Our Kitchen Remodel: A Love Story (With Demolition, Tears, and Takeout)

It all started with one innocent phrase:
“We should just update the cabinets.”

Fast-forward 2 weeks, 4 contractor visits, 3 existential crises, and 87 takeout meals later… we now have a brand new kitchen. And a newfound appreciation for microwaves in bedrooms.

Phase 1: The Dream

We had a vision. Pinterest boards were made. HGTV was binge-watched. I said words like “open concept” and “pop of color.” My partner nodded and quietly calculated how many frozen pizzas we’d be eating.

Phase 2: The Demolition

There’s something deeply therapeutic about smashing your outdated tile backsplash. There’s also something deeply terrifying about realizing you just lost access to coffee-making capabilities for two weeks.

Phase 3: The Dust

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but remodeling your kitchen does not just affect your kitchen. There was dust in the bathroom. There was dust in the fridge that wasn’t even plugged in. At one point I considered just moving out and letting the dust have the house.

Phase 4: The Chaos

Our “temporary kitchen” consisted of a toaster, a mini fridge, and a prayer. At one point, I made spaghetti in a crockpot using bottled water. It was… crunchy.

Phase 5: The Reveal

And then—just like a home makeover show, but without the dramatic slow-motion pan—we got our kitchen back. And it. Is. Glorious.

Soft-close drawers that I keep opening and closing just because I can.

New flooring that looks like real hardwood but is actually Luxurious Vinyl Plank (LVP).

A backsplash so pretty I briefly considered licking it.

Racks and fancy devices in my cabinets for storage.

And cabinets that are definitely too fancy for the off-brand cereal I keep putting in them.

Final Thoughts:

Would I do it again?
Absolutely.  We love our new kitchen

But for now, I’ll be here… cooking one overly complicated Pinterest recipe just to justify owning a kitchen this nice.