The secret is out! The kitchen remodel is underway. Well, not exactly. We plan to start early 2022, but we have some groundwork to lay between then and now. I’ll try to keep this update short and sweet, outlining our plans for the dream kitchen.
Planning Phase
The end goal is to have the kitchen completely remodeled by summer 2022, so working backwards from the end goal – we need to order materials… yesterday! Seriously, these industry shortages and supply chain issues are no joke. My biggest fear is getting into a time crunch. A kitchen is a terrible thing to be without! We usually dive into a project and figure it out as we go, but I’m trying to be extremely proactive with this one. Issues always come up mid-project no matter your level of experience, but I’m trying to clear the path for us as much as possible. We’ve never done a kitchen remodel until now, so I’m wading in slowly. Unlike Joe who is champing at the bit to demo…
That said, we are extremely excited! And thankful to everyone who contributed to our kitchen fund for a wedding gift! Once we have all our ducks in a row, this project will come together extremely quickly I think. Compared to our multi-year addition, I feel confident a kitchen is totally tackleable (is that a word?) for us. Will I eat my words? Only time will tell.
Kitchen Before (aka Now)
Before showing you the glimpse into the future, here is our present situation:
Not the prettiest sight. The kitchen steps down into the living room to the left. Yes, we are knocking down the separating wall. We had it checked by a structural engineer back when we had storm damage, and it is not load-bearing. There is some electrical in there, but that’s a story for another day.
Kitchen Way Before (2015 – When we bought it)
Just for fun, here is what the house looked like when we bought it back in 2015. Honestly, not much has changed on the main level.
Same flooring, just repainted the walls and took off the shutters. 😬 I might miss the peekaboo just a little.
Entry/Dining – Not much space for either an entryway or a dining room.
Fireplace – We love the wood burning fireplace! So much that we opted to keep it by extend the chimney when we did the addition. We have some big plans for updating the look, but patience is a virtue.
Here is inside the kitchen, my friends! Not that I’m complaining, it has served us well, but it’s very confusing for guests. There is nowhere to gather. Our house is great for entertaining outdoors, but indoors not so much. The very first thing I did when we moved in (and I mean right away) was rip out this wall of upper cabinets. Otherwise it’s like you were boxed into the kitchen that is only big enough for one person to move around. So many functional problems! This new layout is going to be a game changer, my friends!
Hiring vs DIY
We’re doing this all ourselves, but want to get some new kitchen cabinets made (we are doing the install). Also, I knew someone who does interior design and just started her own company, so I reached out for some help. The kitchen project was just a twinkle in our eyes and I needed a starting point. It was great to have Jordan come out to the house and bounce ideas off. She drew everything up on grid paper and had so many ideas. After the site visit, Joe and I both saw the value she could bring – knowing standard sizes for appliances and cupboards, where everything should go for everyday use, how to maximize the space, etc. After this big picture meeting, we decided to hire her to draw up plans for our project. I was super happy to support her small business! And these plans have been a really valuable tool for us that I’ll share here below.
Up until this point, we just had Pinterest boards, magazine clippings, and some inspiration from a recent trip. And this cooktop concept that Joe whipped up. I mean, it’s cute but I think we made the right choice bringing in some professional help!
Interior Designer
So Jordan took our ideas and truly helped bring them to life in these plans and renderings. She took a look at the space and instinctively (and with her experience and background) knew how to get the most out of it for us. We were still in the dreaming phase, and she gave shape to it all. This is our launchpad and blueprint for cabinet shopping. We have already made a few changes, which I will share down the road. Designers don’t only help with the colors and finishes, they can help with layout too!
Here’s a bird’s eye view. You see the 8″ step down where the wall was (is)? That will have to stay, but we’re using it intentionally by placing the center island to the edge. It will be bar stool height on the lower side, and standard counter height on the upper side. The biggest change is NO MORE LIVING ROOM. It’s all going to be a big kitchen gathering space. I like that the step down divides the space a little bit between kitchen and dining room, and a little sitting area by the fire. Plus, we already have a family room downstairs, and the whole addition is pretty loungey.
This buffet area is on the living room side of the partition wall. This totally blew my mind! I never envisioned the kitchen fridge over there, but it makes sense. The buffet area is going to be great for gatherings and crock pots. I’m also picturing our coffee station here.
This is the view if you were looking out to the street. It’s going to be basically a galley style kitchen, but we will have so much more usable space and storage within the center island, bench seating, and pantry. No more corner cupboard dead space.
Renderings
Here’s the view in 3D! This is the most exciting part in my opinion. So cool to see it come to life. (The aesthetic is subject to change, but it’s the layout that we really needed help with). That pantry is going to be ah-ma-zing.
This is the view as you walk in the front door. You can really get a feel for the space, can’t you?
And how sweet is this card from Jordan? She really is the sweetest, and so professional and talented at what she does. I highly recommend checking out her business https://willabyway.com/. I know she does free phone calls so you can see if it’s a good fit!
Cabinet Shop
So now that we have our starting point for the remodel (plans and measurements), I’ve been sending them out to cabinet shops. This has saved me a lot of time not having to reinvent the wheel with each place, I just send them this PDF. Oh my goodness, I’m getting a little sweaty talking about it but most places are 12-16 weeks out. One was even 6 months! I’m still learning the in’s and out’s of cabinet land, but I think we want to go a semi-custom route, if our timeline allows. There are options you can buy off the shelf, but I think we found someone locally who can pencil us in for January. Our neighbors down the street recommended them. Fingers crossed! I sent him our blueprints, and here’s what he sent back. Some places have their own software to do renderings and some do not.
Hardware Stores
I was also told a little trick, you can go to any major hardware store and have them create free renderings for you if you plan to buy there. These renderings were done by Lowe’s. They’re nice, but I still recommend partnering with someone who can come to your home and give you their unbiased opinion vs someone from a hardware store who is trying to sell you.
Again, ignore the “design”. We just wanted a visual for layout purposes. We definitely do have ideas but we’re still gathering info, samples and pricing, and hoping to get into the schedule for cabinet shops. Our next step is to meet with the cabinet people and talk about materials- paint vs wood, etc.
Up Next
I know I said we haven’t done anything yet, but OK maybe I lied a little. We honestly can’t help ourselves. Next up, I’ll show you what we’ve done so far. I promise it’s nothing major. 😉
We want to order appliances around Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Saving money and figuring out where to spend it.
-Leah & Joe
2 comments
So excited to see it come together!!
Us too!