You don’t necessarily have to move a mountain to redesign your kitchen to reflect your own personal taste and style. If you have a good countertop and clean cabinet color, you might only need a few changes.

Check out the list of easy updates we followed to create a seemingly brand new kitchen for our elegant Longboat Key clients. 

Start with modern counterheight stools, and move on to finding beautiful backsplash tiles.

Next find dramatic pendant lights that enhance your space. Opt for 2 large ones rather than small pendants if your kitchen island is long enough. 

Replacing your cabinets handles for longer ones is next. Replace knobs with cabinet pulls. New pulls use the lower hole that the knob was in, so there’s no need to refinish the cabinet or drawers. I’ve always said that handles are the jewelry of the kitchen, so they need to be large enough to create an impact.

The most dramatic finishing touch is adding texture or color accent to the face of the kitchen island, like novel millwork or simply an accent paint color. 

Take a look at the before-and-after photos to see how just a few well-chosen updates can create a stunning kitchen transformation. A handful of impactful changes can make your kitchen feel fresh, inviting, and uniquely yours—without a full remodel. We’d love to hear what you think!