I never really liked my kitchen. I had adored my previous one, but this new space never felt right to me. The countertops, tile, cabinet finish and sink all felt off. I know it’s not a life-or-death issue, but from a design perspective the room just didn’t suit our family.
The cabinet layout chopped the space into awkward, cramped zones. Visual barriers were everywhere, and it drove me crazy. Three pendant lights hung low and disrupted the sightlines across the room. The dining light wasn’t centered, and flooring changed halfway through the space, which created an unsettled, unfinished feeling.
A long bar counter extended into the room, breaking the kitchen into small, unusable pockets rather than creating a single open area. In some homes a counter like that can work well, but here it only attracted clutter and made the room feel smaller. We didn’t need another clutter magnet in the house.
If I’d had the chance to buy the house before the builder finished it, I might have made different choices. The original paint color certainly didn’t help. Still, we bought the house because we needed a clean, move-in-ready place so we could focus on starting the church. That practical decision was right for us at the time.
Over the years I made small changes to improve the flow: I removed a small wall cabinet and took doors off other cabinets to open things up a bit. I favor quick, budget-friendly fixes when possible. But after three years living here, the wear and tear made my dissatisfaction with the kitchen clearer — I still didn’t like it.
Having time to live in the space first was actually helpful. If I had redesigned too quickly, I might have made choices that weren’t the best long-term fit. It usually takes a while to understand how a space functions in daily life and then come up with creative, cost-effective solutions that work both practically and visually.
A few weeks ago I decided I could no longer tolerate another winter with this layout. I was ready to demo and start over. I envisioned a relatively simple reconfiguration — removing a few cabinets and relocating the dishwasher — to free up space while preserving adequate storage. The goal was to update the design without doing a full, costly remodel. We’re keeping the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher for now to control costs, though I hope to update appliances eventually.
I’ll share more progress as the work continues.
Fortunately I found a contractor who could fit our project into his schedule, and they started ripping out the elements I disliked. Now the renovation is underway. It may not be a lightning-fast before-and-after — budgets are tight and some phases might stretch out while I collect bids — but progress is happening.
Even at this early stage I already love the kitchen more. The space feels open, less cluttered and much more like a true family kitchen. I do have plans for the right wall and the area above the stove so those spaces won’t remain empty or awkward. We’ll also be replacing the flooring to create a cohesive look throughout.
Is anyone still around or did everyone head off for the holiday weekend?
Maybe I’m talking to myself, but I’ve got plenty to share.
Tomorrow I’ll share the story about my new sofa.
To follow the kitchen renovation updates, check the kitchen renovation category on the site.