The Open Kitchen in Our Waco Fixer Upper Home

The kitchen is the heart of the home. One of my favorite kitchen remodel projects is the open kitchen in our Waco Fixer Upper Home.

The kitchen is where everyone gravitates. In the mornings, before the day begins, everyone gathers in the kitchen, and then again in the evenings as the day comes to a close. Today, I am sharing my tips on creating an open kitchen that offers organization and a space that’s perfect for cooking and socializing.

I am so proud of the open kitchen in our Waco home. We rent this house as an Airbnb. It’s light and airy, with an open kitchen design, and I am so happy with the result. Just so you can appreciate how far this kitchen has come, let me share what it looked like when we bought the home.

Our kitchen is not only a fun place to cook but also works very well for entertaining.

The House Remodel

When we first bought this house, the kitchen looked like this.

Not a lot needs to be said about this “before” photo. The kitchen used to be located in the back of the house, but we extended the home ten feet out the back. The entire left side of the house is where you will find the “common areas” (living room, dining room, and kitchen), and the new open kitchen is still located at the rear of the home.

Let’s look at some of the progress photos.

This photo shows what the room looked like before we added the addition to the back of the kitchen.

I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was to find that gorgeous wood ceiling hidden under the drywall and paper.

You can see in this photo below where we added on to the back of the kitchen.

As soon as the windows were installed, I knew we would have a fantastic kitchen.

Insulation and electrical were added, as you can see in the photo below. The vintage wood I found matched the existing ceiling, and I was so happy when we found it.

Our cabinets look simply fabulous. Wow.

I found the island at the Round Top Antique Show. It was an old store counter that cost $250. I didn’t paint it, as that is the original color. I removed the wood top (seen below) and added a butcher block top.

By using a vintage piece instead of new cabinets I saved a lot of money. And of course, I love the vintage counter so much more!

The Open Kitchen Concept

I went with a white kitchen because I love white kitchens and think they are timeless. And I decided to go with an “open kitchen” concept and installed open shelves up top with lower cabinets.

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I  have always wanted open shelving in a kitchen, and this was my chance! Here, you can see the butcher block island top from a local hardware store.

How to Outfit Your Open Kitchen

I put together a plan to outfit our kitchen before our kitchen was complete. I designed it as if the kitchen was my own, even though it is rented as an Airbnb. This required a cleaning area, baking prep area, coffee area, and serving area (the island). Furnishing a brand new kitchen is a huge task, and I selected everything we needed online for dining, cooking, and entertaining.

Because of the open kitchen design, most of the appliances, dishes, bowls, platters, etc. are stored in the lower cabinets. The shelving is for glassware and decor which made for such a clean look in the kitchen.

Starting with the Kitchen Basics

My shopping started by searching for all of the kitchen items online. The first item I chose was my everyday dishes: standard white dinnerware. Isn’t it great how these are stored in the lower drawers in the kitchen? They are so much easier to access!

I also selected the J.A. Henckels International Madison Square Stainless Steel 65-Piece Flatware Set because I love this stainless flatware!

One of the most essential items in my kitchen is my knives. As a serious cook, I am really picky about my “tools” and I love my Farberware Stamped 15-Piece High-Carbon Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Steak Knives.

Baking Must Haves

I ensured that everything our guests would need to bake morning muffins, birthday cupcakes, etc., was in our kitchen. The first items I stocked were glass bowls, muffin tins, measuring cups, and spoons. When you stay at our Waco AirBnB, I want it to feel like home!

I also made sure that there were enough platters for serving. Please don’t laugh, but I have seven serving pieces for our Waco kitchen. When you entertain, serving pieces are a must!

Making Meals in the Waco Kitchen

I stocked the Waco kitchen with everything I needed to make some of my favorite meals. There is a KitchenAid mixer and the pasta roller attachment. If you don’t own these, you should put them on your birthday/holiday list. Making fresh pasta is such a treat, and once you make it, you will never go back to the boxed kind! (I am sure I have the only Airbnb with a KitchenAid and the attachments needed to make fresh pasta!)

Glassware is so important, and having an open kitchen with shelves is a great way for guests to easily find what they are looking for. It also helps with keeping track of the glassware so that it doesn’t get put in the wrong place!

Must-Have Small Appliances

In addition to the KitchenAid mixer, I selected what I consider the “must-have” small appliances for our kitchen. I added a blender and toaster on the counter and a microwave that I placed in my vintage pantry. We can pretend I measured it beforehand. This was complete luck!

A good set of pots and pans is so important when you are cooking. I love these cabinet drawers for storing them, it is so convenient!

The Coffee Station

The coffee station is probably one of the most essential areas in our kitchen in the morning! It is set up so that everything you need for a cup of coffee is in one place.

I have a Keurig that makes a full pot of coffee and individual K-cups, and we have this same one at home. The mugs are part of my Bee & Willow™ Home Milbrook 16-Piece Dinnerware Set in White.

I hung the coffee cups on a vintage crib mattress spring. I love this!

One of my favorite items is the stainless steel utensil set, which also includes a paper towel holder. Because I started with an empty kitchen, this set has everything needed to prep and cook a meal and comes with a matching paper towel holder!

If you are visiting the Waco area and need a place to stay, you can rent our Waco Fixer Upper here.

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My Favorite Dining Room Decor

I love the open kitchen in Waco and am most excited to share it with others! You can find information about our Airbnb/VRBO rental here.

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