Kitchen Before & After: From Shabby to Blue and White Chic

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She now thinks a lot about design, kids, and designy kids' things. She lives with her two daughters and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated May 2, 2019
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(Image credit: Rebecca M. via The Kitchn’s submission form)

“Everyone says the kitchen should be the heart of the home, but in ours, it’s the bowels.” That’s what Kitchn reader Rebecca wrote to us about her pre-renovation kitchen. Over time her 1958 kitchen had accumulated a long list of undesirables, including broken oven knobs and a dishwasher that when open blocked the dining room walkway. It was “all shabby, without the chic.”

Finally, she and her husband remodeled the space to better suit their busy family of five. Here’s what it looks like now:

(Image credit: Rebecca M. via The Kitchn’s submission form)

Light, bright, and oh so pretty! In her own words, here are the top 10 reasons why Rebecca decided to remodel:

  1. Our peel-and-stick Linoleum floor was doing a lot more peeling than sticking.
  2. My kids used an old step-stool as an “island” to do their homework on.
  3. My cabinets were decorated with hieroglyphics in permanent marker from my charming son.
  4. Our freezer door popped open every time you closed the fridge door but then the fridge door opened every time you closed the freezer door (it’s a fun party trick with guests to see who can get them both to say closed at the same time).
  5. My oven knobs didn’t stay on and were constantly rearranged by my kids so it was always a special surprise when I realized I broiled instead of baked.
  6. Our dishwasher was strategically located so that whenever open, it blocked the only walkway to our dining area. But don’t worry – my son just walked right across the door and used it as a bridge.
  7. My friends politely described my kitchen as authentic, shabby (without the chic) and retro.
  8. The back door off our kitchen needed to be karate kicked to open.
  9. Somewhere under seven layers of Elmers glue, glitter, stickers and polyurethane was a kitchen table.
  10. Everyone says the kitchen should be the heart of the home, but in ours, it’s the bowels.
(Image credit: Rebecca M. via The Kitchn’s submission form)
(Image credit: Rebecca M. via The Kitchn’s submission form)

The project was a complete gut job down to the studs — we removed a wall to create a new open concept dining area in our living room, and relocated all our plumbing. I went with all white shaker-style cabinetry, white ice granite counter tops and stainless appliances.

Now our new kitchen is truly the heart of our home. It’s where we gather as as a family, can finally all cook together do homework, craft and hang out.

(Image credit: Rebecca M. via The Kitchn’s submission form)

Thanks so much for sharing, Rebecca!

Have a kitchen tip, project, or renovation you’d like to show off?
Every week we feature a reader kitchen project, and we’re always looking for submissions. To submit your own project, follow the instructions in this post and you could see it end up here on The Kitchn.

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