Kitchen Remodel - A Total Transformation

Kitchen Remodel - A Total Transformation

Contributed by DIYbyDesign

When Cassity asked me to do a guest post I was thrilled to do it.  Remodelaholic is one of my daily reads, so it's really an honor for me to be asked to do a guest post.

We built our home in 1999.  We were just so excited to be in a new home, that we were happy with the builders kitchen that we got.  Ten years later that builder-grade kitchen wasn't really working for us anymore.  In addition to the outdated pickled cabinets, the layout was not working for us.  The peninsula literally created a barrier in the center of our kitchen creating two small rooms, rather than one, large cohesive room.  Our style had changed in ten years and there were too many things we didn't like about our existing kitchen.  A total gut job was the only way.  After pouring through tons of magazines and getting a clear vision of my dream kitchen, it was time to start the renovation.  Our kitchen underwent this enormous transformation two years ago.

Here is the before picture:

Here is the after:

An English Country kitchen was my dream.  We achieved this look using two different colors cabinetry...the cream glazed cabinets and a darker glazed cherry cabinet (used on the island and the bar area).

We got rid of this desk area.  It was only a surface that collected junk.  I don't think anyone actually sat down and worked there.

In it's place we created a bar area with an additional refrigerator, locked liquor cabinet and glass door cabinets above for all of our barware.  This is also an area that we set up food on when we entertain.  We had the cabinets wrap the corner which helped create the cohesive look the overall kitchen now shares.  Before the desk looked very separate over in the corner.  Now that the cabinetry wraps the corner, this area looks like it is part of the kitchen, which give the kitchen a much larger appearance.

Instead of the peninsula, we now have a large island.  The traffic flow in the kitchen works so much better and the kitchen looks twice as large, even though the actual square footage did not change.  We also ripped out the ugly tile floor that ran from the kitchen to the front door, and replaced it with beautiful  hardwood floors that we stained in a dark color.

The right lighting is very important in any kitchen re-design.  We chose this chandelier from ABC Crystal.  When I saw this in a local lighting store, I knew I had found the perfect island fixture.

This is the light above the kitchen table.  It is in the English Country style, and coordinates beautifully with the chandelier over the island.

It's all in the details.  Corbels and knobs are among the details that helped achieve the English Country look I was after.  So were the faux feet on all of the cabinets (see below).

Thanks so much for the opportunity to share my kitchen.  Hope you enjoyed the tour!

-Judy