Oh haaaay. I’m finally sharing the before-and-after photos from our kitchen remodel — woohoo.
This might be the most requested post I’ve ever had.
The layout stayed the same, but there are some big, intentional changes you can already see in the photos.
This is the first of several posts about the kitchen, so leave any questions below. I’ll be sharing close-ups of the appliances I chose and doing video walkthroughs in the coming months!
For a while we debated removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room (the wall on the left in the photos) and almost did. It would have opened up more possibilities — mostly things I wanted — but we decided not to. Taking that wall down would have required major structural work and a large investment we likely wouldn’t recoup, especially since we don’t know how long we’ll stay in this house. Working within the existing kitchen footprint felt like the right choice, and I’m really glad we did.
A few reasons we wanted to change the kitchen:
Darkness. These photos don’t fully capture how dark the kitchen felt. The wall color was gloomy, there was essentially no natural light, and the dark cabinets and countertops made the whole space heavy and dreary. Living in that environment affected our mood — it was a constant weight on the room. The old pendant lights above the bar area were harsh and unpleasant, and sometimes having them on made the space even less comfortable.
The two-tiered counter. The split counter reduced usable workspace, made entertaining awkward, and visually divided the room. It looked like we had a lot of counter space, but it wasn’t practical. I’m short, so the raised section was inconvenient for everyday cooking and prep. The countertops were different shades and very warm-toned, which didn’t suit the cooler palette I prefer.
Most importantly, I wanted a kitchen where I could actually work and shoot videos from inside the space. Before the remodel that was nearly impossible. Now I can film and cook in the same place comfortably — and I already tested it last Friday with great results.
The main goals were lighter cabinetry, a one-level center island, and a cooktop centered on the island.
I’ve always loved an all-white kitchen, but a completely white remodel wasn’t practical here without redoing more of the house. Instead we chose a warm taupe called “chai” for the cabinets — it feels cozy and modern without being stark. The wall color is West Highland White, which brightens the space and complements the cabinetry.
I had trouble capturing the full island with my lens — I’ll get a wide-angle one for better photos and videos soon. The photo above was taken with my phone.
We relocated most appliances to the opposite side of the island and installed the cooktop in the center. The new cooktop performs beautifully and boils water extremely fast. I’ll provide an in-depth look at all the appliances in an upcoming post. I partnered with KitchenAid for the major appliances, and after years with mediocre units, these feel like a major upgrade.
The bar stools are the Ocean City Swivel from Wayfair; I love that they swivel all the way around. Wayfair kindly sent them for the kitchen.
Bringing the island down to one level opened the room dramatically. With the open plan on the lower level, the kitchen now feels brighter, lighter, and more airy. Guests immediately notice the difference and often comment that the space looks larger and more welcoming.
Remodeling always involves trade-offs, since you work within the space you have. We aren’t regular remodelers and don’t plan to do major renovations again while living here, but I love how this kitchen turned out for entertaining and daily use. The mood of the room is so much happier now. xo
Special thanks to KitchenAid for partnering on appliances and to Wayfair for the barstools.