Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Transformation: From Drab to Gorgeous
When we bought our house 3 years ago, to say I was excited is an understatement. I had been dreaming of a little modern farmhouse of our own for years. I felt beyond ready to take part in the makeover our home would need. The house took a lot of work, and still needs work. More than I ever imagined. But I’m so glad for what we have chosen to put into it. Each step is always worth it, and doing this modern farmhouse kitchen transformation is no exception.
I love decorating and making our spaces more functional. Not because I feel like I have to—it’s just another creative outlet for me. Learning how to bring my own touch to home design is a constant process, but I truly enjoy bringing beauty and order to our home. Yes, you could say I even enjoy cleaning… sometimes.
Our house was a bachelor pad before we got a hold of it. It was built by a family with pretty good taste, so there were still some cute elements… however, they were buried deep in stuff like cobwebs, fly traps hanging from the ceiling, chicken coops and rabbit cages. Yup, the inside of our home was basically a mini farm.
Our house was originally a single-wide trailer that was completely gutted and added on to. So there are very few elements in our home that resemble a mobile home, but it is certainly unique. The layout has presented some interesting challenges. And we still have a LOT of renovating that we would like to do someday.
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Our modern farmhouse kitchen renovation
The kitchen needed renovating right away after buying our house. A few reasons why: first, the countertops were tile and grout. I couldn’t imagine prepping food on them, let alone cleaning them! Second, there were basically no upper cabinets, with the exception of a sad, lonely, off-centered metal one. Third, the light fixtures were dark and outdated. I could go on.
These before photos I’m about to show you are actually of the house before the bachelor that previously lived here moved in. Meaning, it was quite a bit worse by the time we got a hold of it! But for the sake of giving you the satisfaction of a nice visual transformation, I’m using what pictures I could find. It definitely still looked just like this, but dirtier. Keep reading to find out more of exactly what we did!
Paint colors for a modern farmhouse kitchen transformation
We added white upper cabinets purchased from Lowe’s and added one lower cabinet for the peninsula. The style of the old cabinets is not exactly the same as the new ones, but they are very close. To bring everything together, I took the color of the original cabinets from dark gray to white. Now they match the new ones!
The paint color that I chose for our kitchen and dining room walls is Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray. It is absolutely amazing the difference that color made in that entire side of our home! It took the entire feel of the kitchen/dining room from overly warm to modern farmhouse.
Repurposed barnwood shelving
Now for what may be my favorite element of our modern farmhouse kitchen transformation. I had envisioned open shelving on either side of the large kitchen window since the very first time we looked at our house with the previous owner. My husband and a close friend spent a lot of time tearing down old barns before we moved out to our homestead, so we had a lot of barn wood stored. I really wanted floating shelves, so I ordered this floating hardware that I knew would hold plenty of weight.
The wood was quite old and weathered. I don’t like dealing with pests (who does?), so to be on the safe side, I treated it with diatomaceous earth before installing. I highly recommend this if you will be repurposing wood that’s been exposed to the elements!
The shelves turned out better than I imagined they would. They make such a special statement in my kitchen, and now I can’t fathom not having them there!
Modern farmhouse cabinetry and countertops
We took out the one lonely, off-centered metal wall cabinet and added a glass LED range hood (that I got an amazing deal on!), along with the white cabinets on each side. The glass-front cabinet closest to the peninsula is actually a sliding-door media cabinet that I repurposed. We also installed a small upper cabinet to the left of the refrigerator for additional storage. I love that our cabinets have a simple, sleek look. They were the perfect choice for this modern farmhouse kitchen transformation.
Originally, the peninsula was a free-standing structure, not attached to the other counters. It had no cabinets inside–just empty space covered by a curtain. We removed it and managed to completely repurpose it. (I’m sure I’ll be writing about that soon– if you’re interested) In it’s place, we put in a large 36″ cabinet, backed with repurposed barn wood. I adore the look of the wood behind my teal barstools! We left the corner space open to turn into a bed for our family dog.
We painted the remaining bottom cabinets and covered every bit of counter space was covered with a concrete-look Formica laminate. Writing this three years later, I can say that I have never once regretted this choice and still don’t. I love our countertops!
Appliances and fixtures from our modern farmhouse kitchen transformation
Believe it or not, the refrigerator is the only new appliance. My awesome husband talked down the salesperson at Lowe’s from an already-low price on a scratch-and-dent. The only scratch on it was a small surface scratch on the underside of one of the handles! I absolutely love it. I’m so grateful that we have space for a large fridge.
Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to put in all new appliances, but it just wasn’t necessary. It doesn’t really bother me that our dishwasher is white. Our range is stainless and black, so everything blends quite well!
There were 3 pendant lights were already installed in the kitchen, which I liked. I chose new pendant covers for over the sink and peninsula that had a simple, industrial style. It was so easy! I use Edison bulbs in the sink pendants as well as in the chandelier over my dining table. They add so much to the farmhouse look.
I also replaced the traditional, stock ceiling fan with a modern, clean-lined LED light fan.
Farmhouse dining room transformation
Since our dining room and kitchen connect as one open space, it’s important for the whole area to have one clean and cohesive look. I couldn’t wait to get rid of that red accent wall! Our clock is from Magnolia. Stephen got it for me as a Christmas gift the year that we moved into our house. I was hesitant at the price, but now I know that this statement piece was completely worth it. We use it every day, since we often need to check and learn time while we’re sitting at the table doing schoolwork.
Did you love this modern farmhouse kitchen transformation? You can find links to many of the same or similar products that I used in this renovation below. And don’t forget to pin this post for later!
Shop this post
- Teal counter stools
- Teal dining chairs
- Modern LED ceiling fan
- Industrial cage pendant covers
- Brushed metal globe pendant
- Edison bulbs
- Kitchen faucet
- Glass front cabinet
- Glass jars with labels
- Wire fruit basket
Watch me reorganize this kitchen on YouTube
More from the farmhouse on Growing Dawn:
Eco-Friendly Baskets: Sustainable Storage
55 Country Gifts For Her: From Cowgirls To Rural Women
How To Use A Sourdough Starter
Tiffany is a mama to four boys, second generation homeschooler, and college graduate with degrees in both music and business. Now, she is a natural living and homestead enthusiast who loves gardening and raising chickens, pigs, and cows. A lifelong believer in Jesus, she has a burning desire to bring Him glory in everything she does. A worship leader and musician, she also loves to write songs and play the piano in what spare time she finds.
