| |

OUR MODERN FARMHOUSE KITCHEN MAKEOVER | The Reveal

Updated on
258 Comments

In this post: Our kitchen used to be 90’s pink oak. We gave it a modern farmhouse kitchen makeover on a budget with butcher block, Ikea cabinets & shiplap.

It’s a wrap.

Our modern farmhouse kitchen makeover is finished.

Well, it’s 99% complete. There’s always those little, barely noticeable things to do, like painting that bit of trim or caulking the rest of the counter tops. But it’s done enough to live with – and love.

And for that I’m very thankful.

Home Made Lovely | modern farmhouse kitchen

Let’s step backwards and take a quick look at what the kitchen used to look like:

OUR MODERN FARMHOUSE KITCHEN MAKEOVER | The Reveal

kitchen-lights-before

No one is more excited than I am to have a fully functional and beautiful kitchen!

Home Made Lovely | black, white and wood kitchen

Bye-bye dark paint and blah cabinets.

white black and wood kitchen

still need to remove some tile

farmhouse style kitchen | open shelves | black island

Hello white shiplap, walnut butcher block, open shelves, and black stainless steel appliances!

Wanna know how we finished the open shelving? Here’s how to make new wood look old in 3 simple steps!

DIY range hood cover | slide in black stainless range | open shelving

white custom range hood | shiplap backsplash | cutting board

Ikea picture ledge as spice rack | pepsi crate kitchen storage

So let’s talk about the details.

Any good kitchen has zones. You know, individual areas that serve different purposes.

Given that Dean and I have been married for over 20 years and have moved around a lot, I had a pretty good idea of how I’d like my kitchen to function before we started this renovation. It also helps to have lived in this particular house while planning the modern farmhouse kitchen makeover over the last six months.

I know that I like to cook with a lot of herbs and spices. I also know that I like those spices to be out in the open so they’re easily accessible while I’m cooking and preparing food. In our last house Dean made me a tiered stand for my spices. Unfortunately there was nowhere to put that particular stand in this kitchen. So we cut two Ikea picture frame ledges in half and used them to organized my spices. (This would be part of the 1% of the kitchen that’s not finished – I didn’t get to paint the exposed edges of the cut shelves before taking photos. It will get done on another day.)

antique pepsi crate kitchen storage | spice rack storage

I also like to keep a selection of cooking utensils, oils and vinegars nearby when making meals. This old Pepsi crate I’ve had for years was the perfect little container to corral those extra things.

antique pepsi crate detail

Next to the stove on the other side is a large cutting board, iPad stand (I use my iPad all the time for recipes) and knife block.

butcher block counter | shiplap backsplash | open shelves | magnetic knife block

magnetic knife block

slide in black stainless samsung range

Another zone in our kitchen that is a part of the food prep area houses the new microwave and the toaster.

white farmhouse kitchen | shiplap backsplash | butcher block

Which are sort of sandwiched between all the food storage.

Organized pantry storage with no pantry

Unfortunately we don’t have a pantry, nor was there room for one, in this house. But we did make the most of the cabinets we do have by organizing them well. The upper cupboards store most of the dry and canned goods, while Dean retrofitted the inside of a regular cabinet with some Ikea roll out storage. So effectively we have a pantry with almost all of the food stored in the same area at the end of the kitchen. (The coffee and tea is at the other end near the coffee bar. But we’ll get to that shortly.)

The new island was built specifically to house the dishwasher, sink and garbage/recycling center as well as to hold plastic containers, food storage bags, wraps and such.

black stainless dishwasher | black island | white cabinets | stainless farmhouse apron front sink

large island with pull out storage

Here’s real life for you…a full garbage and dirty compost bins. I could have cleaned them up, but then I wouldn’t have had time to take like 80 pictures of the rest of the kitchen to show you! Ha!

Ikea roll out trash and recycling

Ikea roll out food waste compost bins

plastic container drawer

kitchen open to living and dining rooms

Honestly that sink has to have been one of the best purchases of the entire kitchen. I LOVE how it can hold and hide so many dishes – even the large pots and pans. It’s the best solution for a kitchen being so open to the living room!

apron front stainless steel sink detail

black bridge faucet

theives kitchen soap and hand soap on cake stand

See – no mess visible from the living room side!

bridge faucet | open shelves | kitchen

Of course another part of the kitchen is the dish storage. We’ve chosen to keep that all out in the open. This is partly due to my love of open shelving and partly due to hosting people so often and wanting to make them feel at home and at ease…and not feeling like they have to search for something.

coffee bar | open shelves | mug tree | white dishes

rustic wood and black bracket open kitchen shelving

glasses and white dishes on rustic open shelves

rustic wood kitchen wall shelves with black metal brackets

Then we have the coffee bar area. This was one part of our old house I missed the most with the small kitchen here. And I feel extremely thankful to have been able to expand the space.

Home Made Lovely | black, white and wood kitchen

torani coffee syrups on a tray in farmhouse kitchen

There’s plenty of space for more than one person to get themselves a tea or a coffee. And there’s storage for everything…k cups, tea bags and all the paraphernalia.

k cup storage drawer

tea drawer storage

upper storage detail

And of course, plenty of room to store all.the.mugs. 😉

anthropologie rea dunn mugs on bottle drying rack

There’s even room for the doggie stuff. (Ignore the dust on the mini fridge vent! Gah! Renos are messy! #howembarassing)

dog food bowls and food storage in cupboard

Another favorite place in the kitchen is my new desk. I needed somewhere on the main floor to work and keep an eye on the kids while they do their homeschool work. The kitchen seemed like the best spot for that.

Magnolia Style Clock on shiplap wall

modern farmhouse kitchen desk area

The final finishing touch didn’t quite make it in time for all the photos…the oversized gather metal sign cutout.

white shiplap kitchen | butcher block counters | black island

I designed it and there was a bit of trouble getting it into the right file format and then the right size for the software Dean’s company uses for their laser cutting machine. But it made it in time for Dean to put up tonight when he got home.

modern farmhouse kitchen gather sign
So there’s our modern farmhouse kitchen makeover. It’s time for me to sit down on the couch with a glass of wine…to enjoy the view.

 oversize gather sign metal cutout

What do you think of our new space?

 A huge thank you goes to our sponsors for helping us with the kitchen makeover:

THE HOME DEPOT CANADA – FRIDGE, STOVE/RANGE, DISHWASHER

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS – COUNTER TOPS

FUSION MINERAL PAINT – PAINT FOR ISLAND

HANDY PAINT PRODUCTS – BACKSPLASH

BROAN NUTONE – RANGE HOOD, CUSTOM DIY RANGE HOOD COVER

BUILD.COM – KRAUS APRON FRONT SINK, MICROWAVE

ASPECT/DIY DECOR STORE – PEEL AND STICK METAL SUBWAY TILES (BEHIND THE STOVE)

SOURCE LIST:

(Contains affiliate links)

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE OTHER POSTS IN OUR MODERN FARMHOUSE KITCHEN MAKEOVER SERIES:

– Our Kitchen Before and Why We’re Starting with the Appliances with The Home Depot

– Inspiration Board, Sources and Sponsors

– Rebuilding a Larger Kitchen Island 

– Repainting the Existing Kitchen Cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint 

– Installing and Painting a Shiplap Backsplash with HANDy Paint Products

– Choosing the Perfect Appliances for Us with The Home Depot

– Butcher Block Countertop Reveal with Lumber Liquidators

– Our Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover REVEAL! (you are here)

– Appliance Features We Adore with The Home Depot

– Custom DIY Range Hood Cover with Broan NuTone 

 

shannon sign off

home made lovely book on table with get it now text button

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

258 Comments

  8. Great job. Thank you for sourcing all your goodies. I did not see where you bought your shelf brackets. Will you please blog about those. They are fantastic as is the thick shelves. Thanks!!

    Reply

  10. Hi, Love the kitchen! Can you tell me where you purchased the brackets for the open shelving.
    Thank you!

    Reply

  12. Absolutely, completely, awesomely gorgeous. The goose bump kind! Congrats Shannon on a super reno. I’ve followed along and couldn’t be more happy (and envious in a good way) of the outcome. Enjoy!!

    Reply

  14. Oh, my! Your kitchen turned out gorgeous! You must be so thrilled. I am happy for you. May you host many a happy gathering there and may God bless them all.

    Reply

  17. I could hardly wait for the reveal! Your new kitchen turned out beautiful and amazing! Everything goes together so nicely! You sure have those designing touches! You and Hub should be proud of your renov. Enjoy!

    Reply

  19. Shannon your makeover is amazing and the final outcome is simply stunning! The walnut counters are pure perfection. I have to say that the ‘gather’ sign is definitely the crowning touch. I cannot believe what it did to really give your lovely space more life. High Five for a magazine-worthy new kitchen. XO

    Reply

  28. Shannon! Your kitchen is gotgeours! I enjoyed every single picture! I even spotted one mug on the mug tree with “M” – i have same one lol! You can tell how closely i was looking at the pictures!:))))))

    Reply

  29. Wow just perfect , so practical and beautiful at the same time . You both did an amazing job. Well Done !! x

    Reply

  30. It’s absolutely stunning Shanon!!! It came together SO perfectly! LOVE the brightness of the white contrasted with the darker appliances, cabinet handles and countertops! Enjoy that amazing space with your family!!!

    Reply

  40. What the what! I love this space. The details are so strong, and the space is a million times better than the before. Gotta love when a space flows with the rest of the house eh?

    Reply

    1. Lol. Ariel, you are too funny. And yes, it is so much better now that the space goes with the rest of the house!

  41. Shannon: kudos!! It’s lovely and a dream kitchen! Home to many future happy meals and celebrations! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  43. I was looking forward to seeing your final reveal for your kitchen! It looks so beautiful! The countertop is great, as well as the entire island! Just beautiful!

    Reply

  47. OMG You are so talented. I just moved into my brand new house & am afraid to start to mess things up.
    Wish I had the confidence to jump in & make it a home.
    Now I have to get started and start reading the new material I signed up for.
    You did an AMAZING job as you always do.

    Reply

    1. It just takes a bit of knowledge and some practice. Congrats on your new house! I hope our site can help. Let me know if you have any questions.

  48. Just amazing Shannon. I love it all! There are so many things in this makeover to love it’s hard to pick just one, but you hd me at the range hood! 🙂 Beautifully done.

    Reply

  49. beautiful kitchen Shannon and I love how much of that was DIY that you guys tackled on your own! You will enjoy it for many years to come and I must say, even your old floor looks good now you have redone the kitchen! congrats on a fantastic makeover at ORC!

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Tim. I know, the floors aren’t my all time favorite, but they’re in good shape so I just couldn’t justify replacing them right now. 🙂

    1. Lol. Not all at once. But we do have a large family and lots of friends so yup we need a lot of dishes. Also I kinda have a thing for white mugs. 🙂

  52. Your results are gorgeous! Can’t wait for your source list, the dish shelves are perfect for the kitchen dress up we’re doing this summer. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Margaret! That’s very high praise indeed as there are so many beautiful One Room Challenge Makeovers!

  54. Looks AMAZING!
    Im about to embark on a kitchen reno at the cottage and love all your inspired ideas!
    You and Dean are rockstars my friend xo

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, dear friend! Good luck with the cottage makevoer – I know it’s part of a huge change in your life! xo

  58. Speechless! I wish I could tell you I had a favourite – but I favourite the whole thing – all the thoughtful accessories, design ideas and functional zones. Just WOW! You must be thrilled (and exhausted!). Also noticed you have Young Living Thieves by your sink – I’ve been eyeballing that stuff! Do you love it? Thanks, as always, for the inspiration!

    Reply

  59. wow!!!! Your kitchen is GORGEOUS!

    You did a beautiful job getting it to be more open and bright.

    Enjoy

    Reply

  64. Wow, your kitchen make over is absolutely stunning and gorgeous! You have done an amazing job and it is all so well thought out. Can’t believe it is the same room. Well done, you must be so proud of your achievements and the value that you’ve added to your home!

    Reply

  66. This looks so amazing! I love your new kitchen and that island is pure on function and gorgeous married together! The open shelving feature wall is amazing, I’ll have to show this to Bud cause I’m doing a hard sell on open shelving! So so good!

    Reply

    1. You go! We have had open shelving in our last three kitchens and although it does need dusting (I use a Swiffer duster once a week) it is so functional and can be so pretty too.

  67. Hey Shannon,

    Such a beautiful kitchen!!!! Great job! Did you mention where you purchased the light fixture about the island? Sorry if I missed it.

    Thanks,
    Beth

    Reply

  72. I love all the organizational components you have added to make it not only beautiful, but functional as well. Great job!

    Reply

  73. Shannon! I am gobsmacked! This is beautiful. If I had never seen a before picture I wouldn’t have believed it! Just love everything about it!

    Reply

  74. Absolutely gorgeous! I love how the open shelves complement the colors and clean lines of the island. The desk area and the spice nook are lovely bookends to the kitchen – so well balanced… as are the hood and the plate nook. (Looking forward to the tutorial on the hood!) The nook for the plates, etc. is genius. It separates the desk from the kitchen “just enough”. (I’m gushing, aren’t I?! Yup. Definitely gushing! ) Thanks for sharing the process and the results.

    Reply

  75. Wow! I can’t get over how different it looks. It’s like night and day. Not only is it beautiful but it’s beautifully organized. Well done!

    Reply

  77. Absolutely gorgeous! I love the white and I have to say the open shelves really made your kitchen more spacious! My secret love though is spices in the small jelly canning jars. I despise those itty bitty jars for spices that hold two tablespoons of spice. Brilliant idea!

    Reply

  82. Love, love, love your new kitchen, It is so bright and welcoming. I love how the open shelving looks, but I wonder how often you have to clean that. I know the dishes probably get used on a daily basis, but doesn’t grease and dust accumulate on the shelves? My husband cooks a lot and I just feel like grease would end up on the shelves and then dust would stick to it, yucky! So let me know your comment on that and how often you will need to dust those shelves. Just love the look tho, you did an awesome job!!!

    Reply

    1. It is not really an issue. We have had open shelving at our last three houses. I dust them each week with a Swiffer and wipe down with a wet cloth if needed.

  85. Well, there’s literally nothing to dislike in this space. You brought the farmhouse charm and made the room way more functional, too. That huge island has me wanting to expand ours! But wait…. I JUST finished a kitchen remodel, right? haha
    I’m in love with your desk area, also! Truly a beautiful space, Shannon!

    Reply

  88. Shannon, The only word that comes to mind is PERFECTION! Everything about your kitchen is fabulous, stunning, gorgeous, and so functional. Job well done! P.S. I noticed under your sources you mentioned The Found Cottage. Liz’s shop is only a few miles from where I live. Such a small world!

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Carol. I wish we lived closer to Liz’s shop. We visited when we were going through Michigan last summer. 🙂

  89. I absolutey LOVE IT!! I love the clean colours, no clutter, calming atmosphere. I want to/need to change up my kitchen and you have inspired me. Once I get my house chickens out to their coop ( a LONG story!! LOL) I will get busy and get my tools out. Thanks so much Shannon for sharing this inspirational post!

    Reply

  93. Shannon, All I can say is WOW!!! I am the Realtor that sold your current house and the transformation is absolutely mind blowing. I am in LOVE with what you have done and you have given me a new regard for Contemporary Farmhouse design and decor. I have always loved the style but didn’t think it would mesh with a newer builder’s home, but boy was I wrong! This doesn’t even resemble the home that I sold in any way, shape or form. I am a HUGE fan. You are one super talented lady and your husband, an excellent craftsman that makes your building project ideas come to life.

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Karen. I think whether modern farmhouse meshes well with a newer/builder basic home depends on a few things like how much of its own style the house has and how easy that style is to mesh with another style, like modern farmhouse. This house in particular is fairly basic – light grey brick outside and nothing of overtly any particular style inside aside from the dining room columns (which are fairly easy to make work with any style). But I do appreciate the compliments – thank you!

  95. Wow!!!!
    Shannon that is one sexy kitchen! We are finishing up ours. The counter top is once again the point of disagreement. Concrete, butcher-block???
    See we have reclaimed looking vertical beams and columns in the entry and kitchen entryway. Sigh…. will share yours with the Mr. for sure.
    LUV!!

    Reply

    1. Yes…counters are hard to choose! We have tile floors and white walls and ceilings so the wood counters were a great choice for our kitchen. 🙂 Good luck with yours!

  96. What a beautiful makeover, Shannon! It’s hard to imagine it’s even the same space! That island is stunning and so are the open shelves! Congrats on your first ORC! xo

    Reply

  97. That is so beautiful, but it wouldn’t last at my house with my cats. Open shelves are an invitation to knock stuff off, or worse. The same goes for the wood counter tops. A few years ago I replaced tile with Silestone, the better to keep from going crazy, I wouldn’t have minded concrete either, its what I want on the floor. But I will say that your kitchen looks like it belongs in a magazine, maybe it will be soon? I can also see movie stars drifting through it, but I’m sure you get more pleasure with it making meals for the family. I doubt I’d ever be willing to give up the cats, and their fur and dust, to have open shelves, but a kitchen like yours makes me almost wish I might.

    Reply

  99. Stunning makeover I thought your reno was THE BEST OF THE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE . Couple of quick questions I loved your shelving with metal brackets I did not see them on the source list but perhaps I missed it . Also love the tray that you had your Torani flavourings on. Would you mind giving the source on that too. Many thanks

    Reply

    1. Dean actually made the shelf brackets. We sell them for $28 per bracket plus shipping depending on where you live. You can email me at shannon@akadesign.ca if you have any questions! And unfortunately the tray the syrups are on was from Homesense, so I’m not sure who made it. I’m sorry!

  100. I love how this turned out. I would like more info on the shelf brackets. Looks like they’re your design? Are you selling them? Sizes and prices? Great work!

    Reply

    2. Hi Shannon, Do you have any updates on the shelving brackets? I love your design and need to pick out shelving real soon! Thanks, Cindy

    3. Well, we can make them, but I’m not sure how quickly right now. They would be $28 per bracket, plus shipping if you’re not local. Dean would have to fit them into the schedule at his work on the machines – otherwise we’d have to pay a premium and they’d cost even more. Let me know if you’d like to pre-order!

  103. I absolutely love your kitchen design. We have a condo with a design challenged kitchen. I think I could use something similar to your design. You did a great job!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  104. Hi. Great job on the Reno. My question is how long have you had these butcher block counters and how well they help up against daily use and water, especially around the sink. I am considering doing butcher block counters as well, but with my five kids doing most of the dishes around the kitchen and always spilling drink and leaving wet counters, I wonder if I should….please give me your review.

    Reply

    1. Hello, Irena. We’ve had the butcher block counters for a few months now. I work from home and homeschool our kids, so the counters are literally getting used and abused all day long, every single day of the week. I highly recommend sealing butcher block with Waterlox. It has protected the counters beautifully.

  106. Just looking at your kitchen again for some inspiration…and it’s working. It came out so beautiful, love all your finishing touch details too, like the “gather” sign. Gorgeous!

    Reply

  109. Love this kitchen! We are about to build a completely custom house in a modern farmhouse style. I absolutely love the black lights on the ceiling of your kitchen. Do you have any info on them? I have been searching high and low for lights that I like. Thank you!

    Reply

  110. I love your kitchen! I saw the shelf brackets were a “AKA design”… are they available for purchase? Thanks, Erin

    Reply

  111. I’m in love with your kitchen! Please tell me where I can find the pet food bin? I’ll also order the pie sign through your link. Can’t wait to see more on Instagram 😊

    Reply

  115. Wow this is beautiful and THANK you for how you listed the source for everything you did (where to buy and what inspired you) – the best I have seen!

    Reply

  116. I love this kitchen transformation! your results are amazing. I’m looking for the track lighting that you used. I followed the link provided but I couldn’t find it. I am hoping you would be able to provide the name or item number. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

  117. Hi there! I loovvvveee your kitchen. Its freaking beautiful. I’m getting ready to remodel my new home and I’m having trouble picking out lights and I came across this kitchen and those lights and fell in love. I’ve looked through build.com and cannot find your lights anywhere. Any information on them would be very much appreciated! 🙂 Have a blessed day!

    Reply

    1. Hi Tara,
      Ugh, that is so frustrating. I can’t seem to find the same ones either. I’ve messaged Build.com to see if we can find them or if they’re no longer available. I’m sorry!

    1. Hi there. We got it originally from Build.com, made by Seagull Lighting. Unfortunately, we were recently told that the manufacturer discontinued it! 🙁 I haven’t been able to find anything quite the same.

  119. Love it! Do you have a direct link for your lovely black track lighting? The current link does not go to your product. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Oh goodness! I missed this comment – sorry! The floor was here when we moved in. Honestly, it’s not my favorite. As in, I wouldn’t choose it if I could choose anything. BUT it’s in very good shape and blends just fine with our style, so it stays!

  122. I love your shiplap back splash. I am curious how it is to clean with the kitchen grease/dust?
    Is the shipap painted with Sherwin Williams Eider white?

    Reply

    1. I don’t find it’s hard to clean at all. I just wipe it with water and a kitchen cloth. Once in awhile I will use an all purpose spray cleaner and a cloth. And yup! It’s painted Eider White like the rest of our main floor.

  124. Hi! I love the makeover. Thank you for sharing all your sources. I am still trying to find the track lighting you have with the multiple points that attach to the ceiling. Your link only directs me to other lighting by Sea Gull. Do you happen to have more info on your particular fixture? Thank you so much!
    -Stacey

    Reply

    1. Hi Stacey,
      Unfortunately, Sea Gull has discontinued them, which is why you can’t find them. I’m SO sorry. We love the lights, but I think because they weren’t very user friendly to order and install (we had to order each piece individually) they likely didn’t sell as many as they’d hoped.

  125. Your kitchen looks great! Not sure how long ago you completed it, but I’m curious how the butcher block is holding up with sin, children, etc? I love the look, but am nervous as we have a house full of children and they often leave their messes. I found a faux butcher block laminate that I thought surprisingly looked good. I am deciding between the two. Also, how did you seal your butcher block? Thank you!

    Reply

  126. I’m curious what you had your husband cut with the laser cutter. We are redesigning our kitchen and my husband has a laser cutter at work.

    Reply