Behind The Design: Our Kitchen Renovation
Over 6 months ago, we kicked off our kitchen renovation and as much as we wanted it to be finished, when the reveal still feels like it caught me off guard. If you saw the hygge inspired luxe kitchen reveal on the Emily Henderson blog last month, then you know this entire renovation was as transformation for me as it was for our home. The renovation lasted for more than half of our time here at the hygge ranch, so it was definitely a huge part of our day to day lives for such a long time.
Now that it's over, and I can finally catch my breath, I've been thinking about all the details that went into actualizing the complete renovation of the kitchen. Usually with my behind the design posts, I get into the nitty gritty of the project, including the costs — the dollars and the cents. Needless to say the kitchen renovation has been my largest project to date, and with that, the most costly.
As a full time content creator, however, the kitchen also became my job, with one of the benefits being able to partner with brands to bring my design to life. These partnerships offset a lot the typical costs of the renovation... also making it a touch more difficult to give you an accurate final total.
backsplash | cabinets | shades | countertop
To complete the kitchen I partnered with the following brands:
BOXI by Semihandmade: cabinets
Formica: countertops
The Tile Shop: backsplash tile & installation materials
Rejuvenation: shelving and cabinet pulls
The Container Store: pantry and organization solutions
Sherwin Williams: paint
Leviton: electrical switches & receptacles
Kraus: plumbing fixtures
DecorView: motorized shades
Tempaper: wallpaper
We paid for the all of the labor — we hired a contractor to complete the first half of the renovation — in addition to the flooring, lighting, and the appliance upgrades.
backsplash | cabinets | shades | countertop
Had this been a project we were doing on out own, I would have all kinds of correspondence, documenting estimates and costs, culminating in my final approval of the price tag. Instead, all of have are guesstimates based on my knowledge of the industry, current cost of materials, and the scope of our particular project.
Taking into consideration every change we made to the kitchen, it's a renovation that could easily be $20K... maybe even more!
No two kitchen renovations will ever look the same. Finishes, square footage, cost of local materials, cost of labor, unexpected hiccups... this and so much more go into quantifying this kind of project.
How do you prepare for your own kitchen renovation?
Make sure you have both a design and financial contingency plan.
As things arise and the plan unfolds, you will undoubtedly have to pivot, which can effect costs and product availability. Live room for agility on all fronts, while also having a clear vision for what you want to accomplish. Why are you doing all of this? Our why was always to have a true galley kitchen layout with a cozy meets luxe design that reflected our design ethos.
Be honest with yourself about what you want to hire out versus do yourself.
Once the heavy lifting was done, we installed the backsplash, mounted the shelves, installed & connected the plumbing fixtures (our contractor installed the sink), installed the pantry, and repaired the wall below the window after removing the wall heater & bead board wall treatment. I've said it once... I've said it twice — when it comes to hiring or DIY'ing, both will cost you... it's just a question of whether you're spending time or money. That's a personal choice that'll vary from person to person. We chose both and have no regrets.
Don't be afraid to shop retail.
As someone with access to multiple trade resources, I could've easily created a completely custom kitchen — from the roota to the toota. I could've went with finishes that would've been exclusive to my kitchen. Hot tip: custom doesn't automatically equal better. My shelves, cabinet pulls, and even my plumbing upgrades... all available via regular direct to consumer retail stores. Even my cabinets are available direct to consumer. It's not my access to things that makes the design... it's how everything has come together.
backsplash | shades | countertop
We started planning for this renovation since the first day I saw the house — back in the fall of 2020! — and still encountered all sorts of problems we didn't anticipate. Such is the nature of any renovation. When all is said and done, I am just glad everything came out exactly as I'd envisioned... better even.