The beach house kitchen will be our seventh kitchen project after redoing three of our own (this one’s our favorite), a showhouse we worked on in 2014, a spec house for a local builder in 2016 (we loved that blue tile), and a local teachers’ lounge we updated last year.
Even with that experience, a kitchen renovation still feels daunting because of the sheer number of decisions: the most functional layout, whether to add more drawers or fewer, the right lighting, and how to stay on budget. There are so many questions and changes along the way. But a well-planned kitchen can transform a house, and now that we’re finally close to installing the beach house kitchen, we want to share the planning steps and tools that helped shape our design.
That photo above shows the space as of last week: lights hung, trim being painted, and floor holes patched with reclaimed pine. Once the patches are sanded and sealed, the cabinet install can begin. It’s a dramatic change from demolition day:
Our initial floor plans were sketchy — made in Photoshop — so they weren’t precise enough for ordering cabinetry. After deciding to order cabinetry from Ikea, we used their free 3D kitchen planning tool to plan precise components and measurements. It’s not the most intuitive interface, but it’s useful if you’re committed to Ikea products.
Within the software we tested several layout options. One early decision was whether to include upper cabinets. We ultimately chose to skip uppers in favor of open shelves and a lighter, more balanced look. The kitchen will be used as a weekly vacation rental, so storage needs are modest and we added extra base cabinets flanking the back door to compensate.
The Ikea planner doesn’t let you include third-party appliances or custom pieces in the renderings, so our 40″ pink stove and the exact fridge couldn’t be shown. Renderings are imperfect, but they helped us visualize scale and cabinet placements. To verify clearances in real life, we also laid out mock-ups on the floor using simple wood scraps as stand-ins for the island.
Renderings aren’t great at conveying finishes, so we created mood boards to refine the material palette: a vintage-inspired stove, a simple faucet, an understated hood, open sconces and pendant lighting, butcher block counters, and flat-front cabinet doors. The look we wanted is casual, unfussy, and comfortable — perfect for a beach house where the goal is relaxing, not formal.
Flat-front cabinets were a surprise favorite. We had assumed they would read too modern or commercial, but after gathering more inspiration we became converts. Many of our favorite images also showed minimal upper cabinetry, reinforcing the airy and understated direction.
We haven’t finalized hardware yet. We’re leaning toward leather pulls or wood knobs to complement the house’s existing character, but we’ll decide once the cabinets and counters are installed and we can test samples in the actual space.
Butcher block counters became the final choice for cost, warmth, and practicality. They’re affordable and can be sanded and refinished if they get roughed up in a rental. We ordered extra butcher block to make matching floating shelves for a cohesive, handcrafted look.
We timed our Ikea order to coincide with a sale, which saved a significant amount on the cabinets and counters. The package included soft-close drawers and doors, the sink, and a pull-out trash can — all important details for a rental property where durability and ease of use matter.
Lighting required careful thought. We avoided recessed cans to preserve the historic ceiling plane and instead needed pendants and sconces to provide both ambient and task lighting. That meant choosing lights with transparent or semi-transparent shades so bulbs could cast light in all directions instead of being restricted by solid shades.
We explored multi-light pendants, schoolhouse-style shades, and lanterns, working through scale and style until the right balance emerged. Scale was especially important — a fixture that looks great in isolation can be too small or too large when placed over an island. Mock-ups at scale helped reveal what worked.
We ultimately chose clear-glass pendants about 15″ wide so they cast light broadly without feeling heavy. Wire-mesh sconces provided the semi-transparent texture we wanted so light can pass through while still reading as a fixture in the room. Once they were hung, the space felt much closer to finished — like the island and the rest of the kitchen were finally invited into the design.
We also mocked up the adjacent dining area to ensure the kitchen lights played nicely with that space. Instead of a single centered fixture over the dining table, we chose two smaller pendants so the sightlines from the living room remain balanced. Capiz pendants add a soft, beachy texture and keep the overall feel light and coastal.
Next steps include finishing a few small repairs, sanding and sealing floors, and then starting cabinet installation. Once the bones are finished and the lights are in place, we’ll bring in the Ikea boxes and begin assembling the kitchen. We’ll continue to share updates and honest feedback about how choices like butcher block counters hold up over time.
You can read more about our past progress in the beach house category.