So, it’s time for another kitchen update. The end of summer and the start of the school year has been hectic here, but I’m excited to share our progress. I love how the kitchen is shaping up—truly love it.
When I last shared progress, the grout and faucet were installed and the range hood was being fitted. The kitchen is now fully functional, which feels fantastic.
That said, functional doesn’t mean finished.
Wah.
We can cook with our existing stove and we have a new range hood, a new sink and faucet, quartz counters and tile, and a couple of new cabinets. Still, a few details remain to complete the renovation.
Our cabinets won’t be painted until October, which is a long wait, but that will make the reveal even more exciting. If you forgot the inspiration for the cabinets, my original plan shows the direction I’m heading for color and style.
This week we’ll have the corrected shaker drawer fronts installed. We’re also figuring out how to adapt our freestanding island, and I’ll post about that next. After doing some wall repairs, we’ll finish painting and install our new wall sconces — I can’t wait.
One small challenge has been finding hardware that fits our existing holes. The builder used a nonstandard hole spacing, so we’ve spent time sourcing pulls that match without having to fill and re-drill. I did find some unique knobs that I’m excited about.
Lately, most of our focus has been on organization. It’s easy to design storage into a new kitchen, but in a smaller remodel you often need to make the existing layout work better. That’s been our goal.
One of the best changes was adding two new banks of drawers. I love drawers — they make everything accessible and eliminate the need to crouch and root around in lower cabinets. Where possible, I prefer drawers for plates, bowls, cups and even spices. We kept some of the existing cabinetry, so there’s still a bit of organizing to do in those spaces.
I removed several upper cabinets early in the project, and I’m delighted with the openness that created. The kitchen feels brighter and more spacious, especially when baking or preparing food, which is a big plus.
Even though the cabinets aren’t painted yet, we’re experimenting with drawer and cabinet organization. I picked up bamboo silverware inserts recently, and they make the drawers feel neater and a bit more refined.
I also appreciate everyday items on display. I call it “pretty” clutter — a few functional items left out where they’re useful and attractive. I’m not a minimalist who insists on bare counters; I like a working kitchen that shows signs of use, as long as those items are visually pleasing. Toaster, knives, wooden spoons, coffee maker and a few pretty containers stay out, while less attractive items go into cabinets.
I’m focusing on what we use daily and how to store it in ways that are both functional and attractive without breaking the bank. I prefer coordinated pieces like pretty dishes, glass jars, wire baskets and natural containers rather than a random mix of knickknacks.
Remember the little dish cabinet I found at HomeGoods? It ended up in the kitchen and fits nicely. Once I placed it there, I realized my white rattan chairs would fit too, and that settled it — I love how that corner came together.
I’ll share a full kitchen organization post once the painting and finishing touches are complete, showing how I’ve used every drawer, cabinet and the pantry. For now, we’re making steady progress, and it feels great to see everything come together. The end is in sight.
Sneak peek: I shared a pantry progress photo on Instagram a while back for anyone who follows along there.
Thanks for following along. If you’re new here, I’ve also recently updated the dining room and the living room and you might enjoy those posts as well.