#HelloProKitchenReno: My DIY Kitchen Renovation

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably know that, for the past few months, I’ve been planing and gearing up for a kitchen renovation, which I’m proud (and nervous) to be executing and taking on all by myself onto of my work raising Piper, teaching, and taking on illustration and design work. Phew (also, why do I do these things to myself)!

When I first bought my 1950s brick bungalow at 22, I was just proud to own anything, but over the years, I’ve become familiar with some quirky issues, specifically, a few things in the kitchen that leave more to be desired. Right after I gained possession of my home, there were a lot of upfront expenses: I had to get a new roof, replace windows, get a new water heater, install an air conditioner, the list goes on. So when it came to my appliances, I was tapped out and opted to hunt Kijiji where I found a fridge and stove pair for $30 from a man down the street which we literally carted down the street on a dolly. They worked for what I needed at the time, but as the years have gone by and I’ve updated other areas of the home, I’ve realized it’s time to face my kitchen, including getting some grown-up appliances!

So I’ve teamed up with Leon’s as well as Frigidaire Professional® to create a kitchen renovation series, #HelloProKitchenReno. I’ll be sharing my journey publicly (whelp!) over the next month.

In my excitement over the last few weeks gearing up for this, I’ve been pinning hundreds of kitchen-inspiration photos, and made myself a little mood-board for my soon-to-be kitchen which I’ve printed out and hung in my office to remind me — and motivate me — to keep going and trucking through the grunt work! Got to keep my eye on the prize…

But before I begin picking out lighting, sourcing tile, buying accessories and all of the fun stuff, it’s time to focus on the task at-hand: demolishing my current kitchen. Below are photos of my current space.