Buoyed by the results of my bathroom remodel as a single person, during the COVID pandemic in 2021, after I married to Russ, we decided to join the home remodeling mania sweeping the nation and take on our dark, outdated eat-in kitchen. I originally wrote this post for a friend who was considering a kitchen remodel and wanted to know the steps. I thought I might as well share it here, too!

After watching yet more home improvement shows, we settled our sights on a white farmhouse style with royal blue accents and black appliances. We liked the kitchen’s current size and layout; we just wanted to refresh the cabinets and a couple of the appliances. I had already replaced the impossible-to-keep-clean white linoleum floor with a rustic gray faux hardwood floor a few years previously, so we didn’t need to do anything to that.

One advantage of not changing the footprint is that in most places, you won’t need a city permit for the work, which makes the job faster and less complicated. If you are going to change the footprint, you might want to leave the new flooring installation until after the cabinets are in place.

If you’re going to get new appliances, it’s good to know their measurements before you order the cabinets so you can ensure you have enough space for them in the cabinet design. You don’t necessarily need to have the appliances in hand but knowing measurements of ones you plan to buy would be good. It seems like everything is growing larger these days, including appliances! Same with the sink.

True to my actions with the bathroom, the first thing I bought for our remodel was the sink! We chose a white farmhouse style to replace our stainless-steel divided one. We enjoy the larger space we have now for stacking used pots and pans before they go in the dishwasher. Also, our plumber was impressed. When he was installing the faucets and disposal, he said with envy, “That’s a nice sink.” High praise, indeed, coming from a professional.

Then comes the cabinetry and the electrician (if you’re changing anything or adding lighting). We did our cabinets through Home Depot and were satisfied. They have good sales sometimes, too. Installation made up about half of the total cost of the cabinets.

We also ordered our countertop through Home Depot. Before you order your countertop, you’ll need to know what kind of faucet you’ll have for the kitchen sink. Some need more holes in the countertop than others.

Our remodel cost $24,000 total (2021 dollars) but we had some extra tiling installed on the furnace chimney, which runs through the kitchen, plus we picked a fancy backsplash for the sink wall. We were able to afford it due to an inheritance. If I had used a contractor, the price would have been much higher. As it was, I acted as the contractor. There was a five-month delay getting the tile installed due to COVID issues, but that didn’t bother us much because the kitchen was functional at that point. When the furnace chimney was being retiled, we found an interesting piece of history inside the walls, which I described in a post a few years ago.

After the remodel was all over, we installed a cozy Vermont cast iron gas stove between the kitchen and the living room. A leaky unused chimney was already there; apparently, some previous homeowner had taken their stove with them when they left. Getting that leak repaired was much needed.

We love how bright the kitchen is now. Cooking in it is a joy!

Here’s a breakdown of the steps.

1: Decide your style and pick out appliances. Note their measurements. Also pick out sink and note measurements.

2: Plan cabinets.

3: Demo (we did it ourselves to save $$) and order a dumpster. If your old cabinets are in good shape, consider donating them to a local organization.

4: Consult with an electrician.

5: Install cabinets and electrical (flooring could be done any time after cabinets are in), choose lighting and cabinet hardware.

6: Install appliances and sink. You’ll need a plumber to install the dishwasher.

7: Pick out a faucet and install the countertops.

8: Buy faucet/disposal and have a plumber install them unless you are handy that way.

9: Choose and buy the backsplash, install.

10: Paint whatever is needed. We painted two window trims white.

 11: Buy a kitchen table and chairs (if needed).

12: The final and most important step is to enjoy your new kitchen!