Beach Cabin Kitchen Renovation

Well… it’s January. Last year at this time, we were in the thick of the Beach Cabin Kitchen Renovation. Despite my best intentions, I didn’t really document anything except for some photos along the way, but here is the process as I recall it.

This is what the kitchen looked like when we bought the beach cabin. Given that we were not going to invest in doing a complete haul on the cabin and wanted to start enjoying it as soon as possible, we left the layout more or less the same.

For the first part of our kitchen renovation, our contractor helped us remove the cabinets and a local donation center picked them up along with the appliances. Here is what it looked like without the cabinets. We also removed the lower shelving.

During the second part of the kitchen renovation, we originally wanted to tear out the flooring in the kitchen in hope that the hardy pine that was throughout the rest of the cabin was under it (we had a good feeling it was from looking at it from the entry level ceiling), only to find it was going to cost a lot in labor and time given the adhesive previously used.

We decided to keep, sand, and stain the floors but weren’t sure about the various wood stains. They were all beautiful but we didn’t want a million different stains on the floor that were similar but not exact (we had to change this when we were in the midst of the entry level floor redo, but that’s for another day). Our wood floor guy suggested a white wash that night, but when we came the following morning, he had a sample of weathered grey stain on the floor.

He provided several examples of what it would look like when left on and then wiped at various stages. We loved this unique plan. Given that we couldn’t match the stains, we liked the idea of doing something completely different.

Next, we the painted the ceiling and walls white. Our contractor helped us with the molding and replacing boards that weren’t even.

He also referred us to a woodworker for custom cabinets and countertops. We had looked into purchasing pre-made cabinets, but the layout and unevenness of a cabin built on sand took that option off the table. We went with a basic shaker cabinet. Our appliances and sink were chosen before the cabinets were made in order to ensure that everything fit just so. We went with the 24″ Haier range and the 18″ Haier dishwasher. This allowed for more cabinet storage and has met our needs at the beach cabin well.

To save money, I primed the cabinets and then painted them using a ceramic paint. We tried out various colors. I knew that I didn’t want white cabinets (we have them at home and one white kitchen is enough when it comes to constantly wiping them down). The main goal with the Beach Cabin is to have a cozy spot to vacation and relax with minimal work, so we and our guests can enjoy the lakes without worrying too much about the cabin. I ended up landing on a warm blue color that went well with the hardware we chose.

The countertops for this kitchen renovation project came out more beautifully than I could have imagined! We had to work together with the woodworker on the install. It was tricky because the walls aren’t completely straight so there were gaps but we eventually came to a solution that turned out well.

Choosing the refrigerator was my favorite, favorite part. I had my heart set on a SMEG fridge from the second we purchased the Beach Cabin (maybe even before– ha!). The fridge has worked out well. Not only is it obviously functional but it could also be considered the statement art piece in the kitchen.

There were so many colors to choose from. In the end, we went the safe and timeless route and bought a white fridge. I was afraid it wouldn’t stand out as much, but it is still what everyone immediately notices when entering the kitchen. I’d love another SMEG either the same size or smaller for the entry level. Our grill and the door to the beach are on the entry level and it would be nice to have a fridge to grab a beverage on the way to the lake or meat to grill for dinner. (Check my entire post dedicated to this refrigerator here).

We kept the sweet round table in the corner, changed out the lighting, and painted the chairs. Our contractor also added a door to the extra storage cabinet in the corner (not pictured). The last part of kitchen renovation, aside from putting it all back together, was the tiling and open shelving. Again, the tiling took some finessing due to the unevenness. We chose a charcoal grout with classic subway tile. This helped with cost and will hopefully stay “in style” in this ever-changing, Pinterest-y world. I also love the charcoal grout for low maintenance clean up. Our woodworker made the custom live-edge open shelving and I think it turned out beautifully!

And that’s it! We wanted a cozy, timeless, and low maintenance kitchen. As mentioned earlier, our goal for the Beach Cabin is to spend time with those we love, enjoy Michigan and all it has to offer, and not worry about ruining anything too fancy yet still be in a place that feels special.

If you want to see more cabin and kitchen remodel inspiration, follow along on Mackinaw Road’s Pinterest account here. There are several cabin/cottage boards as well as one dedicated specifically to our Beach Cabin.

The List from the Kitchen Remodel (contains affiliate links):

Wall color- Sherwin Williams Extra White

Cabinet color- Benjamin Moore Philipsburg Blue (read about our ties to this color here)

SMEG Refrigerator- Lifestyle Kitchens and Studio (read more about our amazing ordering experience here)

*If you are not local to Grand Rapids, SMEG refrigerators are also available here and here.

Kitchen lighting– under $70

Hardware-  Lowes

Kitchen Sink- Ikea

Faucet– (similar and under $65) 

Dishwasher

Range