If there’s one room that I’m most excited to reveal, this would be it. Click below to watch the official Before & After video:
The dream kitchen planning began long before purchasing the house—months spent browsing Pinterest and gathering inspiration and ideas for my next kitchen renovation. I had a general idea of what I wanted it to look and feel like, and shared it back in November, in my Kitchen Plans post.
The only way to get there was a complete gut job of this 60 year old relic:
It was begging for a new life.
So I went to the drawing board, coming up with every possible configuration until landing on one that made the most sense.
Step 1: Take it down to the studs.
Step 2: Remove the door to make way for a new stove & fridge location, and brighten up the walls.
Step 3: More cabinet & counter space.
Step 4: Durable flooring, butcher block counters, farmhouse sink, a DIY range hood and updated electrical.
Step 5: Custom built-ins by my talented contractor:
Step 6: Layer on the unique & unexpected details
If only it were as simple as those six steps… Ha! But the four months of intensive labor have really paid off this time.
Welcome to the Cottage House Flip Kitchen…
I almost chose gold over copper, but I’m glad I went with my gut on this. I haven’t seen another kitchen like it.
Here comes the fun part: hover over the next two images and product info & links will magically appear. Bam!
Pretty cool, right? I’ll be using this feature in a few of my reveal posts, so stay tuned for more.
Can we talk about this sink for a second?
The front detailing gets me every time. It’s actually reversible with a smooth side on the back, but I don’t know why you’d want to use it when you’ve got this awesome sauce on the other side. And that bridge faucet is a match made in heaven for it (affordable, too!)
The brick herringbone accent was a last minute decision because I couldn’t stand to throw away the gorgeous brick pavers I had leftover from the laundry & bathroom floor (PS, they come in several different colors… wish I had discovered these sooner!)
We ran a propane line just to have a gas stove (you’re welcome, future homeowner) and this range is by far the nicest I’ve ever owned. In fact, my contractor who installed it is about to buy one for himself. Sidenote: can you believe these sconces are only $91 a piece?
I wasn’t sure if there’d be room for a table in here but it worked out pretty perfectly. It was a $30 Craigslist find that I refinished (in Maison Blanche‘s Vanille & brown antique wax). The runner is a light weight blanket I grabbed from home and threw on top at the last second.
The open floating shelving is a designers dream. Everything here was pulled from storage (collected over the years from flea markets, thrift stores, some from Wayfair, etc). Artichokes and pistachios courtesy of the Country Living stylist 🙂
And the hardware—I scoured the internet for weeks looking for copper pulls and knobs, and think I found the only set in existence (that wasn’t outrageously expensive or unattractive). I actually used a bit of steel wool to expose more of the copper underneath and they’re a great match to the sconces.
On the right side of the room, we have a nice row of cabinets providing plenty of storage and extra counter space.
The chalkboard (made by the Summery Umbrella) came from my last house, and I designed a quick “welcome home” in Illustrator, printed it out on several sheets of paper and traced it.
And how cute is that little dinner bell? Found it on eBay.
I repurposed a few vintage hooks found in the house and created a little drop zone where the fridge used to stand.
The fun striped apron was an Etsy find:
I also borrowed some of Country Living’s props while they were here and had fun switching up the styling…
I wish this flip was 4 months of styling/shooting and 2 days of construction, rather than the other way around. I’d much rather do that all day.
This color palette… I didn’t know if it would all work together, but it just feels so right.
Several meals have already been had around this table, and I plan to take full advantage of this kitchen for as long as I can. Part of me secretly hopes it doesn’t sell for a while.
Can you blame me?
It’s hard to give up your dream kitchen. I’d do it all over again.
SOURCES
Wall paint: Valspar’s Bistro White (eggshell)
Trim paint: Valspar’s Woodlawn Colonial Gray (eggshell)
Pergo Flooring in Scottsdale Oak – discontinued color (Similar here)
Cabinets: Kraftmaid Durham Maple Square in Onyx
Butcher block counters – stained in Minwax’s weathered oak & sealed with Howard’s Conditioner
Subway tile (with white grout)
Brick veneer tile (with white grout)
Copper sconces: Discontinued, similar here
Dinner bell: Similar here
All other pillows: Ikea, H&M
Blankets: already owned
Hooks: already owned
Old bench: already owned
Plates, vases, pitchers, etc: flea market/thrift/already owned
Disclosure: Some of the products listed were provided via sponsorship—all of which I selected and fully approve of.
I think that covers it all, let me know if I missed anything or if there’s any clarifications needed, and make sure to watch the Before & After video to get a more complete picture! What do you think of the reveal? What’s your favorite part? It’s hard for me to choose, but I think that brick herringbone is the icing on the cake.
Next Tuesday I’ll be sharing the living/dining area, so there’s a ton of photos coming your way! I’m off to enjoy the first weekend I get to spend relaxing at home in a very long time… <3
It looks amazing. You are so talented Jenna Sue. I would have a hard time selling it too.
<3
Looks absolutely fantastic! I’m a frustrated designer and renovating now. I have the same table in my dining room. As much as I hate painting wood, you’ve given me the push to paint it!
Do it! Those round tables are so versatile, I would hang onto it!
Wow!!! This is beyond anything I could imagine. Your talent blows me away. I am dreaming of a kitchen remodel and this will be my inspiration. In a crowded world of design blogs yours stands at the top.
Wow, that’s a huge compliment! Thank you so much <3
Lowes sells butcherblock now!? I mean this kitchen is great, but I’m a little too excited about the fact that I finally have a store that’s not 4 hours away that sells butcherblock.
Yep, they just started rolling it out! I love that it’s unfinished too so you can customize it 🙂
This is amazing Jenna! I’ve been waiting for this reveal….and you DID NOT disappoint!!! WOW….I wanna live there. :)….I’m sure it must be so hard to think about selling it and having someone else living there….but that’s the name of the game-right?….You are an amazing young lady…and one day you will LIVE in your dream home. I’m excited for the rest of the reveal. ….And then, to see what’s next for you.
I love everything about this kitchen….materials, color scheme, and most of all the welcoming vibe it gives off… perfect! You get an A+ on this !!!
Hugs to you!!
So sweet of you to say Linda! xo
I can’t believe how perfectly everything came together! It is absolutely, positively, beautiful!!!!!! Your styling is just right. Congratulations- you knocked it out of the park?
Appreciate it, Linz!
Heart eyes, purely heart eyes. I knew this would be amazing, but WOW. You slayed it, Jenna. Can’t wait to see the rest!
Thanks so much Leanne!
Gorgeous and perfectly matches the setting of the house too. Can you do a highlight on the legs for the built-in bench seating and how your contractor made those? The live edges and rustic log look are amazing and such a great detail!
Thanks Michelle! I didn’t see my contractor make those, unfortunately, he did them at home and the bench was installed after I arrived! I almost painted them but they are pretty neat as is, right?
Gorgeous!
FANTASTIC on every level with authentic feel for the age of cabin! Love all selections but you asked our kitchen favorite, for me it is the custom wood stove hood plus the original white painted wood paneling. Without those 2 elements the kitchen would not have the feel it does. BEAUTIFUL work!!!!!
Thank you Carly! I lucked out with all that original wood 😀
So gorgeous! You pulled it all together into a real showpiece! Looking forward to all the future posts and inspiring pictures of the other rooms!
I’m pretty sure I just picked my jaw up off the floor. I cannot even begin to put words to this kitchen design! It’s just impossible. I am so looking forward to each and every reveal for this cottage flip.
Thank you Kirsten! I can’t wait to share more 😀
The final reveals are soooo rewarding – even to your readers! I must admit I was really wondering how the bench near the stove with the round table was going to work and it turned out to be my favorite nook of the kitchen! I totally agree – the colors blend together so nicely. I found myself trying to think of the logistics of buying your house in CA for vacation (we live in NJ – total pipe dream) while scrolling through this post! I would totally want a few weeks to enjoy it before it sells too. Can’t wait to see the rest!
One day I’ll buy a vacation home to keep as an AirBnB, you can come stay in that one! 😉
Wow! Stunning. You are so incredibly talented. I pinned this whole thing 🙂 Question for you. We are remodeling and i want to do black windows but having the hardest time finding them. Can you share where your windows are from??
Thank you so much Lara! I think I responded to you on instagram, but those interior windows are original and I’m not sure where the previous owners purchased them.
It’s gorgeous!!! You are very talented!!! I wish you lived in Chicago – I would hire you on the spot to decorate my fixer upper!!!!!
I absolutely love this. It is beautiful. And I love your color scheme. I have so much of the neutral browns (tan-based and wood items); however, I love the new grays that are available now. You blended them perfectly. I couldn’t love it any more! BTW, the marks (looks almost like swirls from a machine/sander) on your open shelving and the range hood-did the wood come like that or did you do something to create the look?
Thanks Paulette! The wood is reclaimed and came that way that from a local lumber yard.
Really, really beautiful! I especially love the wooden stove hood.
Almost Perfection!! Love the color scheme. And so looking forward to seeing the living room and your next fixer upper!! Congratulations on a job very well done!
This looks really, really beautiful. Love the styling also. I wish there was more of the paver backsplash! Maybe for your next house 🙂 I can’t tell if there’s a microwave – did you consciously decide to leave it out, or was there no room? Just interested on your thoughts on that.
Thank you! The microwave is just behind the door of the pantry, which is across from the row of bar cabinets. It didn’t really make it into the reveal but you can see a good shot of the cabinet in the Before video. Right now it has a bunch of paint & tools inside so I didn’t get a photo 🙂
This looks beautiful! I recently discovered your blog and am so glad I did.
I’m curious: do you sell your flip houses fully-furnished? You obviously spent a lot of money and effort furnishing this cottage, and I didn’t know if that’s for staging, or if that’s how you’ll sell it. Just curious!
The furnishings will be negotiable 🙂
Hope you are able to enjoy this beautiful home you’ve created. I love how you pace the reveals although I must admit that it’s torment waiting! You make everything look so easy. Swooning over round white table, like the contrast against the wood floor. Would the paint you used on your table be a good candidate for painting a wall cabinet made out of pine?
I’d definitely use that paint on any piece of furniture! Any type of wood will take to it well.
Simply stunning! Kitchen sink is my favorite but I’m loving everything! How do the previous owners not want to come back? Always look forward to your posts – so inspiring!
I think this place is a real keeper!! Know it will sell soon though and lucky new owners to have had you to design and renovate this to a real classy place.
The kitchen is stunning! Yet homey and comfy at the same time. Love the brick backsplash! Can you tell me if you used a sealer on this brick on the backsplash as well as when you used it on the bath floor? I bought some of the same brick for use on my fireplace hearth and entryway and wasn’t sure if I should seal. And did you use mortar or grout in those applications? Thanks!
Yep, they used a grout + sealer combination!
Just wow!!! You are so incredibly talented. You definitelh found your calling ?
<3
Oh my goodness…. I don’t think I’ve been more in love with a kitchen ever. You did such a great job. I love it!
I just knew it would be this gorgeous! Yes, my favorite part might be the herringbone brick… or the copper… oh,I just love it all! I cant wait for the rest of the reveals. I’ll just keep looking at this kitchen ’till then.
Jenna Sue,
AMAZING. So perfect. So Beautiful in every way.
Mommy ! It’s good.
WOW! This is so beautiful that picking one feature as a favorite is impossible. Your design sense is spectacular. I love how you accessorized with your own belongings that you have accumulated over time and how little you had to use Country Livings props.
Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
You have been my fav since I discovered you. That’s saying a lot too because I am an design junkie. Love the sconces, the diy table, the way you used a throw for the runner, the built in shelves, the fact that you used steel wool to make the copper shine through even more- genius diy idea! I want to live here- in the kithen, ha! You are so talented and your writing is pretty fantastic too!! ???
Thanks so much Heather! xo
Sad you took the cabin out of the cabin in the pines. Looks like any other house in town. I’ll take knotty pine over modern dtuff in the hills anytime.
Sorry you’re not a fan!
I love everything!! Wish I could buy it!
I stumbled upon this post and just wanted to tell you how much I’m inspired by this post! Your after pics look awesome. Great job!! I’ll be following 🙂
I lOVE everything about this kitchen. You are so talented. I wish you had your own show on HGTV. 🙂
Lovely! Put on the coffee, I will bring a pie.
Please tell me a source for a similar table. Gotta have it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I keep thinking your projects are THE BEST and can’t be beat… then you out do yourself again!!! Beautiful. After following for many years (since the Florida house) your name is now a verb at our house …. we are going to Jenna Sue our kitchen (husband does eye roll here). Keep it up!
Haha, love it!
I had to laugh at the comment above from Katherine. No, you can’t please everyone, that is for sure! But if the one in one hundred still likes that knotty pine look , that is okay!! But believe me, the other 99 think it is out of this world! First of all, I am very fond of our Jenna Sue, and I don’t want anyone hurting her feelings! You know I am a loyal follower, and I have seen you go through quite a journey, and how you have just grown and blossomed into this empowered woman who can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. You are such a perfectionist, and every single detail is phenomenal! Why was that person even following you if she felt that way? Whoever purchases this beautiful home- I hope they appreciate all that went into it! And I was wondering, since you are such a styling/design diva- could you start a staging company and do that as a career? You would probably get bored after a couple months and need to start at the ground level and do it all!! Praying all the best for you, Sherri
Oh my, I so agree! More like took the cabin in the pines and made it a cottage home. IMO Updated and Upgraded but to each their own.
Beautiful work, Jenna! I love following your projects. I have a quick question about the floating shelves. Are they one thick slab of wood, or did you build them like you did in your last kitchen? I’m going to attempt a similar look, but hoping to use a slab rather than build them out. Thanks!
Thanks Deb! They’re one solid piece of wood (reclaimed lumber).
Thanks! 😉
Everything is just stunning! I knew you would do a great job with it, but…man. How beautiful!
A+ Good Job!!! It is so so so nice! Can’t wait to see the rest!
I just found your blog and spent the last week going back and reading your entries from the last 3 or so years. What incredible courage you have and such a story to tell. I have lived vicariously through your travels. I would never have the courage to do that. So glad you have found such happiness. God has certainly blessed your life and made beauty out of ashes. Absolutely love the kitchen (and whole house for that matter)!! Are the olive branches faux? If so, where did you get them.
Thank you so much Marsha, that means a lot to me! <3 xo
I’m so sorry… I WANT that sink and the link says website not available….. could you please tell me the details so I can get it too? I love EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS, by the way…!
Hmm, the link works for me! It’s linked three different times in the post, maybe try a different one?
It is absolutely beautiful. The cabinets, the tiling, the finishes, the colour scheme all simply magnificent. You really have a true gift. I’m just wondering though is it just the angle the pictures are taken on or would it be quite dangerous to be sitting at the eat-in area when the hot oven door is open?
Where did you find the kitchen rug? Love everything about this space! Amazing!
Hi Krissie, it’s from ATG and linked a few times in the blog post!
Just found your blog as I am looking for inspiration on our wee Guesthouse we are doing on our property. First off… WOW! I could not sell this house! You were so fortunate with all the original panelling… It is perfection for this cottage and white is so much better! Everything is perfect… Love love this kitchen. Such a score finding that table on Craigslist. Great job!
So wonderful to have this very detailed list of where items were purchased. I live in remote Colorado where there are so many incredible antique shops and vintage stores. Watching this flip inspired me in so many ways. You are an incredible designer Jenna!! Well done.