08/25/2026
As you can see in the first photo, stuff is everywhere. For these progress photos, I used AI to touch up the lighting and clear everything out for a better before-and-after comparison. They are pretty accurate to how the kitchen actually looks, minus the chaos from this weekend’s push to get more work done.
DIY can be incredibly rewarding and intimidating at the same time. I am far from a professional and know just enough to get myself into trouble.
This kitchen has been an ongoing project since we moved in almost two years ago. DIY almost always takes longer than planned and costs more than expected, but it can still save you thousands.
It may look like a full renovation in the photos, but it is not. Time and money did not allow for that. The goal has always been to make it look better while adding functionality, including the pantry and mudroom area.
I reused the original cabinet doors. I cut strips of thin plywood and stapled them onto the doors to create the look of Shaker-style cabinets. Then I painted everything and changed the hardware.
The counters, floor, and backsplash were originally covered in the same tile. Since the floor tile was less than 1/4 inch grout lines, I installed the LVP directly over it. I primed the countertops and covered them with epoxy. For the backsplash, I primed the existing tile and installed a peel-and-stick backsplash over it.
The ceiling tested negative for asbestos, so I scraped it, cut thin plywood into planks, and glued them to the ceiling to imitate shiplap.
For the trim, I kept the farmhouse feel using simple 1x4, 1x3, and 1x2 primed boards to create a poor man’s crown molding. I have to say, that was the point when I finally started seeing my vision come together and thought I might actually know what I was doing.
The most invasive part was adding the pantry and mudroom area. My house is a decent size, but it has a lot of wasted space. Adding these two areas simply made sense.
There is still plenty of touching up and painting left to do, and the work continues into the hallway. We stopped at the living room for now so we can focus on finally finishing this project. I have big plans for the living room, but those will have to wait.
I am more than happy with how this is turning out. It was not built for the cover of a magazine, and it is not my final vision for the kitchen. However, it is beginning to feel much more comfortable and more like our home than it did when we first moved in.
If you took the time to read all of this, thank you. I would also love to see photos of your DIY projects or hear the stories behind them.
