Materials and the sequence of the job sit together on this page.
Whitney is back again today to share more of her home. She’s previously showed us her living room and her dining room; be sure to follow her @carpendaughter on Instagram for more striking home photos!
Let me introduce you to my kitchen. Which became an extension of my dining room after I removed the wall in between the two. My first floor pretty much became one big room and I really wouldn’t have it any other way. My house isn’t big. 1480 square feet to be exact. But it’s open. I can watch tv while I’m doing the dishes and that’s really what it’s all about. My kitchen was very much a Handmade remodel. So let me give you the deets on what I tackled myself and what I left to the professionals.
(It’s a little hard to tell, but the next photo is from just about the same vantage point as this one. Where there once was a window, there is now a range hood.)
The cabinets
I weighed lots of options when it came to kitchen cabinets and decided on IKEA. Yes we would have to assemble them ourselves but the quality and price was right. I decided to go with the style that closest resembled “shaker style.” This style is classic but can also look modern depending on the finishes its paired with. I desperately wanted grey cabinets but at the time IKEA didn’t offer them. I took all the drawer and door fronts to a local furniture company to be professionally painted. Well worth the money. IKEA has a very straightforward and user friendly way to install cabinets. My sister and I installed them ourselves in a weekend.
Kitchen hardware
My dad and I installed the hardware ourselves. An straightforward job that really anyone can do. I chose 3 different types of black hardware to make my kitchen look more custom.
Backsplash
Subway tile. Subway tile. Subway tile. I’m in love with subway tile! It’s such a timeless and classic choice. Not to mention inexpensive. Switching up the backsplash would not be an straightforward task so I went with “classic” over “trendy.” I will never not love subway tile. Period. My sister and I borrowed a wet saw and tiled it ourselves. I was clearly intimidated but my sister had the gusto to try it and once we got going it was like riding a bike.
Countertops
Against every practical person’s advice, I went with white marble. Yeah yeah yeah I heard all the warnings. It scratches, it etches, it stains. But in the end I decided to throw caution to the wind. Even with the threat of all those imperfections they would still be more striking than any man-made material. And three years later I don’t regret my decision one bit. I had the marble people fabricate and install them because I wouldn’t even know where to begin to do it myself.
go-to Features
The brick. My absolute go-to feature of this kitchen was something I originally was so annoyed about. See that striking brick in the corner? Before it was brick, it was just a large mass of space I had to design the cabinets around. But after working hard to expose it, it has become my go-to part of this kitchen. It brings a warmth, age and an architectural detail that you cannot find in newer homes.
My sink!: I love our 36 inch farmhouse sink. It’s huge and I hope to someday bathe several future babies in it.
Open shelving: Its not for everyone but I love it. So French.
This house remodel has been a labor of love. And this kitchen is very much the heart of our home.
Sources:
Kitchen cabinets: IKEA, Style: Adel (no longer available), closest equivalent: Grimslöv
Range hood: IKEA
Pendants: IKEA
Samsung appliances: Refrigerator, Range, Dishwasher
Hardware: Lowes
Cabinet paint color: Valspar Wet Pavement
Subway tile: Lowes
Countertops: Marble Uniques, Tipton Indiana
Sink: Kohler, Lees Supply (discontinued)
Barstools: thrifted
