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Kitchen Remodel – Before & After Reveal

by | Apr 2, 2013 | Decorating Inspiration, Kitchen Renovation Project, my house, My Kitchen

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Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel

Nine months ago, I started a kitchen remodel. FINALLY, nine months later, we are DONE!  Kind of like having a baby, right? We are so excited to finally get to enjoy it!! You’ve seen the progress of this kitchen remodel almost every step of the way, and now it’s time for the final shots and full room reveal! WOO HOO! Today I’ll show you the after pics, and then I have a separate follow up post to give you all the kitchen sources and other details you might want to know, since this is going to be long enough already!

While my newer builder’s kitchen was still in decent shape and certainly not the worst kitchen ever, I was excited about the challenge of creating a better layout for our needs and a bigger dose of charm and personality — on a reasonable person’s budget.

I really wanted this kitchen to feel like OURS, not the one the builder put together to look like every other house he built. Yet we wanted it to feel like it still belonged in this house! After living here for three years and not doing anything to the room except removing a few cabinet doors, I was ready to put my own personal stamp on this kitchen! Y’all know I’m a kitchen lover and it was painful for me to leave my last one behind.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Prior to our remodel, the kitchen family room was divided into three small sections, thanks to an awkward breakfast counter and two different flooring surfaces in the two rooms. My two girls love to cook and we like to host parties, so we wanted to find a way to create more open space without adding any more square footage.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

By simply removing the breakfast bar that cut the room in two, we opened up the entire space to allow traffic to move more freely through the kitchen. That alone was a huge improvement and completely transformed the space! We can now fit more cooks in the kitchen and there is plenty of room for guests to mill about the room. No more collisions.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

And best of all, we actually gained storage and a nice long counter in the process because we added two banks of drawers and installed our existing dishwasher right next to the sink. The breakfast bar cabinet had only enough room for one small cabinet and our dishwasher, so this was a big improvement layout AND storage-wise! If ONLY we had been here when the builder was building the house, I could have have intervened and told him there was a better way. Hehehe.

All the other cabinets are the existing cabinets, we just painted them.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Remember how it looked before? All choppy?

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Somehow the whole kitchen just looks wider and bigger, even though it isn’t!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

We absolutely LOVE the open layout with the nice long expanse of counter space and all the new drawers! When we remodeled our old kitchen we put in all drawers and it was a dream, I really love drawers for storage.

After removing that breakfast bar, we could see that that opening up our kitchen made the entire space feel so much better. Phew! No more obstacle course to move around the room! So why stop there? We decided to open up our kitchen even more by removing the few awkward upper cabinets around the stove.

I’m only 5’2 tall so the only shelves I could reach in the cabinets without getting out a step stool were the lower ones, so they weren’t all that useful to me for everyday storage. And as you know, I like to actually use what we have!  Our house is just not big enough for excess clutter. And, overflowing cabinets filled with excess clutter makes me crazy. So there is that.

And now that we have new drawers for every day dishes, we really didn’t need those cabinets anyway. Again, by living in our kitchen for several years before we made big changes, we knew what we needed and what we didn’t need. We felt very confident in most of our decisions, which was nice.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Without the added bulk of upper cabinets weighing down this small kitchen, the space feels so much cleaner and way more open. Another thing we’ve really noticed about not having upper cabinets in that area is the impression of much more counter space when you are preparing a meal! It feels so much brighter and less claustrophobic, so that is a big PLUS!

And as you can see, we were able to transform that entire back wall with subway tile and a gray grout, which provided a nice clean but architecturally interesting backdrop for our kitchen. Subway tile is a classic, never goes “out of style.” And like any update to a kitchen, if you decide in twenty years you want something new, you can change it then! I still love my subway tile walls in my old kitchen so it was fun to bring that same element to my new kitchen. It feels like home, but with a new twist.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

We also brought more personality and interest to the room by painting our remaining upper cabinets white and the lowers a charcoal gray. I think the two toned effect brings a much fresher and more interesting feel to the room than if we had gone with all white, I really love seeing the contrasts and textures. Now with all the subway tile, wood walls and white counters and upper cabinets, we have more than enough white for this room.

The neutral dark and light cabinets look great with ANY color we might want to use as an accent in rugs or accessories, so I’m going to have fun in here playing with accessories.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

A few other personality upping but still budget friendly tricks included boxing in the awkward open space over the upper cabinets and adding tongue and groove paneling to a small section of connecting wall and behind my open cabinets. It is amazing how much architectural interest those items brought to the room for a small investment! It’s those small details that make a kitchen look custom made for you!

I’m pretty much in love with how my baking center turned out!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

We had removed those cabinet doors pretty much the first day we owned the house (a free update!), but it is great to see it all freshened up now painted white and with the added tongue and groove vertical paneling, subway tile and new counters. Sigh! While I am still considering adding glass doors someday, removing doors for open shelving always gives a lot of bang for minimal buck!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

As you can see, all of our appliances are the same as they were, nothing new except the range hood — even though I would have LOVED a new fridge and stove!! We still have my little DIY framed chalkboard on the same fridge, if something didn’t need immediate updating, we left it alone for now!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

As you go around the corner to the little hall between my office, powder room and the kitchen, you can see how the new paneling and my maps really brought nice texture and personality to an otherwise small and previously uneventful hallway. I love small spaces because you can give them so much personality.

And can we just pause for a moment to gaze at the jadite colored industrial looking light fixture? Oh my heart how I love it.  It came courtesy of Barnlight Electric and it was the perfect finishing touch to this little hallway! Previously we just had the canned lighting and that was oh-so-boring!  All the details on the lighting is in the source post.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

We also changed another light fixture in the kitchen, check out that beautiful white one on the ceiling!  This Barnlight Electric fixture replaced one that used to be over our kitchen table. It hung down so low we had to keep a table under it and even so we always bumped our head on it.

The new light fixture is full of personality and doesn’t get in the way of walking or your line of sight from the kitchen to the family room. We decided to go with a white finish on it so it wouldn’t stand out too much in the middle of the room, but yet it is SO charming you can’t help but smile when you see it!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

We decided that since we already have a dining table right outside of the kitchen, we really didn’t need another table at least right now. With space at a premium, we took the table out and replaced it with a small conversation area which we LOVE. I’m glad we tried it without a table, less is definitely more.

This set up is actually perfect for chatting with friends while doing dishes! I’ve had the chairs forever and just keep updating them with white paint. They are so comfortable and easy to move around to the family room as needed. Flexible furnishings are a must in a small space!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

The Lulu & Georgia mirror is a fun statement piece above the HomeGoods linen cabinet turned dish cabinet.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

And speaking of doing dishes, I adore my exposed apron front Kohler sink with the single basin (my favorite!). I love it so much I can’t stand to see a dirty pile of dishes in it, so I’m extra compelled to polish my sink every night before bed. Our faucet is this one in Chrome.

And my window sill is the perfect place for my little teacup gardens!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Our counters are a nice white quartz called Caeserstone Organic White. We love how they reflect light in the room and give a nice contrast to the rustic Hickory wood floors. See the whale tail tongs in the white crock? Gotta have a bit of whale in every room right?

If you have specific questions on anything, all of the sources and details on where we got things we be in a source round up later this week, so stay tuned for more info but feel free to ask questions in this post so I will know what to answer in the upcoming posts.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal
But because I loved my wood counters so much in our old house (you can see our old kitchen remodel here), we decided to incorporate one wood counter in our kitchen — on our small island. Wood counters elsewhere would have been too much since we already installed gorgeous new Mohawk Hickory wood floors, so I’m really glad I went with the white quartz for the perimeter counter tops.

We gave our previously unfinished kitchen island a DIY makeover and I think it turned out so cute, you can find more details on the sources here.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

I really like the feel of a real “working kitchen.” So having easy access to every day baking items and even using them as display is a look I’ve always liked. I like to see stuff we actually use, rather than just expensive display items.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Of course, as with any affordable kitchen makeover, updating paint and hardware played a huge part in the transformation! Charcoal lower cabinets and white uppers brought a nice modern but still classic feel to my kitchen. It was fun to select traditional elements such as bin pulls in a slightly more modern shape just to give the kitchen traditional modern feel.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Hardware is like the jewelry of a room so it is a fun way to bring out your kitchen’s personality! I’ll have all the details on the hardware and where I got it all in the upcoming source post.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

I could not adore the new sconces any more if I tried. I’m so glad I decided to add them, their soft glow and bit of mirrored sparkle really give the room so much warmth, much like a lamp would! I love the Edison bulbs too!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

And along the lines of loving a “working kitchen” you may have seen our pantry reveal a week or so ago. We decided to open it up to the room by removing the door and filling in all the hinge holes so it looks like a nice framed opening. I’m telling ya, having things we use every day easily accessible and even on display is THE BEST motivation I’ve found for keeping things pretty, orderly and clean.

You might also notice our microwave is now located in the pantry. We love having it in there. It improved kitchen traffic flow in the work zones, and freed up more space in the kitchen, but is only a few steps away from the kitchen island so it is still convenient.

You can read all about the pantry and the details of the makeover here.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

And our kitchen wouldn’t be the same without our own newly crowned ‘Pup of the Year’ Jack, sitting on our Dash & Albert rug!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

This is our life, our home, our kitchen. This photo was from Instagram last week with Grandma cooking for the grandkids in our kitchen! We really LIVE here, and that is the true test of any successful kitchen remodel. If it is too precious or uncomfortable for what you do every day, or if you splurged so much on fine details that you can no longer afford to bring groceries home to your own kitchen, it isn’t worth having in my opinion.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Jack’s dog food is always sitting out, so why not make it kind of cute and store it in an IKEA trash can? A simple rag rug protects the floor from spills and a Goodwill child’s chair holds his food up to make it easier for him to reach it! And yes, his water bowl fit in a plant urn. Simple, real life solutions are what I love the most.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

Jack runs through this kitchen, screeching around the corners sliding this way and that, we cook and bake here, we spill stuff and make messes, laugh together, hang out by the fireplace and spend so much time living life right here in this space. It isn’t perfect or fancy, but our family kitchen is a blessing and we really love it!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

So, it is done! But I don’t believe I’ve ever actually FINISHED a room. So, while it is done for now and I love it, I’m sure it will never be finished. I’ll be tweaking and working on more details over time, because that is the fun of having a home!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

*Update: here’s a more recent photo of our kitchen in Fall 2014 from my Fall House Tour!

If you want to go back and review any of the kitchen remodeling posts, you can find them all here. Here is the kitchen source post and more info on the DIY island makeover! Here is a follow up post on the Bamboo Blinds!

See my entire house tour by clicking the banner below or here!

Kitchen Remodel - Before & After Reveal

256 Comments

  1. Sylvia

    Love the reno. Truly inspiring. I would love to know the actual size of your kitchen. Thanks

    Reply
    • Northeasterner

      Love your kitchen – and your style! Where did you get the tortoise shell window blinds? I’ve been looking for those.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        You can get ‘tortoise shell’ blinds @ Lowes

        Reply
  2. paige

    gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    if you only could hear my audible sighs & gasps!
    homerun!!
    love every detail. we have a collision style kitchen…sigh….i just love all the bright crispness and charm and functionality….and the fact that jack’s water bowl is in an urn? stop.

    you must just wanna crawl into your gorgeous sink & go night nighty!

    love it all!! well done!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Haha, thanks Paige! :-)

      Reply
  3. Kristin

    What a wonderful, happy room! Enjoy!

    Reply
  4. Lori H

    Your kitchen is gorgeous! So much inspiration in one place, I will have to bookmark this post to come back to again and again. Enjoy!

    Reply
  5. rie

    Absolutely love it!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Adrienne

    I think it’s absolutely lovely! And that dog dish in the urn is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! So clever and cute!!!

    Reply
  7. cassie

    LOVE it! the cabinet color is gorgeous! we are about to redo our kitchen and i love that you mixed metal hardware… i have been considering so many options and love this look!

    Reply
    • Jessica

      What color did you use for the cabinets? Maybe I missed it!

      Reply
  8. Kathleen

    Looks really beautiful, congratulations!

    Reply
  9. kim

    Over the top gorgeous!

    Reply
  10. laney

    …perfectly perfect…

    Reply
  11. Cindy

    Now that’s a kitchen!!! Gorgeous! Love your cabinetry and the two colors…nice! Open shelving so nice to show some display and love the tile with darker grout! Sweet island, love the wood top…everything is wonderful!!!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Cindy!

      Reply
  12. Angelique

    Your kitchen is truly gorgeous!! I’d love to know the brand & color grey you used on your walls?!! It’s beautiful! Is it the same grey in your pantry?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you! Yes, I’ll put all the details in the source post too but the walls are Glidden Polished Grey and the ceiling in the kitchen is Glidden Polished Limestone, the ceiling in the family room is Glidden Wood Smoke. The pantry is Polished Grey as well. :-)

      Reply
  13. MarieRoxanne

    Okay, I am excited about this reveal! I love almost everything here.
    1) the charcoal bottom cabinets goes great with the steel appliances, it would look all washed up if they were white.
    2) I love your knobs, I really do!
    3) I like the space above the stove instead of all that clutter for all to see! it’s like the space is actually sighing “Ahhhhh”
    4) I like the plant urn water dish for Jack, looks a whole lot better than a plastic bowl!
    I really enjoyed looking through the photos and I am sure I can comment on EVERYTHING but I will let others do some… hee hee

    Reply
    • Rachelle

      What size are your bin pulls and where did you purchase them? Love them and have been looking everywhere for extra long pulls.

      Reply
  14. Tyesha

    It looks absolutely gorgeous! I just have one question…what did you do with the microwave?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Our microwave is now in the pantry, you can see it in the pantry pic above :-).

      Reply
  15. Abby

    Your kitchen is truly lovely. It feels up to date, yet very homey. I love it!

    Reply
  16. Colleen Sullivan

    Such a beautiful reveal that I have been waiting for!. You did a beautiful job… can’t wait to hear the details.

    Reply
  17. Faith

    Awesome! Love it! Such great space planning and lovely choices. Love those sconces and subway tiles. Oh, and congrats to Jack. One of my faves is his area of the kitchen. Congrats on a successful “birthing” of a new kitchen. (:

    Reply
  18. Terry

    Absolutely lovely and homey and delightful and organized and spacious and cheerful and to-die-for! Can’t wait for all the details and product info! Thank you so much for sharing your kitchen makeover. It is truly inspiring!

    Reply
  19. Beverly

    Wonderful, Melissa. I am so happy for you. I know how much you wanted this.

    Reply
  20. Kerry

    Melissa, this is just beautiful, down to the very last detail (that hardware!!). I love that you truly rethought the function of your space — replacing the kitchen table with your sweet conversation area is just ideal to me! I just love how you mix a more modern, fresh style with some pretty, more detailed pieces. And that baking area is too perfect. I know you’re enjoying every inch of your new kitchen! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Kerry!

      Reply
  21. Marianne

    Oh My ! What a great makeover ! You did a wonderful job here ! I love the color you chose for the cabinets and I totally agree with you about the drawers, they’re so much more efficient than cupboards when it comes to the kitchen organization. I also like the seating area. Thanks for sharing and cheers from France !

    Reply
  22. Laura

    Beautifully, perfectly, inspiringly…… YOU! I think I will ponder a bit more what I can do to make our kitchen more us!

    Reply
  23. Jennifer

    Your kitchen turned out wonderful! The details are beautiful and it makes such a difference. I’ve been through a DIY kitchen remodel and it is like giving birth, lol. It took me about the same amount of time to finish mine. Of course, now I’m hooked on kitchen remodels so I couldn’t wait to see yours finished. It’s beautiful and I’m happy to see you and your family enjoying it!

    Reply
  24. sharlotte

    This is absolutely beautiful! I love all the different textures and colors. Can’t wait for the follow up with specifics…
    What a wonderful place to work and actually live. I agree wholeheartedly with your philosophy! Congratulations, well done! Yea! Now to enjoy it!
    Congratulations to Jack too!! What a sweet and loving member of your family!

    Reply
  25. Sherry

    Everything is beautiful! Especially love Jacks water bowl!!!!!

    Reply
  26. Cynthia

    Your kitchen does look fantastic I love the openness and it does look wider and bigger. I love your oven and was wondering what brand it was and how many burners it has., I also adore that farmhouse sink. I am going to get one of them when we build our new home which you can see on my blog. Beautiful space.

    Cynthia

    Reply
  27. Christine

    It looks amazing! so bright and airy and it has great flow! I’m curious is (like my kitchen reno) if now at night no matter how tired you are you are finding yourself wiping things up and doing dishes late at night JUST so when you walk in there in the AM….it looks great. I used to be a dish washer in the AM….and now I’m cleaning it 5 times a day….lol

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yep. I love cleaning the kitchen now! :-) Funny how that works!

      Reply
  28. Mindy

    It’s gorgeous!!!!

    Reply
  29. Tonya

    Absolutely GORGEOUS!!! All your hard work TOTALLY paid off!

    Reply
  30. Kristin

    Beautiful!!!!!!! I love the colors. It looks amazing. :) :)

    Reply
  31. Donnamae

    Your kitchen is so lovely! It fits Jack! You did a remarkable job, on a budget, and turning the dinette area into a lounge is brilliant! Now…when are we going to see the family room??;)

    Reply
  32. Susan

    What a handsome space; not cluttered at all, but still lots of interesting things to look it; it looks easy to clean, too.

    Reply
  33. Kellie

    Such a lovely remodel! And I got so excited with the first picture because I have that same tray. It recently lost it’s home on a bookshelf, so I had actually considered getting rid of it, but it looks so pretty in your kitchen that I’m inspired to find a new home for it. :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      That tray has been in the garage forever and then one day I decided to go shopping (in my own house) and back in the house it came :-)

      Reply
  34. susan maclean

    Well done Melissa!! I have been waiting since before Christmas for the pics, and here we are at last. I love grey. It is appearing all over my tiny house, on the walls behind the beds, in the bathrooms, and it may soon appear in my living room! I do like what you have done to your kitchen – a makeover that looks good, but done on your own budget, rather than some which you know cost a year’s salary to get right. It works for you and your family, which is now things should be. Enjoy yourselves with it, as I am sure you will!

    Reply
  35. Michelle

    Gorgeous! But Jack makes every room sparkle!

    Reply
  36. Tanya

    I really love it! It does look like you lost a lot of storage space though.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      We actually gained six new drawers so we didn’t lose any space, and I love the drawers much more than the cabinets so it was a win win!

      Reply
  37. Suzanne at Simply Suzannes at Home

    Your kitchen is beautiful! I love its airy, open feel. The white pottery adds a warm and elegant touch to your cupboards. I love your daring nature to take the subway tile to the ceiling. It paid off!
    My husband and I will be tackling a kitchen and dining room DIY next month. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  38. Sara Silver

    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your kitchen remodel. We live in an area full of homes and subdivisions that were built quickly with no personality or individuality and you’ve proven that can be changed! The white tiles are amazing and reflect so much light back into your space. And with the cabinet pulled out it’s so open and makes the space look so much larger! Very inspirational!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Sara!! It is nice to feel like we get to put our own personality into our home!

      Reply
  39. Sandy

    Love the remodel, Melissa! So bright and cheery! Where are all the dishes that were once in your upper cabinets? Like drinking glasses, wine glasses, etc.? Just wandered about the practicality of no uppers. I entertain so much, and even though I’m always thinning out, I still need the space. I have open shelves, too. Love all the white! And Jack, of course :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thanks Sandy! The new drawers (we have six brand new drawers, so we didn’t really lose storage!) hold all of those dishes that were in the uppers plus some are in the open shelving above the baking area. I’ll show some of the storage in another post sometime. We also have the little dish cabinet in the sitting area plus a buffet in the family room. :-)

      Reply
      • Arpita

        Melissa, I agree with everyone here that you have created a beautiful kitchen. You have capitalized on the amazing natural light that your kitchen gets–what a luxury (for someone like me with a windowless kitchen). I love the knobs and the classiness of Jack’s water dish/urn.

        Like Sandy I wondered about storage. Does it work to store drinking glasses in a lower drawer? How do you stabilize stemmed wineglasses and tall water glasses, for instance?

        Reply
  40. Amanda

    I’m in love with your subway tile!

    Reply
  41. karenonbainbridge

    Your kitchen area is really lovely. I especially enjoyed seeing all the interesting finishing details in the photos. I loved all the little surprises, like seeing fun drawer pulls and stacks of bowls and cutting boards propped up.

    The best part is that you and your family created a space that works for you and makes you happy every time you walk into it. Decorating a home should always be about the people who live there.

    Reply
  42. Christy

    I LOVE IT! Wowsa! It’s just gorgeous. What an inspiration! My husband will graduate in May (after going back to school five years ago), and I look forward to doing some projects around our house. I plan on pinning this beauty to use as inspiration for our kitchen. :)
    Blessings!
    Christy

    Reply
  43. Karie {Girl Going Country}

    Oh so pretty!! LOVE what you’ve done with it – and how bright and open it is. Completely in love with your sink. That’s on my must-have list when we buy our next house!

    Reply
  44. karenonbainbridge

    M, I am very interested in the trellis’ I see outside the kitchen window. Can you tell me where you purchased those? My garden needs a little verticality.

    Reply
  45. rosemary

    So charming….can’t wait to see the supplier list….I love your backsplash tile and sink!! Of course, the photo of Jack in front of the sink is beyond adorable, and the sneak peek of his eating area just makes me chuckle!!!…

    Reply
  46. Diane

    Everything came together perfectly!! I do love the sitting area instead of a second dining area. Congrats to Jake (and his mommy) on being Pup of the Year! I must say that every famous pup needs to have his water bowl in an urn like that. Toooo cute!!!
    I’m glad you had the vision to see that the kitchen would be better without the ‘L’…that would have escaped me entirely. I would have thought that I would be losing precious worktop space. If I plan any changes in my next kitchen…I will seek you out! ;) The white cabinets and tile really do open and brighten the space. Love it! And the charcoal plays well against the wood for a needed color and temperature contrast. You are the queen of details…from drawer pulls to light fixtures. :)
    You must be breathing many sighs of relief to have the project finished. Bravo!

    Reply
  47. Erin

    It is beautiful! I love how open and bright it looks.

    Reply
  48. Tricia T.

    OH MY GOODNESS……absolutely GORGEOUS! Great job!!!

    Reply
  49. Amanda

    WOW! You did an incredible job! I’m envious of your white subway tiles! I’d give anything to replace our dark slate with white :) Well done!

    Reply
  50. Julie

    This post was sooo worth the wait! The transformation is amazing and what I really love about it is that it really reflects your style and personality — no more cookie cutter kitchen. I am jealous of your huge window above your gorgeous apron sink! Fantastic, Melissa! Thanks for sharing! :)

    Reply
  51. Liz

    Wowza! What a serene, open, flowing, fun and functional space! Congratulations on a job well done! We love your blog! Keep up the great work!

    Reply
  52. Erin

    Oh wow. What a stunning transformation. I love the lack of upper cabinets. We are in the middle of redoing our kitchen (shoot me if it takes 9 months) and when we got the old cabinets down I loved how it felt without them. Of course in our tiny kitchen, not having uppers was not an option, but I do love the effect. With every picture I thought, “That’s my favorite thing,” but then I came to the photo of your knobs and I can say with great certainty that those are by far my favorite thing in the room. I love, love, love it. I hope my kitchen turns out half as nice as yours!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thanks Erin! :-) I’ll have to come check out the progress on your kitchen, it is always fun!!

      Reply
  53. Kathy

    Great Job on your kitchen! Absolutely gorgeous! My husband and I are at the beginning stages of a kitchen remodel. My question is what kind of paint finish did you use on your cabinets? And how did you go about finding a professional painter? I keep going back and forth on painting new wood cabinets vs. buying cabinets with a baked on finish (like what you get at Home Depot). Your kitchen is truly inspirational:)

    Reply
  54. Roeshel

    It’s a dream kitchen – gorgeous job, Melissa! Loving every single detail!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you so much, Roeshel!

      Reply
  55. Kitty

    Oh my gosh!! AAHH-mazing makeover. It is GORGEOUS!!!! I know you must be thrilled with it and so happy to have all of the work behind you. Congratulations!!! :) Enjoy your wonderful “new” space.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thanks Kitty!! :-)

      Reply
  56. kristin

    The kitchen is just beautiful, taking out that wall made all the difference in the world. Love the grey and white color combo so fresh! I will have to show my hubby this, we have to take out all our lower cabinets because of mold damage and I want to replace them with grey while keeping the uppers white, I keep getting the “eye” Men :)
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Haha, I know that look :-)

      Reply
  57. Stacey

    Your kitchen is gorgeous! I absolutely love it.
    I’m infatuated with the map wall and teal light so wonderful!

    Reply
  58. Ali Thompson

    Beautiful! I love all the details, especially your pull knobs and hardware! Gorgeous!

    Reply
  59. Maria

    I absolutely love your kitchen, is the perfect little kitchen, love the clutter free approach. The kitchen is simple, stylish and has the “been there forever” feel. Being a baker myself I love the baking corner! You have a lovely house! But may I say what I like best is you can feel the love in every corner of it, in every detail and that is what truly makes a space shine! Enjoy it!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Maria, that was such a sweet comment and means a lot!

      Reply
  60. Stacy Risenmay

    Oh Melissa! It is stunning! I love seeing the final reveal with all of the details and different angles. TOTALLY worth the 9 long months :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thanks Stacy! It is worth that long wait to finally feel like I can just enjoy it now, so thank you! :-)

      Reply
  61. Rhoda

    Melissa, it’s absolutely beautiful!! I know you are loving every inch of this gorgeous space. All your attention to detail shines through so bright. I adore all your choices, well done, my friend. No doubt this kitchen will get in a magazine soon!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Rhoda, it was fun to put together and now I’m just going to enjoy being in it!

      Reply
  62. jen

    It’s gorgeous!!!! I am in love with it Melissa!! What an amazing makeover. Every single detail is well thought out, functional and beautiful.

    Yay!!

    xoxoxoxo

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Aw, thanks so much Jen!!

      Reply
  63. Sara

    Like everyone else is saying, your kitchen is gorgeous and an inspiration. Thanks for sharing! Where is the circle rug (between the kitchen and living room) from?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      It’s from Pier 1 :-) Thanks so much!

      Reply
  64. Christine

    The kitchen looks wonderful!! What a gigantic huge improvement over the old one! The old one looked dark and depressing. The new one is all light and fun. I’m all for letting in more light and the new one certainly does that with the white subway tiles, the whole openness of the kitchen and the white upper cabinets. Oh, and the white planking on the other walls. Fantastic! I love the way you pay attention to details such as the draw pulls and cute knobs. It really sets off the gray cabinets nicely. I love, love, love your hickory floors throughout the house too. It’s like getting a brand new house! Enjoy it for years to come!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you so much for your kind words, I do love it and enjoy every little detail now!

      Reply
  65. Barbara (WA)

    What stikes me the most, Melissa, is your vision. To see a “new” space and know how to transform it into something a million times better in function and beauty. And oh the beauty!! I am in love.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thanks Barbara, I’m so glad you like it! I had such fun transforming it into something I love, and now I get to just sit back and enjoy it!

      Reply
  66. PamMyhappycalifornia

    I knew it would be amazing! I see that you stopped the tile on the sink wall and left an area for color. I really like that I was thinking of running tile to the ceiling on all my kitchen walls but maybe it would be too much. Always inspiring, thanks.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes, I originally was going to go all the way up on that side too but once the tiler was tiling that side of the room it struck us….it would be too much. Because that sink wall runs all the way across through to the family room, once we saw the tile going up we felt like we needed to connect the walls rather than divide them too much with tile just in the kitchen. Having that bit of color on top to connect the rooms was the way to go in our case! Glad we caught it before it was all tiled! Somehow that bit of color warms things up too and allows the big wall to be the focal point of tile. :-)

      Reply
  67. Gillaine

    Looks so beautiful, I bet you will love the baking station!!! I am going through a kitchen reno right now and giving birth was easier, haha. I’d like to know if your mug tree is something that is I can buy (love it)….

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes, it is from World Market, and so affordable too!! Thanks :-)

      Reply
      • Gillaine

        Thanks so much!! Ordered one and it is on it’s way. So excited, hope it looks half as good in my kitchen as yours. G

        Reply
  68. Julie

    Absolutely gorgeous! I love the details, including the cabinet color, tile, hardware, sconces, and even the way you styled your shelves. Enjoy your new space!

    Reply
  69. KATHYSUE

    Melissa, I would say you hit the ball out of the park. I absoutely love all of your changes and I also appreciate you explaining why you made some of your choices. It really does help the reader to follow along more easily. It is gorgeous, love the two metal choices for your hardware and the sconce is a favorite of mine too!!
    Great job and thank you for sharing, I think it is definitely worth the wait!
    Enjoy,
    Kathysue

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Well, thank you so much Kathysue!! That made my day!

      Reply
  70. Tara G.

    Rejoicing with you!!!!

    Reply
  71. Kim

    Oh Melissa, this is stunning! You are so brave to take down the upper cabinets, and I am running to the garage to grab demo tools to take down mine…well, not yet…but it’s on my list! I love the subway tile all the way up, and the charcoal cabinets are a stunning contrast to the white. Fab! The island turned out beautifully, and I love the way the kitchen feels from beginning to end! Love the light fixture too! I am saving this link for my kitchen redo. Congratulations on the 9 month wait…no diapers or late night bottles for this delivery!

    Reply
  72. kj

    Can you tell me about your roman shades– source and color? I have struggled finding the right natural woven material for our gray and white kitchen. So many of them end up having a tinge of green; yours seem to be exactly what I am looking for!

    Reply
  73. Shannon

    Ahhhh!!! This is absolutely unbelievable! I love it so much! You did an amazing job!!

    Reply
  74. Laura

    That is so stunning! So well done! I saw your announcement on Instagram and had to click through to see it. We redid our kitchen in the last several months, similar color scheme. I love the charcoal! The hardware is what really caught my eye!! I want to change mine now:) love subway tile! It made a huge light difference in ours and changing counters to white helped too! I love your space. So well done, well thought out and functional! Great job!!

    Reply
  75. Bette

    This kitchen is really nice. I have never posted a comment on this blog before.

    I love the mix and match hardware. The bars are simple, a bit different, the knobs are like jewelry.

    I recently changed my garage into a studio w/ a kitchen area (no range) I bought lamps that look similar to your wall sconces. You were smart enough not to plan shelving under these lamps. I was forced to use wire shelving so the lamps won’t have an obstructed light.
    Also a question. You ran the subway tile up to the ceiling except for the sink wall. I wonder why?
    Of course the Jack pics are so cute.

    Reply
  76. Elisa

    I love your new kitchen! It looks great without the upper cabinets-so fresh and modern. Great tile, great accents (rabbit pulls) gorgeous lighting! Beautiful job.

    Reply
  77. Beth

    So incredibly beautiful! It’s been fun to watch your kitchen transform and the end result was well worth the wait!

    Reply
  78. Ashley

    Thank you so much for the fantastic kitchen tour! It really is stunning and so welcoming. For your source list- could you tell me/us where you got your copper kettle? I adore it! And congrats to Jack!

    Reply
  79. Lindsay

    Hi Melissa! Your kitchen is stunning. Absolutely perfect! Quick question about the shades- ar there shades on our sliding glass door? I love the look and am wondering if they are functional. I have drapes at the moment but they are too heavy. Can you open the door? Does your husband bump his head when he goes in and out? Thanks!

    Reply
  80. Kristiann

    This makeover is amazing! The builder kitchen didn’t look bad until I saw what you did to make it look so much better!

    Reply
  81. Susan

    How do you like your bamboo blinds? I am wanting to get those for our beach house, but the strings concern me, how did you tie them down at the base?

    Reply
  82. Jillian {Her Split Ends}

    Kind of ADORE everything about the new digs!!! So gorgeous and so inviting. Great job!!

    Reply
  83. Brandi

    Melissa, your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous. I love every single detail. You have impeccable taste. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home.

    Reply
  84. The Virginia House

    It turned out lovely! I immediately started looking around my kitchen to see if any of your transformations would be possible… Decided it might transform my marriage for the worse;-) Love it though! Great inspiration.

    Reply
  85. jessica

    ummm, hello….I want to live here! Holy smokes it’s beautiful and your pictures came out great! Nicely done. I hope you are pinning this to the BHG board!!!! :)

    Reply
  86. lylah ledner

    Incredible. One question Melissa…would you come do my kitchen now?

    Reply
  87. Katharine

    I love your kitchen makeover – so clever. And especially your decision to lose the overhead cupboards. It’s a bit of thing with me, but when I did my kitchen, because I had enough storage elsewhere, I ditched the overhead cupboards and the kitchen was suddenly larger and lighter.

    Down with the overhead cupboards I say!

    Seriously, a wonderful makeover and inspiring to see that what are basically relatively small changes can totally change the feel and functionality of a room. Shows the importance of considered design.

    Reply
  88. Allison A.

    It’s so gorgeous I’m at a loss for words. I too, love having my kitchen being beautiful as well as operational at the same time. My next kitchen redo will take so many pages from your book. I even adore Jack’s food and water containers. So creative!

    Reply
  89. Laura

    How beautiful! Do you have a post coming about those gorgeous shades?

    Reply
  90. Jessica

    not much more to say except it’s beautiful! stunning really!

    Reply
  91. Pam Kimberly

    Wow. Did you just crawl into one of my dreams?! Your kitchen and all the fabulous details really spark a chord with me. I could move in and enjoy without a hitch. Also loving the way you use it to really live in and not just for show. (Though it certainly is a showpiece)
    Another thing that I love is the way you’ve explained all the whys and reasoning behind your design decisions. It’s really made me stop and think about what I want to do and how it will really fit our lifestyle.
    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  92. Jenna

    I love, love LOVE this makeover. So clean, bright and modern. I wish I had the space to go without uppers, it really makes the room look much larger, also really like the dark base cabinets against the hickory floors.
    I have had boxes of subway tile in my garage for a year now planning to do my back splash, after seeing your transformation I need to get to work!

    Reply
  93. Pam

    Oh my goodness gracious, do you just want to hang out in there and cook nonstop?! My favorites are the baking center, the hardware and sconces are beautiful statements, and of course taking the the subway tiles to the ceiling was genius! What a wonderful space you’ve created for your family, Melissa!

    Reply
  94. Kelly - Talk of the House

    Gorgeous!!!It looks sooooo good and quite different from where it started. I love the white upper cabinets with the dark lower ones. And you have seating in actual chairs in your kitchen. Man. LOVE IT!

    Reply
  95. jenn

    you did an amazing job!! I am currently planning a renovation and it’s funny because I have many similar design elements planned that you executed beautifully. My layout is even almost identical, except the space between the sink and the sliding door will just accommodate the dishwasher. Well done!!

    Reply
  96. laurie jones

    Your kitchen turned out absolutely beautiful. Everything is so thought out and I love how taking out the attached island opened up your space so much especially since I used your kitchen photos tonight to show my husband why we have to do the same to ours. We’ve been contemplating it for awhile but my husband has a hard time visualizing all my plans! Our kitchen layout is almost exactly the same! So thank you thank you thank you!!! Looking forward to your source list! Great job!!!!

    Reply
  97. wendy

    Wondering where you found the piece of art with all of the Portland, Oregon locations in your pantry?

    Reply
  98. Pam

    Looks wonderful, Melissa. I love all your white subway tile again (I put that in my kitchen too)… and the colors you have chosen. So great to see all that you have accomplished with it. I wonder – how did you attach a shelf right on the tile?

    Reply
  99. Susan

    It is really a warm and charming makeover!! Beautiful! The white subway tile just sets the tone for a pretty working space. I fell in LOVE w/ that mirror but I don’t see it on Lulu & Georgia. I hope they get it back in stock! It is gorgeous!

    Reply
  100. Esmeralda

    Wow! It looks wonderful. What a difference! I see some scandinavian style in your kitchen. :) And I really like the colours!

    Reply
  101. teresa

    LOVE it Melissa!
    It must be such a great feeling to have it done and ENJOY it now!
    LOVE the bamboo chairs & cozy rug going into the kitchen.
    Two questions:
    Where did you get the bamboo shades and are the shades on windows through out the house too?
    What do you suggest to buff your floors & give them a good shiney look every now & then?
    And. Where did you get the mop that you featured to clean hardwood floors? Do you use the Bona cleaner whenever you clean the floors?
    Okay.
    That’s more than 2 questions.
    I’ve got to come back & study this post!
    Love it!
    xo

    Reply
  102. Robin

    Just beautiful! Light and airy and oh-so-welcoming!
    xo
    Robin

    Reply
  103. Carrie

    Great job!!! It looks beautiful! I love all of the details and your philosophy. :)

    Reply
  104. robin

    Love your kitchen and understand how it can take so long. It does give you time to make each decision. I’m wondering how you were able to match hour exsisting cabinets. I save the same issue, newer kitchen bad design. We soon forget how they were throwing together hhouses during the boom. I cant seem to fond the same cabinetry.

    Great job Melissa! Thanks.

    Reply
  105. Shauna

    I see a lot of kitchen renos, but this one stopped me dead in my tracks. Love it soooo… much. It looks like it functions well, but has all the components of a beautiful space. You must be in heaven. Enjoy!

    Reply
  106. teresa

    I love it and it has been so fun to see the process! Thanks for sharing your life. Happy Day.
    Now go and enjoy that awesome kitchen!

    Reply
  107. jenifer

    Melissa, you are quite a talented designer and I am grateful that you open yourself and your home to us almost daily. You are inspiring and lovely to “be around”. Thank you so much! Congratulations on completing your kitchen — it looks warm and comfortable and functional — so perfect! I’m happy for you.

    Reply
  108. Jedi Mama

    Wow! I’ve been stalking your blog for quite some time now (but don’t worry… I’m a harmless stalker, who just likes to look at all of your decorating ideas, because ain’t nobody got time to be a crazy stalker with two boys running wild in the house!), and this post is my favorite! I love, love, LOVE your new kitchen, and listen: Now I think I’m coveting your cabinets just a touch! And I think I’d like to have you over for coffee, so that you could sit at my dining room table and say, “Girl! How can you live like this, with these blank walls and these rugs that don’t coordinate with your throw pillows? Let me help you; let me redecorate your house.” Of course, I would buy you Starbucks and talk your ear off while you wandered around my house saying, “This picture has GOT to go… and this rug! Ugh! Throw it!”

    Anyway, I love your kitchen. It’s beyond amazing!

    Reply
  109. Desiree

    It looks amazing!

    Reply
  110. Robyn

    Wait just a sec, had to wipe the drool off my chin!

    Reply
  111. Robyn

    I’m not sure what I did half my comment didn’t post! I love your kitchen! Where can I procure the whale tail tongs?

    Reply
  112. Ashley

    Just came across this blog, I love it! Question, what color is that gray paint color in your kitchen? It’s stunning! Thanks so much

    Reply
  113. Mrs. C

    I spy a beautiful little tray in the very first picture. What a beautiful kitchen! I’d be afraid to cook and mess it up, it’s sooooooo gorgeous!!! Love everything about it, I bet you all are really enjoying how open it all is now. Soooo very nice!!! Very excited for you and your family, what an outstanding remodel! I know I do not have to say this, but I will, “Enjoy!!!”

    Reply
  114. Juliane at Modern Mural

    GORGEOUS. I’m in love with your refrigerator chalkboard. It’s perfect for grocery lists without being ugly. I’m loving the blue, striped rug with the grey cabinets. Was removing that terrible bar difficult?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Not hard at all! Had a couple of guys come and bash it down! It took only a couple hours :-)! There is a post at the beginning of the process showing it being demoed if you want to see it, when I get to my computer I could even send the link.

      Reply
  115. Ashley

    I don’t think my comment posted (???) what’s the gray paint color in your kitchen? Just adore!!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      The walls are Glidden polished gray, the ceiling is Glidden Polished Limestone! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Talysa

        What’s the color in the room off kitchen? The darker room…I believe that is your dining area.

        Reply
        • Melissa

          Yes it’s Studio Taupe, Behr all in one! :-)

          Reply
  116. katie

    WOW! This is amazing! 9months too long I’m sure but totally worth the wait. I love everything about your kitchen!!!

    Reply
  117. Angela Meyer

    I love it and am so glad you shared. :) Some kitchens you look at or walk into and think, “I wouldn’t change a thing!”. Yours is that kitchen. :)

    Reply
  118. Talysa

    Magazine worthy! Especially the shot of Jack in the kitchen. I LOVE it all and I have already pinned the fire out of it. ;-)

    I hope you will do a detailed source post.

    Reply
  119. tricia

    It is just lovely! Well worth the wait to get a beautiful kitchen that functions for your family :)

    Reply
  120. Samantha

    How frickin stunning, I love the details in the hardware!!

    Reply
  121. Joyce

    Absolutely love your kitchen! We are currently planning a remodel but this gives me so many more things to consider. I was dead set on dark, possibly black counters but the way you are using white is giving me second thoughts. What size is your kitchen? It’s so hard for me to gauge it from the pictures. I love following your blog. We are working on a closet to pantry project right now.

    Reply
  122. Megan

    Oh my goodness! It’s FANTASTIC!! I’ve gobbled up every post you have done about the kitchen. At first when you were talking about the reveal, I thought, eh, I’ve pretty much seen it. But then I see your gorgeous pictures and I’m gobbling that up just as much as the rest of the posts. I’ve been itching to do my kitchen all along but have been too scaredy-pants to do anything because I’m afraid I’ll mess it all up. You’re little reveals have been pinned for a long time! It’s all I can do to not run out and start prettying our kitchen RIGHT NOW!
    But really, you’ve done an amazing job on this remodel fix-up. Every detail is perfection! Really, truly wonderful!

    Reply
  123. Megan

    Oh, and if you don’t already have it on your list, would you mind also sharing the sheen that you selected for your cabinets? Much appreciated!

    Reply
  124. Grace

    I love your kitchen remodel. The new arrangement works so well and I love the gray on the bottom and white on top (we did the same colours in our kitchen and I never have tired of them).

    Reply
  125. Krista

    Wow! I LOVE it! We are doing our kitchen soon so I am always looking for inspiration. Without the uppers it looks so clean and open (and kind of European…) and I love the conversation/seating area instead of the extra table. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful remodel,
    Krista @thehappyhousie

    Reply
  126. Mimi

    Absolutely love the style, color and hardware used on the bottom cabinets. Extraordinary job.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you Mimi! :-)

      Reply
  127. Lisa

    I LOVE your kitchen! I have been wanting to paint my cabinets grey – what color did you use?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal! :-) Thanks!

      Reply
  128. Tracy Lewkowiez

    Your eye for detail always impresses me. The tray, the cute bunny knobs, the cabinet knobs, the urn for Jack’s bowl, the blue striped rug for “flair”. I’d love to know more about the countertop material. Is it solid or tiles? Oh, and the view from your windows is beautiful. I bet your yard is awesome, too!

    Reply
  129. Elizabeth

    Simply Stunning! I have to look at it every day cuz I find something new I didn’t see before. :)
    can you tell me the exact name of the Barn Light light fixture in your hallway? I love it and quickly browsed online but didn’t see it..I probably just didn’t look long enough.
    thanks!

    Reply
  130. Katherine

    Absolutely beautiful – love that it’s a working kitchen too. I’m planning to paint my kitchen cupboards this summer and you have inspired me into choosing a darker colour for the bottom ones and a lighter colour for the top ones. I really love the sconces too.

    Reply
  131. Bel

    AMAZING!!

    Reply
  132. Jena

    Oh my goodness Melissa, I LOVE your kitchen! You did such an amazing job with the colors, finishes, and fixtures. I saw in one of your prior posts that you included the paint colors, and I’d love to feature this on my paint color blog. You wouldn’t have to do a thing, just let me know if you’re interested!

    Reply
  133. Eric Clark

    Love the kitchen !

    May I ask where the cabinets came from?

    Reply
  134. Maria

    Love, love, LOVE your kitchen! I’m going to print a picture of the view from the kitchen to your living room to post in my kitchen. I’ve been asking my husband to remove the wall between our kitchen and dining room for years and this will hopefully “inspire” him! Your little half walls with the columns are exactly what I’ve been asking for. Thanks!

    Reply
  135. Kathy

    Wonderful redo. You are very talented. Keep Posting!

    Reply
  136. Ann Voskamp

    I think I have read through this post a dozen times or more? This page has been open in my browser all week.
    Smitten.
    The cupboards! The windows and light and sink and island and lights and the floor — and it all works seamlessly and with authenticity and simplicity and personality.
    Utterly smitten.
    You definitely inspire us to create inspired rooms — and I personally can’t ever thank you enough, Melissa… You’ve taught me so much, Melissa…

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Ann, you are so sweet and always encouraging. Thank you. xoxo

      Reply
  137. ANNIE

    LOVE THE PAINT COLOR….WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT BRAND AND COLOR IT IS!!! PLEASE SHARE :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Sure, I just posted all the sources and paint colors for this room today! Hope it is helpful!

      Reply
  138. Shayna

    GOODNESS! This turned out absolutely AMAZING! Your hard work definitely paid off and I am loving every. last. detail.!
    Simply fabulous!

    Reply
  139. Dee

    Oh wow, streamlining the kitchen without the breakfast bar has made it look so much bigger & lighter without the top cupboards – really stunning!

    Reply
  140. Christina

    I love how bright your kitchen is now! My favorite part is the new conversation area you added versus another table. That is a great idea that I may try in my kitchen. It is much more comfortable and practical than having another table. It would also force us to actually use our dining room instead of eating in the kitchen!

    Reply
  141. Martha

    Beautiful! I’m in love with the maps in your hallway. Are they antique? If so, where did you find them? Please and thank you.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      They are actually quality wrapping paper, I linked to the source in the source post. I really should do a post on it…I’ll get something together soon!

      Reply
  142. Jen

    I’ve been looking at a ton of kitchen renovations, and I have to tell you that this post is one of the very best I’ve seen. Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful, and the way you explain your choices and the process is very, very helpful. I am drawn to the idea of a black/white/neutral kitchen, but am trying to find ways to make that color scheme warm and inviting, instead of cold and sterile. You nailed it, and you’ve given me lots of wonderful ideas to try to incorporate in my kitchen! Thanks for sharing your hard work!

    Reply
  143. Vanessa

    Absolutely gorgeous! Happy cooking!

    Reply
  144. regina

    Hi! Your kitchen is great! I have been watching your progress and was so excited to see the reveal! I am in the middle of a whole house remodel. Saving the kitchen for last. Can you post some of the dimensions of your kitchen? For instance the space between the refridgerator and walk way. What size if the fridge? How long is the section with the stove? The sink wall? Thank you for your help!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you! Yes, I could get some measurements together. I’ve been asked that before so I guess it might be helpful! :-) I’ll try to post them soon!

      Reply
  145. Rhonda

    Your kitchen is soooooo beautiful! I love every little detail that you incorporated to make it the kitchen of your dreams! We have one of those breakfast bar layouts too, but unfortunately my sink is in that area so no removing it for me without a huuuge reno. Dangit. I’ll just sit here and stare at your some more!

    Reply
  146. Shannon M.

    Wonderful remodel – thank you for the inspiration! I can’t wait to start planning a remodel in our kitchen now.

    Reply
  147. Londen

    I just spent way to much time drooling over your gorgeous kitchen!!
    The changes you made are perfect,every little detail is very well thought out and pretty!!
    Thank you for the inspiration!!,

    Reply
  148. Londen

    PS the sconces have a matching pendant light that might be exactly what I have been searching for, thank you!

    Reply
  149. {darlene weir}

    I have been meaning and meaning and meaning to write to you on this post. GIRL, your transformation is AMAZING! I love seeing creative projects like these, that have some limitations of space and funds, but NOT creativity! It is beautiful!

    Reply
  150. Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm

    Melissa, this is a Fabulous makeover; very well done! You’ve made me a gray fan and I always thought that was impossible -smile-.
    What do you think about marble for kitchen counters? I’ve 3 or 4 slabs of 4’x4′ Vermont white streaked marble and want to, eventually, use them in a kitchen. Twenty years ago, the slabs came out of the Louisa County, VA Courthouse, built 1905, and, prior, out of a Vermont quarry in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. The Vermont quarry has been closed since the 1950’s or ’60’s.
    Thank you for your thoughts.

    Reply
  151. Michaela

    I love your reno, your home is so gorgeous. But on a completely unrelated note haha, what kind of dog is Jack? He has such a sweet little face.

    Reply
  152. Christina @ The DIY Mommy

    I can’t remember if I’ve commented already (and if I did, sorry for the double), but I have to tell you how much I LOVE your remodel! You are an absolute inspiration. We’re building our house right now and the kitchen is going in right away. I’ve also chosen darker lowers and white uppers, and yours are so pretty. The subway tile across the back wall is perfect! And that antiqued island… lovely. Thanks for sharing your kitchen!

    Reply
  153. Charlotte

    I just love everything about this kitchen – we’re in the middle of a kitchen rehab ourselves and this has served as great inspiration!

    One quick question… on the RH drawer pulls, did you end up using the same size on all of them (regardless of drawer size)? or did you get different sizes? It’s looks so nice and cohesive – definitely want to try to get this look.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thanks, they are three different sizes! I decided to go with the size of the drawer and choose the pull size to make the most impact :-)

      Reply
      • Charlotte

        Cool! Thanks so much for the speedy reply!

        I have three different drawer sizes – 16″, 22″ and 25″ wide – what would you recommend?

        Reply
  154. Patti

    May I ask where you purchased the gorgeous tortoiseshell blinds? Amazing job!

    Reply
  155. Ashley

    Hi, I was just wondering if you painted the insides of the cabinets too?

    P.S. Love your kitchen!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thanks! No we didn’t paint them inside. They are the natural light wood inside so they are easier to maintain without paint!

      Reply
  156. Michelle Lacy

    I love, love, love your remodel. I am just ten days away (not that I’m counting or anything) from finishing a remodel on an old farmhouse in Sonoma. Good-bye yellow shellac coved maple, hello crisp white subway tiles and Barn Light/Restoration Hardware/Anthropologie vibe :-)

    PLEASE tell me where you got that cute little drying rack you hang your cups on. I always see big ones but, that little one is exactly what I need.

    CONGRATS on a job well done!

    Reply
  157. FABBY

    I can hear all your excitement for your amazing kitchen just borned after 9 months, lol! FABULOUS, I’m totally smitten with it…SWOONnnnn!!!!!!!!!! The most wonderful kitchen remodel lately Melissa, congrats honey and enjoy it! I also love Jack, he looks great in the new kitchen too, lol….
    Big hugs,
    FABBY

    Reply
  158. TippysMom

    You need to take your right hand, place it over your left shoulder and PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK for a job well done! I too, would like to know- where did you get the piece of art w/the Portland, OR locations? I must have one :)

    Thank you and have a nice weekend!

    Reply
  159. Kathi

    I have been following your blog for a long time, I look forward to seeing your email in my inbox and I love your new kitchen! We are getting ready for a kitchen remodel ourselves. My question is, do you miss the upper cabinets? Do you have more lower cabinets than in your old kitchen? Where do you put everything that was in the uppers? Sorry for all the questions, I don’t know anyone without upper cabinets and am very curious. Thanks

    Reply
  160. deepayne

    I never comment on the design blogs or pages I visit…but this kitchen is simply perfection and I had to write! I style homes for photo shoots and this kitchen is a dream. Bravo on the details and love seen in every inch of this space. I would move in tomorrow!

    Reply
  161. tandy harclerode

    Do you happen to know the paint # for Glidden Polished Grey? I can’t seem to find the actual paint # anywhere. Thank you so much!!! I LOVE your kitchen by the way! I’m remodeling a 50 year old farm house and am painting the cabinets white and want to paint the walls the same color as yours!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I had to go to the Glidden paint counter and ask to see Glidden Wood Smoke in a lightened version. You can ask them which one is called Polished Grey if there isn’t a name on it, I’m not sure what the number is but they should be able to look it up. (I just ran out to the garage to look for the paint can or a number and of course, I can’t find it. Sorry!)

      Reply
  162. Amanda

    This is beautiful! Was wondering if you painted the cabinets yourself or if someone painted them for you? Also, were they painted with a paint gun? Thx

    Reply
  163. Quinta Sierra Vista

    Gorgeous! I love the change and how much brighter your kitchen is. So glad I found your website. :)

    Reply
  164. Tara

    WOW. SO amazing! You have really inspired me throughout 2013 and I just want to say thank you!

    Reply
  165. Cindy

    I love your kitchen. It is exactly what I want to do to mine. Can you please share the paint color you used on the walls. If you painted the cabinets I would like to know that color too. Looks beautiful…

    Reply
  166. Debbie

    Thank you for your blog! We are purchasing a fixer-upper that has the exact kitchen layout as your old kitchen. Your ideas are so helpful! I am also short, so removing the upper cabinets is a no-brainer. I will just add storage elsewhere.

    Reply
  167. Shannon @ Fox Hollow Cottage

    Beautiful and charming from tip to toe. I love that you lost the extra dining table in favor of the seating area. I’ve got two right on top of each other. If I could choose which on to ditch, I’d do the same thing!!

    Everything is just so light and fresh! Enjoy your new space :)))

    Reply
  168. Tupppi

    Jack did a great job: love it!

    Reply
  169. Saskia

    Gorgeous! How did you fix little holes in cupboards to change from a pull (two holes) to one single knob? Also, what kind of paint did you use on upper and lower cabinets?

    Reply
  170. Kate

    Your kitchen is beautiful. You have a wonderful eye for color, design, and texture. I am struggling with the details in our kitchen renovation. Would you mind sharing the shade of the grout and the subway tiles? We are having subway tiles (in some shade of white) installed as the backslash in out kitchen with a grayish grout (which I am having trouble selecting). Details! :) Thank you!

    Reply
  171. Beth

    I was so excited when I saw this in BHG because I have nearly the exact same kitchen, and I also HATE the peninsula! The eat-in area on the other side is the only one we have, so being able to expand into the kitchen would be great during the holidays. So great to be able to see what it would look like without the peninsula and with my builder standard oak cabinets painted gray. Totally copying you!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Yay, I’m glad it was helpful! The minute it was ripped out I was SO GLAD. The kitchen feels SO MUCH LARGER. No regrets! :-)

      Reply
  172. nest of posies

    Hi Melissa!
    I have loved your kitchen for a while now! And now that we are nearing the completion of ours, I just went back & noticed your fridge area. On the right hand side of your refrigerator the white wall (that makes it look a little more custom) does it go down all the way to the floor? Or does it rest on top of your counter tops?

    We don’t have a lot of space left over to put a thick board on each side of the fridge. But we CAN make it to where it will sit on top of the countertops on each side. Is that what you did?

    So stumped about what to do for this area!
    Thanks!!!
    Kellie

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Kellie! Ours actually goes all the way down to the floor, but I don’t see any reason why it would have to if you didn’t have room! Can’t wait to see how your kitchen turns out! Have fun :) xo

      Reply
  173. Janice

    I love everything about your kitchen makeover! All the finishes are so beautiful. You may chuckle when you hear that your kitchen is the inspiration for my camper-van makeover :) I was going for a white-gray-blue color scheme and had already painted all the cabinets pure white. Today I painted the tiny 3′ bank of kitchen cabinets Kendall Charcoal. It’s such a luscious color. Sherwin Williams mixed it perfectly.

    Reply
  174. Megan

    Love your kitchen! Do you mind telling me what the distance is between the counters and the island? I am in the process of planning a kitchen and was going the way of your old layout, now wondering if I would have room to do an island instead!!

    Reply
  175. Kimberly Turner

    Hi there,

    Love your kitchen. Can you share the colors you used for the walls and cabinets. I looked in your post but was not able to locate.

    Thanks for sharing and well done!

    Reply
  176. N

    My apologies if this has been asked before: what is the gray paint color above the white subway tile backsplash? We are renovating our kitchen with similar cabinet colors and style and have been searching for a gray paint color for the walls. Tia!

    Reply
  177. Judy

    Thank you for the inspiration pics. Your kitchen is lovely. I am right now deciding on whether to subway tile an entire wall that is part of my cabinet run. The cabinets end in the middle of a wall, and I was thinking of continuing the subway tile backsplash (2×8 white glossy subway tile) onto the wall (about a 9′ x 9′ area but there is a big window in the middle ) Yet everyone on HOUZZ says they don’t like it. I don’t get it – every pic of floor to ceiling subway tiled walls I love! Just wondered what your thoughts were? Thanks so much and love your kitchen.

    Reply
  178. Natashya

    This kitchen is beautiful! I am already saving this for when I get to do mine! Do you by chance remember where you got the little coffee cup holder? Love it!

    Reply
  179. Esther

    I was referred to your blog by a friend. And while I really love your style, I can’t handle all the ads! Like this for example. I’m writing a comment and can’t see what I’m typing because of an ad blocking the screen.
    I realize ads bring in the money, buts it’s so not reader friendly!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Esther,

      I am not aware of any ads that interfere with leaving comments or reading, I’m sorry you had a problem. If you are able to take a screen shot of where the ad was that was in the way, so I can see what the problem is, I’d be happy to try to fix it! I try to keep ads to a minimum and away from your experience in enjoying the blog. Thanks!

      Reply
  180. Rachel

    Hi Melissa,
    I have very similar cabinets to yours (Merilat Classic Toffee Maple). We are in the process of redoing our kitchen as well, but we are keeping them for now. How was the process of painting cabinets? Did you do this yourself or hire someone? They look great.

    Reply
  181. Katie

    Love this!! Question about removing most of your upper cabinets – did all your lowers have drawers? Did you add them yourself? How large/deep? I’d LOVE to know more as hubby and I will be moving soon and I love the open look of no upper cabinets but don’t know where to start with organizing and lower drawers…thanks! Excited to see more in your new place!

    Reply
  182. Fernando

    Were your cabinets painted charcoal gray professionally or did u do them yourself? Also if they were done by you did u use a roller or spray gun? Your help is much appreciated.

    Reply
  183. Karen

    I ran across the pictures of your kitchen remodel when planning mine – LOVELY! Can you tell me the width of the cabinets to the right of your dishwasher? Their proportions seem perfect to me.

    Reply
  184. Jackie Deorsam

    Just wanted to add that your remodel is just lovely! I’m in the the “nearly to painting stage” of a complete remodel of the back end of my home. My husband has done all the work up to now. I cannot wait! I will have an actual place to sit down to apply makeup and comb hair! Plus we will have a huge shower that will house both of us at a time. whoohoo! I love your colors. Exactly like mine in our new bath/walk-in closet area. Thank you for this inspiration and ‘look’ so I have credibility in my choices. I have also recently begun an online business offering garden decor, water fountains, and lighting (eventually.) Enjoy!

    Reply
  185. Amy Fiene

    Where did you get the lovely center table? I love how it has two shelves.

    Reply
  186. carmen

    Thank you for sharing. We already took down wall cupboard and put in a window. We are about to take our peninsula out and extend it along the wall the same as you have done. We can envision it but it’s natural to feel some fear. Seeing your photos helps me know it will be amazing!! Thank you for sharing your journey. Carmen-Canada

    Reply
  187. Brandi

    I am totally in love! My new house has the same kitchen as your “before”… really looking for a more open feel as well! What was your budget for this project? How much did it cost for this amazing transformation. Trying to do as much research as possible before I take the leap! Thank you

    Reply
  188. Molly Kilpatrick

    Hi there – Gorgeous remodel!! I’m doing the same countertops and just learned that we’ll have a seam. (duh!). Do you have a seam? Could you show me a picture? I’m very attentive to details and I’m a little worried about this!!

    Reply
  189. Gini

    Love this! How do store your glassware? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      We put some in the drawers around other dishes and then our nicer glasses are in a dining room cabinet! :)

      Reply

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