Last Saturday, Ben was baking banana bread while the boys and I ate waffles at the dining table. Ben got annoyed talking around the upper cabinets separating the kitchen and dining rooms. He jokingly said he wanted to take the cabinets down. After a second, I said, “Go for it!” I thought about where we could move our plates, bowls and cups. After breakfast, I cleared the cabinets out and moved everything to our newly empty cabinets thanks to Jen’s 30 in 30 challenge.
Then, Ben got his drill and started removing the cabinet doors.
After the doors, the cabinets came down.
It was a quick process. If only our entire kitchen renovation would go as quickly. Just 18 screws, 5 minutes, and a little dancing to get a brighter, more open kitchen.
Now, we have a nice, open view to the dining room.
It’s amazing that the kitchen is so much brighter without the divider. Remember the old view?
Just for kicks, I asked Ben to hold one of the cabinets against the wall, just to get a feel for the new cabinet layout. This one is larger than what we’ll actually have.
The walls behind the cabinets haven’t been painting and to be honest, I’m debating whether I want to or not. The screws left a little damage and the holes should be filled. But, I’m lazy and hopefully we’ll start renovating the kitchen this fall, so it won’t last too long. Right? Most likely, I’ll get sick of looking at the mismatched paint and touch it up. We’ll see. Haha.
Now you’ve seen the results of our impulse decision. It’s strange to go to the cabinet to grab a cup for Vincent and see plates. We’ll get used to it soon.
Have you made any impulse home renovations lately? Did you paint? Retile? Maybe you did a little demo work?
ourhumbleabodeblog.com 
I LOVE it! can’t wait to see the new cabinet installed =)
I enjoy the occassional spontaneous home renovation … J on the other hand does NOT haha. so it doesn’t happen often =/
LOVE IT! What a difference a little change can make. Can’t wait to see what you do to the kitchen:)
What a great idea. All that extra light – and you can now see the cook too.
– Joy
What an easy fix and it looks great! Have you ever thought about painting your cabinets instead of replacing them?
Hi Krysta,
We have thought about it, but the layout isn’t the best and we want to do a little demo, so the current cabinets just wouldn’t work well. We actually gave the cabinets we took down to our mail man to use in his garage. It worked out well for everyone.
Thanks!
A
OOOO, this is fabulous! And now you get to see your wonderful dining room 🙂
Does our unplanned, need-based bathroom demo count as impulsive? haha
Looking forward to seeing your kitchen demo!
we had an overhanging cabinet like yours and had to do the same thing, I kept banging my head on it! Love, LOVE the picture of your baby…adorable.
Total impulse project- Yesterday, I moved everything out of the spare bedroom ( except the sofa, because I can’t lift it on my own, so I covered it with sheets) and started stripping the wallpaper. My husband is out of town for 6 nights, so I’m trying to get the room ready to paint by the time he gets back!
Cait, it totally counts!
TZ, thanks! We think he’s adorable, too. 🙂
Leslie, I hope you can get it done. That would be awesome. Removing wallpaper is a thankless job, usually. Have fun!
Amanda
how exciting!!!!! LOVE impulse moments that turn out so rewarding!
I love it! I have always disliked those ‘hanging in the middle of a room’ cabinets, but I understand the need for them from a storage perspective. I love that you just went for it!
Thanks for the great inspiration. I have been toying with the idea of removing/moving the cabinet over the peninsula in our kitchen (you can see it here: http://oneprojectatatime.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-paint-or-not-to-paint.html) and this definitely tipped the scales for me in the “YES” direction! I can’t wait to tear that baby down!
Hey Erin,
So glad you’ve decided based on our impulse decision. If you have the cabinet space to keep everything elsewhere, I say tear that sucker down. What do you have to lose? If you don’t like it, you can always reinstall it, right?
Thanks!
Amanda
So I see you’ve decided not to post my comment. It’s unfortunate that you choose only to post positive comments. YHL, the blog which yours is so OBVIOUSLY a copy of, as well as Bower Power, etc., keep it real and allow both positive and critical comments and they respond to both types with grace. Seems that’s one part of their blogs that you don’t copy. My only reason for pointing out the unsafe situation in which you have placed your child is to hopefully bring your attention to it and discourage you from continuing such a dangerous practice.
Hi Mel,
Thanks for your concerns. To pull out a mom quote, “It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it.” The reason I chose not to post your previous comment was because you didn’t seem genuinely concerned for his safety. My kids and their health, well being and happiness are my priority. You seemed more concerned with a superiority complex and being right. Perhaps if you’ve left positive comments, I would be much more receptive to your critiques. As it stands, you’ve only commented to tear something apart, be rude, or demeaning. It seems you’re simply looking to stir up dust and cause a conflict. That, I have no place for. You’re welcome to comment if you have something to add or leave your critiques in a constructive way. I don’t know if you seriously thought your last comment was constructive and helpful, but I certainly did not take it that way.
And, let’s be real here, I spend a lot of time on my blog, but it’s only a blog. If you don’t like what you’re reading, please go elsewhere to fulfill your blog needs.
Thank you,
Amanda
Wow, Mel, OBVIOUSLY you have nothing but time on your hands with your perfect parenting and home decorating skills. Amanda has done a fantastic job on her house and her kids seem to be well adjusted and happy. If you hate her blog so much and it’s a mere copy of Bower Power, why don’t you stick to reading the “originals” and keep your negative comments off this one that many of us love to read? Don’t take your anger out on someone that you don’t know. You strike me as a spammer who sends viruses with the sheer intent of hurting other people, which I find entirely inappropriate on a DIY blog site. Take your negativity elsewhere.
To Amanda, I love what you’ve done to your house. You have a great eye for what works well together while balancing it with having little ones running around. I wish I could do half of what you have done!