The Kitchen Log
Chronological renovation diary from demolition to final tile — weekly updates, before/mid/after photos, and the real messy middle.
37 articles
Our Small Kitchen Renovation: Real Numbers, Real Mistakes, Really Worth It
Planning a small kitchen renovation? Follow our real $18,500 remodel in Salt Lak...
Our Kitchen Renovation Photos: The Real Mid-Budget Story
See what real kitchen renovation photos look like: our mid-budget Utah kitchen, ...
Kitchen Renovation Images: What to Save, What to Skip, and What They Never Show You
Kitchen renovation images are everywhere, but most hide the messy reality. See w...
Why We're Doing This Ourselves (Probably a Bad Idea)
One Utah family's honest manifesto for a mid-budget DIY kitchen reno: the real r...
Our DIY Kitchen Renovation: Real Costs, Real Mistakes, Real Results
Thinking about a DIY kitchen renovation? Here's what ours really cost in Salt La...
The Before Tour: 1994 Almond Cabinets & a Dream
A full walk-through of our original 1994 kitchen—almond cabinets, buzzing lights...
DIY Kitchen Remodel: What Our $28,000 Renovation Taught Us
DIY kitchen remodel costs, timeline, and real lessons from a Utah family's $28,0...
Demolition Day: We Thought 4 Hours. It Took 12.
Full account of our kitchen demo day—what we planned, what actually happened, th...
Small Kitchen Renovation Ideas: What We Learned in Our 180-Square-Foot Kitchen
Looking for small kitchen renovation ideas that actually fit a real budget? Here...
Kitchen Renovation Before and After: The Real Numbers, Timeline, and Stumbles
Kitchen renovation before and after: one Utah family shares the complete, honest...
Week 5: The Day the Plumber Showed Up & Everything Stopped
The day our plumber arrived in week 5 and the entire kitchen project ground to a...
Countertop Install Day: 2-Hour Window, All-Day Ordeal
The countertop template was perfect. Install day was supposed to take two hours....