just me, living here

Okay, so let’s get real for a minute.

You know how you walk into a house that’s for sale and it feels like it’s been frozen in time?  You can almost hear the Hootie & The Blowfish playing from the ’90s kitchen. And if you’ve ever walked into a house from that decade, you’ve definitely run into that angled closet trend.

You know the one, right?

Instead of a nice, straight wall, the closet is cut on a diagonal, just jutting out into the room like it’s trying to be amazing.  Bless its heart, it was trying!

At the time, it was considered “custom” and “modern,” but let’s be honest… today, it just feels kinda stupid. In reality, those corner closets gobble up valuable square footage, make furniture placement a total nightmare, and can actually make a room feel smaller. It’s no wonder this great forever home is still sitting on the market.

And that, my friends, is exactly why the kitchen is the star of this week’s if I lived here post.

It’s time to tackle this Evergreen Wynde beauty and give it the makeover it deserves. Goodbye to the ’90s angles and hello to some much-needed function and flow.

If I lived here, this is what I would do…

Square it off!

By removing that awkward angled pantry and reworking the layout, I can add some much-needed usable cabinet space and make the whole house feel cleaner, smarter, and way more intentional.

First things first, we’re starting from scratch. Everything goes, the cabinets, those black appliances, and the floor. They’re all out and gone!

And, oh my goodness, can we talk about that tile job? Whoever installed it clearly didn’t check their seams. I’m guessing they started from opposite ends, met in the middle, and realized it didn’t line up. I would be livid if I had to live with that botched job. What the helly?

Instead, let’s lay down wood flooring in a stain that matches the rest of the house so the flow feels seamless. But let’s make it in a herringbone pattern because I’m obsessed with that look.

Next, we’re tackling the wall and door opening to the living room. Right now, it’s too large and just looks… off. Literally cut off.  Closing it in and adding molding around the door frame that matches the rest of the house instantly cleans things up. As a bonus, we get more wall space for cabinets and a gorgeous custom paneled refrigerator.

For the island, I’m thinking small-ish, square, and painted this perfectly muted sage green. It’ll be just the right size for a couple of barstools. Not too big, just enough to feel cozy and functional and leaves enough room to navigate around.

The sink moves over to the wall that used to house the fridge, leading into the dining room. Next, let’s add a sleek new steel range and double oven combo with a painted range hood. Hello, dream kitchen energy!

The cabinets will be in a soft putty color with a whisper of green undertone. The ones flanking the stove will have glass fronts, while the built-in smooth-front cabinets on the new wall will stay closed and house the new pantry alongside the paneled fridge.

Everything just flows so seamlessly. And for the backsplash? A classic soft white keeps it simple, bright, and timeless.

Now we have a clean space in front of those great big picture windows to add a wood farm table big enough to dine 8 relatives on a regular basis.

The result?

A simple, open kitchen with just enough color to connect the traditional style of this house to the rest of the home. It’s a space that’s functional and intentional, and honestly, a space I’d never want to leave.

That’s what I would do if I lived here.

Take a look at my mood board and tell me what you think of the transformation. Are you happy to see that angled pantry gone too?

Stay tuned…more to come…tackling the family room