We recently made some kitchen updates that make a huge difference in our home. And all I can say is I wish we had done them sooner ;0!

Our kitchen has been a work in progress for over five years now. You can read all about the previous changes we made in the post I wrote last year about them.

If nothing else, we can definitely say we have been doing an rather unconventional kitchen remodel that has lasted WAAAAYYYY longer than I should have let it.

However, we have been making changes as our budget has allowed so I guess there’s that.

The latest changes seem to have been the most significant (and probably the most costly) but every day that my husband and I walk downstairs – we both are so happy with the outcome ;).

I am joining some of my blogging besties to share all of our kitchen updates with you. You are sure to find some incredible inspiration for your own kitchen project. Kristin from White Arrows Home updated her coffee bar recently and it is absolutely one to check out!

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In a rush?

Bifold Window and Door

I had been dreaming of changing my kitchen slider to a bifold door for almost ten years! So when the time finally came to change it out – I cannot tell you how excited I was ;).

While sitting at my kitchen island about two years ago, I was staring out the window at our newly updated backyard and wishing I could see more of it from where I was sitting.

This is the before of that space:

That was when I realized changing that entire wall to be a bifold window would look amazing.

Below is a progress photo with the containment our contractor put up to avoid dust around the rest of the house:

And honestly, I knew a bifold window would be quite useful with how much socializing we do in our backyard (and kitchen!).

The first social event we hosted with the new window was Father’s Day this year.

And at that event, my oldest daughter was so excited about the “bar” situation at the new bifold window – she asked why didn’t we do this earlier ☺️.

FYI – the photo below is actually my YOUNGEST daughter (guess I didn’t take any photos of my oldest at the bar on Father’s Day 😂).

We used Panoramic Doors for our bifold window and door and could not be happier with how they function and open up.

You can learn more about how they work and get a quote on the Panoramic Doors website.

When we changed the slider to the bifold doors, we had to do some repairs on the floors that were severely damaged by our dog’s water bowl.

Our favorite flooring in our house is the German schmeared brick floors in our front entryway so we decided to replace the damaged wooden floors with the same brick look here too ;).

Pantry Countertops and Door

Seeing useful and efficient walk in pantries on Instagram motivated me to redesign my own pantry so that I could put my countertop oven/toaster in it and not have it be a fire hazard ;0.

Back in 2019, I changed the layout of the shelves in my kitchen pantry to be more useful for how we were using our pantry.

This is a photo of the original pantry and pantry door (just ignore the riff raff {ahem red Solo cups} on the counter 😂):

And this is how we changed the pantry shelving in 2019:

Flash forward to our most recent kitchen updates where I added tile counters and backsplash to the large shelf in the pantry to make it more fire safe ;).

And updated the pantry door to this gorgeous French Quarter door from Rustica Hardware.

Open Shelves

I have had open shelves on one side of my kitchen hood since 2017 so when we had to take out the cabinets to the right of the hood for the new bifold window – more open shelves were a no brainer.

If you are considering installing open shelves in your kitchen and need that extra push to know why you should do it – read my blog post with my reasons you should!!

Here is the link to my open shelves.

New Lighting and Faucet

Not only did we have to remove the upper kitchen cabinets, we also had to add sconces above the new open shelves and above the now larger window.

I had been seeing gold lighting on Instagram and Pinterest for years and decided to change my black lights to gold with this kitchen remodel.

AND I LOVE THEM!!

You can find the gold sconces I chose here and the new white and gold pendant lights here.

Once I made the lighting change, I felt my oil rubbed bronze faucet did not look right in the kitchen anymore.

So I changed the faucet out to be gold as well.

Cabinets to the Ceiling

My concerns about taking out the last of our upper cabinets was that I would actually miss the extra kitchen cabinet storage.

So I added cabinets to the space in our kitchen above the refrigerator and ovens.

Interestingly enough, I ended up getting rid of all the excess items in the old cabinets that I just never used.

I guarantee you – you have the same thing going in your kitchen!!

Nonetheless, I am using the new glass cabinets for all the pretty things that are rarely used – like cake plates or pitchers.

The photo below is what the space looked like before the new cabinets…

And here is what the space looks like now:

My Original Kitchen

While scrolling through all my photos to find kitchen photos I found the photo of what my kitchen looked like waaaaayyy back when before we started any kitchen updates.

And was floored at how different the room looks now!

I imagine you are going to say the same thing once you see an original:

Here is another photo once we started making a few changes back in 2016 (the hood, backsplash, and sink…):

And here is my final look for the kitchen today:

Shop My Kitchen

Thank you for reading my post with kitchen updates that make a huge difference.

I hope you find some inspiration for your own kitchen – small or large :).

Most of my own inspiration for these changes came from Pinterest, Instagram, and blog posts from friends so I know how helpful posts like this can be ;).

Kitchens are the heart of a home so having a kitchen that makes you happy and works best for you and your family is so important!

Don’t forget to keep scrolling down to get even more ideas from my fellow bloggers ;). My friend Kylie from Trueman’s Treasures has made some awesome small updates to her kitchen that will most certainly interest you!

Looking for an item that wasn’t linked in this post?

Be sure to check out my ‘Home Tour’ pages!

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Home is where one starts from.

~ T.S. Eliot

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Have a wonderful day my friend! I hope something makes you smile today ;).

Inspiration for Kitchen Updates

How to Update a Kitchen with Cherry Cabinets // Simply 2 Moms

7 Custom Kitchen Island Ideas to Consider // Robyn’s French Nest

Updated Coffee Bar For Cozy Mornings in the Kitchen // White Arrows Home

Kitchen Updates that Make a Huge Difference // Pasha is Home

Small Kitchen Updates to our New Construction Home // Truemans Treasures

A Beautiful Cottage Style Kitchen Makeover // Peacock Ridge Farm

How To Wallpaper A Backsplash // White Lilac Farmhouse

Designing a Tiny Cottage Kitchen // A Life Unfolding

A Tale of Two Kitchens // Dabbling and Decorating