Timeless style updates to my plain all-white kitchen

Timeless style updates to my plain all-white kitchen

• 8.20.2025

I redid my kitchen in 2019, which was not that long ago, but I was still figuring out my style at the time and I chose some then trendy, more modern finishes I would not choose now. (I also was still very much in a fixer upper mindset, and the house had glass block tile and peeling wallpaper and three layers of old roof tiles and… point is, I just wanted something fresh and clean and new.) So I ended up with a very white, pretty boring kitchen.

But it feels wasteful to redo a new kitchen. I’m not about to replace tile countertops or cabinets, but I realized there were several things I could do that would add more character and interest. I also had some circa 2022/2021 “organic earthy modern” touches to undo! They had coordinated with the brushed brass and industrial wood shelves, but did not go with my clean, classic, Nancy Meyers-inspired, hopefully timeless kitchen look.

I did several small, budget-friendly projects to totally refresh this kitchen!

Timeless Kitchen Updates

Here's the 2019 reno (where you can read about all the major changes like cabinets, flooring, etc.) and when we bought the house. Yowsa.

As for my 2025 changes...

I think the most impactful was the shelves. When we had done the kitchen, it felt so white and bright and hospital-esque until we added the warmth of these wood open shelves. But the black brackets went with absolutely nothing else in the kitchen (or even house!) and the wood was very straight and stark, no curves like the rest of the trim. These shelves were a DIY project, cut down from stair treads because they were a nice thickness and very sturdy, so I wanted to reuse them. So I ordered six brackets from Van Dyke's Restorers in the cheapest grade wood and primed, painted, and polyurethaned them. See that project here.

I had plans to install them myself, but my tile drillbit is apparently very old and ineffective, so after lots of frustration, I called a handyman my parents have used before and he charged me $60 an hour to install these. He said it only took him an hour, but it was actually 1.5 so I paid him $90. After nine years of almost entirely DIY renovations I feel so excited and grateful to be able to pay someone to do a project for me, and that feels like quite a deal. Avoiding so much stress and struggle myself.

Another super important thing I changed is the hardware. I had used a brushed brass hardware back in 2019 because unlacquered brass was too expensive or difficult to find or something. But brushed brass can easily look plasticky, and this did. So this time I chose a solid brass high-quality hardware option from Tradition Hardware. This is the polished nickel and it feels so elegant and classy and classic. These are solid and heavy and feel good in my hand too. This is the Belle knob and the Campaign pull. They gave me a coupon code for you, SUZ10, for 10% off!

Oh yeah, I also changed out the doors under the sink for these budget-friendly striped lined café curtains a while back and used this rod and brackets, same source as I've used for my other café curtain rods.

By the way, cabinets are from Walcraft Cabinetry and I'm still very happy with them 6 years later. I have several post about working with them all linked in my original kitchen post (and a comparison to IKEA and other budget-friendly options) here. If you reach out for an estimate or more info, tell them I sent you!

I had made some cute Indian block print stamped fabric into pleated café curtains above the sink, and I always got compliments on them, but they really did not go with my timeless vibes. The brown color in particular. Yes, adding warmth and interest and pattern is good, but I think my fun plates on the wall are doing that, and maybe I can do that with fresh fruit and bowls or cutting boards and useful things. For the café curtains above the sink I went with the same little woven stripe that I have in my breakfast nook, this beautiful little woven pattern from Pepper Home. They recently started offering café curtains, and they are the same quality as all of their custom curtains. These are so well-made!

I also finally got around to adding a screen to this window! Took me seven years of bugs flying in the window in the summer. I finally asked at Home Depot if they made them; the guy said no, but a particular Ace Hardware not too far away did. I finally took the measurements and drove the kids over there on a Friday… I had taken the measurements wrong, but they gave me instructions and sent me back home, and I called the order in. I was so careful! Seven years postponing this task because I was nervous about measuring. Well, the screen was finished a week or so later when I picked it up… And it is not the right size. It fits and it’s fine and I will live with it, but it’s definitely a little bit too narrow, and I don’t think it was my fault measuring. Oh well!

I also wanted to upgrade the lighting in the breakfast nook. I found this really cool rattan fixture that feels classy and elegant, even though it is a natural wicker material which can feel casual or boho. 

It’s from Lightopia, where I also got this adorable, solid glass lamp that has seriously transformed the vibes of this kitchen! In the evening, it is so, so charming to turn this little lamp on while watching TV in the other room and coming in to pour a glass of wine. What a life! I’ve seen these round glass lamps around and designers' homes and admired them… They are just as special in person!

Honestly, I wanted to change the lighting in here as well, but I just could never find something that I liked. So we are sticking with these for now.

I’m so excited about the new kitchen and the fresh, hopefully timeless vibes in here. For a long time I regretted doing white cabinets because they felt boring… Now I’m glad I have white because it’s versatile! I was able to update the mood from confused organic earthy modern somewhat boho to Nancy Meyers classic with just a few changes.