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The project:
Complete renovation of a very dark L shape 60's style kitchen into a modern rustic farmhouse kitchen, complete with classic Smeg appliances, Kaboodle cabinets, copper farmhouse sink, Tassie Oak floor boards and real stone feature walls.
- Materials:
- Tools:
- Step 1:
Cleaned out all of the cabinets, benchtops and drawers from the old kitchen. Then began removing the old appliances including the dishwasher, oven and rangehood. Removed the overhead cabinetry, splashbacks and then the benchtops. Finally, we removed the floor cabinets before cleaning everything up.
To help with later stages we also removed the bulk head (replacing with a support beam) and side wall to open the kitchen up and give it the illusion of being much larger.
- Step 2:
We next opened up the floor and organised a plumber to come around and make modifications to our existing plumbing so that it would suit the new design. As always happens in an old house, the job kept growing and we were required to replace a number of waste pipes and connections.
- Step 3:
Now it was time for the plasterer to repair all the mess we had made.
- Step 4:
Now that the remedial work was completed, we requested a home visit from the Kaboodle expert from Bunnings. She arrived at our house and ran through the design process with us. This covered off everything including measurements, styles, colours, benchtops, splashbacks, handles, hinges, door knobs and bins. She even gave us a few tips and tricks to make for a better kitchen. We immediately feel in love with the drawings and raced down to Bunnings to pay the deposit and complete the order. The Kaboodle kitchen arrived in only a few weeks and we coudn't wait to start putting it all together.
- Step 5:
Once the cabinets were built we couldn't wait to get them into position and get a feel for what the new kitchen would be like. We began by installing the corner unit and once leveled up we could then use the finished height as a guide for all the other cabinets in the kitchen. We were also lucky enough to have our new Smeg oven arrive around the same time and we were able to work with an electrician to have it installed.
- Step 6:
It was now time for the benchtops. We had the plumber come back to install our beautiful copper farmhouse trough. Then to save some money we spoke with the stonemason to understand how to create the MDF tops and templates. We went down to Bunnings, picked up the materials and cut the pieces as instructed.
The stonemason came out to double check our work and after a couple of small postives and negativess he was able to take the templates away and start the stone preparations. The whole process went really quickly and the turn around was less then a week. We couldn't get the smiles off our faces when the stone was installed.
- Step 7:
It was now time for tiling the walls. We had already produced a natural stone wall around our fireplace in the lounge room and wanted to continue the feel and theme into the kitchen. We were lucky enough that the same stone tiles were still available and we ordered a small pellets worth to ensure we would not run short.
We spent the next two days tiling. Almost every tile required to be cut using a wet saw and the tiles we used also required special angles for the internal corners. It was hard two days but when finished we couldn't have been happier with the result and the warmth and feel the natural stone provided.
- Step 8:
Time for the job no one likes: painting. I too am in that boat but have done so much of it now I'm actually getting pretty good at it. A lot of it comes down to the paint and the brushes and as they say you get what you pay for. Drop sheets also became very important with the way that the renovation went together.
We decided on black paint for the architraves and window to do something different and for them to really stand out against the white and olive green. We also recycled and old door we had and redesigned it to suit the theme of the kitchen and the entrance to the pantry.
Finally we infilled the stone with some quad to help it blend into the ceiling without taking away the nature texture of the stone.
- Step 9:
We had always wanted to incorporate a coffee station into the new kitchen and after looking at a number of images on line we came up with a plan. We scoured the stores for items that would suit our rustic farmhouse style and built some design options on the floor.
Once we had it all where we wanted it, we built a support chalkboard to mount all the items and finally installed it next to the pantry. We had opened the kitchen up by removing a wall early in the renovation and didn't want to close it off with a big benchtop and cabinet. The coffee station worked perfectly for this space.
- Step 10:
The last (and probably most enjoyable) stage was the styling of the kitchen. We mounted some live edge shelves each side of the range hood and had been collecting farmhouse decor to bring the room together. We also got our electrician back to fit off the downlights above the island bench and sconce lights around the pantry door and window.
It was finally time to sit back and enjoy all we had achieved and we couldn't be prouder.
- Help and inspiration:
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How to create a modern country-style kitchen
Classic style and a timeless palette are the perfect ingredients for a country kitchen with a 21st-century vibe. The Bunnings team provide expert advice in the guide How to create a modern country-style kitchen.
More inspiration for your kitchen
A dark kitchen with brown cabinetry was transformed using earthy green paint and shaker-style fronts by Bunnings Workshop member Acewoodhome in their kitchen makeover on a budget.
Get more ideas from 10 farmhouse style ideas for your home, 15 ways to refresh your kitchen and our Top 10 most popular kitchen projects.
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