I can’t believe how far we’ve come. This process has been simultaneously one of the most stressful experiences of my life, and also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

If you’re looking for all our kitchen sources + our EXACT budget, you can find that in THIS post!

I’m writing this post almost a year after we started this renovation, and about 7 months after we finished (except for the wet bar area – more on that later!). In the meantime, we’ve made significant progress on the rest of our house, and it really feels like the whole vision is coming alive.

When you’re in the middle of massive projects like this, it feels like time is moving so slowly. Like progress is minimal, and you’re constantly in a “two steps forward one step back” situation.

But looking back, those 6 months of work have already paid off in spades. This kitchen brings me JOY. True joy. It’s exactly how I pictured it, and it’s the kitchen that Tyler and I have both always dreamed of. (Pretty lucky that our dream kitchens looked so similar, right?!)

From demo day on February 8, 2020 we’ve: installed new drywall, new flooring (and some new subfloor), new ceiling, new cabinets, new countertops (quartz, so those we didn’t DIY), built a custom island and a whole bunch of custom trim around our cabinets (Tyler did most of that, I’m no woodworker), installed a tile backsplash, moved ductwork and appliances and electrical/lighting, installed new window and door trim and crown moulding, installed a range hood and built a custom cover for it… oh, and rebuilt part of an exterior wall with the help of Tyler’s dad after a pipe burst (remember that? LOL). And it’s DONE!!!

Almost a year in, and our favorite thing about this kitchen is still the functionality of this space. If you want to see inside our cabinets and learn how we designed this space, I have an Instagram highlight with alllll of that information! And for now, enjoy some juice before and afters, and let me know what you think in the comments!