Kitchen Remodel Progress: Fixtures, Backsplash & Countertop Details
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I was pleasantly surprised the first time I walked into the house we now call home and saw the kitchen. The best thing about the kitchen was that the cabinets were completely worth saving and actually had a lot of great features, like a built in spice rack and sliding shelves. So, we kept the cabinets, but changed a few other things during the renovation. We planned to have the cabinets painted after the renovations were completed and I’ve been sharing bits of that progress in my Instagram stories. Choosing a paint color was not easy! I’ll talk more about that soon, but for now I’ll just focus on the details that have been updated so far.
This is what our kitchen looked like when we bought the home. Everything was in pretty great shape and just needed some updating.
The renovation process was pretty brutal. Everything in the kitchen was removed except for the cabinets.
It’s a toss up between the lighter countertops and beautiful high gloss, hand cut tile backsplash when it comes to what made the biggest change in our kitchen. The most popular marble-look quartz is beautiful but felt really overdone to me. I was seeing it everywhere on Instagram and Pinterest and I wanted something different. I looked at porcelain slabs as well as quartz and ended up choosing Merano by Sequel Quartz. It looks like it isn’t in stock anymore or simply goes by a different name. Here are the current options.
Once the counters were installed, I realized that I needed a plan B for the backsplash. Originally, my plan was to have white, hand cut tiles laid in a herringbone pattern, but after seeing how warm the counters appeared in tone, I went to find the beloved Cloe tile in person. I took a few of the tile pieces back into the warehouse where a slab similar to mine was kept to see how they would look together. Below are a few of the tiles in “white”.
Last year, I found some Cloe tile inspiration and was a bit surprised (dare I say annoyed?) at how popular it became! I looked for alternatives since I felt like the Cloe tile had been played out online. It seemed like every big designer was using it and it was showing up everywhere I looked! But alas, I came to terms with my favorite tile’s popularity and decided that no kitchen is going to be exactly alike, even with the same backsplash. (6 month update: As it turns out, I receive the most questions about my backsplash and cabinet color, so I’m sure there are a lot of kitchens out there that look pretty similar to mine now!)
There are swirls of gray and taupe veining throughout the quartz. The amount of veining you want to see in the stone is definitely a personal preference. My opinion on the matter is that less is more. I specifically asked our fabricator to minimize seams and to use the portion of the slab with the least amount of veining for the island top. I really think it turned out perfectly. I like how there is a nice diagonal vein running from the corner of the wall.
Since I was getting new counter tops, it made sense to switch out the sink and faucet, as well. I chose this deep stainless steel sink with a metal rack liner. I love having more space for washing pots and dishes. And the bonus is that you can’t see any dirty dishes at the bottom of the sink until you get really close! LOL
I’m a fan of mixing metals, so I chose a chrome faucet to complement the matte black and white pendants with brass trim over the island. Kitchen faucets can be pretty pricey, but I was able to find this touchless, sensored faucet for under $150! It is battery operated and you can turn the sensor function on and off by simply opening up the handle or closing it.
These pendants really helped inspire the decor theme for our interior. Click the link below to read more and see lots of other lighting options that I considered during this remodel.
I had the two pendants moved further apart and pushed the island forward and out by almost a foot. This gave us more room between the dishwasher/sink and island. Also, I had the island counter overhang extended to 11 inches so that we could sit comfortably at the island.
Here is the kitchen renovation “completed”, as far as the contractor’s renovation was concerned. The new flooring will be addressed in a later post, as I’m wanting to live with them for a few months before writing a thorough review for you! Most of the home had dark wood floors but we ended up having them all completely removed to install these warm light wood LVP, or luxury vinyl plank, floors. They are waterproof and did not come without challenges installing them. LVP flooring has been touted as incredibly durable. I can say that I’ve already noticed a few gouges in our floor that appear to have been caused by the contractor moving our stove back into place. They are not damage-proof by any means, but I do believe they are strong enough to hold up to our dog’s nails. As I mentioned, I’ll dedicate another blog post to a full review of the floors and share all the nitty gritty details you need to know before considering what kind of flooring you want to install!
This is the state of our kitchen now, minus the fresh new coat of paint! I can’t wait to show you what color I chose for the cabinets and how beautifully they turned out!
Additionally, the blue and white fabric I got last year to reupholster my chippendale style bamboo counter stools with has been removed. I may end up reusing it for some pillow covers or just tucking it away in case I want to use it in the future. I love these stools with their stock natural linen color, but I”m considering covering them with a different fabric soon.
All of the home projects I still have to work on are really keeping me busy! I hope you’re finding some fun and productive ways to stay safe at home! I’m really looking forward to sharing the next few projects with you, which are the newly painted cabinets and the hardware I just ordered to replace the current nickel pulls. Additionally, if you have questions about my not-wood floors, click the link below. :)
Why I Chose Waterproof LVP Flooring and What You Should Know Before Purchasing
Follow House Full of Summer on Pinterest to see what inspires me!
Sending Sunshine,
Jessica
