger space like that.
DeleteI know what you mean, but I am sure whatever you decide will be marvelous. My favorite backsplash tile for a white kitchen is a simple white subway tile. Timeless!
DeleteUgh, typed a big long comment and google ate it. Anyways we did something similar last year and love it. I don't regret going white at all. I have to clean a bit more, but it's not like it wasn't dirty earlier - I just didn't see it as much. http://theatmakurs.blogspot.com/2013/04/kitchen-before-and-after.html
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would hate bending over for the low microwave and would worry I'd spill everything.
We love our new wood hood which my dad helped us build. We just got a kit and built around it.
I wish we could have a window seat but we have no spot for it. But now I'm totally thinking about extending the cabinets to the ceiling!
Your kitchen is going to look beautiful and I can't wait to follow along!
So many good ideas here. Your kitchen is so spacious and lovely now, I can't wait to see what it will look like after the renovation. And Lori's comment about raising existing cabinets and adding a shelf below is something I would never have thought of. Doing that would make my tiny storage-deficient kitchen so much more functional. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI love the plans for your kitchen! Are you going to do a farmhouse sink? I can't wait to see it when it's all done!
ReplyDeleteBecky
www.beckyandbrittany.com
wow love all of the amazing ideas that you have!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you read comments on older posts, but just in case, here goes!
ReplyDelete1) Love your plans -- really looking forward to watching your progress on this project.
2) When we gutted our kitchen, the handyman we hired to remove the soffits said the easiest thing to do for the backsplash area was just cut away the wall. The amount of damage caused by prying up tiles would take so much patching, it was easier and faster to just replace that section with a new piece of either drywall or cement backer board. And he was right! I think he just used a reciprocating saw, and it took about five minutes.
3) Some of the microwaves in your inspiration pictures look like they have wood very close to the microwave. That's a very bad idea that will shorten the life of the microwave. The manual can tell you how much space the microwave needs for venting, and you will need to either leave that much empty space surrounding it or buy a microwave trim kit. I haven't priced them recently, but I think most manuf. have kits for somewhere between 100-150 -- not cheap, but cheaper than constantly replacing your microwave. (Or you could get really fancy and get a microwave drawer -- pricey, but easy to operate without having to bend down.)
4) I LOVE the look of open shelves surrounding a hood. But it doesn't look like there's a ton of space on either side of where your hood would be. I'm afraid it might look really crowded. Have you considered, instead of building up the top of the cabinets, just raising them up and putting a shelf underneath?
5) Soapstone is awesome, and doesn't require any maintenance at all. Lots of people choose to oil it, but that's just for looks -- it's not required to maintain it. Regardless of whether you oil it or not, it's going to have tons of patina -- so if you don't like that look, it's definitely not for you.
Good luck! I can't wait to see how your kitchen turns out.
I am starting to think about my kitchen redo, and I honestly feel I might hold back a bit to see what Sarah is doing! I get ideas, ya know.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2015
Chrissy
I have a thick long quartz island top in my garage! Email me for info. only a few years old. I dont know how to get rid of it!
ReplyDeleteWhat's your opinion? We currently have medium colored wood cabinets. Do you think white trim around the windows and floor boards work with wood cabinets. I've been debating for a while. (We currently don't have any backsplash and the kitchen is a white/really light beige already. I'd love your thoughts?
ReplyDelete