Reveal of My Friends' Modest Kitchen Makeover!

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It’s done! I worked with friends to help them revamp their tired and cramped kitchen with the help of a fresh layout, smart cabinetry, and modern finishes. I can’t wait for you to see these before and afters!

This series is in partnership with iCabinetry who is one of the few companies that makes inset cabinets that can be ordered online and that arrive pre-assembled! The quality is top notch, you get a pro kitchen designer included, and the process is truly hassle free. As always, all words and opinions are my own. (Keep reading for a coupon code for 35% off your new kitchen cabinets, too!)

And a big thank you to Emtek for supplying the hardware - my favorite source for knobs and pulls!

Talk about a transformation! As a reminder, this kitchen’s footprint didn’t change. The space is still 8’ wide, but feels far roomier with a new cabinetry layout.

For a refresher, check out a before tour of the kitchen belonging to my friends Caroline and Alex. And then, get the full scoop on the design process, layout redesign, and cabinet shopping experience.

This side of the kitchen got a major overhaul with the removal of the door to the garage and the addition of a door to the backyard. Plus, the sink migrated and the space earned a dishwasher! I outlined how we landed on this configuration here.

I have no words.

Same angle, people! Same angle!

And same corner.

On this side of the kitchen, we widened the cabinets to give more counter space to the left of the range, and on the right, they continue to the wall instead of jogging to the sink cabinet. The added storage allows Caroline and Alex to stow small appliances which clears up prep space - win win.

At the other end of the kitchen, we removed the bookcase in favor of a simple piece of art and left space to walk from the living room straight out to the backyard. Shifting the appliances allows them to open the fridge doors and the oven at the same time without bonking into one another. How novel!

Here’s a view from the living room into the kitchen. Improving the flow for the rest of the house was critical in this redesign! They previously couldn’t access their backyard without walking through their garage. Now, they have indoor/outdoor flow - perfect in a Southern California home with as much outdoor space as indoor.

The other big transformation is that Caroline and Alex added a small human to their family! Mr. Cat still gets lots of love, but now enjoys the kitchen alongside a human baby brother. (Meet baby at the end of this post!) I took a long time to photograph this project, but don’t worry - it doesn’t take this long to renovate a kitchen (unless you’re me)!

iCabinetry delivers cabinets nine weeks after placing the order. Caroline and Alex started demo on their kitchen as soon as cabinets and appliances were delivered and their contractor took just a couple of weeks to put the room back together.

Speaking of cabinets, their kitchen is fitted with iCabinetry Lafayette Inset Cabinets made of solid maple and painted in the color Crystal Fog. The clean lines of the inset cabinets and the unique detail inside the panel give the kitchen personality without adding fuss.

While the lower cabinets have the beaded panel detail, the uppers are a simple shaker. We used knobs and pulls from Emtek in a pretty polished nickel. I have the same pulls in my kitchen, and love them, so they were an easy choice. For the knobs, I wanted something that was more than a typical round shape, so we went with the Melon knob that has a floral-like motif to dress up the simple shaker uppers.

My hot tip on cabinet hardware: use knobs on doors, and pulls on drawers. It’s as simple as that!

All of the iCabinetry drawers are made of solid wood and have dovetail joinery with undermount soft close hardware - the crème de la crème of kitchen cabinet drawers.

We included deep drawers that store loads of pots and pans and utensils, as well as some cabinets with a recessed upper shelf for storing tall items in front and making it easier to reach the back of the cabinet, too.

Next to the stove, we put a spice rack that’s accessible from each side and stores all sorts of little items that have a home perfectly sized for them.

On the opposite side of the range is another narrow cabinet that keeps things symmetrical, but this time stores cutting boards and baking sheets.

iCabinetry has lots of options for custom cabinet interiors, from trash pull outs to integrated knife blocks, and spice racks to appliance panels. You can go all out, or mix and match. We incorporated a few of the snazzy things, but kept the existing silverware divider and stainless dishwasher.

Relocating the sink allowed for the addition of a dishwasher which is such an upgrade from hand washing in a cramped corner. We used the same sink that I have in my kitchen (I love it!) and a pretty faucet in polished nickel.

My local handyman crafted simple open shelves with a custom bracket shape, and we color matched the same pale blue-green hue of the cabinets at a local paint store.

We put another open shelf on the opposite side for balance and to display art and a few of their favorite things. We wanted to maximize storage, but we wanted to leave room for some personality and breathing room, too.

The interior of the upper cabinets is all solid wood - a lovely backdrop to the finest of china and the simplest of baby bottles.

For some warmth, we added this runner in the 2.5’x8’ size on top of the travertine-look porcelain tile.

Perhaps the greatest part of the kitchen is that Caroline and Alex are now able to work together in the space efficiently and with ease. I’m so pleased to have helped them make their home more comfortable and beautiful!

A coupon code for 35% off cabinets is at the bottom of the post, all sources are linked below, and be sure to scroll to meet baby!

Sources:

Get 35% off your new kitchen cabinets!

Use coupon code GOLD35 for 35% off your kitchen cabinetry! Have iCabinetry design your kitchen this winter and get fresh cabinets come springtime! Mention the coupon code to your designer during your first call and they’ll apply the discount to your cabinets. UPDATE: The promotion has been extended to go through the end of summer 2023!

Meet baby Charles!