It may have been our slowest kitchen renovation yet, but nearly two years after moving in (we passed that milestone last Saturday), the kitchen is finally finished. New cabinets? Check. Tiled backsplash up to the ceiling? Check. Quartz countertops and a sink three times deeper than the old overmount model? Absolutely.
We added a hidden range hood, more functional storage with extra drawers and upper cabinets, plus a generous pantry cabinet. This post is packed with before-and-after photos and a full budget breakdown. So, let’s get into the details.
We took a phased approach instead of one big gut renovation like we did in our previous house, and that gave us time to live with the space, identify issues, and adjust the plan as we went. Even though the process was gradual, the final result feels dramatic compared to the original condition when we bought the house.
We were both relieved and thrilled with how functional the kitchen turned out to be. I admit I was skeptical at first, while Sherry had more optimism, but the space has become one of the most efficient kitchens we’ve had. The work triangle is direct, so meal prep takes fewer steps, and the pantry cabinet is larger than the one in our previous bigger kitchen.
One big advantage of renovating in stages is learning as you go. Living with each change helped inform our final decisions—what to keep, what to tweak, and what to replace.
We also made a short video that shows the finished kitchen and flashes back to how it looked when we first saw it. The video captures the space in a way photos can’t, so if you can, give it a watch.
Note: You can also watch this video on YouTube.
The Evolution Of Our Kitchen
This was the kitchen when we bought the house: soffits across two walls, a popcorn ceiling, mismatched appliances, and a glaring ceiling light. As part of pre-move-in renovations, the contractor removed the soffit and upper cabinets, took out the peninsula, patched floors, re-drywalled the first floor due to moisture issues, and added can lights. Still, most of the kitchen remained intact until later.
When we first moved in (May 2020), we lived with the existing layout and made small improvements over time: hung shelves, swagged a pendant over the table, and painted the cabinets mauve to match the laminate counters. After about a year of living there, we clarified our vision: we moved the fridge, built a large pantry cabinet, got a larger table, added a door where a window had been, and installed more shelves. Sherry even trimmed the pendant to better fit the space.
This spring we replaced the original cabinets with better-functioning Ikea Sektion cabinets, painted the VEDDINGE fronts the same mauve color, installed quartz counters, added upper cabinets, and tiled the backsplash to the ceiling. We also switched the pendant to a semi-flush woven fixture and installed a substantial brass faucet to match the cabinet hardware. It all came together in a soft, beachy palette that feels calm and layered. The cabinet color is Artsy Pink by Sherwin-Williams.
From the pearly-blue, zellige-style backsplash to marble-like quartz counters and the mauve cabinetry, the finished kitchen feels intentional and cohesive. The subtle, glossy tile particularly evokes the inside of an oyster shell and adds just the right amount of texture and shine without being busy.
Our New Tile Backsplash
The backsplash was the catalyst for this final phase. We wanted texture and sheen, but not bold pattern or color since the kitchen is visible from the sitting area and front door. We chose an affordable 4×4″ zellige-style tile in a “Sky” blue-gray colorway with lots of subtle sheen. It cost about $325 for the whole wall and took roughly 2.5 days to complete, including grout.
Two practical tips if you plan to tile: plan your layout carefully to avoid tiny slivers of tile around edges, and sort the tiles ahead of installation to balance differing sheens and directional movement. For grout, we used a warm gray that blends with the tile and keeps the overall look soft and unified.
We also painted the window trim to recede with the tile and selected a slightly gray-toned quartz to complement the blue-gray backsplash and mauve cabinets. The result is a calm, subtle, layered composition that shows much better in motion—watch the video for the full effect.
The Upper Cabinets & Hidden Hood
In this final phase we swapped open shelves for closed upper cabinets to increase concealed storage and to house a hidden range hood. We installed an Ikea OMSINNAD range hood that fits inside an upper cabinet, which kept the back wall symmetrical and provided useful under-cabinet lighting. The new cabinets reach the ceiling, which has the added effect of making the space feel taller and deeper.
We also installed a deep stainless single-bowl sink and a one-handed pull-down brass faucet, which have become our favorite practical choices. The hood improves indoor air quality and helps manage grease, and the sink depth lets us hide dishes out of sight.
All these changes combined to make the kitchen one of the easiest and most efficient we’ve worked in—only rivaled by our very first house’s kitchen, though that one had less pantry storage.
We also added a door where a window once was, creating a direct connection to our kitchen porch and grill only a few steps away. That proximity has made grilling a regular part of our routine and improved the kitchen’s overall functionality.
Converting that window to a door was part of a larger contractor job for the kitchen porch, and we estimate that portion cost about $1,270 (approximately $900 for labor and $370 for the door), though costs will vary by project.
The Kitchen Sitting Area
Roughly half the room is the kitchen, and the other half is a sitting area that has proven incredibly useful. It’s where we read, hang out with guests, and where the kids typically gather while meals are being prepared. We experimented with furniture and layouts until we found pieces that worked around two doors and still provided a comfortable, open flow—like a cozy loveseat and a round terrazzo coffee table that improved circulation in the room.
The sitting area also hides a laundry closet behind two doors, giving us a compact, efficient space for washing and storage. Over time we added built-in storage elsewhere in the house, which allowed us to choose a coffee table without storage and keep the seating area feeling light and airy.
From the seating area to the laundry nook and the outdoor connection, this room now functions on many levels and has become central to daily life in the house.
The Kitchen Renovation Budget
Because the work was spread out, compiling a budget was a bit of a puzzle. This summary covers the material costs for the kitchen renovation starting from a room with intact drywall and no major floor holes. Contractor costs for the initial whole-house updates are not included, and we completed most of the labor ourselves.
- Ikea Sektion Cabinets, Veddinge Fronts & Interior Organizers: $3,330
- Cabinet Paint & Supplies: $130
- All Appliances (Including Hood): $930*
- Quartz Counters, Sink & Disposal: $4,340
- Brass Faucet: $465
- Cabinet Hardware: $85
- Backsplash Tile (including mastic, grout & supplies): $485
- Pendant Light & Light Kit: $120
- TOTAL: $9,885
*We bought the stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator second-hand for $500 via Facebook Marketplace; the appliance total above includes the Ikea hood.
As noted earlier, the window-to-door change was part of a larger kitchen porch project and is estimated at about $1,270 for that portion of the work. This budget excludes small decor items like bowls and plant pots.
That’s it—our long, photo-filled tour and budget breakdown for the finished kitchen. There were many small victories along the way, and it feels great to call this project done. If you’d like to see our past kitchen projects, this is the seventh kitchen we’ve renovated, and we’re happy with how this one landed.
*This post contains affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through those links.