Renovated kitchen with vintage details like a beadboard backsplash, farmhouse sink, and grain sack curtain.
This 1905 farmhouse kitchen was pretty rough when we started. The house had been empty for several years. Raccoons in the cabinets, layers of linoleum, ceiling falling down, a fridge that still had food in it 😱.
What the kitchen looked like when we started.
A clean slate, down to the studs.
The kitchen had been through various updates over the years, but when we got to it there was not much that was worth saving. We tore it all out, and exposed the chimney and ceiling. The window needed replacing, and unfortunately the wood floors couldn’t be restored. The only cool things left were the chimney and some old beadboard that was hiding behind the cabinets.
Leathered granite counters complement the farmhouse sink.
Our contractor Jim built basic wood cabinets to go around the sink and appliances on one wall. I bought a big Kohler farmhouse sink off of marketplace. It had a superficial crack and was three hours away— still worth it. Since there wasn’t much counter space, we invested in leathered granite for the counters. Reusing original beadboard behind the sink for the backsplash was the perfect vintage touch!
Antique cabinet + cute arch detail + exposed brick chimney = ❤️
On the other wall we arched the doorway into the stairwell, and used an antique wall cabinet from an old house in Kansas City (another marketplace find) for storage. I repainted it and stripped the knobs and hinges. I love the look but it took some time and effort to get it to be nice enough to use. It was much less expensive that buying new kitchen cabinets though.
Before / After — south kitchen view
Before / After — west kitchen view from the dining room into the breakfast room.
Before / After —north kitchen view
I was really sad that we couldn’t save the wood floors in the kitchen, but we put in some practical vinyl tile flooring that will be able to handle the mud and manure that come with country life. It has a neutral, kind of concrete tile look to it, and should hide dirt and be easy to keep clean.
I’m excited to use the kitchen for a few years and see how things work out. There are areas that still need more thought. Right now we don’t have a great spot for the trashcan, or the microwave. There is not a ton of counter space. I am confident we will figure out solutions as we go. And I’m still hunting for some perfect vintage grandma-chic dishes!