Our kitchen has been “done” for almost 3 years now, so I figured it was finally time to share all the details on how we totally refreshed this tiny kitchen and made it our own (on a budget)!

Here’s a couple true before photos to show you what we were workin with (bear with me, they’re low quality listing photos because I was not yet a blogger back in those days, so the before photos of our home are few and far between!).

On the very day we got the keys to our home, we walked in with our eyes set on the kitchen. We knew we wanted to update almost everything about it and thought it would be best to start with this before moving in!

And as you can see, the only thing that remains the same in here is the oldest fridge in history of ever. We decided it was finally time to replace the old girl after having to deal with it leaking for the past 3 years, amidst a pandemic where there is now a refrigerator shortage and any of the ones that would even remotely fit this spot are somehow all out of stock for who knows how long. Like what?! Actually what are the dang chances?! Haha, so anyway, I’ll just keep patiently waiting until then.

First things first, we removed all of the cabinet hardware and fronts to start prepping for painting. This was also when we moved the dishwasher into an opening we created in the cabinets right next to the sink. And also knocked down the half wall (you can see in the above before photo) to create better flow and function in this room.

From there, we sanded and cleaned all of the cabinet boxes, primed, and then painted them Sherwin Williams Pure White in a satin finish.

We love the look of shaker style cabinet doors and since ours were all flat, we were able to create our own version! We sanded them all, then glue and finish-nailed strips of 1/4-inch plywood around the edge. We did a similar thing with the drawers, but covered the entire face of them. (As seen in the above photos) To complete the cabinets, we added black knobs, pulls, and hinges for a modern farmhouse vibe!

Next up, we picked up two slabs of butcher block countertops (while it was on sale!) and a ton of white subway tile from Menards. This is the most affordable backsplash option, that still looks so classic and timeless, so it felt like the best option for us!

We stained the counters Minwax Dark Walnut and sealed with a water-based polyurethane, then let them cure for a few days in the garage. We then removed our old countertops and installed the butcher block and our brand new sink. The upkeep on the countertop has been actually pretty minimal and they’ve held up really well, even being right next to the sink!

I had always dreamed of having a farmhouse sink one day, but with the way our cabinets are, it just wouldn’t have worked in this kitchen. So instead, we opted for a big open drop-in acrylic single bowl kitchen and love the spaciousness and style. But honestly, not the quality…I don’t want to link it for you because it hasn’t held up well. But here is one that we would someday love to replace it with! Then we added the black beauty that is this faucet!!! So simple and stunning.

After the counters were in, we added the white subway tile and it completely finished the space!! We don’t have a very large gap between the counters and cabinets, so the subway tile actually adds so much dimension and makes it feel larger. We used pre-mixed grout in the color Delorean Gray!

Next up was the floors, we ripped out the previous linoleum and went with Industrial Stone Peel and Stick Luxury Vinyl Tile. We have loved everything about it! Quick to install, durable, grout-able and honestly looks a lot like real tile!

We got rid of the huge old microwave that was above the stove and ended up putting a smaller one in the pantry, which has been really nice to have it out of sight! Then Jason added some shiplap above the upper stove cabinet and framed around the new stove vent. It’s not the ideal situation, but it works and he really has a way of making everything better than it was before!

Then finally, we added the open shelves above the coffee pot and it felt complete! I truly love having open shelves so much that I wish my entire kitchen was filled with them…maybe the next house! Haha. It’s just so fun to be able to switch things up and make them cute AND functional!