Sept 28th, 2022 marked the start of the One Room Challenge, in partnership with Apartment Therapy.

For this challenge, I have 6 weeks to customize this boring (yet quite practical) kitchen in our investment property, and make it a space that everyone would want to hangout and cook in. Be sure to follow along in my stories to see the step-by-step details for each of the following projects listed below.

The plans for this space will include:

• A custom wood rangehood

• A beadboard backsplash

• Open shelving and a few custom wood working projects

• New light fixture above the sink (I may even attempt to make one)

• Find and install the perfect cabinet hardware

• An upcycle project or two

• Incorporate art and decor pieces into the space

Week 1 - The current state of affairs and INSPO

Lucky for us, the kitchen was already updated and in great shape. Currently it lacks a certain feeling of warmth and doesn’t quite go with the original feel of the 70-year-old house.

To add warmth, I have been saving inspiration to my Pinterest boards and will feature a beadboard backsplash reminiscent of English cottages like the one features in this image by this designer. Not that I want to lean into a cottage or farmhouse look, but because it adds instant warmth, is very cost effective, and will go well with more modern choices in the rest of the kitchen.

I also detest the look of the current white hood vent that sits above the stainless steel range. To remedy this, I’ll be building a wooden range hood vent cover to add some warmth and character.

I was able to find a great tutorial by Angela of Simply Beautiful By Angela that features a smart storage solution for above the stove. It not only looks great, but provides access to the large storage space above the stove.

I plan on updating this page every week, so come back soon to see how the space is progressing. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for me in the comments section below. In the meantime, follow along on instagram to see how me and other designers and DIYers are progressing.

Week 2 - Mock Ups and Decisions

I kicked off week 2 by taking down the old light above the sink, removing the electrical plates on the wall (I’ll be installing beadbaord in the backsplash area), and unscrewing the cabinet doors from the cabinets above the stove. I also found a preloved kitchen isand on Facebook Marketplace that I will be painting—What color will I be painting it? I have no idea.

In order to help me prepare for the next few weeks and make decisions that I’ll be happy with, I created a few mock-ups to visualize the colors, harware, and lighting that will go in to the space.

The following 3 options in this gallery show a dark wood toned range hood, and shelf, then a white range hood and shelf, and the third one showes a white hood with brown shelf.

Next week I plan on installing the backsplash and getting starting on framing the hood range for you. Until then, please comment below with your suggestions for the color I should paint the above island.

Weeks 3 and 4 - Over-the-Sink Pendant Light

Week 3 may have gotten away from me, but here we are in week 4 of the ORC and I have been working on creating a lighting fixture for above the sink.

The original plan was to buy a vintage inspired pendant light, but for the sake of our budget and the environment, I have decided to try and create my own light from spare parts of old light fixtures.

I took inspiration from a few of these vintage inspired pendant lights that I found on Amazon:

I started by finding the perfect scalloped glass shade from the Habitat for Humanity restore, and rewiring an old light kit that I had from a different light.

After rewiring the socket to hold the thick black cord I wanted for the pendant, I had my hubby hold the light up for me so that I could gauge the placement for it. I’m sure I’ll change it around five more times before settling on just the perfect length.

Next week, I plan on finally tackling the beadboard backsplash. For some reason, that has been a daunting task for me, so I’ve been procrastinating a little when it comes to that.

There is still so much to do, but I’m happy to have the pendant light sorted out. Now that I know the exact metal finish used on the light, I can go ahead and choose the drawer pulls and hardware.

Weeks 5 and 6 - Beadboard Backsplash

Most people think that you MUST use tile for a kitchen backsplash—but as soon as I laid eyes on the modern lines of the cabinets with the black sparkling quartz countertops, I knew that I wanted to use wood beadbaord panels instead of tile.

Beadboard has been used in cottages and older homes for decades, and I love the idea of bringing in a warm element with the backsplash to create a more traditional look in this kitchen.

First things first, I took a trip to the local hardware store to see what kind of beadboard panels they had in stock. I may have done a little happy dance when I found the perfect narrow beadboard panel for $23.99 for a large 4 x 8 foot panel. I thought about purchasing the smaller 2 x 4 panels you see below, but I needed larger cuts and so I sent my husband back for the larger ones.

I started by measuring out each backsplash area around the appliances, and drew out the lines on the board.

Using my small Makita circular saw and a Kreg track kit, I was able to easily and quickly cut along the lines drew on the beadboard.

Once the straight cuts were made, then I had to use my jig saw to cut out the holes for the electrical outlets. Using a few dabs of silicone adhesive and a few nails with my brad nailer, the first panel went up without a hitch.

I still have to fill, paint and caulk the backsplash this week, but I am so pleased with the progress so far. The look is exactly what I was going for.

Stay tuned for next week, as I also paint the island and add some open shelving too.

Week 7 - New Sconces, Ledge, and Counter for the Back Wall + New Color for Kitchen Island

While the builder-grade galley kitchen needed a backsplash and cosmetic updates, the back wall was a complete blank slate in need of some creative solutions.

This week was the week that the back wall got a new counter (one that matches the existing counter on the galley kitchen), a beadbaord backsplash, a ledge shelf, and a pair of sconces outfitted with motion sensor puck lights.

You’ll notice there is no electrical pulled in the wall for these, which is why I decided to use the puck lights. Most puck lights require AA batteries and a remote control. but I like that these motion sensor lights only need a USB charge once every few months, and require no remote control.

After measuring, I drilled them directly into the wall, using anchors and 2.5 inch screws.

Once the beadboard and Ikea ledge shelves were installed, I went ahead and filled and sanded the areas that needed finishing, before painting with a coat of Benjamin Moore Advance Paint in a custom color to match our cabinets.

Painting the Kitchen Island

The Kitchen Island looked dingy and old with the old creamy color and black handles. After some sanding and two coats of Benjamin Moore paint in a blend Sage and Morn Ice, it looks like a brand new piece.

I originally bought the island off of FBPB for $400 and paid about $100 for delivery. I bought the paint for about $75 a gallon, and the new bronze handles were thrifted for about $.50 cents each.

Week 8 - Range Hood / Vent Cover, New Faucet, and Final Reveal

This week, the final touches on the range hood were completed, and the beautiful Speakman faucet arrived to take its rightful place in the kitchen.

Range Hood

The vent above the range is quite an eyesore, and I have been looking for a way to cover it without losing the storage space above it. Attaching a hinge to a panel of beadboard allows for the hood to swing up and access the cabinet, while being an easy option to hide the ugly vent.

Faucet

The sink area was already looking great once the beadboard backsplash was painted (in a satin finish to repel splashes of water) and caulked, and the only thing left was to swap out the plain old faucet for a brand new Speakman faucet in aged brass.

Speakman Neo Spring Kitchen Faucet with pull down sprayer is not only beautiful, but it is going to make washing dishes so much more enjoyable for me. It was simple to install and the spring neck extends and retracts with ease, leading to a three-function (aerated, spray and boost) spray wand that delivers an extra boost of cleaning and pot-filling power.

The Final Reveal

These past 8 weeks have just flown by and all that was left was to style and decorate the space with well-loved thrifted accessories to bring my vision of a cottage-chic kitchen to life.

One of my favorite elements of this kitchen is how much brighter the space seems now, and how drastically different the revamped island looks now that it has been painted.

Now that the kitchen is finally done, I can’t wait to move onto the rest of the house.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with the progress.