It’s been about two years now since our kitchen renovation. I still get questions every day about our kitchen, so I thought it was time for an updated post with some of the sources and details that I’m often asked about! Scroll down for details.
I’m also working on some posts to answer some individual FAQ such as: do we still like our marble and soapstone countertops, if we would choose beadboard for a backsplash again, if we are happy with our range and appliances and more. If you have questions about our kitchen that you’ve been wondering about, if you don’t see the answers below leave me a comment and I can try to answer.
A few blog posts about our kitchen:
- Kitchen Reveal / Tour
- Before and after of the dining kitchen swap
- Kitchen layout and cabinet measurements
- The Story of Our English Cottage Inspired Kitchen at Christmas
- My Kitchen Layout and Cabinetry Dimensions
- See more posts on our remodel process here
Sources:
Range (Ilve Nostalgie 30 inch duel fuel range in Blue Gray/Grey) — I shared more about our range and faucet choice in this post
Similar Pendant Lights (mine were this one from PB which is out of stock)
Polished Nickel Faucet (mine was from deVol)
Blue and White Bowl on Wall (and here’s how I hang plates)
Cafe Curtains – on these rods, with these clips
Hardware:
Glass Knob with Polished Nickel Finish
Oval Cupboard Latch (on glass cabinets, under sink, on coffee station cabinets) in Aged Brass
Oval Cabinet Knobs under coffee station cabinets
Drawer Pull (by stove and coffee station door) in Aged Brass
Bin Pull in Aged Brass
Pull on my built-in fridge in Aged Brass
Polished Nickel Faucet (mine was from deVol)
OUR BLUE RANGE:
I looked at so many options for our range and this one was the winner on looks and price! It’s been great, we’ve had no problems with it at all. We used it once or twice every day for the two of us and serve our whole family when they visit!
We also wanted to separate the sink from the range a little bit for traffic flow especially when guests are visiting or family is helping in the kitchen. Now people can help at the sink or get things out of drawers without bumping into the chef at the stove.
We have no regrets on the range at all! The kitchen functions so well for our family.
PAINT COLOR:
Classic Light Buff by Sherwin-Williams (the cabinets were color matched in a cabinet finish)
COUNTERTOP DETAILS:
Our layout also gave us the option for efficiency in the kitchen all around. I’m a big fan of long stretches of uninterrupted counters, so we made sure to include plenty of prep space.for the chef as well as any helpers.
Carrara marble (honed) on perimeter
Soapstone on island (we kept ours natural, we don’t oil it!)
We also added a backsplash in marble by most of the counters and behind the stove — I love how it classic it looks (which is the look we were going for, like the kitchen has been here for years!). I’m so glad we added that detail at the last minute. The extra marble feels nice in the room and looks cleaner than just caulking around the beadboard.
FAQ: WHERE IS YOUR REFRIGERATOR?
Our refrigerator is built-in to the right of our cabinets, across from our dining table.
It’s a Fisher & Paykel counter depth — we love it! We chose this one because it was a bit narrower and we had limited space in this spot. I wanted to make sure our kitchen was easy to work in and entertain in, so the fridge in this location has been WONDERFUL! It’s out of the main work area so guests can help themselves without entering the “cooking zone.”
The fridge is also next to our mudroom/pantry which you can see more of here. This arrangement keeps the food together for efficiency and makes it easy for family to help prep food or put it away, out of the main cooking area.
SINK:
This is the third time I’ve bought this sink (for different homes). I like that it’s deep but also so easy to work at (especially for short people like me!).
The location of the sink is ideal for us. The amount of natural light and views through so many windows makes working at the sink enjoyable! Plus you get to chat with people in the house! We use the area under the far window as a long buffet counter, prep or baking counter –it is great for working together in the kitchen! That side of the room with the glass cabinets can be seen from the front door too, so we made it a pretty view to look at.
DISHWASHER:
We have the Fisher & Paykel double dishwasher drawers. The reason we got drawers was mostly for space planning– I didn’t want the full door of a dishwasher to come down to the floor where it becomes a barrier to pass by. I really thought a lot about function! We love having the two drawers (they don’t take up too much room in the walk way, plus it really is so convenient to keep on top of dishes by running the drawers at different times or being able to run smaller loads).
However, while we love using them, we have had a couple of problems with the dishwashers in the last year. Luckily we had bought a five year warranty with the original purchase of all of our appliances so we were able to get the dishwashers serviced a few months ago (and may need to call them again). If you get these, I’d recommend adding a warranty for peace of mind.
WALL DETAILS:
Beadboard walls (they are tongue and groove boards–I think they are pine or cedar, I can’t remember which!).
Tongue and groove paneling on the ceiling (it’s similar to the walls, but on the backside it makes a “v” groove instead of the front side which is the bead.)
CABINET DETAILS:
We did a mix of shaker style and flat panel inset drawers and cabinets. They were built by a local cabinet company.
The cabinets were color matched to Sherwin Williams Classic Light Buff in a factory finish. This process does change the color a bit so I’d recommend asking for a sample if you go that route.
We did a classic mix of hardware with mostly aged brass and nickel finishes as well as some glass knobs.
We decided to give the baseboards a classic look with the “arched feet.” It’s a charming detail (and no, it doesn’t make it hard to sweep!).
HARDWOOD FLOORS:
We have European white oak engineered hardwood floors (we bought ours locally, not sure on the brand). I love the character (perfect for a beach house, but also a classic timeless look). They make the house so feel light and happy even in the winter time.
MARBLE DRIP LEDGE:
We had our counter people add a marble drip ledge under our farmhouse sink to help protect the cabinets below from water (my husband insisted on having a sprayer in the sink but he doesn’t keep the water IN the sink so this ledge was a safety feature as it slows down the water drips, ha. It works!).
COFFEE STATION:
We love this cabinet for coffee supplies and some of our table items in drawers below (it’s across from our dining room table). The doors slide all the way back into the sides of the cabinet so they don’t stick out into the room.
ISLAND CABINETRY DETAILS:
Because our home doesn’t have a lot of storage (our home is 1900 square feet with a small lot and a one car garage, and we added the 400 square foot Tiny Cottage for my parents) we made sure to include as much built-in cabinetry as we could to maximize space.
We also added special details like this nook for a stool (it’s a perfect spot to sit for a quick breakfast, lunch or a chat with the chef) as well as shelves next to it for cookbooks, too!
Blue and White Toile Cafe Curtain (I change this seasonally), it’s currently this one: Striped Cafe Curtain
I hope this is helpful, leave a comment if you have more questions and I will try to answer!
More questions? Find more Kitchen FAQ here including cabinetry dimensions and more sources.
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