When Lauren Whitfield, a content creator with an interior design degree, wanted to renovate her home’s kitchen, she turned to her husband, who used to work in the trades, as her co-captain. “Our kitchen before was very cramped and dark,” she says. “We wanted to create a space that felt inviting and cozy, while also being opened up to the living and dining rooms.”
The couple’s kitchen didn’t have the largest footprint, so the goal was to pack lots of character and charm into a small room. Lauren’s vision was to create a mix of cottagecore, farmhouse, and English country design. The bottom line: She wanted it to look “lived-in.”
At first, the couple wanted to replace the cabinetry, install some new appliances, and add some paint. But upon further inspection, they realized that the drywall and flooring were “extremely damaged,” forcing them to “go all the way down to the studs.” The couple essentially demolished everything, including a wall between the living room and kitchen. This created space while providing them with added storage.
“Once we demoed everything, we were able to start with a clean slate, which essentially gave us free rein to do anything we wanted,” Lauren explains. “Our goal was to create a practical space that was cozy and cost-effective.”
“My favorite part has to be the open shelving and shiplap wall,” Lauren says. “I think it gives the overall space a really cozy, lived-in feel, and I love how we used practical items, such as the food canisters and cookbooks, as decor. In a small space, this is not only practical but also feels like it is a part of the overall design.”
It took the couple four months to complete the kitchen renovation by themselves, costing around $7,000. There were plenty of learning lessons and even some happy accidents along the way, like a cutting board storage space that was caused by a slight miscalculation.