Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2 (Cabinets!!)

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by MasterBrand Cabinets. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting the content that keeps Jojotastic going.

Remember in our last kitchen renovation update, I had shared that I was promised a finished kitchen by Christmas? Yeah, let’s all have a really good chuckle about that one. At some point, I’m sure that I’ll learn not to believe that sort of thing during a renovation project. We are majorly behind schedule. As in, this has been going on for 6 months. That being said, a lot of progress has been made since the last time I posted, so let’s talk about the good stuff, shall we? Today’s progress report is all about a hugely impactful update: our new MasterBrand Cabinets from the Diamond product line!

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2

The day that our cabinetry arrived from MasterBrand Cabinets was a BIG day. I miiight have FaceTimed Sarah from Room for Tuesday as soon as the truck pulled up. And then I immediately texted Sean saying that he had to come home right after work to help me open each box to marvel at their beauty.

But all joking aside, one thing that we did that was really helpful in the installation was to label each box. MasterBrand sent a PDF of the kitchen design plan, so I compared the part numbers of each box with that. Then I used a sharpie to write where each would go. So, for example, you can see below that one is labeled ‘sink’ and the other is ‘oven.’ This made installation a breeze!

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper
Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper

The first cabinet to go in was our sink cabinet. It was crucial that the sink be centered to the window, so the rest were installed around that.

This truly feels like one of the biggest accomplishments in our kitchen renovation! There are still a few pieces floating because of the electrical work that remains, but for the most part, our beautiful MasterBrand Cabinets are in. I am beyond happy that we selected Diamond’s Sumner style with it’s Shaker inspired clean lines (read more about that selection process here!).

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper
Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper

During the unpacking and installation of the cabinetry, I kept exclaiming over just how nice they are. I’m pretty sure that our tiny bungalow has never had a dovetail joint in it before… but now dovetails abound! Truthfully, I’ve been chomping at the bit to move all of our plates, glasses, and utensils into them immediately.

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper
Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper

Having the cabinets in place has helped in soooo many ways. First, we’re able to see the overall floor plan of the new kitchen so much more easily. I was a bit worried that the kitchen would feel really small and tight when we brought the wall forward for the oven. But that is not the case at all! If anything, it feels airy and just plain wonderful.

Second, Sarah and I have been able to make a few more design decisions along the way, too. We discussed placing a butcher block countertop in the pantry area after seeing it in place. Sean’s uncle is a master woodworker, so he has signed on to make a one-of-a-kind piece for that area as a wedding gift to us. Talk about family heirloom!

Also, I was able to take a door and drawer piece to Rejuvenation to begin narrowing down our hardware options. Stay tuned for more on that!

Our Kitchen Renovation: Progress Report #2. update about our small kitchen remodel including cabinets, floor tiles, countertops, faucet finish, hardware, lighting. Designed by interior designer and expert @roomfortuesday with @fireclaytile @rejuvenationinc @kitchenaidusa @masterbrandcabinetsinc @deltafaucet @polycordesign @sinkology #oldhouse #kitchen #kitchenrenovation #demoday #renovation #oldhome #oldhomerenovation #smallspaces #smallkitchen #kitchenrenovation #beforeafter #kitchenmakeover #kitchen #makeover #fixerupper

So this is what our kitchen looks like. We used painters tape to adhere cardboard to the fronts to avoid any potential damage as we keep working. Be sure to check in again next week because I’m going to share all about our tile installation!

Tasks to be Completed (in no particular order!):

  • decide on cabinet hardware
  • place pantry cabinet
  • hang open shelving over pantry
  • tile the floor
  • finish electrical
  • install LED can lighting in ceiling and other lighting
  • install countertops and backsplash
  • plan out the interior of the closet
  • paint

In case you missed in, you can read more about our kitchen renovation + these posts might interest you:

photography by Jojotastic.

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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