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23 Best Kitchen Remodel Ideas

23 Best Kitchen Remodel Ideas

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french white farmhouse makeoverpinterest icon
David Tsay

Before: Outdated and Visually Choppy

holly williams’s farmhouse kitchen before
Annie Schlechter

Multiple wood tones gave this large farmhouse kitchen a mismatched look, while the green walls divided by a bank of cabinets felt disjointed.

After: Pretty and Polished Farmhouse Kitchen

black and white kitchen with shiplap
Annie Schlechter

Singer-songwriter (and serial renovator) Holly Williams preserved her farmhouse kitchen’s original layout opting only to reconfigure the placement of the refrigerator and cooktop. She coated the walls and trim a crisp white (Delicate White by Porter Paints) and installed ceramic subway tile for added texture. For a slight bit of contrast, she chose light gray cabinets which she paired with open shelving. An inky black ceiling (Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams) grounds the room, while patterned roman shades add hints of blue without blocking too much natural light. Rather than undertake a pricey floor restoration, Holly opted to paint the hardwoods a barely there shade of pink (Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball).

SHOP WASHABLE RUGS

Before: A Mess of Everything

kitchen before
courtesy of homeowner

A low sloped ceiling (a mere four-foot-tall clearance on one end!), cobbled together cabinetry, and dated linoleum flooring added up to one unappealing kitchen.

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After: A Handsome Coastal Kitchen

blue and white nautical kitchen
David A. Land

Before: Blah and Boring

home of victoria ford and marcus ford, 1970s dutch colonial–style house home renovation, diy kitchen makeover
courtesy of Victoria and Marcus Ford

White cabinets and appliances and beige everything else felt builder basic and lacked charm or cooking inspiration.

After: Warm & Inviting Kitchen

home of victoria ford and marcus ford, 1970s dutch colonial–style house home renovation, diy kitchen makeover
Brie Williams, styling by Rachel Rivers

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Before: Stuck in Time

kitchen before
courtesy of Maria Carr

The old kitchen felt cramped due to dated cabinets, patterned wallpaper, and layers of linoleum on the floor.

After: A French Farmhouse Kitchen

french farmhouse makeover, maria carr light, bright, and mostly white decor kitchen
David Tsay

Maria Carr (@dreamywhiteslifestyle) The airier space feels significantly larger thanks to crisp ceilings with exposed rafters and wide shiplap planked walls, white cabinets newly crafted from scrap wood, and a sea of marble, including Carrara marble countertops (bedrosians.com), handcrafted marble-and-wood shelving, and a marble subway tile backsplash (emser.com). The couple also replaced linoleum floors with a herringbone patterned alternative in black oak, which they were chagrined to find out has a tendency to turn pink when staining. Thanks to a call for help on Instagram, they found a crowd-sourced solution: Woca oil (wocawoodcare.com) French standbys including ironstone breadboards, vintage baskets, copper pots, and an old French sieve that hangs above the range.

SHOP FRENCH ANTIQUES

Before: Not Cook Friendly

kitchen before
Annie Schlechter

While large, the layout was winding and inefficient kitchen with a super-small sink and low countertops.

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After: A Farmhouse Kitchen with Patina

white farmhouse kitchen with striped pendant lights
Annie Schlechter

Austin-based architect Cindy Black of Hello Kitchen changed this kitchen’s floor plan to have the sink in front of the new larger bank of windows and a central island ideal for entertaining. To offset the preserved wood walls, the ceiling and trim were painted a crisp white and the wood countertops swapped for easy-to-maintain quartz from Wilsonart. Special details like the wood vent hood, reclaimed wood on the island front, and striped pendants give the white kitchen both patina and farmhouse personality.

SHOP WOOD VENT HOODS

RELATED: Best Kitchen Island Ideas for Kitchens Large and Small

Before: Dark and Cramped

cottage kitchen before
courtesy of homeowner

A tight galley layout with no natural light source made for an unappealing kitchen.

After: A Modern Vintage Kitchen

kitchen reinvention designer kate marker’s “leo cottage” in union pier, michigan
Dustin Halleck, styling by Jennifer DeCleene

Designer Kate Marker’s merged circa-1920s nostalgic charm with pure circa-2020 sophistication for the update of her kitchen remodel. To open up the small cramped space, she knocked down a wall to open it to the adjoining family room, raised the ceiling, and added rustic whitewashed pine beams. An antique blue-gray island paired with rustic tripod stools juxtaposes the room’s more modern Amish-crafted flat-paneled cabinetry and finishes, but all eyes go immediately to the coral vintage-style Big Chill fridge, which provides the kitchen a punch of happy. Because she loved the existing checkerboard floor, Kate had a specialty painter mimic the stained design onto the newly added wood floorboards.

SHOP RETRO REFRIGERATORS

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Before: Awkward Storage

bungalow kitchen before
Tyler Jones

While the basic perimeter layout worked for this 180 square-foot bungalow’s kitchen, a return vent made for an inefficient corner space.

After: A Cheery British-Inspired Kitchen

yellow cottage kitchen
Becky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Kathleen Varner

Before: Dark and Dull

messy kitchen before
courtesy of Claire Zinnicker

Over the years, this kitchen (which had only one small window) had lost all of its original farmhouse charm.

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After: A Bright and Airy Farmhouse Kitchen

white farmhouse kitchen with shiplap walls and wood island
Buff Strickland, styling by Jessica Brinkert Holtam

DIY homeowner Claire Zinnicker carved out openings in the kitchen by adding antique windows. A new larger row of windows instantly brightened the kitchen and provides views of surrounding landscapes. Two halves of another antique window hang higher on the range wall to allow room for open shelves (which Claire made from salvaged wood) that play up the vintage vibe. Painting the shiplap walls and ceiling white additionally opened up the space. Salvaged finds like the circa-1950s O’Keefe & Merritt enamel stove and Mexican pine island reinforce a layered, acquired-over-time feeling, while large domed pendant lights add modern styling.

SHOP PINE ISLANDS

RELATED: See more of the amazing renovation of this charming Texas farmhouse.

Before: Decades Old Everything

kitchen

A faux-brick backsplash? Dark cabinets? Formica counters? This room boasted every 1970s kitchen cliché.

After: A Beautifully Bright Farmhouse Kitchen

kitchen
Max Kim-Bee

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Before: Drab and Dark Finishes

ugly kitchen
William Waldron

The counters and cabinets in this kitchen needed a chic update, but the vintage stove had tons of charm the homeowners loved.

After: A Crisp White Kitchen

white kitchen
William Waldron

The kitchen’s vintage Chambers stove remains front and center and actually looks more at home with its now all white surroundings. On a small budget, the homeowners kept the existing cabinet frames, but gave them a modern update by replacing the doors and painting everything Benjamin Moore’s Patriotic White. They jettisoned the dated laminate counters and dark backsplash in favor of marble and white subway tiles.

SHOP RETRO RANGES

Lettermark

Jennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.

 

preview for Country Living US Section - Remodeling & Renovation

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