One thing’s for sure, Cara Wilkerson of Live the Home Life isn’t afraid to lay all her cards on the table! Brace yourself for an intimate first glimpse at one of her biggest and most impressive home undertakings yet: her kitchen.

Nearly two years to the day that I closed on my house and turned it into a full blown construction site, my to-do list started coming to a wrap. The master bathroom was fully gutted and remodeled, every inch of wall space had been stripped of half-century old wallpaper and the hardwood floors had been buffed and polished to perfection. In other words, this little fixer upper of mine was transforming into one hot ticket…with the exception of one eye sore. One major eye sore.

Holy kitchen remodel. The time had come to rip this bad boy to shreds.

Decked out with dark dated cabinets, ancient appliances well past their prime and pink laminate countertops, oh yes, a kitchen overhaul had been put on the backburner for far too long.

First up, the game plan. Since I already had two years to think through what I wanted to tackle in my kitchen, it was pretty easy for me to get down to business. The boxes of my original cabinets were in great shape, so all they needed were to be refaced, painted and topped off with new hinges and pulls.

Bringing in new quartz countertops, tile backsplash and stainless appliances was a must.

While I had an easier time planning the cosmetic updates to the space (cabinet style, tile options, counters, paint colors) one hurdle I had to navigate from the get go involved this little nook of the kitchen.

Tucked behind this wall was my laundry room that was only accessible through the carport. I actually had to go out of my kitchen door, into the carport and then into the laundry room. Needless to say it made doing loads of laundry in the chilly winter months less than enjoyable. Not to mention, I am sure my neighbors were getting tired of seeing me making a mad dash into the laundry room with my hair in a towel to give my sweaters a quick fluff in lieu of ironing.

Long story short, a doorway from my kitchen to the laundry room was a crucial part of this transformation. After consulting several plumbers, electricians and cabinet makers, it was decided that removing the old wall oven and surrounding cabinetry would make the perfect spot for a pass through.

Cue the new kitchen/laundry room layout of my dreams…

Once estimates for the work ahead were gathered and the budget was set, it was time to get down and dirty with my favorite 4 letter word: demo, baby.

I know some of you are cringing at the sight of my demolished kitchen, and rightfully so, but rest assured the rest of my house didn’t look any better.

But hope was restored when new shaker style cabinet doors and drawer fronts were installed and a few coats of primer and white paint got in on the rehabbing action.

Now one month into the remodel, the cabinets are finished, appliances installed (almost) and countertops on their way.

Check back in with me next month as this kitchen/laundry room remodel keeps rolling its way towards the finish line.