In My Home: Custom Kitchen Updates

Hey friends! Today I’m focusing on our kitchen and how I personalized it from a generic builder-grade look to a beautiful and functional custom kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of our home and having a kitchen that matches our style and fits our practical needs is an investment that is worth it. 

We were able to make some changes during the construction phase but after living in our home for over three years now, I’ve made some custom kitchen updates that have both saved money and worked for my family and I’d love to share it all with you. 

Design 

Cabinets + Island 

We initially went with an off-white paint color for our kitchen cabinets but after we moved in, we didn’t like that specific color tone in our home after all.

During the building stages of our home, there wasn’t enough time to sample the builder’s selection of paint colors in the home before finalizing on it. If you run into a similar situation, I suggest selecting white paint color for a neutral tone and you can easily change it later if needed.

After a few years, we repainted our kitchen cabinets ourselves, which was a time-consuming project but was totally worth it. It was way less expensive than trying to get all new custom cabinets. I wrote a blog post on how we did it here. 

Kitchen Countertops

I love our kitchen island. We knew we wanted to upgrade our kitchen countertops during the design stage of our home. As a family with little ones who are still growing, we upgraded from the builder granite to quartz.

Quartz is durable, low-maintenance and requires little or no sealing. It also stands up better to stains as compared with natural stone countertops like granite. Quartz can be expensive, but it’s the smartest investment in your kitchen for beauty and longevity. 

Cabinet Door Glass Inserts 

Our upper cabinets originally consisted of the solid wood door style and it was too much for the space. I wanted the kitchen to feel more airy and classic, so I decided to replace some cabinet doors to include glass door inserts.

It completely transformed our kitchen. We went with a plain transparent glass that showcases our entertaining plates and glasses. Between painting the cabinets white and adding the glass cabinet doors on our upper cabinets, it really helped our beautiful tile backsplash stand out.

Custom Range Hood 

Do you love a focal point in your kitchen? Installing a custom range hood is a kitchen element that makes a huge statement in any kitchen. We had ours custom made by the builder and went with a traditional style.

There are many options available between stainless steel and solid wood in a variety of styles. The hood is installed over the range and its functionality is to remove cooking fumes and smoke to eliminate bad air particles in your kitchen.  

Lighting 

We installed this brass transitional island pendant to add warmth in our kitchen. Light fixtures are like jewelry – they reflect one’s personal style in any space in a home. We added some warm energy efficient bulbs to give just the perfect lighting.

Functionality 

Cabinet Doors to Drawers

Installing drawers instead of the standard lower kitchen cabinets in our kitchen design makes it easy to access and organize items in the kitchen, from plates to pots. With most of our bottom cabinets in the kitchen, we removed the doors and shelves and installed huge cabinet drawers.

We store our plates, kids’ utensils and serving dishes in these drawers. When pulled out completely, we’re able to access items stored at the back of the drawers.

Pull-Out Shelves

If you aren’t able to add cabinet drawers, another kitchen solution is to install pull-out shelves. These sliding shelves serve the same purpose as cabinet drawers. We also installed pull-out shelves in our kitchen to access large pots. They can be custom-made to fit your kitchen cabinets, or you can purchase them in standard sizes. 

Light Fixtures

Lighting in your kitchen is essential for functionality and flow in the space. We had our builder install recessed lights in our kitchen. They are embedded in the ceiling which allows for a clean look. This type of fixture is a great source of light in the kitchen for daily tasks.

I recommend using long-lasting LED lights that are dimmable. Having LED lights won’t break the bank because they last for a very long time. At times, recessed lights can seem too bright used within a room, but this is where the dimmer comes into play to tone down the brightness. 

We knew we also wanted under-cabinet lighting while building our home. This allows for us to see things better while prepping and cooking meals. It’s also great at night when we need to see but don’t want to turn on the overhead lights.

A huge kitchen renovation can feel daunting and the remodeling cost can be extremely high, but you can do small home improvement projects to really make an impact.

I hope this helps with your design plans for updating for your kitchen. Feel free to ask me any questions or share custom kitchen updates you have added to your kitchen in the comments below.

xo, Gbeke