Our First Look Inside: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Kitchen

There’s a moment in every home buying journey that stays with you forever — the moment you first step inside and imagine your life there. For us, that moment came on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.

The Tour

Our realtor led us through the front door, and we found ourselves in a narrow entryway with hardwood floors that creaked with character. The walls were painted a dated beige, and the lighting was… let’s say “functional” at best.

But then we turned the corner into the kitchen.

The Kitchen

Okay, let’s be honest. The kitchen was a project. Cabinet doors that didn’t quite close. A backsplash with tiles that can only be described as “bold.” An old refrigerator that looked like it had seen better decades.

But here’s the thing — underneath all that, we could see it. The layout was actually really good. Solid countertops (well, solid enough). And the natural light from the window? Chef’s kiss, as the kids say.

Seeing Potential

They say the key to renovation is seeing past what something is to what it could be. We spent twenty minutes in that kitchen, doors swinging, tiles glaring, imagining:

• White shaker cabinets
• A subway tile backsplash
• Maybe a little breakfast bar where we could have morning coffee

The Verdict

We put in an offer that evening. And when it was accepted, we celebrated with takeout on paper plates in the empty living room, already dreaming of dinner parties and Sunday mornings and the life we’d build within these walls.

Renovation is hard. But it’s also where the magic happens.

— C