Easy Kitchen Remodel: Simple Changes to Transform the Look of Your Kitchen

 

I was catching up with my girlfriend the other day and she said “Do you realize you lived in three houses in one year?!”

 

It’s true.  We sold the Keller Farmhouse to make a move down to Woodway a little over a year ago.  It was by far one of the best decisions Dan and I have ever made.  We found a home we thought we could renovate and put our own touches on, only I underestimated how time consuming and stressful that would be.  We ended up selling it 9 month later to move to our current home which, coincidentally, is a door down from the last house.  I know, it’s a little bit crazy.

 

All that to say, we bought a home that was done, but had a few areas that needed updates.  The first and most important project in my opinion was the kitchen.  Coming from the kitchen at the farmhouse that I had personally designed (incredible appliances, spacious counters and a pantry to die for) to the current kitchen (we won’t even mention the kitchen in the middle house) was less than thrilling.

Let me just give you a visual.

 

Not horrible. Just not what I’d pick out.  So with the help of some incredibly talented contractors, a fantastic countertop guy and my favorite appliance store, we got to work.

 

We have a lot of natural light in the kitchen, but the dark countertops and greenish yellow tile backsplash darkened up the space.  The upper cabinets were oddly sized and the hood was so low it felt like it was eye level when cooking anything.

To lighten up the kitchen, I picked out white quartz countertops and replaced the existing backsplash with white subway tile.  I chose a dark charcoal granite for the back counters to contrast the space a bit and used grey grout for the backsplash.

 

 

The previous island had a small prep sink as well as a regular sink.  We decommissioned the prep sink to make more counter space and replaced the old sink with an apron front farm sink, which made a huge difference!

 

 

To create an illusion of a taller kitchen, I had the subway tile extend from the counter to the ceiling and replaced the upper cabinets with open shelves.  They are so versatile and fun to change out with different decor pieces.

 

Our hood was custom made by our contractor using salvaged barn wood.  Between a variety of inspiration photos I had found online for inspiration, he created exactly what I imagined!  We also added a pot filler above the range which not only looks great but is super handy.

 

The most exciting change of all was replacing our appliances.  Since Dan and I bought our first home 14 years ago, we’ve always shopped at Judd & Black.  We love that they are a locally owned family business for over 3 generations.   In 14 years, we’ve purchased every appliance you can imagine for our personal and rental homes and we’ve always had a wonderful experience.  They have always provided us with the highest quality appliances, best pricing and not only fantastic customer service but actual service on the appliances as well!

 

When we built our farmhouse, we splurged on a  SubZero and let me tell you, there is a reason you pay what you do for them and they are worth every penny!!  Your food really does stay fresher for a longer period of time.  I could not be happier that my food is back where it belongs, in a Sub Zero!

 

 

I might have gotten a little excited over the new fridge and organized it like a rainbow.  The first time my husband opened it he immediately turned to me and said “are you serious?” and rolled his eyes.   I said, “I’m just trying it out.”  After about a few minutes he decided he loved it and said “do you think we could really keep it this organized?!”

I’m here to tell you, it’s still a rainbow!  It’s not only pretty, but my kids have both told me they have eaten more fruit and veggies than they’d normally eat because it looks more appetizing!  So hey, whatever works.

 

 

 

The other big kitchen expense was our range.  This was a biggie to me because my entire business revolves around baking.  I studied all of the different ranges on the market and struggled to make a decision.  Our Judd & Black salesman was a true expert in the industry (over 700 years of combined experience) and helped us choose the best option for our needs.

 

We went with a Dual Fuel Wolf range.  My salesman was shocked that I didn’t want the signature red knobs, he literally said, “that’s like buying Nike’s with no swoosh!”  My goal was a neutral kitchen so I opted for the stainless knobs.  (I’m also pretty sure I can swap those out if we change our minds later).

 

 

I’m so happy with our choice, and confident thousands of cookies will come out of this oven!  If you are shopping for new appliances, I highly recommend checking out Judd & Black!  They have four locations in Washington and a fifth location on the horizon.

 

The kitchen has a drop down nook that has another counter area.  To make it look like it was more of an extension of the kitchen rather than just a built in, we added a matching backsplash and the same charcoal granite countertop as the kitchen.  It was a last minute idea and I’m so glad we did it!  Someday when I have free time (will that day ever come?) I’ll make this area into a coffee nook.  For now, it serves as a place for mail, school papers and fresh flowers.

 

 

I don’t have many before photos of the below space besides pulling the photo below from the original home listing.

 

What you might notice is that we’ve refinished all of our hardwood floors, painted and have been replacing light fixtures room by room.  Little changes like new light fixtures and fresh paint can make such a huge difference!

 

 

 

 

That’s the kitchen, my friends!  It was a fairly simple update that made a substantial difference.  I absolutely love the space now.  It’s lighter, brighter and feels much more me.

 

 

 

Let me know what you think in the comments below!  I’ll be sharing more of our home in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

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Photos by Kelly Clare Photography

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. JENNY COOKIES HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT, TRADE AND/OR PRODUCTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROMOTING, HOWEVER ALL OPINIONS STATED ARE MY OWN AND I ONLY PROMOTE PRODUCTS/COMPANIES I LOVE.