Kitchen Reno
5 Weeks
What started as a small-ish kitchen renovation turned into an epic adventure. (I think most do!) To start with, I was getting the kitchen ready to be pulled apart and put back together as my contractor was due to start in mid-June. After a few weeks of pushing back our start date and cooking, cleaning, and essentially living out of our tiny dining room we learned that our contractor wouldn’t be able to start out job. So, luckily, I was able to find another contractor willing to work with my plans but he had other jobs to complete before he could get started.
Ta DAH! Here it is! Finally!
Ta DAH! Here it is! Finally!
Custom window trim. No miter cuts!
The cabinets were re-configured (no new cabinets) to work around the new design. The uppers were painted the same white semi-gloss as the trim while the lowers were painted a charcoal gray. If I had known that opening the wall would let in so much light I would have gone even darker on the lower cabinets.
This is what we started with!
We used existing cabinets and appliances.
I wasn't sure about the butcher-block counter tops so I bought the rolling island (seen here) last year to live with it a bit before going all in. I actually installed about 1/3 of the backsplash myself!
The double-depth bar is wonderful!
When choosing paint colors for the trim and upper cabinets, I chose a slightly warmer white to keep it from being to “chalky” looking once everything was put together. And, for the wall, I wanted something with just enough color to highlight and brighten the white. The pearl gray look of the walls turned out even better than I hoped! If I had one regret, I wish we had gone darker for the lower cabinets. I had originally chosen something darker, then chickened out at the paint counter. Shoot! Well, I can always go a little darker later.
We pulled out the tile floor and replaced it with a vinyl floor. (SO much easier to clean!!) My new pantry is super small but the most wonderful little storage area. And, it hides the microwave!
Opening the wall into the living room was the best decision. The kitchen was so dark before. I could turn on all of the lights and it was still a bit like a cave. Now, with the wall gone, there seems to be more light everywhere! I hardly need to turn a light on to prepare dinner. And, when I’m cooking, the boys can sit at the extra wide bar and I still have so much room to spread out!!
For the fixtures, etc. I pulled together items from Ikea, Target, Lowes, and Home Depot and used Valspar paint. For details and paint colors, head over to my blog!
The wall that came down.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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4 of 71 comments
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That is beautiful !! I am in the process of starting such a project, My kitchen sink area is very similar to yours and I have 9 foot ceilings as well as white cabinetry. I am going a darker wood, love the sink, but am toying with the 2 color cabinets because of having the white for so long, that I think the dark uppers would close in my small space. You have sure given my something to think about in the way of keeping my uppers white. Again love, love the sink and window.
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@Tanner Thank you! If you're considering a farmhouse sink, I would definitely recommend the Ikea one. It's been wonderful! I've added other, smaller, tweaks to the kitchen since this was finished. You can see them on my blog: http://www.whitetulipdesigns.com/ - Thanks for stopping by!
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beautiful! I too love the wood look, but all of my kitchen cabinets are white and the only thing that I don't like about them is the amount of time I have to spend cleaning them! I do love the sink, it wouldn't work in my home, but it fits perfectly in your kitchen! awesome job!
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@Dobi Thank you!
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