After years of reimagining our kitchen layout and design, in January 2024 we began a new phase of our kitchen remodel following our initial $95 budget kitchen update. Living and entertaining here for five years helped form our ideas on how to improve the kitchen’s overall function and flow. So now that we are (finally!) at this phase of our remodel, we plan to work within the square footage we have with a few budget-saving twists that I’m happy to share.
Current state of our kitchen // Here are a few before and after pictures of our kitchen after our first budget kitchen remodel. You can also tour our home from the beginning and check out the listing photos before we moved in.
Small Kitchen Hacks & Ideas
I feel like we represent most homeowners in that we have an unlimited budget for home improvement, and we do things as our budget and time allow. Understanding the nuance of your spaces is such an important factor when crafting a new room design, especially if you’re remodeling on a budget. This is especially true for kitchens! Our circa-2005 house has a few quirks that we wanted to fix the minute we took possession of the house, and we’re so happy that time has finally arrived!
2024 Kitchen Remodel Checklist
Timeless to me means creating a classic foundation, modernized with paint & decor. Here’s how we plan to create a timeless and classic kitchen that (we hope) will remain in style for years to come.
- Fix our hard water (âś…We installed Culligan with reverse osmosis)
- Invest in quality appliances (âś…Done! We are loving our KitchenAid products)
- Address awkward spaces (we moved the big pantry to our laundry room, more on this soon!)
- Update flooring throughout the first floor (âś…We chose Earthen Chestnut by Mohawk)
- Add seating & expand countertop space (aka, rip & replace our island. More on this soon!)
- Backsplash: I’m committed to beadboard on the walls of the kitchen for a timeless look
- Repaint cabinets (possibly, I am ok with gray in homes as long as it’s mixed with warmer colors)
Quick DIY Kitchen Transformations // Instead of a full kitchen cabinet replacement, we are relocating a few base cabinets that we salvaged from the island. The plan is to repaint if needed, and replace or update hardware. We also are working on a source for installing glass cabinets. Paint is always my go-to for a quick and easy change in a kitchen!
We also plan to use beadboard wallpaper (or maybe the real thing) on our kitchen walls instead of a full tile backsplash. Tile and lighting tend to age-out in a kitchen the fastest. So keeping those items as timeless as possible are the goal.
Luxury Kitchen Upgrades // New flooring is being installed this week (more on this soon)! The floor has been the biggest investment so far since we addressed the entire first floor, which was around 1,250 square feet at $2.60 a square foot. Upgrading our whole-home water system with Culligan was also necessary since our water was so hard. We felt we needed to do this before investing in new appliances.
Need Inspiration?
For 10+ years we have been updating home on a truly small budget. My 14-Page Guide Includes:
- “6 Tips: How to Prioritize Your Projects”
- The FIRST thing I always address in every room
- What to do when you have $0 to spend
- Recognizing “good bones” in every space
- What to do when you are uninspired
