Hello rock star.
If you are visiting from White Buffalo Styling Company on the favorite room home tour….my kitchen and I are happy you are here. 🙂
When we first bought the farmhouse….the kitchen looked absolutely nothing like the picture above. There were no moldings or khaki walls or faux transom windows or white cabinets…..and the antique pine flooring was buried under four layers of indoor/outdoor carpet and linoleum.
The before needed a makeover.
Like yesterday.
It’s like the kitchen had a really bad haircut and over-sized glasses along with an awkward sweater and equally awkward jeans…..with an armload of math books to study on Friday night. And then one day she was tutoring the star football player in algebra and he looked into her glasses (technically he looked beyond her eyewear)…..
….and saw her.
Just her.
You know….he saw inside her heart where she was really beautiful and he knew that she was someone special and asked her to homecoming. And then her best friend (who just happened to be going to beauty school) cut her hair and put a mud mask on her face and cucumbers on her eyes and completely re-did her make-up and helped her pick out the perfect homecoming dress.
And when the football player arrived to take her to the dance….
….he took one look and fell in love.
Because truly…..she had always been beautiful.
It just took a special person to realize it.
Don’t you just love a happily ever after?
Here’s the awkward sweater and jeans phase.
The before.
(total aside: technically this is not really a before….it’s more of an in-between. Details….details).
It looked like this…..
……and this.
And here’s the same space and angle after.
Isn’t it amazing what a difference six months and a lot of elbow grease makes?
One of the most important changes we made to the space was to add architectural detail.
Because the farmhouse was….well….a farmhouse.
You know….as in built for farming.
So when we remodeled the kitchen we wanted a space full of character and personality. I think that’s why it’s my favorite room (well…..that and the million games of monopoly we have played at that kitchen table). The kitchen is the perfect example of adding so much to a space with just a little money and a lot of imagination.
So here’s a list of five of my favorite kitchen projects to add architectural detail to your home.
Drum roll please.
How to Add Doorway Molding
How to Add a Faux Transom Window
DIY Transom/How to Create Transom Windows From Old Windows
Built-in Plate Rack
Turn a Bookshelf Into a Hutch
Painted Kitchen Island With Date House Was Built
And one more project for the road.
It’s not exactly molding….
….but it’s almost as good as the perfect homecoming dress. 🙂
PS May your day today be full of happily ever afters and room tours.
For the next stop on the tour be sure and stop by the incredibly talented Darlene from Fieldstone Hill Design.
And if you need even more inspiration…..here’s the rest of the favorite room tour participants today:
Dwellings by Devore
Oh baby, baby! Molding makes my mouth water and my heart go boom, boom!
The only thing better than you gorgeous room tours are your awesome stories! Love it! ~Sonya
Everything about your beautiful kitchen inspires me… I am tucking your ideas away and waiting for the perfect project to copy your brilliance!!
*sigh* I just love a romance with a happy ending -- I guess in order to be a romance it HAS to have a happy ending. I can't believe you accomplished what did in just that amount of time -- and kept your sanity -- and kept your sense of humor-- and kept your family intact!! That says a lot for the strength and love in your household. A beautiful house for beautiful on the inside and outside people. Big Hugs!!
What a great post KariAnne! Lots of good inspiration there.
She is one fortunate farmhouse to have you ! This transformation is amazing and delightful- I will be coming back to ooh and aww more! Have a wonderful Monday, Jemma
Where can I buy the cranberry recipe board? Or other such signs? Not as crafty as you are. Love your kitchen!
Crushing on the transom window! Looks like the movie kitchens in "Practical Magic" or "Something's Gotta Give".
The before and after pictures are pretty remarkable. You know I love your kitchen. The transformation is stunning. I've always wondered what the original homeowners think about your makeover. Hope you have a great week, Lisa
I used your kitchen for inspiration for my own kitchen reno last year. LOVE your awkward girl/beautiful swan analogy! Especially since I had oversized glasses, bad hair, bad jeans, back in the day ... ha!
You know I love a good romance story with my coffee! Love your kitchen...I can see why it is your favorite! ;)
It is so crisp! And so YOU :) I love every little detail. All that hard work paid off for sure.
I love, love, love your kitchen. The detail you've added is perfect. All the moldings make such a fabulous statement and I adore that plate rack.
I'm addicted to Before and After photos! Thanks for sharing. Would you be able to tell me where you purchased your chandeliers? I am remodeling a house and just love this look.
One word ~ SWOON!! Applies to both your rom-com storyline & your FABULOUS kitchen :-). YOU are a ROCK STAR! Bwg ~~~
Karianne, I feel like I want to start every comment on your blog with, "I LOVE YOU." Haha! You are just too cute and I love how you wrote this post and of course, I love that kitchen! I've always loved that plate rack with the recipe on it!
Such an amazing transformation! That room certainly needed all the love you could give it! Nice job seeing the beauty beyond the glasses. :)
I LOVE your house but your kitchen is my favorite. I already showed that plate rack to my husband and when we finish upstairs this will be added to my dining room. Tell me please that you kept that old stove because I love that too.
Karianne you rock! Fabulous as always!! Thanks for all the inspiration!
Great "character builders", KariAnne. I love seeing before and afters- so inspiring!
gorgeous space. It is clearly a labor of love! I LOVE the crisp white of it all. And I have dish envy…. MUST get me some white dishes on shelves!
I love the way you write and I think you work magic in a house!
KariAnne, every time I see a photo of your kitchen it takes my breath away! I wonder if my husband would have a coronary if I painted our cherry cabinetry? ;)
OH dear I swoon every single time I see your lovely home. We are slowly, and I mean slowly getting there. I figure this little "cottage" has good bones so we are just taking our sweet time and enjoying the process as we go. Have a lovely week!
Love your farmhouse kitchen and all of the architectural details, both of the ones that were original and the ones you and your cute resident carpenter created!
Your kitchen is gorgeous KariAnne! I love the creamy, cozy whites! Lovely tour!
Love the molding instructions. We just bought a farmy - looking house that can use some help! I am excitedly reading your ideas! Thanks!
This is so lovely - the transformation is beautiful! Thanks for sharing! :-D
So amazing...what my neutral kitchen dreams are made of!!! xo
Wow what a transformation! I love it!
Now I want to go pull out every white things I have! I think my favorite part, if I were forced to pick, is the built-in plate rack!
So lovely and welcoming and full of personality!
What a transformation...amazing!
Must. know. where I can buy a rustic fleur de lis piece like the one on your mantle! Everything you show is so very wonderful, but this one piece is what my wall NEEEEEEDS. Thanks so much!
LOVE the built in plate rack!!
So fun to read your post Kari Anne :) I love all the white and those pops of color from the flowers. The styling on that vignette is so great :) xo Kristin
Love this, what paint color do you use for the walls?
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