We were thrilled to find Beth’s email in our inbox. Her account of a recent kitchen remodel had everything we love in a renovation story: a dramatic “before” (including a brown fridge), plenty of hands-on DIY work, a tense moment when the countertops arrived the day before Christmas Eve, and, best of all, a stunning after. Here’s her note, in her own words:
Hello, Sherry & John! We bought our current home a little over a year ago, and calling it outdated was a major understatement. Like you, we wanted a house we could update and make our own. The kitchen was dark, cramped, and stuck in another era. No matter how often I cleaned the fridge, it always smelled like garlic, and the old electric stove and oven burned everything.
We started by removing the worn linoleum and the carpet in the family room next to the kitchen. For almost a month we lived on the subfloor while we took down a wall between the formal dining room and the kitchen to open the space. With four kids under ten and a dog, the disruption was a real challenge, but opening the layout made a huge difference in how the whole area feels.
Once the wall was down, we were ready to install prefinished hardwood flooring that would match the rest of the house. We removed all the remaining cabinets, demoed the soffit, and managed to put in the new floors in just over a weekend. After the floors were down, we began installing cabinets we ordered from Home Depot. They’re their in-stock line, but we had to special-order several items, like 36-inch upper cabinets and some specific lower-drawer configurations that weren’t available on the store shelves.
At first I wanted my brother-in-law, who works with concrete, to help Jake make concrete countertops, but we were concerned about the weight and whether our large island could support them. In the end we chose Silestone countertops in the shade called “Cement.” The counters were installed the day before Christmas Eve—stressful, to put it mildly! Jake installed a marble subway tile backsplash that runs all the way to the ceiling, which brightened the room and gives a clean, timeless look.
We replaced all the appliances with new KitchenAid models, which made a huge functional improvement. The lighting is a mix of industrial-style warehouse fixtures and an outdoor-style light that adds character. The red counter stools were a find from Overstock and bring a cheerful pop of color. Jake built the open shelving from pieces he sourced at Home Depot, and the decorative corbels came from the same company we ordered the cabinets from. Those details—open shelving, corbels, and the high backsplash—really completed the look.
The project took longer than we expected, but with four little kids and doing most of the labor ourselves, that was inevitable. Even with the interruptions and the mess, the transformation has been amazing. I still can’t believe this is my kitchen—bright, open, and much more functional for a busy family. Hope you enjoy the photos! —Beth
Thank you to Beth and Jake for sharing their kitchen remodel. Their project is a great example of a successful DIY renovation that balanced practical choices—matching hardwood floors, reliable appliances, and durable Silestone countertops—with thoughtful design touches like a full-height marble subway backsplash, open shelving, and bold seating. The result is a brighter, more open, family-friendly kitchen with a timeless feel. For more details and photos, check Beth’s blog entry listed as “Beth’s blog” in the original post.