Kitchen and Living Room Update- Ottawa, KS

Sep 1, 2026

These homeowners inherited the house from previous owners with some unusual taste in design and decoration, including tile that ran high up the walls in the kitchen and fireplace that they did not care for. They wanted to update the kitchen: new tile, new lighting, and new electrical so they could add more appliances. I was hired to demo the old tile, open up drywall to run new electrical wiring, add new ceiling lights, repair the drywall, paint, install new backsplash tile, and install a faux brick fireplace and new mantel piece, along with painting the entire ceiling in the kitchen, dining room, and fireplace room.

The hardest part of this project was matching the ceiling texture and sorting out the electrical. I hired an experienced professional to help get the texture right, and brought in a master electrician to help sort out some questionable wiring the previous owners had left behind. Everything else on this project was straightforward and went well.

I am proud of how well everything turned out. A lot of the work is not visible in the pictures, including tearing out drywall in the basement to run new wiring and patching it all back up. The new lighting, tile, and paint made a real difference, giving this kitchen and living room a completely new look.

Before

Wavy tile backsplash and cabinets covered in plastic before the kitchen remodel
Existing wavy tile backsplash and cabinets protected with plastic ahead of the kitchen remodel.
Kitchen cabinets and refrigerator covered in plastic and paper before the remodel
Existing kitchen cabinets, microwave, and refrigerator protected with plastic and paper ahead of the remodel.
Kitchen counters and cabinets covered in protective paper before the remodel
Kitchen counters and cabinets covered in protective paper and plastic ahead of the remodel.
Original tile fireplace surround and wood mantel before the rebuild
The original tile fireplace surround and mantel before the fireplace was rebuilt.

The Work

Open wood stud wall with pink fiberglass insulation and white electrical outlet boxes
Wall opened up to run new electrical wiring, with outlet and switch boxes wired in.
Ladder and paint buckets in a living room with a brick fireplace during painting
Living room repainted, with the fireplace opening masked off ahead of the rebuild.
Dining table covered in plastic with tools, near a sliding glass door and chandelier
Dining area with tools and materials staged during the remodel.
Kitchen with installed white cabinets and stainless microwave, counters covered in plastic sheeting
New white cabinets installed in the kitchen, counters still covered for protection.
Kitchen ceiling showing a patched texture area around round recessed light fixtures
Kitchen ceiling with a patched texture area around new recessed lighting.
Subway tile partially installed on a kitchen wall with tile spacers and a tripod-mounted laser level
New subway tile backsplash going in above the kitchen counters.

Finished

Brick fireplace with dark wood mantel flanked by two upholstered ottomans
The rebuilt fireplace with a new brick surround and wood mantel.
White kitchen with subway tile backsplash, dark floating shelves, and a wood island under a black chandelier
The finished kitchen with white cabinets, subway tile backsplash, and a wood island.
Stainless range and microwave set into white cabinets with gray subway tile backsplash
New subway tile backsplash and countertop behind the stove and microwave.
Corner kitchen sink under a window with dark wood floating shelves above a subway tile backsplash
New floating shelves and subway tile backsplash above the counter and dishwasher.
Stainless faucet and undermount sink below a window framed by subway tile backsplash
New sink, faucet, and subway tile backsplash at the kitchen window.
Open dining and living area with wood dining table, high chair, and sofa on wood flooring
The finished dining and living area, open to the kitchen.

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