We removed the upper cabinets — not destroyed, but carefully taken down so we can reuse parts like the doors for the new peninsula cabinets and donate the rest. When we moved in last December the kitchen felt very heavy with wood, so we were excited to open the space up.
Removing those uppers is part of a bigger plan: a wall of counter-to-ceiling penny tile with a few open shelves flanking a new range hood we’ll build in.
We debated open shelving at length and researched the pros and cons before deciding to keep just a few feet of open shelves on either side of the vent hood. The rest of the upper storage — above the pantry, fridge, and dishwasher — will remain as cabinets so we aren’t losing all our enclosed storage.
To be sure the kitchen would still function, we emptied the upper cabinets before removing them to see where everything would go. We planned to keep only everyday dishes on the open shelves (items that are used and washed frequently so they don’t have time to collect dust), plus a few decorative and practical items like a vase or two, some art, lidded jars for sugar and flour, a handful of cookbooks, and a couple of plants. Everything else would go back into cabinets.
How did that test go? Better than expected. We spent about thirty minutes deciding where to relocate odds and ends — phone books, light bulbs, cookie cutters, and other random items — and then put them away logically instead of stuffing them anywhere. That planning paid off: we found extra room. The entire corner cabinet on the peninsula (still waiting for a lazy Susan and a door) is completely empty even after stashing everything.
Our everyday dishes are currently in another corner cabinet near the stove; once those move to the open shelves that cabinet will be freed up too. We also have a full upper cabinet next to the pantry that will be trimmed and rehung with a microwave under it. Overall, the added peninsula provides more than enough storage to make up for the few upper cabinets we exchanged for shelves.
Taking the cabinets down was straightforward: unscrew the long screws that attached them to the wall, ceiling, and to each other while a partner supported them underneath so they didn’t fall.
The visual change surprised us — the room immediately felt more open. Photos don’t fully capture it; you really have to be there to notice the difference.
At first the space looked a bit chaotic right after the cabinets came down:
After tidying up — moving the extra cabinets into the sunroom and sliding the stove back — the area felt noticeably lighter.
You do have to look past the unpainted ceiling and the bright red paint that was revealed under the cabinets — a surprising find that wouldn’t have paired well with all that wood and dark paneling.
This is the classic get-worse-before-it-gets-better stage: the kitchen looks stripped down and in progress, but the change is energizing. The space already breathes more without the bulky, too-low black microwave that used to hover above the stove.
Next up: removing the remaining backsplash, cabinet hardware, and cabinet doors for priming and painting. We’re still waiting on countertops, after which we’ll install backsplash tile, build in the stainless dishwasher and microwave, update the lighting, and replace the floor with mocha cork we found on clearance. There’s a lot left to do, but we’re taking it one step at a time.
Living without a microwave has been manageable so far — we’ve been reheating soup on the stove, which feels oddly charming — and having the dishwasher hooked up keeps cleanup doable. That’s the update for now. What did you work on this weekend? Any cabinet rearranging, demolition, or impromptu karaoke while you worked?
Psst — the post title nods to some of our early kitchen posts, bringing things full circle with a bit of nostalgia.