Our Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover Reveal

I can hardly believe it—it’s done! Our modern farmhouse kitchen makeover is finally complete (well, 99% complete—because is a DIY project ever truly finished?). After months of planning and a lot of hard work, we now have a kitchen that’s not only functional but feels like “us.” Every detail brings me joy, and I’m so grateful to have a space that works beautifully for our family and our style.

If you’ve been following along with our kitchen renovation journey, you might remember the DIY range hood cover we built. That project was one of my favorite upgrades, and if you’re considering a similar change, check out my step-by-step guide to creating your own custom range hood cover—it’s easier than you think!

Our Kitchen Before

Let’s step backwards and take a quick look at what the kitchen used to look like, with it’s 90’s pickled oak cabinets, small island and minimal storage space.

Our Modern Farmhouse Kitchen After!

No one is more excited than I am to have a fully functional and beautiful kitchen! Bye-bye dark paint and blah cabinets. Hello white shiplap, walnut butcher block, open shelves, and black stainless steel appliances!

So let’s talk about the details…

Kitchen Zones: Details

Any good kitchen has zones. You know, individual areas that serve different purposes.

Given that Dean and I have been married for over 20 years and have moved around a lot, I had a pretty good idea of how I’d like my kitchen to function before we started this renovation. It also helps to have lived in this particular house while planning the modern farmhouse kitchen makeover over the last six months.

Food Prep Zone #1

I know that I like to cook with a lot of herbs and spices. I also know that I like those spices to be out in the open so they’re easily accessible while I’m cooking and preparing food. In our last house Dean made me a tiered stand for my spices. Unfortunately there was nowhere to put that particular stand in this kitchen. So we cut two Ikea picture frame ledges in half and used them to organized my spices. (This would be part of the 1% of the kitchen that’s not finished – I didn’t get to paint the exposed edges of the cut shelves before taking photos. It will get done on another day.)

I also like to keep a selection of cooking utensils, oils and vinegars nearby when making meals. This old Pepsi crate I’ve had for years was the perfect little container to corral those extra things.

Next to the stove on the other side is a large cutting board, iPad stand (I use my iPad all the time for recipes) and knife block.

Food Prep Area #2 + Food Storage

Another zone in our kitchen that is a part of the food prep area houses the new microwave and the toaster. Which are sort of sandwiched between all the food storage.

Unfortunately we don’t have a pantry, nor was there room for one, in this house. But we did make the most of the cabinets we do have by organizing them well. The upper cupboards store most of the dry and canned goods, while Dean retrofitted the inside of a regular cabinet with some Ikea roll out storage. So effectively we have a pantry with almost all of the food stored in the same area at the end of the kitchen. (The coffee and tea is at the other end near the coffee bar. But we’ll get to that shortly.)

The Island – Dishwashing, Waste & Compost + Plasticware Storage

The new island was built specifically to house the dishwasher, sink and garbage/recycling center as well as to hold plastic containers, food storage bags, wraps and such.

Honestly that sink has to have been one of the best purchases of the entire kitchen. I LOVE how it can hold and hide so many dishes – even the large pots and pans. It’s the best solution for a kitchen being so open to the living room because there’s no mess visible from the living room side of the island!

Dishes and Glassware Storage/Display

Of course another part of the kitchen is the dish storage. We’ve chosen to keep that all out in the open. This is partly due to my love of open shelving and partly due to hosting people so often and wanting to make them feel at home and at ease…and not feeling like they have to search for something.

Coffee & Beverage Bar

Then we have the coffee bar area. This was one part of our old house I missed the most with the small kitchen here. And I feel extremely thankful to have been able to expand the space. There’s plenty of space for more than one person to get themselves a tea or a coffee. And there’s storage for everything…k cups, tea bags and all the paraphernalia. And of course, plenty of room to store all.the.mugs. 😉

Dog Food & Accessories

There’s even room for the doggie stuff. (Ignore the dust on the mini fridge vent! Gah! Renos are messy! #howembarassing)

Desk/Mini Office Area

Another favorite place in the kitchen is my new desk. I needed somewhere on the main floor to work and keep an eye on the kids while they do their homeschool work. The kitchen seemed like the best spot for that. The drawer beside the desk (above the dog food storage) holds hanging files and office supplies.

The Finishing Touch

The final finishing touch didn’t quite make it in time for all the photos…the oversized gather metal sign cutout.

I designed it and there was a bit of trouble getting it into the right file format and then the right size for the software Dean’s company uses for their laser cutting machine. But it made it in time for Dean to put up tonight when he got home.

So there’s our modern farmhouse kitchen makeover. It’s time for me to sit down on the couch with a glass of wine…to enjoy the view.

This kitchen makeover was truly a labor of love, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. It’s more than just a pretty space—it’s where we gather, cook, and make memories as a family. I hope sharing this journey inspires you to create a home you love, no matter where you’re starting. If you’ve done a kitchen makeover or are planning one, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!