The State Of My Kitchen
Boy, things sure do seem to move in slow motion sometimes, don’t they? That’s how it feels when it comes to finishing my kitchen. We have grand plans, but life gets in the way on occasion – and that’s okay. This house remodel has been a great lesson in patience and perseverance for me. And while my tendency is to ‘hurry up and get it done’, I’m actually glad that we’re taking it slowly.
I’ve known for a long time what I wanted in a kitchen. Finally having the basic shell done is making it so much easier to be intentional with my decorating decisions – well, except for figuring out the backsplash – more on that later.
So, with all that being said, it’s time for a kitchen update. The last time that I showed you the kitchen the granite counters weren’t installed and the lanterns above the island weren’t hung yet.
I’ve wanted a white kitchen for years and finally have one! We chose simple, shaker style cabinets with just a little bit of added detail. (Resources are at the bottom of this post.)
To add interest and warmth and to break up all of the white, I used gray cabinets (from the same cabinet line) for my island. I wrapped the island in matching baseboard and added dummy cabinet doors to each end of the island to make it look more like a piece of furniture. The addition of the baseboard also helps to “ground” the island since it’s floating in the middle of the room.
We ripped up the vinyl that the previous owner had and added hardwood floors stained in rich, warm brown that isn’t so dark that it shows every spec of dust.
Searching for just the right granite was a huge process. Trying to mesh color and pattern desires along with a budget isn’t easy sometimes, but I am in total love with what we chose. It has all of the warmth and color that I had hoped for, without being too busy for me.
My sink is located in the island, which is right in the middle of the kitchen area. The Delta faucet is like jewelry and I love it. I originally wanted polished chrome, but a friend warned me about the difficulty of keeping it free of water spots, so I went with brushed nickel instead.
The layout of the kitchen is perfect for me. Everything is just a step or a turn away, right down to the location of my trash can. And believe me, we had lots of discussion about where the trash can should be located!
Pookie is such a supportive hubby – we have an agreement. I get 55% of the vote on the house design and he gets 55% of the vote when it comes to our cars. I always seek and value his opinion, and want him to be happy, but, he is an engineer and his natural tendency is to maximize every square inch of space. In his mind, it’s more about function than form. I’m pretty much the opposite. I bet a lot of you ladies can identify with that gender difference! So fighting (not really fighting, more like insisting) to have my cooktop and hood be the only element on the one wall was a biggie for me. But I’m sooo happy that I stuck to my guns. It’s exactly the feature that I wanted it to be.
(I don’t know why the floors look so awful in this photo!)
I searched and searched for bar stools that I like and was tickled pink when I ran across these at Target. They fit into the style of the kitchen perfectly and look great with the chairs at the breakfast table.
The pantry, microwave and wall ovens are located on the wall on the other side of the island.
Having the dishwasher located in the island is so convenient. I can place everything on the island, nearest the cabinets that each item goes into, so that I’m finished unloading and putting everything away in a snap!
The kitchen renovation is nearing its end (yay!), but we still have several things to do. Hardware needs to be added to the cabinets, the light rail needs to be added to the bottom of all the cabinets, the baseboard needs to be completed and the whole kitchen still needs to be painted. But, foremost in my mind right now is trying to decide on a backsplash. I’m weird because I don’t want anything that will be too busy next to the granite. Should I do white beadboard (love!), white subway tile or gray subway tile or something altogether different? What do you think?
In spite of all the stress of decision making, it’s been so much fun to watch my dream and vision come to life!
From the layout diagram…
…to the digital rendering…
…to the reality.
I’ve made changes to the breakfast area at the other end of the kitchen too.
Adding Some Farmhouse Style And Dressers Aren’t Just For Bedrooms
A Bench, Oversized Art And A Free Printable
RESOURCES:
Cabinets and Hood – Lowes, Diamond Brand, Amherst style in White and Juniper Berry (gray)
Faucet – Delta Savile Pull Down Faucet from Lowes
Lanterns – Thomasville Piedmont Collection from Home Depot
Barstools – Threshold Linen Saddle Stool from Target These are on sale online for a great price right now!
Granite – White Pearl from Affordable Stone
Sharing here:
Inspiration Monday at Refresh Restyle, Inspire Me Monday at Sand and Sisal, Monday Funday at That’s What Che Said, Your Designs This Time on Monday at Bre Purposed, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, The Scoop on Tuesday at Worthing Court, Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life, The Makers on Wednesday at Home Made By Carmona, Tutorials and Tips on Tuesday at Home Stories A to Z, Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style, Weekend Retreat on Thursdays at AKA Design, Inspire Me Please on Thursday at Blissfully Ever After, Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, The Inspiration Gallery On Fridays at Craftberry Bush, Show-Licious on Saturday at 3 Little Greenwoods, Share It One More Time on Saturday at One More Time Events
Wow! Absolutely beautiful and it’s not even finished! I know that you are loving it!
Thank you, Lydia!
Doesn’t it feel grand to stand back and see your vision becoming reality? What color are your cupboards? They look like a creamy white from the pics. The lanterns are perfect! While beadboard is lovely and certainly has that country feel, It might be hard to clean the splatters from your cooktop. Can’t wait for the final reveal.
Hi Joanne. My cabinets are pretty much a true white. I have the same concern as you about the beadboard – it could be a pain to keep clean behind the cooktop.
What a wonderful, comfortable room! You made some great choices, and I am loving the results. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Jae!
Your new kitchen is incredible, Suzy!! Seriously … it belongs in a magazine as it is, so I can only imagine how gorgeous it will be when you’re all done!! You must be over-the-moon thrilled at your accomplishment … can’t wait to see more!!
Awww – you’re too sweet Becca. Thank you!
It’s just stunning, Suzy, but then I knew it would be! I would love to cook in there with all that room! I’m so glad you’re nearing the finish line….on this project at least!
You can come over and cook anytime that you want to, Marty! It’s nice to have a major project so close to being finished.
Alright!!! It’s starting to look like a home, instead of a house. It does take forever doesn’t it….ESPECIALLY since you are working on the whole house instead of one room. I know it it overwhelming, but you are making it so beautiful!!! Of the dee choices, I think A gray backsplash would tie the island in well. And I love the bar stools…they look great with the breakfast chairs!!
Yeah, I’m leaning toward gray for the backsplash. Possibly something in a matte finish. I brought several tile samples home yesterday, but finding just the right gray is going to more difficult that I thought!
I vote for the white subway tile. If you ever change kitchen colors, the gray may not work, which equals more money. Now, I sound like my husband.
That’s one of the attractions to white subway tile – I would never be tied to anything permanently! Your husband must be a pretty smart guy! 🙂
Suzy I love what you have done and chosen for the kitchen. The lanterns over the island are fantastic. Sometimes, I find people underestimate Lowe’s and Home Depot for lighting. They both have some great stuff. Your seating area is perfect.
Cindy
Thank you, Cindy. I agree that the big box stores have come a long way in their lighting. Hope you’re continuing to enjoy your new home!
Beautiful!! I am in love with it all! Thanks for sharing at #inspirationmonday – it’s truly inspiring!
Debbie
I am so happy, happy for you that you got your white kitchen because I know how long you dreamed of having one. And now you have a simply beautiful one. I just love that hood range and adore the lighting. It is coming together wonderfully and the backsplash will only be the perfect ending. I can’t wait, and I have no doubt you will choose something divine! 🙂 Love you, xxoo Barb
Thank you, my sweet friend! I’m zeroing in on a backsplash – now I just have to be patient until the tile guy can get to me.
It’s looking beautiful! I think the faucet choice was really smart, and it looks great!
I look forward to seeing all the little finishing touches as you complete the process 🙂
Happy New Year!!
Thank you so much, Shannon. Happy New Year to you too!
Hello. Beautiful kitchen. Much happiness in your new home. I was wondering where you purchased the clock that is in your kitchen from? Than you
Catherine S.
Hi Catherine. I found the clock at Target. Thank you for stopping by!
I love all the choices you’ve taken, the lights are awesome. It’s a beautiful kitchen!
Thank you, Cristina! I drooled over those lanterns forever!
Suzy, your kitchen is just fabulous! I’m pinning and sending it to my sister-in-law who is building a new house next to us. I love every detail that you’ve selected, and I vote for gray subway tile, too! I, too, think the beadboard would be difficult to maintain in that area. Those stools are perfect in your kitchen as well and I can’t wait to see your final choices!
Hi Jane. How cool that your sil is building right beside you! I think that I’m backing away from beadboard for exactly the reason that you said. I’m so glad that you like everything so far!
Lovely kitchen! Happy New Year 🙂
Thank you so much!
What a beautiful white kitchen you’ve created. My two cents worth : depending on the final color for the walls I would use a color rather than any kind of white. Even a very soft color like the gray you mentioned would give a slight break to a solid mass of white. A small band of accent trim if you use tile would be nice. The whole look could stay soft and clean looking but have just enough of a difference to actually accent the white. You are now making the fun choices. Enjoy the kitchen!
That’s a great suggestion, Iris. I’ll have to grab some samples of gray and see if I can find one that works well.
Suzy, Your kitchen is gorgeous! I would go with the light gray or white subway tile instead of bead board because of the maintenance.
xx,
Sherry
Thank you, Sherry! As much as I love the look of beadboard, I’m starting to shy away from it. Several have people have mentioned the maintenance factor, which has me rethinking the whole thing.
Hi Suzy. Love your new kitchen. Just recently came to reading your blog and truly inspirational and great tips. Couple of things that came up in my head when you were talking about your backsplash. One is I love love love subway tile what about in a herringbone pattern or maybe a nice glass subway tile. Another thing that came to mind was penny. Tile they have great colors you can choose from. Well good luck, I’m sure whatever you choose will look great. Can’t wait to see what you have for us in 2015.
Cheers
Hi Artemis. One of my problems is that there are so many things to choose from! I love the idea of using a herringbone pattern and I adore penny tile! Happy New Year!
Stunning kitchen…even with it not being totally complete.
You’re too sweet, my friend. Thank you!
Absolutely Beautiful!!
Thank you, Martina!