We made a major change to our kitchen recently: a new exterior door. It might sound simple, but it transformed how we use the space. In a previous post we showed the new covered porch and grill area right outside the kitchen, and now I’ll share how adding the door impacted the room itself.

To put the update in perspective, here’s how the kitchen looked when we bought the house in February 2020. Back then the room had a very different feel and layout, and over time we made a number of changes that gradually opened it up and improved function.

We documented our early renovation steps elsewhere, but in short: removing a soffit, reconfiguring cabinets, and thoughtful layout tweaks helped the kitchen feel more cohesive. The most dramatic single change, though, turned out to be converting a windowed run of cabinets into a door that opens straight to the new porch.

That new door changed how we live in the kitchen. John grills most weeknights now—chicken, shrimp, burgers and sometimes even pizza—and being able to step straight out to the porch makes grilling effortless. The porch also makes carrying groceries in quicker and provides covered seating for casual meals and gatherings. It’s not a full outdoor kitchen, but it functions as an excellent extension of our indoor space.

Before the door, that area had a shorter cabinet run under the window and a small peninsula that blocked access to a corner cabinet. After careful measurements we realized that although we would lose some linear cabinet width, we would gain much better access to that corner storage. In practical terms, the math worked out: we lost a portion of cabinets but gained a wide lower cabinet and drawer where space was freed up, resulting in minimal net loss of storage and a much better workflow.

The new lower cabinet to the right of the dishwasher became a roomy 26″ cabinet with a drawer above it, while the old 44″ peninsula went away. That trade-off felt worthwhile because it opened circulation and usability without sacrificing the storage we rely on.

In addition to the door, we added an entire pantry to the kitchen. That new built-in pantry dramatically increased storage—three drawers and six shelves, including a cabinet above the fridge—so between the pantry and the newly freed corner cabinet we now have more than enough room for staples and cookware.

Choosing open shelving instead of upper cabinets on the back wall was intentional. We wanted to downsize and simplify, not hide more things behind doors. The floating wood shelves paired with brass-and-white sconces give the kitchen a lighter, more open feel while still offering functional display and easy access to everyday items. If more storage becomes necessary later, true upper cabinets remain an option.

Removing the old cabinet run to make way for the door required careful demo work—mostly done slowly with a hammer and pry bar so we could salvage the drawer and door fronts. We used those reclaimed pieces to build a new wider drawer and door for the exposed corner cabinet, seamlessly joining pieces with filler, sanding, primer and paint so the repairs are nearly invisible.

There was a small patch of missing flooring under the removed cabinets. Fortunately our home has pine floors, so matching boards were easy to find. The installers feathered in new boards—cutting varying lengths so the patch blends naturally—and I finished them with the same Bona floor sealer we used previously to ensure a consistent look. The result blends well and isn’t obvious to the eye.

We’ve ordered new cabinets for the back wall and they’re waiting to be installed when we’re ready for a more extensive refresh. For now, the mauve cabinets remain, and the kitchen functions beautifully: better flow, more storage, direct access to the porch, and an easier life when it comes to grilling and entertaining. Little decisions—like converting a windowed cabinet run into a door and adding a pantry—added up to a big improvement in everyday usability.

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