I am soooooo excited to show you pictures of our new kitchen! As a friend pointed out, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen (for real), and so I am really thankful for everyone who helped make my dream kitchen become a reality.

Somehow I always figured a pot filler would be in my dream kitchen, but when you can simultaneously touch the stovetop and the sink, an extra tap just seems a little extravagant. And while there is a serious lack of copper pots hanging from the ceiling, hello Biltmore House goals, two tall adults and one average ceiling made that dream too quite impractical.

(Raise your hand if the kitchen was one of your favorite rooms in the Biltmore house.
Hashtag, born to be a scullery maid). 

Today as I looked through old photos to gather “before” pictures, I was laughing to myself about how long we have lived with our kitchen in various states of unfinishedness. I’m talking years, people. 

Cabinets without doors. Extra ovens used for pot storage. Refrigerators too big for their cutouts. New wood needing to be painted. Walls knocked down and finished months later.

Put this way, I kind of feel like this makes us seems lazy. But then again, there have also been 4 children born since we moved into our home five years ago, so there’s that.

Really, though, both my husband and I are rather nonchalant when it comes to half finished projects around the house. Time, money, and simply put, a desire to work on other things, have meant that our kitchen remodel spanned about three years. And even though I’m showing you pictures now… there’s still a couple more things to be done!

In the end, I think all the anticipation of “one day my kitchen will be done” truly makes the end result all the more sweet.

Patience (and granite countertops) is its own reward. 

The BEFORE…

Since this has been an ongoing project over years, with a final big push towards completion last week, there really is no one “before” picture.

Top Row: 

1. Our first refrigerator. White and much smaller.

2. When we first moved in, there was a wall-mounted oven unit, and a drop-in range. A small grease fire led to replacing the range with a (BELOVED) double oven– removing the lower cabinets and transitioning the old oven to pot storage at the same time.

3. The new oven went in three years ago. You can also see the first flooring we had in the kitchen– an inexpensive vinyl flooring which was stained and torn in a few places.

Bottom Row: 

1. My husband found this white cast iron sink on Craig’s List to replace our smaller stainless sink. The old sink was relocated (after a stint behind the shed) to the kids’ outdoor mud kitchen. The new sink quickly wore out its welcome by becoming stained over and over again immediately after being cleaned.

2. Another view of the old cooktop.

3. The new double oven. The white and dingy and old and dirty range hood (good riddance).

Progress!

Last year… 

I will likely say this again and again, but one of my favorite parts of my kitchen was finished early last year. After having an oven we didn’t use taking up space in the kitchen, then being removed to leave a gaping hole in the wall, my vision of what that space in my kitchen could be finally took shape.

I don’t think my father-in-law or husband really knew what I was going for, but I am so glad they trusted me and did exactly what I asked them to.

The entire section of cabinets was removed from floor to ceiling. In its place, my husband built open shelves, rounded and backed with beadboard. I painted the whole thing white and have loved it ever since. I use it to store our dishes and silverware, along with a few serving dishes and pieces of decor. It is both beautiful and functional– keeping the dishes there means that they are easy for my children to access as needed.

One of the BIGGEST projects and most significant improvement to the kitchen was tearing down the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. I LOVE the result and can’t imagine the kitchen with that wall there anymore. Taking it down has meant much more light in my kitchen and much more visibility of things going on in the house.

We (I’m using “we” loosely) tore down the wall in November of 2015. A support beam went up immediately, of course, but the rest stayed the same for several months. In the Spring of 2016 we added the “buffet”– three custom built cabinets, topped with a large sheet of plywood until just last week.

(Plywood countertops didn’t stop us from having parties and lots of friends over for dinner!
A piece of burlap, a roll of butcher paper, or a tablecloth was all that was needed.)

We (again, loose interpretation) also replaced the flooring in the kitchen just before the buffet was delivered. After looking at the cost and process of installing slate flooring, we opted to go with a groutable, peel-and-stick laminate that looks just like slate. The flooring was done in a day, looks amazing, and is a great option for life with small children.

 

Last week… 

Progress happened incredibly quickly starting last week.

Granite countertops were brought in. The buffet was finished. Cabinets were painted and finished with new hardware. A new range hood was ordered, delivered and installed. The dishwasher was removed and replaced with shelving to hold a small microwave (much to my husband’s rejoicing). And my husband installed a stunning tile backsplash.

 

The AFTER…

With the exception of a few small projects (a new pendant light above the sink, canned lighting above the buffet, and a couple more finishing touches), the kitchen is done. My middle boy– our constant encourager and most affectionate child– keeps walking in the kitchen and exclaiming how beautiful it is.

He may be parroting me, because I keep looking in and declaring how grateful I am for this space too! More than simply beautiful features, it is a space perfectly suited for cooking with kids and friends, hosting gatherings, and simply enjoying the company of loved ones.

(Sources can be found at the bottom of this post).

The view from the dining room. Bench built by my husband, perfect for accessing a spot to work and play on the buffet.

Not sure which I love more– the sink that is big enough to hold three babies or three days worth of dishes, or the fancy-pants faucet that makes cleaning a breeze. The faucet swivels, detaches and can be moved around, and switches from flow to spray with the touch of a button. 

It is my hope that this kitchen will be used to serve our family and others for years to come. In all my home decor and design, my priority is always to create spaces which are comfortable and welcoming, and which help to remind us of what is truly important.

Sources: 

• Buffet cabinets :: Lowes
• Kitchen island :: hand-built
• Stools :: Target
• Whirlpool double oven electric range :: found at a scratch and dent store in town
• Broan under the cabinet range hood :: Amazon
• Kraus Commercial Style Faucet :: Amazon
• Granite :: Rocky Tops
• Marble tile backsplash :: Floor and Decor 
• His and hers hand warmer mugs :: Amazon
• Peel & stick “slate” flooring :: Lowes
• Cabinet paint “Swiss Coffee :: Lowes
• Cabinet hardware :: Lowes
• Cookbooks :: The Science of Good Cooking, Deep Run Roots

 

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