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“If I have to live in a house I don’t like because it makes me more like Christ, I’m ok with that.” An older, much wiser friend of mine told me this after her dream house suffered a fire that rendered the home uninhabitable. The words stuck with me and are something I have pondered over the last several months.

In our culture, more is better, and we are constantly buying things we don’t need to impress people we may or may not like. It’s exhausting, isn’t it?

When we first moved into our home, we were grateful to have found a place to live in the craziness of the housing market in 2021. I gave thanks for our incredible backyard and our sweet cul-de-sac. But over time, I began to loathe our kitchen. Much to my disgust, the previous owners painted wood cabinets brown, which I will never understand.

In the craze of moving and establishing ourselves in our new place, the brown cabinets were a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things. But I kept thinking to myself, “One day, I am going to like what this kitchen looks like and not just be grateful for its functionality.”

I talked to a friend who does interior design. I pinned all the things on Pinterest. And after months of planning and pinning, I got to work. I started with the island, then the lower cabinets, and finally finished the upper cabinets a couple months ago.

First, I painted the backsplash. I then stripped the cabinets of the old paint. Then I sanded them, primed them, and painted them with a whole lot of layers of paint. I then added a matte water-based polyurethane to make them easier to clean and wipe down for a little bit more durability. The gold hardware was the finishing touch!

The painted backsplash brightened the kitchen, and I was encouraged to be on the right track!

At some point, we will also replace the countertops, but for now, I am so happy to have a kitchen I enjoy looking at daily.

It was a labor of love. And listen, the finished product is not perfect. It is not of professional caliber. There are many imperfections. But it is a “new” kitchen for much less than a true remodel would cost, and I am so happy with it.

I am grateful for the wise words of my dear friend, which I think of and remember often—I don’t need a beautiful home to be happy. I don’t need a lot of things to fill my heart. I can give thanks for what I have and make the most of it. And today, I’m giving thanks for my “new” kitchen.

Is there a space in your home that you really don’t like? How can you learn to love it?