Transforming My Kitchen: From DIY Updates To Dream White Kitchen!

When we first moved into our home, the kitchen was not what I had dreamed of. It had dark wood cabinets, red brick linoleum flooring, and a pony wall separating the kitchen and family room. I wanted to make changes right away, starting with the pony wall. My husband was like "Easy Speed Racer" - so we compromised: I would leave the pony wall alone (even though I had the sledgehammer ready), and we would start with painting the walls and getting new flooring. We also talked about the cabinets; I wanted to paint them white, but my husband was hesitant - he wanted to keep the wood (men and wood, right?). With much cajoling and dozens of pictures of a white kitchens, he finally agreed. After researching, I found a cabinet refinishing kit (all products used will be listed at the end of the post) with good reviews and step-by-step directions that I could work with. The process took six months, but the result was worth it - the cabinets are beautiful!

Note: The next year, we took out the half wall, installed granite countertops, and added a subway tile backsplash.

This is our original kitchen after our updates. Removing the pony wall gave us more workspace and even allowed us to have a kitchen table in the space.

I loved this little kitchen!

Ten years later, our little kitchen would be getting a major renovation as my mother-in-law (Audrey) was coming to live with us. To accommodate her arrival, we would be adding an addition to our home which included expanding our kitchen so she could easily access the main house. With the increased space, we opted to revamp our own kitchen by replacing the cabinets, installing quartz countertops, and adding an island, pantry, and dining space.

It's hard to believe that this is my kitchen. I have to pinch myself every morning just to make sure it's not a dream.

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