Throwback- Townhouse Kitchen Renovation

As we are getting into our biggest kitchen renovation to date, I'm thinking back on our previous homes and the kitchen transformations we took on in them.

Back in 2013, we moved into a townhome together and decided to fix it up. We had zero idea what we were doing, and figured out a lot in this townhouse. We referred to it quite a bit as our "practice home" Due to the 900 sq. ft size, we knew it was not a long-term home for us, but a pretty good right-out-of-college, first-home-together.

Here's what it looked like before we moved in:

What we updated:

1. The cabinets

We didn't have the budget to fully replace the cabinets, so we painted the exterior a mahogany color instead of the light blue that they were, and a light brown for the inside. We also put brand new hardware on the cabinets that made a huge difference.

Lesson learned on this one: we should have sanded them first. This sounds like an obvious mistake after-the-fact, but a mistake that was made nonetheless. Sanding the cabinets would have helped the paint to stay better and keep small dings and scrapes from showing.

2. Replacing the counters

The counters were particle board with veneer when we moved in. They looked like fake butcher block. While they were functional, we replaced them with white formica tops. We went with formica because it was a cost-effective and durable option.

3. Putting up a backsplash

We did the tile backsplash ourselves. We purchased a wet saw, grout, and tile sheets from Home Depot. I think we went too fast, and should have practiced before trying it on the actual space.

Lesson learned here: Hire someone to do tile. Although it wasn't difficult and it ended up looking good, it was above our skill level and stressful. Yes, we saved money, but we learned that we should include contractor costs in for any future tile projects. Or practice a lot more before jumping right in.

If you're going to do this yourself, go slow on the measurements and do it in smaller sections to make sure you can put the sheets up before it dries.

4. New appliances

Appliances make a big difference. We replaced each of the appliances with stainless steel ones. It's not cheap, but the long term benefits are exponential. Also, it's just nice to know that your kitchen appliances are clean and will last.

We learned so much in this townhome and, specifically, in this renovation. While we made some mistakes, it's obvious how a little elbow grease and a lower budget can make a big impact on a space.

I'll be sharing the kitchen renovation from our second home and link it here.

Also, once our BIG (current) kitchen renovation is done, I'll share it on this blog as well. I'm SO excited for the current one. Although it's a long process, it will be worth the wait.