Modern Kitchen Makeover Plan-One Room Challenge Week One

MODERN KITCHEN MAKEOVER PLAN

Two Years! That’s how long it’s been since I last participated in The One Room Challenge. This year, I’m back at it and am SO excited to be renovating my kitchen! I have wanted to truly update this space, since the day we moved into our home 14 years ago! I’ve made some changes along the way, but never to the extent of what I really wanted to do. And this week it’s finally happening! If you’ve been following along for a while, then you may have seen my last two ORC makeovers….Starting with my mudroom back in the Fall of 2018; and then my very much dated master bathroom remodel in the Spring of 2020. This year I’m tackling my biggest project ever! I know this is going to push me to limits I’ve never gone before and to say, I’m a little nervous, would be an understatement! But, let’s dive in with a look first at where we’re going. What’s the plan for this modern kitchen makeover?

This peninsula jetting out has always been my biggest complaint. It makes the kitchen feel so enclosed and small. We often have our entire family over for dinner on Sundays and with several of us in here at one time, we’re constantly running into one another. So, step one: getting rid of this peninsula. This will change the entire footprint of the kitchen and I have to admit, having never done such a major renovation, I am a bit nervous about it. I’ll be enlisting my neighbor, Paul, to help me with this part of the project.

Eliminating the peninsula, also eliminates our bar space. With three kiddos still at home, we use this space quite often. My plan is to build a center island in the nook area, where we currently have a table with banquette (window) seating, along with a sitting area. My modern kitchen makeover plan is to tear out the banquette and get rid of the farmhouse-style table. I would like to replace them with a new sitting area. These bay windows are the perfect spot to add a couple chairs and an end table.

Back to the center island I plan to build. I envision it to be a large statement piece in the center of our nook area. I’m thinking 5’x6′ with open shelving on one side. The front of it (closest to the kitchen) will incorporate the three-drawer cabinet I’ll be removing from the peninsula I’m tearing out. This cabinet houses a lot of my large pots and pans and is therefore, very much an essential part of my kitchen. I would hate to lose it! My idea is to utilize this cabinet in the center island and flank it with double shelves on both sides. On the back side of the island, will be barstools to seat 4-5 people. Painting this statement piece a pop of color, will really make it stand out! Here’s a look at the rough outline I etched out in the actual space of where it will sit, using painter’s tape. Can you see my vision?? Haha!

Moving back to the kitchen, I debated on taking out all or some of our upper cabinets, but have decided not to. With kids still at home, I know my kids won’t always keep the shelves organized and it will drive me crazy to have things out of place. So, to save my sanity, I’m keeping my uppers. Instead I’m changing out the cabinet doors/drawer fronts for a totally different style. Hint: I love the simplicity of shaker style doors! In addition to new cabinet doors, I’m taking the cabinets to the ceiling. This is something I have wanted to do for quite a while now. I’ll be sharing how to easily extend your cabinets to the ceiling making the room appear taller than what it actually is.

To give a much more modern look and open up the area, I’ll be removing the microwave from above the stove and moving it to my newly remodeled pantry space. I’ve gotten a head start on my butler’s pantry and will be sharing it with you next week. I love how this has opened up our counter space, as we’ve moved many of our appliances into the pantry. Here’s a quick glance at what it looked like before I tore it all apart and added all new shelving….

Because our mudroom is very much in sight of our kitchen, I decided to go ahead and tackle this area ahead of time too. As I shared before, I renovated our mudroom a few years ago for the One Room Challenge. It’s amazing what paint will do! Just changing up the paint colors and applying a new stain to the bench has completely changed the look of this space. I can’t wait to share the mudroom with you next week! But for now, here’s a look at it before a fresh coat of paint….

The biggest change our kitchen will undertake and what I look forward to more than anything in this modern kitchen makeover plan is all new flooring! I’m excited to be partnering with a highly reputable flooring company and can’t wait to show you the pattern I have decided on. The hardest part of this remodel will be–patience. Patience to wait until the end of the remodel before I can install the flooring. It’s going to be what makes this kitchen shine!

So, that’s the modern kitchen makeover plan. Although, I have it pretty much all ironed out on “paper,” it’s likely to change as I go. That’s the way my mind works. I have an overall vision of the finished product, but really I’m winging it as I go. I never truly know if I’m going to like it, until I just do it and see it in the space.

Until next week,

Happy Building, Friend!!

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