Tearing Out My Disgusting Carpeted Kitchen | Before & After! 

I have worked in the building permit industry for 13 years and can honestly confirm that television show timelines are WILDLY inaccurate. They have the benefit of permits, professionals, funding, materials and can dedicate time and energy to renovating a project without disruptions. Kitchen remodels are very stressful and more expensive and take longer than people realize. You're doing AMAZING, Ariel! I'm looking forward to seeing this kitchen complete for you. :D

In a world of throwaway content and AI-generated sludge, your thoughtful, beautiful work is like water in the desert. Even if you only put out one video a year, I would still consider your channel one of my all-time faves. Please don’t let the capitalist pressure to always be working burn you out - your audience loves you for your humanity, not in spite of it. Keep doing the great work you’re doing, at your own pace and on your own schedule. Ariel vids are always appointment viewing in my book 😊

The constant mumbled "It's so disgusting" as you ripped up the carpet had me laughing! I'm so happy you are getting to make progress; watching your journey has been so much fun.

Ariel, don't forget: You're documenting your life, not creating a life to document. Your life and renovation without the camera would take years, and with the camera it should be the same. Your life shouldn't (as much as possible) be directed by RU-vid

Something I've noticed is that a lot of RU-vidrs apologize for not keeping up the pace & the subscribers always understand! Quality content over quantity. We will be here whenever you are! If anyone doesn't like it, they do not have to watch. Working on renos really burns a person out. We appreciate you sharing your life with us! 💗

That washing machine hose moment was pure, unadulterated CHAOS, and was capped off perfectly by the maniacal laugh at the end.

omg i love the way you handled the water spray at the beginning! sometimes all you can do is laugh 💕

maybe i missed something but i always thought that was linoleum in the kitchen. finding out it was actually carpet is horrifying 😭

My grandparents put turquoise carpet in their kitchen. My parents replaced it with horrid laminate. My ex boyfriend replaced it with poorly installed black and white laminate. It's just doomed to be terrible.

“Underneath this carpet is another carpet.” The way I cackled! I love seeing this journey. 💜

nothing screams hispanic household more than feeling obligated to finally tackle projects you've been putting off because now you're expecting company. as my family always says "antes muerta que sencilla" 🤣🤣 love that you're one step closer to your new kitchen ♥

Lol! Oh sister, we are trauma bonded. In the 90’s bought a ranch style fixer. The kitchen had dark brown “tile” design carpeting which was glued down just like yours. It was also permeated with maple syrup and whenever the cat walked through she would fling out her paws with each step in an attempt to shake off the stickiness. I remember sitting on the fireplace hearth and thinking “what have I done?”. But the renovation turned out soooo great. Hang in there, baby.

My parents put carpet in their kitchen AND (brace yourself) the bathroom in the 1970s. To call it gross would be understating it. To make it more gross, it stayed until the early 2000s. 🤮

The amount of work that goes into these videos does not go unnoticed!! You are such an inspiration. So happy that the kitchen is underway! (Also, the water incident almost seemed like a sitcom skit! I laughed along with you!)

Even the concept of that carpet makes my eye twitch. I thought it was the ugly linoleum we had in my childhood kitchen, which was actually vinyl made to look like linoleum. This is carpet made to look like ugly vinyl made to look like linoleum (which is actually sort of cool and a rabbit hole of decor history worthy of going down). But carpet in kitchens was a time.

“I am the sludge.” 😂 I hope you know we’re here for your authenticity! Content will come and go - live your life! ❤

you should build like a table thingy to go over your washer/dryer for more counterspace!

Omg nooo the carpet under carpet reminds me of when i renovated my guest room and there was SIX LAYERS of wallpaper 😂

You talking about the pressure to renovate a house quickly really hit home, I bought my house in 2021 and was able to paint a few rooms and then my roof needed to be completely replaced and it was so overwhelmingly expensive and it hasn't allowed me to update more rooms bc of the sheer cost of the replacement, My dining room is your kitchen in this scenario, and though im not embarrassed of it, its hard for me to feel completely at home with another big project looming over me. I appreciate your vulnerability here and know you arent alone at all!!

As someone who had a carpeted basement, that then got flooded, and consequently needed all it's carpeting torn up to remove, that then had multiple rounds of the water pump smacking everyone in the face, this is highly relatable.

It's really nice that you showed how physically difficult these projects are. I think it can be easy to forget that when watching montages of progress on a room in house reno videos. A marathon it is! ❤

You are a dear soul. Love your journey with the house. I always watch for new postings, but you can only do what you can when you can. The classical music and your love of books is so uplifting. I also think that showing us the struggle is so human we’ve all been there. Watch from Edmonton Alberta. Good luck in all your ventures.

When my husband and I bought our first home there was carpet in the kitchen 😬. That was ripped up immediately. Thank God my husband was a tile mason. The only thing worse than carpet in the kitchen is carpet in the bathroom. Especially where males are 🤣

Thank you for sharing the beautifully human moment with the washer water hose. That heartbeat’s long moment where you could choose to curse the day or laugh about it was so relatable. Thank you for being a source of joy today!

That kitchen carpet made me think of something I haven’t thought about in years. At some point in the 1970s, The Tonight Show got a new set with a ridiculously bold patterned carpet. Johnny Carson remarked how ugly it was. Then for a week, in each episode the carpet covered more area - up the walls, up the side of the desk. And finally replaced. 😄 Congratulations on a terrific improvement to your kitchen.

Oh my God, I HATE water! All my friends laugh at me for it, but nothing gets a room trashed in seconds like water!! Made me giggle 🤣🤣

Love it!!!! I didn’t even realize the kitchen was carpeted before because the pattern looked so much like old worn tiles lol

The faux tile carpet 💀I thought it was linoleum this whole time 😭

OMG I thought that tile-patterned carpet was actually linoleum...horrifying!!! Hahaha. Ariel, your excitement and joy at the finished floors filled me with such happiness. You are so enthusiastic and it never ceases to brighten my day, no matter how dull it has been. Please continue (AT YOUR OWN PACE!!!) to bring us bits of your home.

I was sitting here thinking about how impressive and inspirational you are for doing all of this on your own (with a lil help from your loved ones) when you spilled paint all over your hands 😂 Impressive, inspirational AND real!

No matter how long it takes you to renovate this house, I am here for every episode. One hundred percent whenever you release a video it's the first thing in my feed I go to. I shall be a patient and loyal viewer for as long as you are posting no matter the speed at which projects are posted!

Ariel, good things come to those who wait. It takes time to build a home and you've done things remarkably quickly. Relish each project when it's financially and mentally doable. Well done.

Congrats on not having a weird carpeted kitchen anymore!

woohoooooooooo! The gungy carpet is GONE! I love the painted floor. I also love the island experiment. All it takes is a couple things done to make a kitchen functional and even, dare I say, pleasant to use! Also, I'm glad you had your epiphany AND that you had taken some time for yourself. It's the only way to get through those marathons.

The duck truly said no more anxiety, no stop. I think it makes sense for the renovations to work like that when you have people in the house. Beyond consideration for other's need to use the spaces and have silence sometimes, transformation is beautiful yet exhausting. In the work it takes and the mental energy of seeing the thing change around you. Please take your time, I will wait for all your videos. It's this account that has convinced me that I would like to renovate a space for my bookstore one day and the slow and natural pace in which you do it calms me. Other renovations I see online are so fast and as a disabled person, I feel overwhelmed and kicked out of the space. You make sure I know it's possible with your videos.

I had the same epiphany about my house and it was such a relief. It doesnt feel like a chore or a burden if I only so what Im inspired to do when Im inspired to do it. If you do want to make more videos, I would love to see you go into more detail about the projects or a video of doing one section of the project and leavung the rest unfinished. Hearing your thoughts and opinions about home ownership as a young woman, moving across the country, living intergenerationally, reflecting in renting, etc. Theres so much more to home ownership than the paint colors in the walls!

Congrats on becoming carpet-free in one more room! The first step is often the hardest, you should be proud of yourself, Ariel!

Burnout, Entropy, potato, potahto 😉🥰🦆 P.S. your delight at the water spouting is so relatable and lovely. Thanks for sharing.

I'm grateful for your openness and vulnerability. Burnout is something we all can relate to and it can take a lot of strength to give ourselves a break. I absolutely adore your channel.

Video about your house, the reason why I initially subscribed to the channel. And now, 2 years later, I’m still interested in waiting for updates on how this whole process is going. So I hope you will do everything at your own pace and enjoy the process!😊

Having done home renovations on two houses, Ariel has got to be the *tidiest* dismantler of disgusting carpet floor over boards I’ve ever seen. I tried to be tidy but this is another level of tidy 😊😊

I’ve been really loving these building-a-home videos (reno, decorating, etc.)! I absolutely love your style with the marriage between old/classic and fun/colorful, and I love that you’re approaching it in a way that feels accessible. Being on a budget and doing most of the work yourself is awesome! It’s encouraging to see a young person buying a home in a way that feels reasonable, attainable and it still looks stunning!

Ariel, they glued it. We had the same problem in living room and dining room. After we pulled up carpet, we rented a floor sander. It was a Mess. We finally got it done but it was a literal nightmare. We had hardwood floor underneath.

they really chose a carpet that looked like dirty tiles 😭

I don't know why people thought carpet in a kitchen was such a wonderful idea, like wall to wall in a bathroom is just as disgusting. You are awesome Ariel!! It looks so clean.

You are a ray of sunshine. I love the water incident, and you handle it and just laugh cause that's life right . Seriously, great job!

I honestly can't imagine dealing with this carpet. I've seen plenty of carpet in bathrooms, but never in a kitchen. We'll probably never know why. You have my respect.

that water moment and the accidental paint getting everywhere, i love the absolute chaos and how real it is!! im so glad you have a kitchen that is enjoyable to be in!! i cant wait for the living room to get the same treatment, TO HELL WITH CARPET!

It’s nice seeing you take your time. I watch other RU-vidrs who have renovated their whole house in a year and it’s lame to me. I appreciate how humble you are and realistic. Thank you!

The green is beautiful!! Thank you for the laugh 😂 Take care of yourself, we've been here for years and we'll stay no matter the pace, your health before anything else!!

I also suffer from having a carpeted kitchen from the 70s (even my bathrooms are carpeted) and I appreciate this video

Some thoughts after watching this: •The fact that that was carpet in your kitchen and that it looked like linoleum but wasn’t, is a trip. So glad you rid yourself of that dingy beast! •Your hair is so stunning and full and beautiful. It inspires me to take better care of my hair. •I Love the green color for your floors! Do you think you’ll ever refinish them to their natural wood glory? •Your transparency is a breath of fresh air. Thank you for speaking on your feelings and experience as you create the home of your dreams and share it with us all. I had the thought come to mind that you could make videos of books or other hobbies/interests of yours in the in between time between your intensive home projects. Thank you for being here and being yourself and making us laugh along the way. All the best to you !! 😊🤙

That moment when you stood in the kitchen with the hose in your hand and laughed at yourself is why you're amazing lol.

The first clip is one of the funniest openings I've ever seen LMAO I love your videos so much!

I appreciate how you identified that perfectionism was keeping you from making progress with the kitchen, something I also struggle with.

That kitchen island "Förhöja" litteraly means to upgrade or lift :) Great upgrade to your kitchen. I love your renovation videos :)

Hey Ariel! Just found out your channel with this video and i want to tell you how great you are to even make an attempt and effort to make such a complicated reno and at the same time making it a youtube videos! I know how hard it is and especially with limited budget and time and strength! And no filming team! You're doing a great job with great pace, don't give up and don't give into that voice telling you it's not enough. It is more than enough and you are 100% right in your epiphany! Your words also gave me motivation to go on as well, no matter how hard it is🙏 Thank you! So sending you all the mental support vibes❤ It is a journey that will lead you to the house of your dreams!🙌💪

ariel posting a new main channel video right after this week’s pod??? it’s like christmas 😭💖

The action- the drama- duck attack! Water attack!! I love it!! 😂 the kitchen looks great! So happy you have the peace of a carpetless kitchen :)

Omg that was *CARPET* ?!?! Oh, how revolting. In a kitchen ??? What on earth were people thinking??? I’ve encountered carpeted bathrooms and that turned my stomach so much …. I’d have to say a kitchen would be even worse. The smell alone ….. augh. No wonder it’s been a mental challenge to get to working on that space. I think my mind would have shut down completely lol. It really is such a massive disruption to life to do even minor changes to a kitchen. You have all of my sympathy, Ariel. Golly, it will be so worth it in the end. I’m very excited for you. As many have said, I’m glad you are taking time off whenever you need to. We’re all here because your channel is the exact opposite of the “Fast” everything we are inundated with these days. I miss your content when it isn’t uploaded as regularly, but I always think how delightful it will be when you do upload. I savour your videos. We don’t get a lot of opportunity to savour things anymore. ❤

I had never even realised that it was carpet!! I always thought it was some sort of linoleum

You have no idea how happy this video made me to day. I'm currently having anxiety about redoing the kitchen floor in my new appartement (which is a disgusting vinyl) and also looking at the exact same Ikea island to increase the counter space. I really want to get into DIY and just remodel stuff myself but haven't found the courage to start yet. Seeing you unashamed just doing it and messing up (with the washer) really is giving me that extra boost to just go for it. All the RU-vid makeovers are really inspiring but just not realistic to what I would be able to do short term. So just taking it one step at a time is really how I should approach it as well to not get overwhelmed. Thanks you for the video!

I am living your struggle. I inherited a neglected disaster that needs all my love, money and attention. Watching you work with the symphony music makes it all seem inspired and relaxing. Good luck to you and your journey.

The way your wee glasses fell off when the water blasted you😭💛

I bought a house built in 1910 a few months after you and was worried that our renovation progress was moving so slow compared to all the awesome stuff you were doing! This epiphany also helped me be reminding its a marathon! Thank you for giving me motivation and also validation! ❤

I'm so excited to see any progress on the house. I actually think the small finishing tasks was my favourite. I feel the stress you have, and as I'm about to start my own house construction, I was stress to never be as good as you are at makin big projects fast. And also, scared on the financial aspect of it ! So please remember, you are the most important aspect of your life, your house and your youtube channel. Any update is highly apprecited, no matter how big or small, no matter how scares, I'm glad to see the things you are kind enough to share with us

Oh my gosh the pace of your timeline is refreshing and makes me feel like you’re a real human!

I love hearing you think about your projects. I don’t care at all whether there is a finished product at the end. It’s a privilege to be able to observe your journey! ❤

Such a difference the wood floors make. Like a breathe of fresh air. Looking forward to see what you will do next.

As great as that kitchen floor looks, I was completely hijacked by Doug's cuteness. MORE DOUG. We need MORE. DOUG.

Yea!! I'm so happy for you! The kitchen is so nice and clean! I spit out my tea laughing when I saw the second carpet in the closet. I'm so glad that all came out so nicely. We bought an old house 6 years ago, I was ripping carpet out of the oddest places--and I haven't done any renovations upstairs yet--at all!! Take your time, don't stress, thank you for sharing!

Oh my, I'm glad to see you survived touching the kitchen carpet! The green looks lovely: it's such a soothing, welcoming shade. When my parents bought their first house c. 2000, they also painted the kitchen floor before moving on to more permanent flooring. My mother was mortified to have a plain plywood floor and refused to have guests over because of it. So my father painted it red and white, using painter's tape to make it appear like grout and tile from afar. The guests at the housewarming party adored it. Never underestimate your creativity and never let dreams of a grand future stop you from living in the now. It's amazing what you can make work if you're willing to get your hands dirty! Right now my family is on year 25 of repairs. Taking a break from repairs and renovations left us time to actually live in the house. Rest, enjoy, and take time to appreciate your hard work. In the end it is yours; we're just along for the ride.

Ariel you can either laugh or cry while you are being flooded out of the kitchen. I would choose to laugh and say a few choice words as well. That floor looks 10 times better without the carpet and I bet it smells better as well. Good job!!!❤

It's so good to see you...I have missed you SO much!

Thank you for another lovely dose of wholesome inspiration. Regarding pace and progress, as a house gets more livable the remaining tasks get less urgent! If you go into an optician's they'll often heat and bend the ends of the arms of glasses so they don't slip down the nose as much when leaning forward. I get that done to every pair I buy and it's game changing.

I subscribed the moment you were standing there silent with the hose and started laughing 😂 DIY sucks if you can’t laugh at yourself. Super happy I found your channel!

Audibly squealed when I saw this video pop up in subscriptions!!! Living for your house reno videos

you have been such a trooper with all these renovations and I appreciate you sharing this journey so much!

As someone who is in year 4 of renovations (that I do myself with little professional help), it really does take ages. And lots of people don't have fixer uppers or they buy one but let it professionally done up in just a couple of months and they just - don't - get - it. It takes so much time, effort, planning, research, actually doing it and have a life next to it. And every progress made feels so good but it's a long long road sometimes. We will be here, waiting patiently :) PS. Where I live washing machines aren't pressurized so the same would happen to me too haha.

When I completely gutted my kitchen I relied on an induction cooktop from Amazon, a microwave oven, a lot of grilling, one pot meals and the dishes done in one of the bathroom sinks! …and the occasional carry out. My husband was a trooper. Took me about 8 months and I didn’t even work outside the home. I did strip down to studs and subfloors. It takes time and NO reality tv home renovation show is showing you the “reality” of an army of people behind the scenes doing all the work. You’re just an army of 1. Can’t wait to see the results! Edit P.S. There were hiccups as I went along, but am I ever grateful for the library of videos on RU-vid from people generously sharing how to do things. Invaluable! The feeling of accomplishment as I finished each project was like nothing I ever experienced (and I’m old) and it did probably take me longer than necessary because I tend to be a perfectionist which gets in the way of good enough, as they say.

Bless you! I’m only at the washing machine incident but had to say, I laughed so hard when you laughed! My face followed your reactions of shock, relief and laughter! I moved into my house in early 2019, we did heaps of renovations and now it has slowed and I’ve been feeling quite low about it. It is good to know I’m not the only one that feels like this. We’ll get through it! Like you say, it’s a marathon not a sprint! Thank you for your amazing, motivating videos! ❤

I have missed you! I will be here to watch whatever you put out whenever that is cause I truly enjoy your authenticity, and genuine personality. I am here for you mostly and then of course your creativity and pure genius use of interior design is also great topping!

You are right about the marathon vs the sprint Ariel, even though to me you are lightning fast. We started building our house by ourselves in 1984..... Today, we finished tiling the kitchen where it got all greasy and disgusting and couldn't be really cleaned because the paint would come off. We also put in a vent hood and put our 1940's era sink back on its shapely legs and did a bigger window, but getting the tiles installed has really snazzed it up! By doing it the very slow way, we haven't had a mortgage and the house has been perfectly livable albeit "rustic". You're doing just fine on your reno!

I like seeing the smaller changes too! The floor looks great and the island looks like it added so much functionality and you can move it.

So excited for this, but probably not as excited as you!!! So happy this is finally getting done, a carpeted kitchen is a pure nightmare 🤢

This is as such a huge transformation! I love all your content so please don’t feel pressured to keep churning out huge projects at the detriment of your long term happiness. This series has been so motivating for me as I’m learning to turn my living space into a beautiful and joyful home.

I get that it was probably because of the cold but it's still unfathomable to me that someone would have carpeted floors in a kitchen that is so disgusting. Seeing it removed was immensely satisfying, and I'm so glad you can finally be comfortable in your kitchen!

Sweetie, you have to live your life and enjoy the journey!! Everyone needs to take breaks from the daily grind. I don't think any of us expects anything from you. It's an honor to be invited into your life. You're such a fun person to know. So sad it has to be so one sided.

This is definitely a mid-term solution. So much cleaner and more functional. Do you plan to put the same flooring as your dining room when you complete your remodel? You are a wonder!

I am absolutely fascinated by mind of the previous owner who decided to put carpet in the kitchen. I just want to understand their thought process.

honestly i like it when u just post every now and again not that i don’t like when u have a constant stream it’s just when u take a break and come back the vibes r always v chill and nice

Something that has saved me in many kitchen remodels is to set up a table of crock pot, electric griddle, toaster or whatever appliance I have in my dining room. Then I rip the cabinets out and hook up a cheap plastic laundry tub sink in the kitchen so I have water while I work.

Every time I see one of your videos I think “what a badass” as someone else with EDS I am in awe of how much you accomplish. You are a powerhouse! You may feel slow sometimes but you have made so much incredible progress 💕

So excited for this video!!!

As someone who painted her kitchen floors, I will tell you I did learn my lesson within a few months. It was always dirty, sticky, and scuffed. Instead I might recommend you refinish those floors and seal them. They are SO BEAUTIFUL and I think if you refinished your hardwood floors they would look so lovely and stay cleaner longer.

I felt you saying "it's soo disgusting" deep in my soul! It's so dirty and dusty lifting old carpet.

way back in the late 70's my mom put carpet in our kitchen. i just never got it. like why?

already loving this by the hose situation at the beginning ❤😂

Girl, I've been worried about you because you haven't been around. Life isn't a TV show. Most of us don't have the money, the contractors, sometimes the skill, or the time to renovate like on TV. You are doing great. Never forget that.❤

Flying duck attacks, water explosions, cute doggos...all to great classical music! Let the kitchen adventure begin!