Hello friends! I realize it has been quite awhile since I’ve posted. I began this summer trying to juggle several balls in the air, then quickly became buried in what I’d compare to a McDonald’s Playland ball pit. I’m sure you can relate.

I believe ridiculously busy times in our lives like these are actually blessings in disguise, because they force us to prioritize what is really important. Am I right?

Anyway, dare I say that life is calming down a bit for me right now, and I can return to blogging more regularly again. Yay!

Today I am pumped to share the final reveal of the flip house kitchen with you. Later this week, I’ll be posting a complete recap of the flip house with all the befores and afters, so you can really grasp the magnitude of the transformation.

The best part of this whole endeavor was that, within five days of putting the house on the market, we had a buyer! We’re set to close this week. I won’t make much money on this project (to stick with a McDonald’s analogy, I could have made more flipping burgers). But the experience was priceless and will hopefully serve me well as I go on to tackle the next great project.

Now back to that kitchen … below is what we started with:

Kitchen before

And here’s the part where it gets worse before it gets better:

Kitchen during

I am so proud of my “brilliant” idea to drop the upper cabinet and turn it into a peninsula. My husband and dad got to execute that “brilliance,” which I’m sure they were thrilled about. 😉 It was heavy! After the drop, we had to carefully patch the ceiling tiles where the upper cabinets were removed and add a toe kick to the “new” peninsula, raising it off the floor to proper height. What was supposed to be an easy project was maybe not so easy. But in the end it was perfection.

Check out the kitchen now!

Kitchen after

I’ll try to give you the CliffsNotes version of what went on here. I kept the original cabinets, doors and drawers, because they were in great shape. I refinished them using the Rust-Oleum® Cabinet Transformations® light kit in the Pure White (unglazed) color. I also kept the original sink, but I added a new faucet.

I started by scrubbing the doors and drawers with the deglosser that comes in the transformations kit. Then I added some lattice molding to the edge of the doors (not the drawers) to give the doors more of an upscale, modern feel. The lattice was attached with Liquid Nails® adhesive, then clamped until the glue dried. I used caulk around the edges of the lattice to fill any holes and cracks. After that dried, it was time to add paint.

I applied several coats of white paint in the kit using my HomeRight® Finish Max sprayer. I switched to the Finish Max Pro halfway through the job because it was such a large project and the pro seemed to handle the volume a little better.

After several coats of white paint, I sprayed on the protective topcoat that came in the kit. Done! Although this project turned out great, I will admit it was way more work than I anticipated, particularly the lattice part. #proceedwithcaution

I also replaced the cabinet hardware with shiny new chrome pieces I got at Lowe’s and online.

My dad installed new Formica brand laminate from Lowe’s to the countertops. I chose the Ouro Romano color.

I demoed the old backsplash and replaced it with affordable (yet gorgeous!) subway tile, grouted with a light gray grout.

I purchased new stainless steel appliances (the white fridge came with the house) and added new, modern track lighting and a pendant light above the sink.

I installed groutable, luxury vinyl tile from Lowe’s in the Chateau color. I love this floor!

Of course, the whole room got fresh paint, including the ceiling. I added one accent wall in a chalkboard finish, which was a bit of a risk. But that chalkboard wall has been a huge hit with visitors and one of the first things they say they like about the house. So I guess it was a good choice. 🙂

Overall, I spent about $1,300 updating this kitchen (including appliances). What do you think of the transformation? I’d love to hear your feedback!