Love the gold cab hardware/faucet. Really like that you left the exposed concrete, too; it's edgy and textural and different! Good job on everything!

Really nice.

Your kitchen is gorgeous! The before is not too shabby either, but The white cabinets are best for your small kitchen. So light and bright, and uplifting. Great job. Enjoy!

Your kitchen was beautiful before. Very rich looking. But gosh its so light and bright now and I love the open shelving. I bet its like you can breath in it now.

Before seems to me that is more elegant, i like it better. After is so ikea

Beautiful...a succulent would be a great addition!

@Izabela - I actually like many IKEA kitchens (find them clean, modern and bright) but I totally understand that many people like a darker look. Thank you for commenting!

@eleni777 - the stools are soooo comfortable and affordable too! I got them at World Market.

Looks awesome! I hate to be a party pooper, but as an architect I have to comment- I hope those shelves are secured at every stud in that rear wall. If not, I'd be really cautious about the amount of weight you put on them.

@kdevens - We bought custom made metal brackets from Silicate + Studio (search on Etsy if you happen to be in the market for invisible shelf brackets). Basically they are metal brackets with rods that are inserted into the back of the shelves. The brackets themselves are very sturdy and very securely attached to the wall (my husband is an engineer) and additionally there are "L" brackets attached on the side through the cabinet panel into solid wood. Those babies aren't going anywhere!!

Gotta be honest. I like the before cabinets.

Great touch up remodel, feels so much more welcoming with the lighter cabinets and the wood shelving!!

Night and day. Really nice!

Love the open shelves. Beautiful kitchen!

It looks amazing! I love open shelves and your is one of the best I have seen so far.

@kellysib- what a great redo of your kitchen space! I think like many of the others on this thread that the open shelving added just the right touch. Thanks for the classy way you responded to everyone- you rock! Enjoy that newly renovated kitchen!!!

Can you tell me what the dimensions are of your beautiful new kitchen?

Love the gold (brass?) pulls and faucet. Beautiful and original. Love the white cabinets.

Super pretty, and sooo functional.
We've had mostly open shelves for years, now, and I MUCH prefer them. OK, so the less used dishes get a bit dusty eventually, but honestly, I'd rather rinse before using than crack my head on a left-open door, or have to open every.single.door before I find what I'm looking for.
So many dishes, appliances and containers are most attractive nowadays, I really don't see the need to hide them away like guilty secrets. I also love to put little bits of art, or pretty trays, on display on my shelves. These are KITCHENS, after all!

Oh, and did I mention we lived on a farm and had multiple cats and dogs!

Love the open shelving. Did you use reclaimed wood for them?

@ We Make It Our Home - Yes, we used reclaimed wood. We ordered it from Elmwood Reclaimed Timber. They were great to work with and sent us samples of the wax finishes and answered all of my many questions. We purchased them sight-unseen so I was a little apprehensive but we absolutely love them!

@djhs38 - I'll have to measure and get back to you (may be a few days). The faucet is the Delta Trinsic in Champagne Bronze and I LOVE it. The pulls are Pottery Barn - I chose the 9" pitted pull and the classic knob - both in the brass finish. It is warm and matte, not shiny, which I really like.

@summery - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my open shelves! They make me smile every day. A quick once-over with the Swiffer when I do my regular cleaning is all that has been required so far...and it is so much easier to put away dishes and glassware when I empty the dishwasher. I will never regret the addition of the open shelving. Beauty and functionality is a win-win for me. Glad you love yours too! :)

Thanks for your tip. I glanced over their website. It's like an encyclopedia !! Seems yours is a Douglas fir if I am not mistaken.

@We Make it Our Home - It can be confusing! We bought the antique rough sawn beam shelves. We ordered the 2" x 12" shelves in 7' length and cut them down. You can order them finished or unfinished - we went with the light brown wax. Here is a link to help you find them on the site: https://www.elmwoodreclaimedtimber.com/store/rs-shelves

Thanks Kellysib. My new kitchen will be a galley - 15 feet long by 8 feet not very wide!

Your new kitchen is lovely, but actually, I love both the before and after pictures. I am glad you got the kitchen you love!

Beautiful Transformation!

Open shelves are not a problem as long as you store only the dishes that you use daily. I love the changes you made; it's a beautiful transformation. Change is invigorating and even if something is beautiful, if it's not to your taste change it.

@djhs38 - our kitchen is approx 10' x 13' measured from the wall, not the cabinets. There is approx 4'3" walking space in the middle. Hope that helps!

@nmungo22 - If I were you, I would start by figuring out what works for you in your kitchen currently and then start searching for images of kitchens you love as inspiration. What style are you drawn to? What colors do you like? You'll need to decide if you want to do just a facelift or a whole new kitchen and come up with a budget before you can develop your plan. In my case, the layout worked for me but the finishes (although nice) weren't to my taste. We made some changes immediately (such as changing out a black subway tile backsplash for the marble you see in the picture) and upgraded the appliances but then lived with it the way it was for nearly 4 years. I knew I wanted white and open shelving, mixed metals and a bright, organic, clean look. Armed with a few inspiration pictures, I began searching for a contractor to paint the cabinets professionally, sourcing reclaimed wood, cabinet hardware, etc. Good luck and have fun!

well done

The photo before was beautiful to me. Not knocking your choices but it looked clean and new and pretty. I prefer rich woods I guess. The dark contrast with the quartz or whatever the countertop is, looked like a great contrast. The other is pretty too though.

To the two people wanting ideas for their kitchens... top person... remove knobs, sand cabinets and paint them say a grey or something (whatever you like). Just removing those knobs and getting rid of the outdated cabinet color will help. You wouldn't need to change appliances then if money is an issue.

To the second person with the ugliest kitchen (it's not but it can be helped). The problem in your kitchen is the grain of the wood with the busy floor and busy countertop is too much. Paint the cabinets out if money is an issue. That'll tone it down and if you can change the floor to a more restful tile or the counter (keep one of them with some interest maybe), that'd be good. You got too much pattern going on is my opinion!

Oh and add some knobs/handles. That's add interest.

Oh as for the before and after I just noticed the dark counter with the dark wood. If I were to keep the original photo, I'd just of changed the counters to either white marble or white quartz! That would've made the entire difference in the "darker" kitchen. The white cabinets were a good choice though because of the darker counter... we all have different tastes. I put cherry in my kitchen a year ago; so you took yours out and I put them in! LOL we are all different and I think it's all good looking.

@Sue B Hooven - your kitchen is very nice - thanks for sharing! Unfortunately, my "before" cabinets were not real wood and were not in the best of shape thanks to the previous owners so paint was the best option in this case. The "before" picture definitely makes them look a lot nicer than they were in reality! I didn't want to change the counter (I like the gray and I had already put in the marble backsplash) and I happen to love white kitchens so...

Yeah, they said that to mine too (someone preferred the old one) but I know you can't tell the cheapness or the defects in photos. Mine were pressboard except for the doors and the doors were off the shelf box things... here's the old one with laminate, cabinets were nasty but look much better in the photo, Fluorescent light. I kept same floor and appliances.

@stlouisgaltoo - open shelves are definitely a love it - or hate it option. I have plenty of closed storage and I've loved the look for a long time. Happily, I love living with them even more. They are both functional and beautiful and make putting dishes away a breeze!