Well, that can of worms is officially open. We’ve begun making changes in the kitchen. This isn’t entirely brand new—after all, we removed the wallpaper a few weeks ago—but late last week we pushed forward with a few more meaningful updates.
We still plan to live in this house for a long time and save up for a full kitchen renovation, since we’re still debating long-term layout and countertop options. For now, though, we’re starting a set of Phase 1 improvements that should make the room much more enjoyable in the short term and still be useful later on.
Removing the wallpaper made one thing clear: the kitchen felt overwhelmingly brown, beige, and flat. The appliances, counters, and walls blended into each other under the harsh fluorescent light, while the dark cabinets and trim felt heavy and oppressive. Our first move was one Sherry has wanted since day one: remove some of the upper cabinets. We both miss the open shelving we had in our last kitchen and thought swapping the long upper cabinet to the right of the window for open shelves would lighten the space.
Sherry emptied the cabinets (luckily the uppers next to the microwave hadn’t been used much, so they handled the overflow), and I got to work on demolition. First I carefully pried off the crown molding so we could reuse it, then I used a rubber mallet to loosen the header above the window.
That was the easy part.
Removing the cabinet itself took more effort than we expected. Instead of being screwed in like other kitchens we’ve worked on, these cabinets had been nailed to the wall. It took a lot of prying and jostling to free the cabinet. Because it was heavy, I removed the doors so they wouldn’t swing in my face and put a can of paint on the counter to cushion any fall — and to keep my foot from getting crushed.
Even with some missing paint revealed behind the cabinet, the change felt immediate and positive. From the table on the other side of the room, having an unobstructed view of the window made the kitchen feel brighter and more open.
We liked the effect so much that we took down the small upper on the other side of the window as well, which balanced the wall visually and let the window breathe.
Our plan is to install a pair of floating shelves on either side of the window. We already own a set of long white Ikea Lack shelves that we bought a while back for another project and a shorter version will work well on the left side. Removing these cabinets won’t significantly reduce storage since we plan to repurpose the removed cabinets in the garage.
Before the shelves go up, we’ll prime and paint the walls. With cabinet-demolition momentum on our side, we turned to another problem: a useless upper cabinet tucked far behind the fridge. It sat so deep that we needed a stool to reach it, so we’d thrown a basket up there to disguise it. We wanted to bring it forward so it would be accessible and look more like built-in fridge cabinetry.
After removing the trim and prying the nails loose, the cabinet got stuck because the wall narrows slightly toward the front. A few more pulls and some small drywall dents later, the cabinet finally came out. Luckily the dents were covered when we rehung the cabinet.
Because the nook narrowed, I needed to trim the cabinet’s face a bit to achieve a seamless fit. I taped the edges to prevent chipping and shaved off about a quarter inch from each side with a circular saw. Then I built two simple U-shaped braces from 2x4s—one for the top and one for the bottom—so the cabinet could be floated about 14 inches off the back wall and securely fastened to studs in the side walls. Careful measuring was essential so the cabinet would sit flush.
The reinstalled cabinet looked much better and was finally useful. The final step was reinstalling the crown molding, which needed to match existing cuts on pieces I hadn’t removed. I was cautious—one bad cut and I’d be in trouble—but it worked out. We’ll do caulk touch-ups when we paint so seams are invisible.
After reinstalling molding around the room, the wall looks awkward at the moment, but with paint, shelves, and a pendant over the sink we expect a big improvement.
We wouldn’t call the space fully transformed yet, but these first changes are moving the kitchen in the right direction. It already feels noticeably more open and less heavy in person.
I felt a little silly labeling our photos “After,” since there’s more to do. Here’s our current Phase 1 to-do list:
Remove wallpaperMove fridge cabinet forwardRemove upper cabinets on window wall to prep for open shelvesReinstall crown molding- Paint pantry and garage doors
- Paint walls and ceiling
- Hang floating shelves on window wall
- Paint trim and paneling
- Possibly sell the existing microwave and get a countertop unit, and add an inexpensive range hood to lighten that wall
- Update or upgrade old cabinet hinges and knobs
- Paint cabinets
- Create a solid back for the peninsula to simplify the look
- Replace fluorescent lights (including the one over the sink)
- Replace and center the light over the table
- Consider a rug for the eat-in area or peel-and-stick tiles for the floor
- Install curtains for the windows
Many of these Phase 1 tasks will carry over to Phase 2—painting trim, walls, and ceilings and replacing lights are useful both now and later—so we’re not doing much work that will be wasted. We’re treating Phase 1 as a practical intermediate step that makes the kitchen more livable while we save and plan for a larger renovation.
We’re intentionally holding off on new full-size appliances for now. While we don’t love the cream-colored fridge and oven, we want to avoid committing to appliances that might limit future layout options like a wall oven or gas range. For countertops, we’ll work with the current off-white surfaces during Phase 1 since a future reconfiguration could change final countertop dimensions.
Some readers asked why we won’t keep the existing cabinets permanently. From up close they show many chips, dents, and signs of wear that would be difficult to fully restore. Rather than discard them, we’ll repurpose them in the garage—painting them now will freshen the kitchen for the short term and give the garage a clean look later.
Another common question is about the faux brick vinyl floors. While painting floors has worked for others, our vinyl is one continuous sheet that scratches easily and flakes when stressed. Because the top layer is so fragile, painting it would likely be short-lived. If we can’t live with them much longer, we’ll probably cover them with inexpensive peel-and-stick tiles like we’ve done in past Phase 1 projects.
Sherry’s thrilled to be making progress and I’m glad we’re finally doing something instead of groaning every time we walk into the room. The work ahead—priming and painting trim, woodwork, and cabinets—will take time, but it feels good to be moving forward. Bring it on, kitchen!