As a food blogger and cookbook author who is also a busy parent, I spend a significant amount of time in my kitchen. A LOT! It’s not just my home—it serves as my workspace too!
After a decade of mentally reimagining our compact kitchen, Alex and I finally made the leap: we relocated! The new kitchen we found had solid structure; it just required some design enhancements. So, we dedicated countless hours on Pinterest crafting our dream kitchen. We’re thrilled to present it to you today, providing you with kitchen design inspiration for your own endeavors!
The vision we pursued
I am thrilled to unveil the results of this kitchen renovation—particularly for those who have followed us since our initial kitchen renovation in 2013 and this kitchen update in 2021. (Looking back at the first one, it’s fascinating to see how trends have evolved!)
You wouldn’t believe the countless hours I invested on Pinterest figuring all of this out!
Alex and I are huge fans of the current trend in British kitchen design (especially DeVOL), which embraces traditional design elements, unlacquered brass fixtures, and classic colors inspired by history.
We also aimed to create a kitchen that resembled a cooking show set, as we frequently use this kitchen in our Instagram cooking videos.
After consulting with a designer and builder about some costs, we concluded that, with Alex’s building expertise and my design acumen, we could tackle this kitchen renovation on our own. (Eek!)
Managing the work ourselves proved to be much more budget-friendly. Yet, it was undeniably more stressful (obviously). This also enabled us to design as we progressed, turning it into an enjoyable (and occasionally tense) collaborative project for the two of us.
(Here we are at the conclusion of the project: we did it! Since we’re not professional designers, we weren’t entirely certain if we could pull it off.)
The design project: before
After residing in the same home for a decade, Alex and I recently moved to a house just down the street. (Let me tell you, shifting 6 houses down is just as challenging as relocating across town!)
Originally built in the 1920s, the house had been entirely renovated by a contractor. While they added some lovely features, the kitchen design felt rather standard. What captivated us were the foundational elements: a spacious island, an actual walk-in butler’s pantry (dream come true!), and a coffee bar area.
What didn’t appeal to us: the generic atmosphere, the overly common blue-green-gray cabinet color (way too much!), the upper cabinets above the stove (which made it feel cramped), and the unfinished appearance of the coffee bar area.
The kitchen renovation—after!
Welcome to our new, warm, and inviting kitchen area! Much of the hardware and lighting in the original kitchen design was of lower quality metals and generic designs. We realized that achieving the custom aesthetic we desired necessitated replacing many of the hardware items.
Fortunately, we were able to partner with our dream brand: Rejuvenation, to bring this space to life! (We’re still pinching ourselves for having collaborated with this fantastic brand.) Their hardware is top-notch: both practical and aesthetically pleasing, which we are passionate about in our designs. (And recipes, too!) They supplied some of the hardware, lighting, and bar stools featured in these images to help realize our vision.
Here’s what we transformed:
1. Replaced all the hardware with unlacquered brass.
We adore how it turned out: it imparts a warm, historical vibe. You truly won’t believe the impact that hardware can have! If you’re looking to make a significant transformation in your kitchen, consider simply updating the hardware.
We utilized these Massey bin pulls, Ball knobs, and Grace drawer pulls from Rejuvenation.
2. Removed the upper cabinets and constructed a new hood.
This was the most adventurous aspect of the design! We actually removed the cabinets ourselves (which was quite daunting!) and designed and built this hood that is a more appropriate size for the range. We love how open it feels and it serves as a lovely white backdrop for our cooking videos.
We also incorporated an off-the-shelf open shelving unit that we painted to match the cabinets. We appreciate how the open shelving showcases our most frequently used and cherished kitchen items. Of course, we understand that many have thoughts on open shelving! Feel free to express them in the comments.
3. Acquired a new AGA induction range.
Isn’t it beautiful? This is the AGA Elise 36″ induction range. (We received a small discount from the brand for featuring this product—thanks AGA!)
We are completely enamored with cooking on induction, so it was essential for us to replace the gas range with an induction model. Here’s why we adore it: It’s more environmentally friendly, significantly easier to clean,