Making Our House A Home (even though it’s a rental)–Follow my journey in turning our house into a home. You can read other posts in this series here.
If you have been following along on the blog, then you know that we moved this past weekend to a nicer home and much better situation than we were living in. Now that I have the kitchen set up, I thought I would give you a little peek.
Our Previous Kitchen
Previous Kitchen Dining Area
I used the open shelving because there was no pantry, but decided that I liked the “cottage” feel of the shelves and I loved decorating them.
New Kitchen BEFORE
A couple of weeks ago, I showed you a photo of our new kitchen that the previous owner had used in his listing of the house. [Click here to read that post.]
Shelves from Previous Living Room
The moment I saw the kitchen I knew that I wanted to put my white bookshelves from our previous living room on that beautiful gray wall, but when we moved the table and chairs into the kitchen there wasn’t much room. I thought that I would just have to hang a painting on the wall, which was frankly a little disappointing.
Then in the middle of the night I decided to move the shelves in to see what they looked like. All I can say is that they belong. I decided to use the top half of the shelves as a decorative accent and the bottom half as storage for kitchen items.
So here is the reveal of the new kitchen with our spin on things…
New Kitchen AFTER
I love the clean simple feel of the kitchen now with the pops of color. Everything you see (except for the plant on the top left) I previously purchased from thrift stores, or discount stores. I simply arranged it differently on these shelves.
Here is the second version of the decorative arrangement:
New Kitchen Shelves
Honestly, I just feel happy every time I walk into the kitchen. Eliminating the clutter on the shelves makes a huge difference!
So, what do you think? Leave a comment and let me know. 🙂
[Click here to read all the posts in this series.]
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It is amazing how draining clutter can be (emotionally, mentally, and physically). Your kitchen looks like such a happy, clutter-free place. I LOVE the book shelves. You have done an awesome job! 🙂
Thanks so much Kayla! Now that I have tried clutter-free, I am determined to keep it that way. 🙂
You did a really beautiful job!
Thanks Dara!
It’s lovely! Clean & bright! No clutter Just what I love for a kitchen. Wish mine would stay that way.
Thanks Elizabeth. My kids have been complaining because I have been making them keep the counters clear–haha!
I love it! So clean & fresh looking! You’ve done a great job!
Thanks so much!
Simple and pretty!! Love it!
Thank you Maria. 🙂
Love the kitchen, the colors, the layout and especially the un-cluttered look. You did an awesome job. The white shelves stand out nicely against the grey walls then adding the touches of green – is calming. Thanks for sharing so much of your home and heart with all of us.
Thanks Denise. I am trying very hard not to keep this house uncluttered. It makes such a difference in my ability to function and in the level of peace in our family.
How creative!! Love your kitchen!!
Thank you Diane!
It looks so beautiful and cheerful!! Love the colors and warm bright feel of the new kitchen!!
Thanks so much Lisa. 🙂
You did a great job decorating your new kitchen. I love how there is no clutter. I enjoy reading your blog and especially your honesty. Your personal stories give me hope on days when I am struggling in self-pity over my own family’s financial struggles. Thanks again and enjoy your new home.
Thanks Debbie! I am sorry that you are going through difficulties, but so glad that I can give you hope. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
It came out really nice!
Thank you Claire!
I love the colour it looks very welcoming 🙂
Thanks Mary!
Your new kitchen is beautiful and so neat! I can’t believe that you are moved and settled so quickly. I hope you make many wonderful memories in your new home.
Thanks Precious! This is just the kitchen though. The living room is a complete disaster– haha!
Very cute!
Thanks Delina!
I like that you kept the top decorative and used the bottom half for kitchen storage. So it’s functional and decorative at the same time. Good use of the space.
Thanks Esther! That pretty much sums up my style– beautiful, but practical. 🙂
I really love the new look, it’s so up to date! Very stylish and easy on the budget! You should keep your eye out for some grey chevron fabric, or make it yourself with stencils. Just a table runner down the middle of the dining table.
Thanks Martha! It is actually funny that it is up to date. I just pulled together some items that I like, but I just read that white cabinets are coming back and that green is the new color for this year. I am accidently fashionable!
It’s beautiful Kimberlee….you done good girl!
Love, Mona
Thanks so much Mona! That means a lot coming from you because your house looks great!
Lovely. It’s a calming, well ordered kitchen. Good luck in your new home.
Thanks Nancy!
Looks great! I get the urge to reorganize in the middle of the night too!
Haha Jerilyn! I don’t get the urge very often. 🙂
I love it! We also have a family of 6 and our kitchen / eating area is almost identical in layout. Your pictures have definitely given me some ideas and inspiration.
Glad to help Anita! 🙂
Love it!
LOVE! You should pull more of that green in the apples and bowls with green and white chevron curtains 🙂
Ooh, great idea Amy Mae!
Looks like a great functional kitchen. The green is a great color for adding happy energy:) Enjoy your new space. We are doing the same thing. We moved to a smaller space to save money and get out of debt. We sold/gave away at least half of our “things” and still working on more. And it actually feels wonderful.
It does feel soooo good to get rid of the junk! I didn’t know that green added happy energy, but it makes sense because that is exactly how it feels.
LOVE the kitchen – glad you guys are in a much better situation and will be much happier!! 🙂
I think it’s beautiful, warm, cozy and embodies the essence of you family. Good job!
Ooooo I just love your new kitchen. There is nothing like white cabinets to make the room brighter. It is much more cheerful than your previous one. The open shelving is perfect for this space. Love the pops of green. Enjoy!
Thanks Cindy! I like it MUCH better than the old kitchen.
Thanks Laura! It feels cozy to me too.
BEAUTIFUL! I love the clean look and the green color is great!!!!
I love it! So bright and cheerful. White/grey is my favorite combo, and I love the pop of green! I also bet you could find a cheap white cloth drum-style lampshade to replace that older one on the hanging light, and reposition it so it’s centered.
Great idea Julie–that is the one thing I did not like about the kitchen. 🙂
Thanks so much Em!
This is so cute! I love the white shelves with the grey walls! It always amazes me what a little personalization can do to transform a space. 🙂
Looks great. I like the green accent color.
Thanks Kristin. 🙂 I did not realize how many green pieces I had until I started pulling them out. I must really like that color too! Haha!
Thank you so much Sarah!
That’s so pretty! I love the colors you used in your new kitchen. Enjoy it!
Love it – looks very Ikea-ish with the clean lines! Plus, just in case you need it in the future, you have the added storage on the shelves. “Move Done” Happiness to you!
Thanks Katie! And yes, I love the functionality of added storage.