Young House Love

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A Kitchen With Glass Cabinets, Wood Counters & A Marble Backsplash

Just as we finished our big kitchen adventure, Amanda and her handy husband were finishing theirs. Except she and her husband Ben completely gutted theirs and have literally rebuilt it by hand (yup, they even DIYed new cabinets). And although we’ve been sharing quite a run of kitchen-related Reader Redesigns lately, we couldn’t resist sharing this one too. So here’s her letter:

I wanted to send you a link to our recently finished kitchen. The room started out as a 90’s oak and almond appliance box:

Amanda Before 1

Amanda Before 2

We tore everything out to start from scratch:

Amanda During

My hubby and I did all of the work, no contractors involved. He tore down a wall, built custom cabinets, laid new hardwood floors, installed our wood counter tops, backsplash, and much more.  

Amanda After 1

It feels so much more open now, and things like the glass cabinets and our marble backsplash really finish things off nicely.

Amanda After Thru Opening

Amanda After Vert Window

 I just thought you could appreciate all of our hard work seeing as you’re at the end of your kitchen remodel too!  -Amanda

Amanda After Close Up

Quite the transformation, no? And if you wanna see more, check out Amanda’s blog and be sure to hit up this post for a complete budget breakdown of the project. Congrats on a job well done guys!  Now let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. I’m loving those rich wood counters and Sherry wants to rub her face on that marble backsplash.

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

  5. Meg says

    This is beautiful! I don’t know what I like the best. I think the way they did their kitchen hood is unique and memorable. And yes, the counter tops!

    Reply

  7. Nicole says

    I love Amanda’s new kitchen! I’ve been a follower of hers for awhile now. My favorite part is that they opened up that wall behind the stove and were even able to add additional storage to their living room. It’s a gorgeous transformation!

    Reply

  10. Marla says

    Apologies for a very random comment… but wanted to let you know that I just nominated Young House Love to be considered to curate a collection for http://www.quarterly.co . I’ve never used the site myself yet (darn it if they aren’t closed to new subscribers right now…) but I would be all over getting items personally selected by you guys delivered to my house every 3 months.

    Just thought if I mentioned it in a comment it might stir up some interest in other readers who might be inclined to second my nomination so the people at Quarterly know how popular you are.

    Reply

  12. Katie says

    Gorg! Love the reclaimed look of the countertops. I laughed out loud at “… Sherry wants to rub her face on that marble backsplash.” Glad to hear there are others as creepy as I am when it comes to home decor. I usually end up rubbing my face and making purr noises to things I like. :)

    Reply

    • mp says

      Me too! I was so excited when I found Flannery O’Connor’s bio in the local B&N, I kissed it right there in the store.

  16. Kristen says

    I am so impressed that they made the cabinets themselves and I love her stainless steel farmhouse sink!

    Reply

    • Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

      Hi Julie! So far, the wood counters have held up well, but we do baby them a bit. But, the wood we chose is twice as hard as red oak, so it’s not a super soft wood to begin with. We also apply Watco’s Teak Oil to help seal it to prevent water issues.

      If we were going to live here longer, we probably would end up treating the counters the way we did our old laminate ones. The beauty of wood is the ability to sand damaged areas out for a brand new looking counter. :)

    • kim says

      ha, is your image a canadian penny as a protest to the fact that they are getting rid of it!

  24. Brianne says

    I love this kitchen and the fact that they built everything themselves! It’s one of the reasons why I started following their blog. So glad you shared it for others to see!

    Reply

  25. laxsupermom says

    Wow! What an incredible transformation! I love how light and bright it is now. Love the open feel to the room and the depth of their wood countertops! Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  27. Jessica says

    I love this kitchen especially the grey base cabinets with white wall cabinets. I am pretty sure that hood is installed too high though. I think they would have been better off with an island chimney hood. All in all it’s very pretty.

    Reply

    • Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

      Hi Jessica, Thanks for your kind compliments! We chose a vent hood that is a higher CFM than most (it’s industrial strength, actually) so the height is fine. Definitely would not work for standard vent hoods, but a 1200 CFM fan can handle the height. Hope that explains it a little better. :)

  29. Jen W says

    Hmmmm….I’m noticing in both of y’all’s kitchens that you have done away with upper cabinets for the most part. I love how airy and tall it makes the rooms feel, but where do you put all your kitchen junk? Just wondering as I have upper cabinets lining both sides of my galley (ewww) kitchen, and while I think removing them might help make the space feel bigger, I just don’t know what I’d do with all the dishes and small appliances that go in them. Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually added a whole peninsula, so we gained a ton of cabinetry (that’s much deeper than 12″ upper cabinets are) so that helped in our case. Here’s hoping Amanda can chime in on how she stores things in her kitchen!

      xo,
      s

    • Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

      Hi Jen W! We definitely have little in the way of upper cabinet storage, but here’s why we can get away with it. 1. Our cabinet above the fridge is HUGE. Seriously, we could probably fit two of me in there. So big, seldom used things are in there along with cutting boards and cookie sheets. 2. All of our lowers are drawers, so even though the foot print is the same as the old layout, we’ve gained tons of usable space the old cabinets didn’t have. I would highly recommend having all lower drawers if you want to get rid of some upper cabinetry. 3. We don’t have tons of kitchen gear because the old kitchen was so limited on functional space.

  30. Cristina says

    Okay John…now I have an odd image of Sherry rubbing her face all over the marble backsplash. Cue Marvin Gaye “Distant Lover” in the background.

    Reply

  31. Alison U. says

    Amazing! And…”rub her face on that backsplash” is hilarious. What an image…Sherry – can we get an action shot of that? :)

    Reply

  33. Liz says

    I love the backsplash the most, but the countertops are a close second. And I LOVE that they built the cabinets themselves. That’s so impressive!

    Reply

  34. mp says

    SO GLAD they took down those awful cabinets over the L. I’ve seen those in a lot of houses and attribute them to corner-cutting builders.

    Reply

  37. Jen says

    Love Amanda! I followed their kitchen progress daily {as I also followed yours!} and was so impressed that they were able to do so much on such a great budget! You both are so inspiring, I can’t wait to get started on our kitchen takeover!

    xoxo,
    Jen

    Reply

  38. zana babe says

    Sherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! guess what????

    oh god….u inspired me sooooo much!!! and guess what?? hehehe
    i just started a blog today!! i dont know what and all i will blog about…but i know i am still nervous about throwing in pictures!!! iam working on that=) and its gonna have some frugal effects like my life lolz…i am tip toeing thru it! excited much aye!!<<tats me fob(fresh of blogging)lolz

    thanks Sherry and John!!

    Amandas kitchen is awesome!! we started our kitchen around the same time she did!! we are done with the big stuffs..tidbits left!….iam so impressed on how they went about making the cabinets!!!=)

    Reply

  39. Emma says

    I love the backsplash and the lovely built-in range hood thing over the range that’s all trimmed out. They did a great job.

    Reply

  41. Kelly says

    What a great transformation! I closed on my first (town)house today (!) and one of my first major projects will likely be updating the kitchen. Your kitchen reno is inspiration on its own, and seeing what others have done just adds to the possibilities swirling around in my brain!

    Reply

  42. Monique says

    I wondered why that kitchen looked so familiar, until I realized that I follow Amanda’s blog. I definitely agree, the transformation is great! It really makes me wish we could do more with our kitchen at my house.

    Reply

  43. Jill Stigs says

    OMG……those counters, stools, backsplash, cabs, oh…..just everything! That’s a great combo of handy man and decorating woman there.

    Reply

  45. Trude says

    Ooooh wow that counter is gorgeous! Love the drawer pulls too, as my mom likes to remind me (she’s an interior designer that specializes in senior living), those types are much better for aging hands that have trouble gripping little round knobs. :)

    Reply

  48. Amie says

    Hi, stumbled upon your site. Very nice kitchen, somewhat similar to ours, but have coat closet and closet pantry on wall to be opened. Want cabinets gone on l shaped and other wall opened, but nervous will lose pantry and storage space. Was curious if you have pantry or how kitchen is working for food and small appliance storage. Thanks.

    Reply

  49. Morgan says

    I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your blog! And even more so when I see the amazing Reader Redesigns! It gives me hope that my boyfriend and I (just 2 normal DIY-lovers and hardworkers) can update our small 1950s kitchen, with very little cabinet space, to something a little more modern and functional for us.
    About 2 months ago, we renovated our small bathroom with new flooring, a new sink and vanity combo set, new lighting and a brand new paint job… It was sooo much fun and we are STILL in love with it every time we walk in!
    Thank you so much for continuing your blog and sharing everything that you two and all of us DIYers love! :)

    Reply

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