The year was 2020. My husband and I decided to buy our first home. When we went to see this home I instantly fell in love with the potential it had. After quite a bit on insistent persuading, he finally got on board with my ‘vision’ for the house. (Over the nine month renovation I had to continually remind him of this ‘vision’).
The house we chose to buy was a roughly 1,800 square foot farm house that was built in 1913. I knew the house would be a challenge but I don’t think I truly had an idea of what it would be like to renovate such an old house in the middle of the world shutting down.
Initially, we were planning on only small updates to the kitchen. Some structural issues and a few termite infested walls later we were doing a major overhaul of the whole house.
Check the other blog posts to catch the renovations in the other parts of the house, but for the post, I wanted to focus on the hub of the house: The Kitchen!
Before:
The original kitchen had everything you could expect from an old house (not pictured: the smells). The cabinets were dated, the countertops were dated, and the there were copious amounts of lead-based paint. The kitchen was set up in a galley style with no real home for the fridge and a huge laundry room (the door on the right), complete with an in-laundry bathroom. It may not be visible here, but the ceilings were also low (around 7.5 ft).
The kitchen was open to this oddly long sitting room, creating an L-shaped space with a crammed dining area in front of the window. There was also a stove built into this fireplace as you turn the corner (a big reason for me to buy the house that unfortunately didn’t make it through the renovations).
On the opposite side of the dining area, you had a side entrance, stairs up to an attic-style bedroom, and floor to ceiling wood paneling!
After:
We chose to eliminate the laundry room/bathroom/awkward closet in the middle of the kitchen to create an open concept dual purpose kitchen. As you walk in the back entry you’re met with this counter and under-counter wine cooler.
Upon removing the laundry room, the kitchen got a functional makeover and an open concept. New slate-look floors were installed, new cabinets, and new quartzite countertops. I think the mix of the wood and painted cabinets add some earthy warm tones to what would have otherwise been a ‘spec kitchen.’ Additionally, the ceiling was raised and the attic was removed to make the room feel larger and more airy.
With the removal of the large fireplace, we were able to create a seating area that was open to the kitchen, rather than the awkward L-shape that did allow any communal space. By removing the laundry room we were also able to make the dining room space feel larger. The removal of the attic led to the ability to install a splurge item – tongue & groove ceilings.
The last thing we did to update the kitchen was add the open, eat-in dining room for a casual space where everyone could commune in the heart of the home. From watching games, to holiday dinners, to the occasional game night, this kitchen provided us the perfect functional space for our needs.
If you liked following along with our kitchen renovation, be sure to check out the next post where I go over our attic/bedroom updates.
Additionally, see links for products at the bottom of this article!
Links
Couch and Chairs – Wesley Hall via Stamper’s Furniture, Cleveland, TN
Dining room set – Thrifted
Buffet – Thrifted
Appliances – Kitchen Aid
Rugs – Etsy
Art and Frames – Etsy
