Kitchen Renovation - 80's Kitchen Updated to Contemporary Dream Kitchen

We completely gutted this kitchen and reinstalled the above.  The project took longer than we had planned for, but the results made it worth the wait.  I almost wish it was my kitchen.   We were able to take out the soffit and put in taller wall cabinets.  The kitchen ceiling instantly looked taller when this was done. One reason it took longer was that we had to take down the existing cabinets in order to take a look at what was in the soffit space.  Once we saw it was clear we were able to place the cabinet order.  Not everyone is so lucky.  Many times there's wiring, vents, or pipes in there, making it either impossible or costly to do.  The range hood was replaced with a built-in microwave to free up counter space.The cabinets in the pass-through over the sink were left out in the renovation as they made the rooms on both side feel cramped.  The ledge that you see in the before picture was 36" long and it too made the area feel cramped.  We took it down to 18" to still allow some ledge but to open up the room.

The new flooring is porcelain and the counter is granite.  The back-splash is a mixture of stones and metal bordered by travertine.  The travertine and the grout lines were all sealed with grout sealer to protect them from messy mishaps.  I found some great outlet and switch plate covers to coordinate with the metal in the tile.Getting rid of the cabinets in the pass through really opened this space up.  I added a few inches extra of counter on the other side.  It's just enough to allow counter stools and space to work.  We also added wainscot to the wall beneath to give it a little character and style.

We went for the stainless appliances and stainless cabinet handles.  We added two recessed lights over the sink where the soffit had been.  We also had to have the textured ceiling matched in that area as well.  It turned out really well.  Overall the project was a big hit and everyone loved it.Happy Decorating!