The Honest Truth About Remodeling a Kitchen Yourself (What No One Tells You)
Everyone makes remodeling a kitchen look so easy — at least, that’s what YouTube would have us believe. In reality, remodeling a kitchen yourself is a lot of trial and error, late nights, and learning as you go. I’m in the middle of our DIY kitchen remodel right now, and let me tell you — it’s been full of surprises, a few mistakes, and plenty of lessons. Today I’m sharing what I’ve learned so far, the challenges I didn’t expect, and how I’m figuring it out one cabinet at a time.
Have you ever noticed I’m not your typical, conventional blogger? I never seem to do things the way I’m supposed to. This kitchen renovation of ours started, not with careful planning or spreadsheets, but with a Marketplace find. Yep, one little purchase was enough to send me spiraling into a full-blown kitchen renovation. And now, I’m knee-deep in on-the-job learning (you notice I didn't say training) I never thought I would be, sanding dust, paint cans, with more lessons than I ever thought I’d learn.
In true Cara fashion, I jumped right in before fully thinking things through. It’s not that I haven’t been thinking about rehabbing our kitchen — I’ve been dreaming about it for twelve long years. But if you’ve ever owned a home, you know how life likes to throw detours into even the best-laid plans.
When Remodeling Takes a Backseat
When we bought our home, the first thing on the to-do list was to remodel the kitchen. Then, as these things go, one project led to another. We met with a contractor, started discussing possibilities, and before we knew it, we were remodeling two bathrooms, adding ceiling fans upstairs, and painting the entire house… except the kitchen.
The kitchen wasn’t forgotten, but it was pushed to the “later” list. We told ourselves we’d circle back once the dust settled — and somehow, “later” turned into more than a dozen years.
In the meantime, or should I say recently, we had to remodel the upstairs bathroom again, deal with a roof leak that turned into a whole new roof, and get the stone exterior tuckpointed. By then, I was D-O-N-E with projects this year. Or so I thought.
The Kitchen Suddenly Takes Center Stage
One random day, my husband looked at me and said, “We need to do the kitchen. And I want to do it now.”
What? Now? I wasn’t mentally prepared for that kind of commitment! Sure, I think about that kitchen all the time — but the doing part? That’s a whole different story.
So, I began making calls. What’s supposed to be the fun, exciting part — meeting contractors and planning a dream kitchen — quickly became exhausting. My best advice? Always get at least three quotes. Even if you already have someone in mind, you’ll gain fresh perspectives and a clearer idea of costs and scope of work.
It’s your home, after all. It deserves the best care you can give it.
Contractors and Vintage Kitchens Don’t Always Mix
It didn’t take long to realize that many contractors aren’t exactly thrilled to work with vintage materials. I made sure to ask upfront whether they did — and every time, they said yes. But once they arrived, it felt like they were gently steering us away from our dream.
Maybe they thought I could be swayed, but they didn’t know me very well. Once I set my mind to something, there’s no deviation. Vintage kitchen, it is!
So when we realized most contractors weren’t the right fit, my husband and I decided to do what we could ourselves. We figured we could at least paint the cabinets.
Ha! Famous last words.
Painting Cabinets Is Not for the Faint of Heart
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| It's difficult to see, but the white stain is not taking in some areas of the wood |
Anyone who says painting cabinets is “so easy” might be leaving out a few important details. We decided to start small and focus on one door to test things out. That’s my advice to anyone attempting this — don’t take apart your whole kitchen until you know your process works.
I started with the cabinet beside our sink. I removed the doors, emptied the contents, and headed to our makeshift workshop in the garage. I sanded, primed, and painted, ready to see my dream color come to life.
Except… when I stood back, I wasn’t thrilled. The primer didn’t cover evenly (even with two coats), and the paint pooled in the miter corners. I started over, and tried another coat, then another primer. Still not right (I guess I forgot to take pics).
So I thought, stain will save the day. I’d just refinished another piece (more later) and loved the outcome, so why not apply that same method here? I picked up a white wipe-on stain, thinking it would give me a soft, airy look while keeping the natural grain visible.
Instead, it pilled up like a sweater every time I brushed my hand across it. Egad! Talk about one frustrated gal.
When Trial and Error Teaches You More Than Google
At this point, weeks had passed, and I was feeling completely deflated. No contractors were following up except one — and his quote was so over-the-top I laughed, out loud. One portion was three times what a licensed plumber quoted us to replace all our galvanized pipes. I can only assume he thought his number would make me go away. Spoiler alert: it did.
But back to those cabinets. I remembered something a contractor had mentioned offhand — that grease floating through the air in kitchens can prevent new paint or stain from adhering properly. That comment stuck with me, and one day while I was cleaning brushes, it hit me: maybe the problem wasn’t grease alone.
What if it was the type of products I was using?
The old finish was likely oil-based, but I’d been using water-based primers and stains. Oil and water don’t mix, literally or figuratively. So, I decided to try an oil-based stain I already had in the garage.
And guess what? It worked!
After all the frustration, sanding, and trial runs, Old Masters Oil Based Stain in Early American went on beautifully. It absorbed evenly, highlighted the grain, and gave the cabinet that vintage warmth I’d been chasing for years. That single cabinet door felt like a hard-earned victory.
Small Wins in a Big Remodel
Since that discovery, I’ve been able to sand, stain, and wax three cabinets this week alone. It might not sound like much, but after so many setbacks, it feels monumental. I’d been spinning my wheels for weeks, wondering if this remodel was going anywhere. Finally, things are moving again — and the kitchen is slowly starting to transform, or maybe more accurately, the garage is becoming full with my removals and work to be completed.
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| I do love seeing that woodgrain now |
This remodel has taught me that progress doesn’t always look perfect. Sometimes it’s just a few sanded doors, a properly applied coat of stain, or a day when things finally go right - those perfectly imperfect moments that keep you moving to see what happens next.
Remodeling Isn’t Just About the Work
Having severe asthma and chemical sensitivities, I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to handle sanding and staining. Strong smells can send me straight into an asthma attack. But I’ve learned that with a good respirator mask and patience, I can do it.
At first, I could only wear the respirator mask for a few seconds at a time before feeling suffocated. Now, I’ve worked my way up to longer periods. It slows me down, but that’s okay. Going slow means I can think through each step instead of rushing and making bigger mistakes.
In a way, not hearing back from most contractors has been a blessing. It’s forced me to learn new skills, gain confidence, and truly understand the materials I’m working with. My husband helps walk me through each step, answers my texts full of panic and questions, and reminds me that working with wood means you can always sand, strip, or redo it. There’s always an “erase” button, in my case, thank goodness for that.
Easy and Hard All at Once
If this project has taught me anything, it’s that remodeling is both easy and hard at the same time. Easy because if you're patient and willing to learn, you can do it like Rosie the Riveter has been telling us for years. Hard because it pushes every ounce of patience you’ve got, or maybe that is just me.
My biggest takeaways so far:
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Be flexible. Plans change constantly. Let them. My head is spinning from all of the pivoting since we started.
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Start small. Don’t tear down everything at once.
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Ask questions. Even the silly ones — they save you time later. I firmly believe there is no such thing as a dumb question.
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Don’t give up. Every mistake is a lesson in disguise.
What’s Next for Our Vintage Kitchen
Next up: removing the backsplash. I’m kind of sad to see it go, but change is part of the journey. Things are going to look different around here soon, and I’m excited to share more updates as the remodel continues. Plus, I plan to share some how-to's and steps to follow if you decide to take on your own project. It will be full of Cara thoughts, what and how I learned, usually the hard way. I'm an open book like that.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you could remodel your own kitchen, I’m here to tell you — you can. It may take time, patience, and a few deep breaths (and maybe a few “Egads!” moments), but it’s possible. If I can do this, literally anyone can.
Remodeling can be easy and difficult all at once — but it’s always worth it when you stand back and see something you built with your own hands.
Have a wonderful weekend, friend. I’ll be back soon with more kitchen progress — and probably a few more lessons learned along the way. Just remember, I am working with basic knowledge, and I am old and slow these days, so bare with me, but I promise to share every little detail.
Ciao,
Cara
