15 Inspiring Before After Kitchen Remodel Ideas (Must See!)

Guess what? We are starting our complete kitchen demolition this month and we have been immersed in kitchen remodel ideas for the past 2 months!

I will be writing a lot about our kitchen remodel and adding links here once it’s finished. However, I am not going to wait to share all the amazing kitchen remodel ideas gathered through our own kitchen design process. So here comes a two-part series on our favorite kitchen remodel before and afters!

Part one (today) will focus on actionable ideas that are DIY friendly, part two (in a couple of weeks) will focus on kitchen design and planning ideas. Now let’s start Part One:15 Achievable Before After Kitchen Remodel Ideas.

1 . Small kitchen remodel on a budget

This budget friendly small kitchen makeover has so many great kitchen remodel ideas which we will be covering throughout this article.

To make the small kitchen feel bigger, Christina painted the dark kitchen cabinets white, and replaced upper cabinets with open shelving. The attention to details such as hardware, light fixtures, subway tile backsplash, and kitchen decorations really elevate this beautiful farmhouse kitchen design. (Source: Christina’s Adventures)

2 . Paint kitchen cabinets: big impact with minimal effort

If your kitchen layout and cabinet quality is good, you can transform a dated kitchen by simply painting the cabinets.

One of the most stylish kitchen remodel ideas is to paint the upper kitchen cabinets white, and lower cabinets with an elegant color. This dramatic kitchen before and after by Makamashishop is a great example.

Want some great kitchen cabinet paint color ideas? Here are 25 of our favorite designer paint colors for kitchen cabinets!

25 favorite designer paint colors for kitchen cabinets!

3 . Open up the kitchen peninsula

An L shaped peninsula is a great kitchen design feature. In this case however, the upper cabinets make the space feel heavy and cluttered.

With open shelves, bright new countertop, and gorgeous painted lower kitchen cabinets, this remodeled kitchen space by Percival.house feels much more spacious, and offers a much better socializing experience.

4 & 5. Peel and stick kitchen backsplash

Some of my favorite kitchen remodel ideas are also renter friendly.

A removable wallpaper or peel and stick vinyl tiles can add lots of beauty and style to a generic rental kitchen. It is also an easy and inexpensive solution for homeowners who are not ready to install a newer tile backsplash.

These two beautiful examples of peel and stick blue tile or subway tile wallpapers are from Spoonflower (painted tile backsplash) and The Craft Lady(subway tile backsplash).

There are so many wonderful choices on Amazon these days great for DIY enthusiasts and renters.

6 & 7. Turn a wood kitchen cabinet door into a glass door

If you want to make a kitchen feel more open, but are not 100% sure on open shelving, consider removing the wood cabinet door panels and adding glass inserts . There are different ways to DIY a glass door, check out the tutorials at Confessions of A Serial DIYer and HGTV(below).

8 . Add details to kitchen island and peninsula

In addition to painting kitchen cabinets, you can also make your kitchen more beautiful by adding some design details such as beaded panel or board and batten to the back of a kitchen island or peninsula. (Source: Chris loves Julia)

9 . Varieties of kitchen lighting

This Fixer Upper inspired kitchen remodel combines practical task lighting such as recessed lights with decorative pendant and wall sconce. (Source: Painted By Kayla Payne )

10 . Warm materials

This modern farmhouse kitchen remodel feels clean and bright with a mostly black and white palette. The whitewashed wood cabinets,  brass faucet and light fixtures, and wooden kitchen accessories warm up the space beautifully. ( Source: Studio McGee)

11 . Functional kitchen decorations

We all love beautiful dishes, cookware, and cuttings boards. When remodeling a kitchen, take them out of the cabinets and drawers, and create some perfect spots to display those treasures. This white farmhouse kitchen offers many beautiful ideas in styling an open shelf.

You can even use wooden cutting boards, layered along countertops, to disguise electrical outlets when they aren’t in use.

12-14. Rethink kitchen cabinet doors

Have you thought of kitchen cabinets without doors?

Instead of removing upper kitchen cabinets and building new open shelves, you can simply remove kitchen cabinet doors and let the cabinets become instant open shelving. ( Source: Our Storied Home)

Here‘s another gorgeous farmhouse kitchen with open cabinets.

This lovely kitchen cabinet with glass doors offers a good alternative, especially in dust and grease prone areas. See kitchen #4 and #5 on how to convert solid cabinet doors to glass doors.

15 . Beauty is in the details

This kitchen by Studio McGee is very small in square footage, yet really grand in design. All the details come together in such beautiful harmony : the clean white tiles and farmhouse sink, warm wood open shelving, rich brass faucet and hardware, glam forest green cabinets , and stunning cement tile floor.

You may also love: 21 gorgeous and achievable entryway before and afters!

Happy creating! See you next week!