In May of 2020, my partner and I took a giant leap in life: we purchased our very first home! Because we found ourselves in a new city, we weren't necessarily looking for our dream home, but we did have a list of criteria our house had to meet. We ended up settling on a charming single-family home with a kitchen that, admittedly, needed a little bit of love.
We set out on our new mission, buying materials, installing fixtures and a ceramic backsplash, revamping the floors and rearranging everything for better flow in our workspaces. By the end of the remodel, we transformed our kitchen into a completely new space and did it within budget.
Finding our kitchen's style
Going into the renovations, we already had a pretty straightforward idea of what we were looking for: we wanted a modern farmhouse look. Fortunately, my friend Mathilde Rousseau is an interior designer, so she shared her wisdom and expertise with us. She also drew up new floor plans for the kitchen. We appreciated having her support because this entire process was so new to us. We quickly learned there was a lot to consider, especially since we needed the space to be highly functional. Having these 3D plans helped us see how well the different elements and materials would all come together in the room.
Bringing in natural light
One thing we knew we wanted was to have natural light come pouring in through the windows. Removing the hanging cabinets was a must. Not only was the style out-of-date, but these cupboards obstructed the natural light we so craved, which made the room feel a little more cramped and darker.
Choosing materials
Contrary to so many others' experiences, picking out the right materials for our kitchen went relatively smoothly. That's because we went into this knowing the result we wanted, as well as what wasn't our taste. Social media was another helpful resource for me while in the conceptual stages. I consulted it regularly. I still use it almost daily, as it's a great place to gather a ton of different ideas for design projects and beyond. I compiled a few images of kitchens I loved and sent them to Mathilde, our interior designer. Once she got a real sense of our vision, she pointed us where we could find the materials we wanted.
Countertops
Instead of marble or quartz countertops, we opted for laminate, and we're thrilled with the results, and truth be told, you can hardly tell! As it turns out, the quality of the material has dramatically improved over the years. We have a relatively large kitchen with a lot of surface area, so once we began pricing quartz, we quickly realized that the $8,500 (plus tax!) price tag we were quoted was outside our $15,000 budget. Choosing a laminate with a marble-like texture from Bélanger Laminés was the best decision for us. In the end, we are beyond satisfied with the results — we especially love that it didn't eat into our budget!
Flooring
We decided to go with hardwood maple floors with a matte finish from Mitis Wood Floors for the kitchen because they had a way of making space feel lighter. While some argue hardwood floors aren't the right move for a kitchen, we honestly have no regrets about going this route. Best of all, they're easy to keep clean and provide a warmth that feels both contemporary and timeless.
The ceramic backsplash
Initially, we wanted a trendy herringbone pattern for our ceramic tile backsplash. We ended up laying it out horizontally, though, as it wound up being much easier to do. In the end, we preferred the look of the rectangular subway tile anyway! We're so happy with the choice we made, and the crisp look of the tiles gives the kitchen an airy, clean feel.
Respect the initial budget
Renovating a house from the 1960s can come with its share of surprises, and therefore unexpected costs. For the most part, we lucked out as there were no major unforeseen issues, which kept us on-budget for most of this reno. We also had some help from my father, who did most of the work in the kitchen himself. Had we hired a contractor, it probably would've doubled the cost. The only compromise we had to make was the quartz countertop, as we initially underestimated the actual size of our countertops.
In the end, we are so pleased with the outcome of the kitchen. It's not an easy task — tempers can flare, and the renovation process itself is exhausting even on good days. But when you see the final result, you're reminded that hard work pays off. After all, we end up spending so much of our days in the kitchen, so it must be a space we enjoy being in. For us, I'd say it's a mission accomplished.
