It only took us about 6 weeks, but our kitchen remodel is done! I am so happy to say that we are no longer living in never ending dust. More importantly, the dark hole that used to be our kitchen is now a light, bright space that we love.
Before I share the finished kitchen, let’s take a look at what the kitchen used to look like and a recap of all the work we’ve done.
The Old Kitchen
The original cabinets were a white oak that had been lime washed.
I’m not sure of the original stain color, but over time they had taken on an orangy, peach color.
The top coat had worn off in spots and they had seen better days.
The granite countertops had been installed 18 years ago and had chips and dings in them.
You can’t see it, it had a bright burgundy color in it to match the backsplash trim.
I was not a fan of either.
What I hated about the counter tops the most was that you couldn’t see when they needed cleaning.
Drove. Me. Crazy!
Don’t even get me started on the backsplash and the yellow under counter lighting.
Work in Progress
Step one was to have the counter tops replaced.
I agonized over this one decision more than any of the rest.
The trend is to go with a white quartz, but having everything in the kitchen white would be a little too much in this small space.
I loved the look of Soapstone, but didn’t want the up keep that came with it.
And after having busy granite in the last two homes we had, I was ready for something a little less “extra”.
So we went with a timeless look.
A black Quartz called Pittsburg.
It isn’t very shiny and has little bits of shiny pieces here and there.
Farmhouse Sink
For our sink we chose a farmhouse white porcelain sink.
LOVE it!
A brushed gold faucet was another big decision for me, as I was trying to choose timeless pieces, rather than trendy ones.
However, every time I would go looking at faucets I found myself drawn to the gold.
After the gold faucet was installed I was so glad that I went that route.
Bye Bye Raised Bar
The raised bar was removed to give us more countertop space.
Plus, the new countertop was extended about 6 inches to give us a place to actually be able to sit at the bar and eat.
What a game changer!
Painted Cabinets
The cabinets were painted next.
An airless sprayer was used and I have to say that it was one of the best decisions we made.
Previously, when painting cabinets, we sprayed the doors and drawers and hand painted the cabinets due to my fear of overspray.
Never again.
The spaying was easier and looks fantastic with little to no overspray.
In the middle of painting the cabinets and installing the backsplash, Snowmagedon took place and North Texas became a frozen Tundra.
Since a spray tent was to be set up outside for the drawers and doors to be painted, we had to wait for the thaw before we could finish the painting.
Same with the backsplash.
No cutting tile with a wet saw outside in sub-zero temps.
Cabinet Hardware
After the thaw, the cabinets were finally painted and gold hardware was added to the drawers.
Glass door knobs were the finishing touch for the cabinet doors.
Tile
Then came the backsplash.
Other than the countertops, this was my one big splurge.
Originally, the plan was to do a white Subway or Moroccan tile backsplash, until I saw this Byzantine Arabesque Bianco by Ivy Hill.
It was love at first sight!
Once all of the major items were installed, it was time to do touch up paint, install molding, caulk, paint the crown moulding, paint doors, and put in under counter lighting.
All of which took a few days.
The last thing on my list of things to finish was to install the pendant lights above the island.
There is nothing like adding a little bling to make a space pretty.
Finished Kitchen Remodel
Here’s the north side of the kitchen remodel.
BIG difference, right?
The Hubs and I eat here all the time and we love it.
I left my island blue, but painted the pantry door back to SW Pure White to match the cabinets.
The original plan was to put a wooden top on the island, however there was a little mix up with the installers.
I walked in when they were done and the quarts was there.
Oh, well – plan B.
Plus, it’s not like I hate it or anything!
This is the south side of the kitchen.
I still haven’t decided whether or not I’m keeping the valance or changing it up.
For now it stays.
Other than a few different decorating choices still to be made, I’m officially calling our kitchen remodel done!
I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.
Until next time….
