My Kitchen Reno: Phase 1 and 2 Complete!

We moved into our current house in March of 2015, just two weeks before our wedding. I know, because that seemed like the most sensible thing to do…NOT! The first time Danny showed me the house I remember thinking to myself, “This is going to need some work.” You know, a typical Winter Park Florida older home: Good bones, but every room is pretty much in a need for a major update.

The Before

Phase 1 – Countertops & Backsplash

After closing on the house, having our wedding, enjoying our honeymoon, and immediately learning we were pregnant with our son Rocco, oops! Let’s just say the projects started. With each project on our wish list, some big, some small, our kitchen was at the top. But let’s remember, just because a project is at the top, doesn’t necessarily mean financially that it gets done first. Like most rookie homeowners, we kind of approached our kitchen backwards. Meaning we did the countertops and backsplash first and left the cabinetry alone. (I think we were silently hoping new countertops and backsplash would miraculously make the cabinets look good enough to keep.) That wasn’t the case. See exhibit A below…

Nevertheless…We lived with it for a while. 🙂

And created some wonderful memories along the way. 🙂

Phase 2 – Cabinets & Flooring

For about 4 years to be exact! And finally last Summer Danny and I looked at each other and decided, it was time to get rid of these awful “country bump-kin” cabinets and disgusting tile floor that I cursed on a daily basis. We spent so much time and effort making the rest of our house look good, we couldn’t take one more day of the out dated kitchen. It. had. to. go. Little did we know we would find out baby no. 4 would be soon on the way so the timing was perfect!

Overall it has taken 3 phases and we’re currently at the end of Phase 2. I could envision it already. Cue my Joanna Gaines renovation design moment! In phase 1 we replaced the countertops and back splash. For Phase 2, we would replace the oak-colored cabinets with a white shaker style that would go all the way up to the ceiling giving it a more expansive look. I wanted to continue the hardwood flooring that we had throughout the rest of the house and use matte black hardware on all of doors and drawers to add contrast, which also tied in all of the other hardware in our open-concept living space. We decided not to reconfigure our island, instead we chose to re-face the existing cabinets and then shiplap the outer bar portion to add an extra layer of texture.

The biggest transformation of all…and it’s completely transformed the space! I can’t tell you how much happiness it has brought to our family and how it’s one less thing that is off my plate!

Next Up – Phase 3 – The Finishes

My last idea for Phase 3 is to paint the shiplap a deep postman blue color to help with foot scuff marks and to tie in the other blue hues in the dining area adjacent to kitchen. We would then finish it up by installing 2-3 simple glass pendant lights over the island, elegant under-cabinet lighting, and new bar stools. (Inspo photos below)

Stay tuned for the final update on Phase 3 coming soon! In the meantime, feel free to leave any thoughts or ideas in the comments below!