The kitchen in this home might’ve been the saddest space of them all. Our original plan was to gut the space and open the cabinet wall to the bedroom behind it to create one much larger kitchen. But now that we’re working with the existing layout, we really just examined what absolutely needed to be fixed. Remember that when we bought the home, renters were living here. So technically we didn’t have to do anything to just re-rent it back out. But of course that just wouldn’t work for us.

Paint would be our absolute savior here. Plus new flooring, a few new appliances, and a new ceiling light fixture…and so much elbow grease. We knew we wanted to go with vinyl tile again in here—at least temporarily—because it was the quickest, least expensive way to transform the sad, worn-out vinyl currently in place. Rather than pull it all up (which we could tell would damage the subfloor), we read about laying it on top existing vinyl like we did in the bathroom.

Tile

Let’s talk for a quick minute about the vinyl tile options out there: they’re slim, my friends. Home Depot and Lowe’s sell a few options, as does Amazon. As much as we love the purple buffalo plaid Chasing Paper flooring in the bathroom, that tile is only slightly thicker than a sticker and not as thick as other varieties like Floor Pops, which is a brand sold at several retailers. I ordered samples of all of the non-cheesy options to see them in person, and my biggest issue with vinyl tile is the white color in most of the tile. It’s just too unnaturally white. And so when I found this option, I was pleasantly surprised that the white wasn’t too white in person.

Once we made the decision to move forward with the tile, I pulled paint colors for the cabinetry and walls. Luckily the cabinets were in fine condition and the paneled walls feel old and add texture, which I love. This room doesn’t have direct sunlight, so the first instinct you might have would be to paint everything white. But white can look dingy in a space that doesn’t get enough light, so I want to incorporate color. Plus colorful paint (especially in matte/flat finish) helps hide imperfections.

Cabinets + Countertop

I spent weeks painting first the cabinets this blue and then the walls this gray. It was a long, exhausting process. I survived on snacks and podcasts. I tried to focus my thoughts on how my body felt and the progress I was making, rather than on how frustratingly slow this whole renovation was going. I did have a bit of help on the cabinet doors from my five-year-old, who felt proud we allowed her to contribute. As for the knobs, I decided to not do brass so I wouldn’t have to worry about complementing the vintage brass hinges. Simple, cheap oversized (2 inch) wooden cabinet knobs make the project feel casual and playful. They also tie into the butcher block countertops, which cost about $600 total. Another thing we decided not to do for now: a backsplash. I didn’t think we needed it for aesthetic purposes because of the busy floor tile and paneled walls, but we can always go back in and add it for durability if it feels necessary.

Appliances + Storage

The microwave was a nasty goner, so we installed a new one while my mother-in-law Pat brought the stove back to life. We also swapped out the sink and faucet for simple, stainless steel models. We installed a pair of floating shelves above the sink for spice storage and white shelves above the cabinet near the fridge, which I think would make the sweetest coffee bar. Painting wooden switch plates the same color as the walls also helped create a cohesive look.

Lighting

Finally, we swapped out the ceiling light fixture for this modern brass flushmount. I love its playful shape and that it has three bulbs which shed plenty of light in a somewhat shadowy room. We also installed a simple sconce with the puck light trick above the sink to help with dish washing. No electrician required.