Welcome to our brand new kitchen!
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and it is so true. This is the place we get together for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and multiple snacks during the day (I am talking about me!). It is where we sing, dance, bake, unload our shopping bags, where we do art and craft projects, where the cat jumps for attention! This is where we connect and live! A functional kitchen is so important. If it’s beautiful too, that’s even better!
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If you follow along the blog, you have already seen the kitchen demolition, and the kitchen progress posts. If you’re new to our home, welcome! It’s a 1929 Dutch Colonial house in the Essex County of New Jersey! We bought it in 2016 and knew it needed some love & improvement to make it our own.
The biggest impact in this kitchen renovation came from removing the wall separating the kitchen and dining room and also by removing the door going from the living room into the kitchen! After opening up the space, it was time to design a beautiful and functional kitchen!
I’m going to quickly walk you through it all — before and after pics, details about my decision making process, and links to products I chose.
Before & After
Let’s start with a before image, shall we? Just to remind you how this space used to look before we ripped it down to the studs and started over…
Here’s what it looks like today! A world of difference, right? I’m thrilled that our current kitchen feels representative of our style and personalities.
Cabinetry
First, let’s chat about the cabinetry because I’m very proud of it! Using Semihandmade was probably one of the best decisions we made through our entire kitchen renovation process. The cost was radically lower than custom cabinetry but it still gave us the modern look we wanted.
As far as color, we went for Farrow and Ball paint colors and we absolutely love the two colors we chose. They act as a neutral to go with any decor we want to add.
Even the toe kick covers are painted to blend seamlessly with the design.
The bright beige cabinets reflect lots of light back into the space so our kitchen feels even bigger.
All our cabinets and drawers have the “soft-close” feature, so no loud bang when shutting them, which is fabulous.
Hardware
The other little detail that made a huge impact in our kitchen are the amazing knobs and pulls from MyKnobs. They are modern and provide a simple and clean look that I really love! The quality is great and they come in many different sizes. They add the right amount of gold for our kitchen to really pop!
Countertop & Backsplash
As far as kitchen design, we were ready for something different. We knew there were certain things that we wanted and others that we didn’t want. While marble is beautiful, but it’s not for us and our lifestyle.
To let the two tone kitchen cabinets be the star of the show, we decided to keep the backsplash and countertop neutral. We went on the hunt for the quartz countertop that looked the most like marble and landed at Apex Marble & Granite Inc. They were fantastic to work with, timely and thoughtful. They helped us decide the veining direction providing us with a few proposals.
We chose a Calacatta Manhattan Polarstone countertop for its durability & beautiful design. It also looks just like Carerra marble, but it’s super low maintenance and looks great.
See the beautiful veining in the Polarstone? I fell in love with this material the moment I laid eyes on it.
Pantry & Fridge
The cherry on top of our entire kitchen are our Bertazzoni appliances. (We bought everything on Black Friday and saved quite a bit of money!) We wanted something that would not only look pretty, but also be very functional.
On the wall around the refrigerator, we opted for tall pantry cabinets. I absolutely don’t regret taking out the old pantry from our kitchen. It was taking way too much space and even if it was a great way to store things, it wasn’t the way I personally like organizing my kitchen. This new pantry is the perfect size for our family.
Sink & Faucet
On the sink wall, we kept the window (and sink) in the same location, but the replacement is a big improvement! I’ve always wanted a farmhouse sink and I think it works so well with the design of this kitchen. It turned out even better than I had hoped! It’s so nice having the extra space and I also love that the sink is so deep that it hides my dirty dishes when I don’t put them in the dishwasher right away. Also, combined with a pull down faucet, it’s so functional in a cooking environment.
Click to Shop My Accessories:
Cooking Range & Wall-Mount Range Hood
Speaking of cooking, we opted for a 30″ Bertazzoni gas range. We really got used to using gas in our past apartment rental and wouldn’t go back to an electric range! I love to completely be in control of the temperature and feel like I am mastering the art of cooking! (Even just by cooking an egg…)
I also feel like with a gas range, I prepare more dishes in a shorter amount of time. I am more efficient and this means more time with my family. And the cherry on the cake? It can work without power! – solid choice!
The Wall-Mount Range Hood is from Signature Hardware. It adds style to our space and I love the rounded shape! It’s no longer available but a similar option in 24″ Stainless Steel is.
I found this magnetic kitchen timer and couldn’t leave the store without it! Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like it was just made for our kitchen!
Click to Shop These Accessories:
Dishwasher
If you’re curious about the dishwasher, it’s integrated into the cabinetry. We had a cabinetry panel made by Semihandmade to disguise it, so it blends with our lower cabinetry.
Surprise!! There’s a dishwasher in there…
Moving to the other side of the kitchen and appliances, you’ll find the coffee area. I pretty much use this area twice a day and run on caffeine.
Behind the glass, do you spot the Stainless Steel Wine Tumblers? This is what I run on at night after my daughter is sleeping! A good glass of wine! – Cheers to me!
I absolutely LOVE them, this is why I am mentioning it ! They keep the beverages at the perfect temperature – hot or cold, and feature a handy acrylic lid to sip easily and prevent spills. Even mommies need a sippy cup cup sometimes!
Let’s step back (literally) and I’ll show you a view looking into the dining room from the living room.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the kitchen island …
Our bar stools are from West Elm. Rustic yet refined, these stools are very steady and clean very well! (My daughter puts them to the test!!)
When we are home, the majority of our time is spent here and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The Lighting
Cedar & Moss allows you to customize so many different options: finish, shade, canopy, socket … The options are (almost) endless! But make sure to properly measure and select the length carefully because chandeliers and pendants are non-returnable!
I personally learned that lesson…
Scroll & Click to Shop The Lighting:
The Dining Area
Our home is older (1929) and we wanted an open living and dining area where other people could hang out with us while we cooked.
Perfect for game nights, family gatherings or dinner parties, our Mid-Century Dining Table easily expands via a drop-in leaf that instantly adds two more place settings.
Scroll & Click to Shop : * Similar option if no longer available
There are so many levels and stages you can do to redesign your kitchen. Simply updating your faucet and knobs, refacing cabinets, or just a paint job. A kitchen can be easily updated to fit your home and needs. You don’t necessarily need to go to the studs to get your dream kitchen!
Thanks for reading!
It’s been really exiting to put our own stamp on this home and amazing to build a whole kitchen that we love from scratch. To pick out every single detail, including all the appliances. So… what do you think? I hope you love the transformation as much as I do!
Thanks everyone for reading along about my kitchen renovation. I loved sharing it with you!
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.
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Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
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