Kitchen Remodel: Changing Overlay Cabinets to Inset
Today’s post is an exciting one! After months and months of waiting patiently for it to be complete, I am so happy to say that I finally have the kitchen of my dreams! We moved into our custom home five years ago. I was able to make all the design choices, and I have to say I instantly regretted the choices I made. We originally designed our kitchen in 2013 when I was 38 weeks pregnant with my son. I was sitting in a design center and I told the designer that I wanted a French Country white kitchen. As soon as those cabinets went in, I knew I hated them. They were not white, but rather a pale yellow (that’s what bright design-center lighting gets you). Combine that with a room with no windows, and you end up with a dark and drabby kitchen. For years I wanted to change it. So what am I to do? I didn’t want to pay the money for new cabinets. So I hired a good carpenter who was able to transform my dated kitchen into the kitchen of my dreams without getting new cabinets!
My old kitchen was nice at the time, but I admit my tastes changed as well. I wanted my kitchen to be light and airy, and most of all inviting. I want my kitchen to flow with the rest of the house, which is also light and bright. And I want my kitchen to stand the test of time. So what does that mean – a white kitchen, of course!
Finding a Good Carpenter is Key
When undertaking a kitchen renovation like I have done, finding a good carpenter is key. I had one that I had worked with for the last three years (he finished my basement and installed my coffered ceiling in my living room). The inset cabinet look has become much more in vogue lately and I can see why! I love the look of old build-in cabinets, so inset cabinets was the way I wanted to go. I didn’t want to change the layout as I was happy with the way it was. To retrofit older cabinets to new inset doors, however, requires very precise measurements (and a few tricks to make everything look even and level). We ordered brand new doors, and painted them with Sherwin Williams Extra White paint. With my carpenter’s keen attention to detail, we were able to make my old and dated cabinets look brand new! And I can tell you we saved thousands of dollars over investing in brand new cabinets.
Since we weren’t changing the layout, all of our appliances stayed in the exact same place. We did change the granite to quartz, however. I decided on using LG Minuet quartz countertops, as I have them in my basement kitchen and I like how natural they look.
This Caitlin Wilson rug helps to balance out all the white, and adds some warmth to the room.
We decluttered most of the spaces on the countertop. So in this corner I added this Pier 1 tray. I love adding pops of blue throughout the kitchen, and this petite ginger jar is perfect for the space.
We added this Newport Brass faucet in Antique Brass for the kitchen farmhouse sink. We added a smaller Newport Brass bar faucet for the island sink. These faucets are so nice, and I love that they coordinate so well with the Darlana Pendants we installed over the island.
The knobs and pulls we installed are from Restoration Hardware (however these are very similar).
Crate and Barrel Vinter Counter Stools
I though long and hard about what counter stools to use on the island. The space isn’t overly wide, so I had to be conscious of the dimensions. I thought about using Ikea chairs, but in the end we settled on the Crate and Barrel Vinter Counter stools. I am so happy we purchased these chairs. They are nice and sturdy and the quality is excellent. I do recommend the Vinter chair cushions if you want a more comfortable chair. The chairs and chair cushions coordinate so well with the kitchen too!
Tile Backsplash by Fireclay Tile
My old backsplash was a cream carrara marble tile. It was simple, but I wanted something even more classic and timeless and not overly busy. And I didn’t want to get a standard 3×6 subway tile from one of the big box stores. After searching high and low I stumbled across Fireclay Tile and I’m so glad I did! All of their eco-friendly products are handmade in California and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Fireclay Tiles makes all their tiles by hand and made to order. You can get tiles in a huge variety of colors and shapes. Ultimately I went with a simple 2×6 tile with a slight crackle finish, in the color Frost. I am so happy I found the traditional and timeless look that I wanted to achieve.
Table by Rustic Elements Furniture
We had the kitchen table custom-made from Rustic Elements Furniture. This table was designed by me and it turned out more beautifully than I could have ever imagined! I highly, highly recommend Rustic Elements Furniture for beautiful custom tables, buffets and chairs (see this post where they made my dining room table and buffet). They are about the same price as any other piece of high quality furniture and I’m telling you they are 100 times better than anything you could find a conventional furniture store. Their tables are made to last and I can see them lasting over 100 years! They are based out of Chicago but they ship all over the continental United States. And we upholstered these chairs with Crypton Fabric as I have no fear using their stain resistant fabrics on our most used furniture – even with four small children!
Outfit Details
Veronica Beard Nora Dress | Stuart Weitzman Pumps | Urban Decay Lipstick (Sheer Liar)
Kitchen Sources
Overall I am just so thrilled with how our newly remodeled white kitchen looks! And I’m so glad we made the change from overlay to inset cabinets. Our kitchen is classic and timeless, light and airy, and is everything I could have possibly dreamed! See below for links to everything you see in the kitchen. And please do not hesitate to reach out to me for any questions!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
xo | April
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Wow, what a difference! Your kitchen looks amazing! I would love to get new cabinets in our kitchen, it’s still the builder-grade cabinets right now.
Thanks Stephanie! You don’t have to get new cabinets as I stated in this post. You can easily paint or change the doors for a whole new look!
Oh my gosh… I am beyond jealous of your amazing kitchen!!! It was pretty before, but I love how bright and modern it looks now.
Thank you so much Susan!
What great ideas. We have been discussing a kitchen remodel for a few months. Thank you for the helpful ideas.
Thank you! Glad to help!
Omg this kitchen is so incredibly gorgeous! Pinning for future inspiration
This is an amazing kitchen! Love the white with gold accents, cool light fixtures too!
everything is so beautiful you did good DR. April !
This kitchen is so pretty and white. I absolutely love the remodeling. The kitchen is my favorite place in my house.
Thank you Marjie! It is for me as well!
Wow it looks so beautiful and well furnished. It’s so classy as well and I must say it’s a dream kitchen for me.
Thank you Lydia! It is for me as well!
You’re right on the timelessness of white cabinets. We’ve had ours since the early 90s and I’ve never tired of them. They could use a repainting after 27 years, 3 kids and several dogs, but I still love the bright, happy feel of the kitchen when you walk in. Your Reno is beautiful and I hope you make many lovely memories in it with your family!
Dr. Marquardt, I love it! It’s so crisp and airy! 🙂
Thank you so much Kristina! It is my dream kitchen!
Your kitchen looks amazing! I love the cabinets!
Thank you so much!
We just purchased a new home and are having a completely new kitchen installed as soon as we close. I agree with you, white is the absolute best way to go for a timeless feel.
Thank you Nicole!
I like the brass theme you going no with the knobs, faucets, and pulls. And I also like the fact that you recycled by using parts of your kitchen from a restoration shop.
I love your kitchen I am in the middle of deciding and interviewing contactors you have given me so many ideas and thoughts. One question : When you hired your carpenter to redo the cabinets Did he paint them ? Or did you hire someone else to do them? I have had contractors tell me they will paint the cabinets boxes and replace to doors. Also how hard was it for them to install the pot filler ? thank you !!
Eleni…He did paint the cabinets as well. As for the pot filler – it wasn’t too hard with the granite torn up and the tile off the walls. We ran a hose off the main sink through the backsplash walls. I hope this helps!
I love that you hired a carpenter to redo the kitchen instead of ripping it all out and starting over. Love the transformation. Looks amazing.
Your kitchen looks incredible! Giving me so much inspiration for our future kitchen!
Amazing! Your kitchen looks so perfect. Now I think we should also get the new cabinets ours is very old. 🙂
Wow! What a beautiful changes even without the changes. Changes are gorgeous too!
The remodeling of your kitchen looks fantastic! The white cabinets and countertops brighten up the place. Have a great week!
-Racquel
https://www.purposely-you.com
Oooo just love what you have done with the kitchen!!! I have a white kitchen too. So chic
Your kitchen is gorgeous! I love everything about it, but especially love the light fixtures. So pretty!
What a gorgeous kitchen. I definitely love all the white. It’s so fresh.
I’m going to be flipping out the doors on my kitchen cabinets this summer as well as changing my counter top. Thanks for this! So helpful.
April! I am in love with your kitchen. I would literally live in it! It is so beautiful. The touches are so exquisite.
xo Debbie | http://www.tothineownstylebetrue.com
Oh gosh, Debbie, Thanks! And I love living in it too!
Your kitchen is Absolutely Gorgeous, this kitchen should be on the cover of Home and Gardens magazine!
Your kitchen turned out beautifully, it seriously looks like a dream!!!
How high are your ceilings?
They are 9 feet high.
Beautiful! Did they hand paint your cabinets? I’d love to convert my overlay cabinet doors to inset. It looks so nice!
Ebonn…Thanks so much! The doors were sprayed, but the frames were rolled on site.
Absolutely LOVE! By far the nicest I have seen. I am remodeling our kitchen and going for this exact same look, of course, because it is beautiful. Would love for you to email me the details on how much your remodel cost. We are going through a local cabinetry and countertop contractors but I didn’t known if home depot for countertops would be cheaper or how it works? It’s so much more $$$ for inset cabinets, I don’t know if it’s worth it or if I should just paint my current ones. I would love for your input. Thanks.
What an amazing transformation! So obviously these are all new doors, but did the drawers all have to be completely remade as well? Could you reuse any of the hinges or drawer sliders? What is approximate cost in something like this?
Hi, I was looking for inset cabinets. Nice job. Also, you aren’t a classically beautiful woman, but all the parts work in harmony and I appreciate the effort to put yourself together. I’d say that is sexier than anything, the effort, even though if you were not a woman of means you’d look quite average. The last pic with your hair a bit messed conjured images of our passionate love making – having hiked your skirt and bent you over those fresh white cabinets until you were flushed, breathless and pushing back for more. Have a nice day.