There wasn't anything special about our old dishwasher.Our new dishwasher is sleek, quiet, and a little higher-tech. Latifah Al-Hazza Our old dishwasher leaked and was loud. In recent years, it also hadn't been cleaning dishes properly, meaning we were doing a lot of handwashing.We'd had it for about 15 years, and early in the renovation process, we realized we were in desperate need of a new one.We upgraded to JennAir's Rise model. It cleans the dishes beautifully with its multiple spray arms but is unbelievably quiet.The dishwasher offers three racks with adjustable components making cleaning dishes after big gatherings much more convenient. Plus, the twist-out filter makes it easy to remove food particles, preventing it from becoming stinky.The coolest feature is that the dishwasher tells us how much time is left and when it's finished by projecting a light onto the floor. It also subtly pops open when it's finished.The windows were a bit of an eyesore.Our old windows tended to get pretty foggy. Latifah Al-Hazza The windows had been in this house since it was built, so it was time for new ones.I never even realized how much of a difference windows can make in a house's appearance until we replaced all of ours.We can see clearly now with our new ones.Our big, open windows give us a great view. Latifah Al-Hazza We hired a company called Window World to come out for the installation, and it was so neat to watch the process.The team of six efficiently staged the layout of the windows, tore out and replaced any rotted wood, measured and bent the metal for the new windows, hung the metal, caulked the trim, and meticulously installed everything.The sizes and shapes of the windows didn't change drastically, but the difference in clarity felt stark. We live on a lake and it's so nice to be able to clearly see the beautiful view.Our fridge was just plain old, and our new one is such a vibe.We now have a very modern refrigerator. Latifah Al-Hazza Our old refrigerator was an eyesore in the kitchen, mostly because it was really showing signs of wear and tear.Plus, it was getting to the point where it wasn't even staying very cold.We upgraded to Samsung's Bespoke French-door refrigerator with a beverage center and built-in water pitcher.It's so pretty that I actually can't stop staring at it.We went with the white finish to help brighten up our kitchen, but it also has changeable door panels in case we ever wanted a different look.One of its unique features is that it can sync to our phones, allowing us to regulate its temperature and know if the door has been left open.Our old couches weren't doing much for us.We had a pair of old couches in our living room. Latifah Al-Hazza Our pair of matching living-room couches were small, and I thought the upholstery was ugly.We'd had them for 27 years, and I rarely ever sat on them.We went with a dramatically different style for the living room.Our new sectional is so comfortable. Latifah Al-Hazza We upgraded to Cozey's Ciello XL seven-seater sectional in sunset beige, which completely transformed the space.It was shipped in individual boxes and was easy to put together. I like that it's fully modular, plus the pillow and seat cushion covers are washable (aka very pet-friendly).The couch has been the most-used item in the house since the renovation.The color is clean and brightens up the room. It's also much larger than our old one, providing ample seating for company.Best of all, it's incredibly comfortable and cozy. I honestly sleep on it more than I sleep in my bed at this point.Our new high-tech oven is such a treat.We upgraded our JennAir oven. Latifah Al-Hazza We'd had a JennAir oven for about 20 years.Even though we loved it, we wanted something with a few more bells and whistles.We wanted to stick with the brand we knew and loved, so we upgraded to JennAir's Rise double-wall oven. For someone who doesn't know how to bake or cook, it's been life-changing.The touchscreen culinary center has built-in recipes with pictures that make it easy to cook and bake anything when I have no idea what I'm doing. I can even select the type of pan I'm using, and the oven will automatically adjust the setting.To be honest, it's the smartest thing in the house.The best part is that I can start the oven from afar and then fully control and monitor it wherever I am via the JennAir app.The kitchen cabinets were a little drab.Our old cabinets were dark. Latifah Al-Hazza We knew our kitchen needed the most renovation out of every room in the house.Our outdated red-oak cabinets were 40 years old, and we never liked that they didn't reach all the way to the ceiling.Our new cabinetry gave our space a facelift.White cabinets can really brighten up a kitchen. Latifah Al-Hazza My mom has always wanted a white kitchen, so she took it upon herself to make it happen.She deglossed the old cabinets to take off all the old varnish. Then, she sanded them down and prepped them for two coats of white paint.She even built smaller cabinets to stack on the old ones to make the kitchen look taller. My mom then ordered small cabinet doors with cutouts from Fast Cabinets and filled them with frosted glass.After months of work, new brushed-nickel hardware and hidden lighting were the finishing touches.I'm actually excited to use our cooktop.The new cooktop is sleek. Latifah Al-Hazza After living with a cooktop that only had two working burners for years, we were plenty fed up.We caved and chose KitchenAid's electric downdraft cooktop.There are two small burners and two larger burners, but the larger ones also have settings to heat smaller pots.My favorite feature is the melt setting. Its sole purpose is to melt things like chocolate or butter without scorching it.Plus, the downdraft fan with three speeds quickly sucks out any smoke produced while we cook.