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You are here: Home / kitchen renovation / The Baking Beauties DIY Kitchen Renovation

The Baking Beauties DIY Kitchen Renovation

April 10, 2010 By Jeanine Friesen 26 Comments

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We moved into this house last summer. In our house prior to this, we renovated the whole place. Top to bottom. Literally. New drywall, floors, siding, windows, you name it, we did it. We are do-it-yourself people. Not because we want to be (although I do enjoy it most of the time), but because paying someone to do the work makes most of the projects cost more than double what the materials alone do. So, out of necessity, we have learned to do a lot things. We are not intimidated by hanging drywall, plastering, re-working electrical or plumbing. Flooring & paint are a walk in the park. Enter…this kitchen. It was small, and after coming from the kitchen we had created for ourselves in the other house, we knew this was something we were going to have to “fix”. Not that it was broken. It was just poorly designed, and closed off. After getting a professional to come in and assure me that the wall was not a structural wall (and give me a quote of $4500 to remove it *choke*), I began removing drywall. πŸ™‚ I did forget to get pictures of the kitchen before. You can see in this picture where the wall was though, and that there was a small doorway from the dining are to the kitchen. The stove was up against the outside wall, and the dishwasher was right beside the fridge.

I feel I have to add this…

WARNING: DO NOT PROCEED TO REMOVE WALLS FROM YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT YOUR HUSBANDS FULL SUPPORT. YOU WILL NEED HIM THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. πŸ˜‰

Have I mentioned…my husband is awesome?? He didn’t want to do this project, but saw that it was necessary, so we went ahead with it. Good thing we work well together!

Welcome to The Baking Beauties DIY Kitchen Renovation…

DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThere were no cupboards on the wall we removed, it was supposed to be used as a small eating area.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThe wall is removed, and all the electrical that was in it is all re-worked. Like the carpet under the dining table? πŸ˜›
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesWe put laminate floor in the living & dining room areas, as well as in the kitchen.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesGetting the wall in place where the island will be. Put electrical in the sides of the island too.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesUpper cabinets are out! You can see, not much usable cabinets/drawers on the bottom. And very little counter space.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesInstalling upper cabinets. I knew it was going to be OK, check out the boy, oozing with optimism.
Now before we continue, I must say, that I designed the new kitchen & the layout, and what kind of cabinets I had where. That’s the easy part. My Dad, however, is my fabulous cabinet maker. He does woodworking as a hobby, and this is the second set of kitchen cabinets that he’s built for us. He does a fantastic job, I just give him exterior dimensions, and he figures the rest out. The only time things didn’t fit here properly (and needed to be re-worked), it was MY fault (oops!). But, in the end, it all fit perfectly, and looks amazing! Thank you SO much Dad!

DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesNew base cabinets are in, and the new countertop as well. Next, the sink!
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesInstalling new under-cabinet lighting (still the old base cabinets).
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThe boy helping remove spacers while doing the tile backsplash. (just like his Dad…on the counters)
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesFINALLY! My new kitchen! Love, Love, LOVE it! (want to do a red window treatment yet)
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThe amount of space that I have now with the island and a full counter top is amazing!Β 

By the way, that’s a full oven in the island. It is a slide-in oven, just doesn’t have the high back on it. LOVE IT!

DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesView from sitting in the living room. You can see the dining area, and the kitchen. One big open floor now.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThe baking center that I showed you yesterday. I don’t even have to remove my flour containers now, just scoop!
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesThe huge lazy susanΒ  that makes everything in my corner cabinet totally accessible now.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesMy little cabinet that I use to store my rolling pin & cookie sheets. LOVE it!
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesHad a small space, so I made it into a small bookshelf for some cookbooks.
DIY Kitchen Renovation - The Baking BeautiesLove it! A pull out cabinet where I can keep all the tall bottles, and I don’t have to reach to the back of a cupboard.

So, there ya have it! Thanks for stopping by and letting me share what has been keeping me busy for the past number of months. Now that the inside of the house is done, I guess I can move onto working on the yard!
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Filed Under: kitchen renovation Tagged With: Renovations

About Jeanine Friesen

Jeanine Friesen is the creator of gluten free recipes that are so good, you can't tell they are gluten free. Her site, Faithfully Gluten Free, has been helping the gluten free community live a life filled with delicious food since 2008. She has also published a beginner guide for those on the gluten free journey called "The Everything Guide to Living Gluten Free".

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    April 10, 2010 at 11:00 am

    It's gorgeous! I love all of the storage space you have, and such a great idea to do a flour drawer like that!

    Reply
  2. tallmisto says

    April 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    Such a gorgeous kitchen. You did an amazing job. I love the baking station, such a great idea. The stove looks great too. I like how it blends in to the island.

    Our kitchen needs a grenade taken to it and start all over again. My husband and I know nothing about how to install anything. Your post is very inspiring.

    Reply
  3. Jeanine says

    April 10, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    Thanks, Lauren! I'm lovin' the flour drawer right now. Usually I run around, looking for all my bags of flour, and I figured if I was gonna do this, I was gonna make it MUCH easier on me. πŸ™‚
    Tallmisto, I bet if you tried hard, you could do it too. There are SO many resources available online, you can learn how to do just about anything. Well, electrical & plumbing I leave up to my husband, but anything else, you can learn online.

    Reply
  4. Colleen/And Baby Makes Five says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    Oh, Jeanine … it's gorgeous!!! I love how open everything is too. And the baking station and specialty drawers/spaces are genius.

    It was quite the family affair, wasn't it?! What a talented group you are πŸ™‚

    Todd and I are die-hard do-it-yourselfers too. It's the only way to get the look we want for the prices we can pay. And it's always fun to learn a new trick or skill.

    Enjoy that wonderful new space. You done good, my friend!

    Reply
  5. Jeanine says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:27 pm

    Thanks, Colleen! I know you and Todd are DIYers as well, I'm still waiting to see the final product from your bathroom re-do. πŸ™‚ Love seeing before & after pics of what people have done.
    Thanks for your comment, it feels great to be done. Yep, 3 generations worked on that kitchen. I think the kitchen really is the heart of the home, and now it feels like it's ticking right again. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. Carolee says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    The new kitchen looks fantastic! First time commenter, but thanks for all the great recipes. My non-Celiac boyfriend asks for the salisbury steaks all the time!

    Reply
  7. Susan says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    great kitchen and great pics…now I only wish I had one…Love all the little drawers…could have used you to plan mine..I guess you were just a little young at the time πŸ™‚
    Mom

    Reply
  8. Jeanine says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Carolee! So glad that you decided to post. When people comment, I know I'm not just talking to myself. *smile* And the salisbury steaks…also my husbands favorite! Must be "man food", huh?

    Reply
  9. Jeanine says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    Ha, Mom! I guess no one asked for my input at the time, huh? ;o) You actually have a very nicely designed kitchen, I'd say that Dad did a really good job with it. Maybe you just need to purge your cabinets of some stuff. lol

    Reply
  10. danamichelle says

    April 10, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    Hi Jeanine! I love your kitchen! very inspiring. My husband and I just moved into a house about 4 months ago, and like you, we have a partial wall separating the living room from the kitchen. I would love to remove it and redo our kitchen…but if you wouldn't mind me asking, how much does something like that cost to do? We are very DIY too, seriously anything my husband sets is mind to do, he can do!

    Reply
  11. GF Gidget says

    April 10, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    OMG I am in love with your new kitchen! Gorgeous!

    Reply
  12. adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com says

    April 10, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    Flour Drawer… BRILLIANT! I am so jealous. πŸ™‚

    Beautiful kitchen and so very cool that you did it yourselves!

    Heidi

    Reply
  13. Betsy says

    April 10, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    What a pretty kitchen – that flour drawer is soo nice as is the huge looking lazy susan. Wow. What fun when the kids get to be involved as well!

    Reply
  14. The Not So Perfect Housewife says

    April 11, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    WOW!! I love my kitchen, but I think I actually have a little kitchen envy.. LOL!! You are truly blessed with so many things.. awesome hubby, cute kids.. and now a beautiful kitchen!!
    Enjoy

    Reply
  15. betty r says

    April 11, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Wow Jeanine, a great job indeed! I saw the layout of your kitchen, dining room and living room before..what a change..you have worked hard and everything looks beautiful!
    Word verification is 'plate'..you had a lot on your plate and now you can enjoy the fruits of your labours!

    Reply
  16. Renaissance Woman says

    April 14, 2010 at 8:46 pm

    I'm rapidly becoming one of your biggest fans. The gluten-free recipes are Heaven-sent. Thanks. Now — about this new kitchen. OMG! Your gift for seeing the potential in that kitchen was inspired. I'm really impressed. Congratulations to you!

    Reply
  17. Dani says

    April 15, 2010 at 8:48 am

    what an inspiring kitchen! thanks for the great ideas πŸ™‚

    Reply
  18. [email protected] home to dream home says

    April 15, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    I LOVE IT!!! Congrats on getting your kitchen done.. I am almost there! I bet you just love spending time in there now, it looks just amazing!

    Reply
  19. The Gluten-free 'Dish' says

    April 17, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    You must be thrilled to have your new kitchen! It looks wonderful! Great job! I love my lazy susan, too and it looks like we have the exact same model dishwasher. Have a great time cooking in your new space. Love it!

    Reply
  20. Michelle says

    April 19, 2010 at 9:16 am

    Wow, your kitchen is so pretty! You guys did a great job! I like the pictures of the progress and the start and finish. You really opened it up.

    Reply
  21. Jenn says

    April 27, 2010 at 11:52 am

    I just found your site recently, and my love of interior design drew me to this post. Can I just say, ya'll did a fantastic job! It looks wonderful!

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    June 16, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    You new kitchen is absolutely gorgeous…you are very lucky! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  23. anng27 says

    September 25, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    We're getting ready to remodel our kitchen, and I've been a total loss on laying it out. But a flour drawer under the mixer has just been added to the must-have list. Brilliant!

    Reply
  24. Cathy Bray says

    May 15, 2011 at 6:53 pm

    Jeanine! You are so smart to have removed that wall! Your new kitchen is BEAUTIFUL!!!

    Reply
  25. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

    June 28, 2013 at 9:44 am

    Lovely job. As gorgeous as it all looks it’s the removing of the walls that I would love the most. Being sequestered in a kitchen would make me feel claustrophobic so even though I don’t have a husband, I’m thinking I would have had to do the same!

    Reply
    • Jeanine Friesen says

      July 20, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      Thanks, Barbara! When we moved here, we’d just finished renovating the kitchen in the house we’d sold. I knew this kitchen was closed, but figured, I could make it work. I was wrong. πŸ™‚ Thank goodness I have an understanding husband. πŸ™‚

      Reply

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