Before & After: A California Kitchen Dramatically Dresses Down

Jennifer’s new house was definitely move-in ready, but she was still eager to make some key changes to better suit her style, and quickly put all her collected Pinterest inspiration to good use. We featured her bathroom renovation already, and today it’s all about the changes she made to the kitchen.

Again, the old kitchen wasn’t horrific, but it wasn’t ideal either. The tile countertops looked dated and dingy, and the cabinets has a very specific ’90s Tuscan feel that’s hard to hide — neither of which are ideal if you like clean lines and a more modern look.

Originally, Jennifer wanted an open kitchen, and was super disappointed when she realized it just wasn’t possible in their small space. They wound up keeping the same galley layout, and instead made some smart design decisions to keep it as airy as possible. This included installing bright white cabinets and open shelving. The whole space is now brighter, lighter, and much more minimalist. The wood and touch of brass really warms up the room.

Jennifer also updated the floors to match the rest of the house, added a storage bench in the dining nook for compact seating, and updated all the countertops, backsplash and appliances. She was sad, however, to see that old stove go.

Jennifer and her husband started demo five days after they closed on the property, and only had five weeks to complete their entire renovation. She reports that it was totally doable, really hectic, and completely worth it (because nobody wants to live in the same house where there’s a big project going on, and Jennifer was no exception.) Her advice? Order absolutely everything in advance, before the project starts, so you don’t have an unexpected delays while waiting for items to arrive.

Many thanks for sharing all the details on your lovely kitchen, Jennifer! For more photos and resources, check out her blog See & Savour.