Week 9 - DIY Kitchen Renovation Progress: Installing Cabinets, Finishing Floors & Seeing the Light at the End of the Tunnel
- Sep 3, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Guess what happened this week for our DIY kitchen renovation?
There are certain moments during a home renovation that suddenly make everything feel real.
For us, this was one of those weeks.
The main floor flooring was finally finished, and after months of planning, measuring, and waiting…
Our kitchen cabinets were installed. I HAVE KITCHEN CABINETS!!!!!!
I don't think there are enough exclamation marks to explain how excited I was to finally see an actual kitchen instead of an empty room full of renovation supplies.
After so many weeks of demolition and construction, it finally started looking like a home.
The DIY kitchen renovation Finally Came Together
Watching the cabinets go in completely changed the feel of the house.
The team from Castle Kitchens did an incredible job and even modified our floor-to-ceiling pantry on site so it would fit around an unexpected load-bearing bulkhead.
Sometimes that's just renovation life.
You make a plan...
Then the house reminds you it has plans of its own.
The only thing left for the pantry was ordering a new door and deciding what to do with the empty corner where one of the upper cabinets was originally supposed to go.
At the time I couldn't decide between:
Ordering two additional cabinets (and waiting another eight weeks)
Installing open shelving for a lighter, more custom look
It wasn't a decision I expected to make, but renovations have a funny way of forcing you to get creative.
With the cabinets installed, my next steps were:
Schedule appliance delivery
Install cabinet hardware
Choose a countertop company
Order countertops
For the first time, I could actually picture cooking meals in this kitchen.
Marketplace Finds Don't Always Go as Planned
One project led to another... As they usually do.
I had purchased a beautiful pantry cabinet from Facebook Marketplace and originally planned to use it upstairs.
Once everything was in place, though, I realized it completely disrupted the flow of the room.
The sight-lines felt off, and I wasn't convinced it belonged there anymore.
Then another unexpected project landed on the renovation list.
While moving the kitchen island around, we accidentally damaged the base.
At first, I was disappointed.
Then I had one of those renovation lightbulb moments.
Instead of trying to repair the original detailing—which I wasn't crazy about anyway—I decided to completely redesign it.
We had already built an accent wall using decorative trim, so why not use the same idea on the island?
The new design would hide the damage while creating a custom feature piece.
Was it another project we didn't technically need?
Absolutely.
Was I excited about it anyway?
Also absolutely. You know I love a good DIY project!
Small Wins That Made a Big Difference
Some renovation milestones aren't dramatic enough to deserve their own Instagram post...
But they make everyday life so much easier.
This week we also:
Hung the master bedroom door
Installed the girls' closet doors
Received the rest of our door hardware
Of course, even installing door handles created another unexpected task.
We quickly discovered we'd have to trim part of the door casing to make room for the hardware.
At this point, I had fully accepted that every completed project would probably create another one.
That's just part of renovating.
The Upstairs Finish Line
Although the upstairs looked dramatically different, there were still plenty of small jobs left before we could officially call it finished.
Our remaining to-do list included:
Finish installing trim
Fill nail holes, caulk, and paint the trim
Apply a second coat of paint to the accent wall and kitchen island
Repair drywall after electrical work
Replace discoloured switches and outlets
Install closet organization systems
Finish hanging light fixtures
Build a custom barn door for my walk-in closet
Build a custom range hood cover
Install decorative switch plates and finishing touches
None of these projects were particularly exciting on their own.
Together, though, they would completely transform the space. For the first time since buying the house, it genuinely felt like we were getting close to moving in!
The Basement Was a Different Story
Then there was the basement...
Every time I walked downstairs it felt like we'd accomplished absolutely nothing.
Which wasn't true.
It just looked that way.
While the kitchen installers worked upstairs, I escaped to the basement—close enough to answer questions but far enough away that I wouldn't spend the entire day standing in the kitchen saying,
"This looks amazing!"
Instead, I focused on moving renovation supplies, organizing materials, and vacuuming part of the family room.
Not glamorous.
But necessary.
Sometimes renovation progress looks like installing beautiful new cabinets.
Other days it looks like cleaning enough floor space that you can finally see the concrete again.
Looking Ahead
Our biggest goal for next week was starting the basement flooring.
Not only would it move the project forward, but it would also get dozens of flooring boxes out of the way and make the basement finally feel like part of the renovation instead of a storage unit.
We were also waiting for the electrician and plumber to finish their work so we could drywall the back half of the basement.
Once that happened, we'd finally start feeling like we were in the home stretch.
Looking back now, this was one of the most encouraging weeks of the entire renovation.
The cabinets, finished flooring, and all those smaller finishing projects reminded me that renovations don't suddenly become homes overnight.
They become homes one decision, one project, and one tiny victory at a time.
Follow Our DIY Home Renovation From the Beginning
Want to see how this renovation unfolded week by week? Catch up on the full story below—from getting the keys and tackling smoke damage to kitchen surprises, flooring, trim work, and finally seeing the house start to feel like home.
Missed all the before photos? Check out the blog post Semi Excited to see our starting point.
Whether you're planning your own DIY home renovation or just love a good before-and-after story, there's plenty more renovation chaos, lessons learned, budget decisions, and progress to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does kitchen cabinet installation take?
The installation itself happened surprisingly quickly, but planning, ordering, and making adjustments for unexpected issues—like our load-bearing bulkhead—added extra time to the project.
Should you choose open shelving or upper cabinets?
It depends on your storage needs and style. We debated both options after our original cabinet layout changed. Open shelving creates a lighter, more open feel, while additional cabinets maximize storage.
Is it normal for renovation projects to create more work?
Absolutely. Throughout our renovation, almost every completed project uncovered another small task. It's a frustrating but completely normal part of renovating an older home.
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