Sometimes, people don’t buy shiny, new homes where you move in and everything is perfect. Sometimes people have to renovate. If you’re lucky, you can buy an older house and renovate right away if you don’t love your new-to-you places and spaces. But often, you have to wait. And if you’re like many of us, that waiting can take a long, long time.
That was certainly the case for us. We bought our current home in 2013. And it wasn’t until very recently that we were finally financially able to renovate our 90s kitchen.
And I loathed our 90s kitchen. The 90s as a decade? Amazing. Style from the 90s though? Not my bag, baby. It probably was at the time I suppose. But like all (maybe?) good things, there’s a time for them to come to an end. And my 90s kitchen needed to see its end years and years before we finally kicked it to the dated-kitchen curb.
Our 90s Kitchen [Before]
Here’s how this space looked when we moved in in 2013:
If you recall 90s style, then you know that this space was super stylish for the late 1980s/early 1990s when our house was built. The light oak/maple cabinets, the glossy cherry hardwood floors, green granite countertops. What isn’t to love?
And I’m sure there are some folks out there that may prefer our “before” to the “after” – I’m ok with that. Such is the way of the world. None of us like the same things. But this thing is ours, and I was ready to gut it on the day we were handed the keys.
Alas, the budget wouldn’t permit it. First we made over the powder room right off the kitchen, followed by overhauling the basement (including the full bathroom on that level and the guest room) then our oldest son’s room, our daughter’s room and our youngest child’s room.
We then tackled the kids’ bathroom and finally our own bedroom, closet and master bathroom.
By that point, we were tired. And broke.
But it was hard having the “heart” of our home being one of the spaces I liked the least. So one day, I snapped. I knew that we were still years from being able to really address this space.
But I knew that I couldn’t keep living with a kitchen I despised. I figured ANYTHING would be better, and I just had to try doing something to it that was within the budget.
Our 90s Kitchen [The In-Between Phase]
So we gave the space a $1000 kitchen makeover. You can read all about what we did to makeover this area for $1000…truthfully, I think we got pretty far for that amount of money. And it allowed me to be okay with the space for a few more years.
Putting elbow grease into something will do that, won’t it? Always helps us to appreciate things a little more.
To get it to this point, we knocked out the wall between our kitchen and family room, painted the cabinets, painted the floors, changed out our light fixtures and accessories like rugs and counter stools, and added a gallery wall for the kids school art projects.
I was really happy with the changes (and the price tag)! The kitchen floors became super controversial…people were ANGRY that I painted those floors. I was told I ruined my home’s value, I deserved to be killed…you wouldn’t BELIEVE the fury that was unleashed on me for painting my own floors.
But it worked so well! People were sure that they’d immediately scratch and look terrible…but they didn’t! They stayed this way for at least 6 years, and I never even had to touch them up!
They’d still be this way today if it weren’t for the fact that we FINALLY got to the point where we had saved enough $ to overhaul the whole space.
90s Kitchen No More: The Reveal
We recently gutted this space, and started fresh. Unlike almost every other update in our home, we did NOT DIY this kitchen remodel.
Kitchens are tough because they can take a long time to renovate if you’re doing it on your own. And we were not going to move out while this remodel was happening. So we bit the bullet and paid for a contractor to take care of this overhaul.
The contractor was able to complete this whole project in 3 weeks. It would have taken Tib and I six months of nights and weekends to complete this project.
I can’t even imagine how many nights of Ramen noodles and microwavable meals that would have been for us. Ick. I was thrilled to have this done so quickly!
We went with a two-tone kitchen, a navy blue and white pin-stripe kitchen island with white perimeter cabinets.
We added more faux beams in this space to mirror what we had put into our family room years prior. And we added lots of floor-to-ceiling storage space throughout the kitchen and eat-in-dining area.
I chose glass orb pendants for over the island in order to keep the line of vision unobstructed. We used a white porcelain scalloped/mermaid tail tile for the backsplash which goes from countertop to ceiling.
We added some large windows in the space (this side of the house doesn’t get a ton of natural light during the day, so I really wanted to get more light), and placed a few open shelves in what would have otherwise been a pretty useless little corner area.
The pantry area got an overhaul as well and we added this coffee/drink station or “butler pantry” although our butler pantry came sans a butler, sadly ;).
Finally, our laundry room also got a makeover. So now those spaces flow together really well using the same cabinets and Cambria (Portrush) quartz countertops that we used in the rest of the kitchen.
I’ll link to some of the sources for the space. Truthfully though, I don’t love doing this because undoubtedly, things will go out of stock and people can’t find things which is frustrating (I know because it happens to me when I’m on the internet, too!). But hopefully this info can help if you like something you’ve seen in our 90s kitchen reveal:
- Countertops (Cambria Portrush) with a mitered edge (perimeter counters are basic white quartz)
- Paint: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray at 50%
- Blue and White kitchen runner/rugs (mine is no longer available, but I’m linking one from the same company that’s very similar)
- Counter Stools
- Island Cabinets: Omega Cabinetry (would not highly recommend…we had a lot of problems with them)
- Perimeter Cabinets: KraftMaid (were much easier to work with than Omega, and more reasonably priced)
I hope you like our 90s kitchen overhaul! It was a long wait for us, but I’m really happy with how everything turned out. Good things are worth the wait, right? But trust me, I’m not a patient person, and I know the waiting is NOT fun!
And remember, if you’re in a situation like we were and you can’t go straight from icky before to dream kitchen in one-fell swoop, often more inexpensive intermediate steps are enough to keep you happy in the interim!
If your 80s or 90s kitchen is driving you crazy, consider some easy, budget-friendly changes you can tackle now, while you’re waiting for your kitchen budget ship to come in! It certainly helped me to take that approach!
More Kitchen Ideas & Inspiration
Looking for more kitchen design tips, decorating ideas, or budget-friendly kitchen inspiration? Make sure you check out these, too:
- 19 BEST Backsplash Ideas For White Cabinet Kitchens
- 23 Best Spice Storage Ideas To Organize Your Kitchen
- 12 Best Paint Colors For Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets
- 7 BEST White Kitchen Island Ideas and Inspiration
- 13 Best Black Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors + Tips
- Best Timeless Blue Kitchen Cabinets (Ideas + Tips)
- Countertop Edges: BEST Guide To A Perfect Profile
- How To Clean Quartz Countertops: 5 Simple Steps
Pin this 90s Kitchen Makeover
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Sue says
I have always loved your home and the fabulous miracles you preform. The new kitchen is the cherry on top. Absolutely love it,and it was worth the wait.
Heather Thibodeau says
THANK YOU so much! I really appreciate it 💕. We’re very happy with it, too!
Carol T says
Wow that is a stunner! Such a gorgeous upgrade, I hope you enjoy it for many many years 😉
We too have a blue island/white cabinets, but the pinstripe is so standout, we just moved in in July and I think my husband will kill me if I ask to add it to the ends of my island now, but it’s just so cool looking!!
And the quartz, I love your quartz (we got Cambria Everleigh, which is a bit softer), yours is a stunner!
Bravo!!! And again, enjoy!
PS – the painted floors in the prior change-up were awesome
Heather Thibodeau says
Thanks Carol! Love blue and white…it’s classic with just a tiny twist which I think makes it fun! Really appreciate your kind words! Would love to see a pic of your kitchen, too! It sounds lovely!