Making It Your Own: Kitchen Update

Today I'll share how we updated our kitchen to make it more of a warm, inviting space--the heart of the the home--on a budget. We bought our 15-year-old home about five years ago. Since then, we've continued to tweak things throughout the inside and outside of our home to make it our own.

Here's what the kitchen looked like when we bought our house. Notice no refrigerator, and the outdated appliances and lighting (that fluorescent light had to go!). We had just bought the house and didn't have a lot of money to completely change the kitchen, so we were thankful it had good bones. We loved the layout, hardwood flooring, white cabinets, and back splash. So, with a little tweaking- we made it our own.

Our first line of business was to update the counter tops since there was a large burn mark near the stove top. We chose one of the cheapest granite styles we could find--and I really liked how it paired with the white cabinets. While we were at it, we updated the sink and faucet.

Next up: adding more contrast to our white-on-white kitchen. We sold the white appliances on Craigslist and bought stainless steel replacements at a local appliance store where you can purchase products with minor cosmetic damages for a great price.

Finally, we tweaked the lighting. Great lighting is one of my favorite ways to create a cozy space. We bought the supplies and found a great electrician on Craigslist to install three small recessed lights, under cabinet lights, two pendants, and updated the existing fixtures. I really love how the kitchen turned out!

What are some ways that you've made your kitchen space your own?

I'm linking up today with the Shine Blog Hop, Thursday Favorite Things, and Fall into Fall Party. Thanks for stopping by!