Although it was new construction, the kitchen felt very dark to me and had a kind of ‘80s vibe. The backsplash had square tiles and dark grout; it reminded me of graph paper.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the cabinets. Although I like color, I preferred a more airy green kitchen color instead of the existing darker cabinets. The kitchen design I wanted was a farmhouse feel, and choosing Shaker-style cabinets would get me there. The open layout of the existing kitchen worked well functionally, so the renovation would be surface only.
As a first-time renovator, I posted my project on Sweeten. They were a great resource for researching contractors, renovation cost guides, and budgets. Starting a conversation with contractors can definitely be intimidating if you haven’t done it before. I would have been pretty lost in terms of finding a reputable professional who I felt was trustworthy.
Spotlight on sage green kitchen cabinets
Our general contractor custom-made the cabinets. At first we were thinking of just ordering cabinets and painting them, but I think the end result came out really well. I had been thinking about green kitchen cabinets for a long time. Sage green kitchen cabinets have color but is a tone that isn’t overwhelming.
The fixtures would be black to complement the sink which I was planning to keep. I chose a clean white subway tile for the backsplash to maintain a calm and bright look. I think it came out beautifully.
We replaced the old floating shelves with walnut. These would be wall-hung and flushed to the wall, which were more streamlined than the previous ones. Luckily, the existing wood floor was a neutral tone, so no changes were needed for the flooring.
I wasn’t living in the space yet but the renovation went smoothly. I lucked out! The only hiccup was when the entire range hood had to be moved to replace the backsplash which was time-consuming.