It seems like half a lifetime ago when I first mentioned working on the kitchen. The bulk of the work was done in a couple of weeks, but we took our time finding the right hardware and breadboards and you know, the important things.
Waaay back in the day of 2003-2009ish, our kitchen looked like this above. It felt cluttered and chaotic, and so the great removal of doors began.
We ended up liking the “open shelving” a lot. It helped keep our cabinets more organized, and we left it this way for the next 5 years. There was certainly nothing wrong. It was a good kitchen and the layout worked well for us. There were, however, some issues. Our formica countertops were bubbling up and peeling, some even cracking along the edges from run-ins with the kids’ heads (yikes). Some of the countertops even pulled away from the wall repeatedly.
Matt had replaced almost every cabinet hinge in the kitchen once, twice, some even three times. We began to save for some solid surface counters about a year ago, and as we got planning, we were told repeatedly, “If you’re putting in solid counters, make sure your cabinets are exactly how you want them.” It occurred to us (DUH) we wouldn’t ever want to rip out the cabinets from under the new marble/granite/etc.
So, we took the plunge and did the whole shebang…
This was a makeover we saved for so it could be hired out. We could have done some of the work ourselves, but we wanted the kitchen to be professionally “installed” for lack of a better word, and finished correctly. I’m so happy we did…ole Matt and I could have drug it out for a solid year.
And the after…
All-white kitchens are my favorite. I know the look is not for everyone, but for me, it’s perfection. Changing our look is pretty simple with a white backdrop, which is one of the things I do love about a coat of white paint. I’ll share mostly photos of the reveal today, and be back with a sources post this week.
We lowered the bar, and made it all counter height, swapped out the formica for marble countertops, gutted the cabinets and raised the new ones up to the ceiling, and made other minor changes. All these things made aesthetic sense, but also work better for us.
And if any space in the home should work, it should most certainly be the kitchen.
The reclaimed shelving is one of the warm, rustic touches in the space and I feel like it helps ground the room, and stands nicely off the glossy subway tile.
There are warm wooden touches in several spots…
We replaced the laundry room door with an antique, and added some sandblasted glass to the panels. I’m considering adding some lettering to the top portion, but I wanted to live with a while to see.
The full frame glass panels break up all the white, and again, help me keep our essentials to a minimum, and help the cabinets remain clutter-free (sort of).
By taking the the cabinets up to the ceiling, we were able to double our space, and if we keep our counters clear (which obviously doesn’t happen all the time), everything fits inside. See: choir of angels singing.
The cabinet to the left of the fridge was built “hutch-style” to serve as a second pantry and houses all of the coffee and tea, plus lots of storage for serving pieces and spices.
We switched up the hardware there to a rubbed brass so the hutch could stand on its own a bit.
That door. I’m obsessed with that brass mail slot. We’re still looking for the perfect something to put above the door, but I just haven’t run across it yet. It’s worth waiting for the perfect accent.
The counters are Bianca Gioia marble. I love their dark gray veining, and stark white surface. Of all the slabs we looked at, these had the most striking contrast.
A lot of Carrera slabs looked grey in general, and I wanted white with grey counters–these were perfect. Without going into all the detail, here are a few more pretty pics of the space…
And when the photo shoot was over, a little friend snuck in for a quick snack…
And for reality’s sake, this is what the kitchen looks like most of the time…
Messy, lived in. With less children.
But we loved our weekend with friends. And the Nana came up to whip up a batch of Ree’s famous cinnamon rolls.
Oh dear lord. More on that buttery goodness soon.
Have a great day, y’all!
I love it!!! I dream of an all white kitchen (no point ripping apart this kitchen when we plan to move soon!), but yours is to die for!!! And that door…I have to admit, it is my favourite part of the whole room. Well done – GORGEOUS!
Absolutely beautiful!!!! I too dream of a white kitchen but my husband hasn’t accepted that yet so I may go with grays. I love all the little details including the door! I have an accent door as well that I can’t wait to put in our new house some day. Keep up the great work! You’re an inspiration 🙂
I live your kitchen. I love white cabinets but I knew they weren’t for me. I’m too messy and there are so many cabinets in my kitchen redo that I thought it would be too much. I love my warm wood cabinets but appreciate all sorts of kitchens.
Love, not live!
I WANT it all………beautiful!
It looks awesome!! I’ve been waiting to see it. 🙂
I love your kitchen! It’s so beautiful. I’d love for you to give us an update in the future on how you end up liking your marble countertops. I have heard so many people advise against marble because it stains. But I don’t think I would care, they are so pretty.
Just beautiful perfection! Congrats!
gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous kitchen. I love an all white kitchen, and yours is perfection!
Lovely! I like the glass fronted cabinets. I prefer doors to keep the dust off dishes better.
Gorgeous! I love a white kitchen also!!! The door is beautiful, it adds so much character to the room. Y’all did a great job!
Beautiful! And I love to DIY, but I agree that it’s so nice to be able to let someone else do the work every once in awhile!
Love the gorgeous kitchen! But especially love all the little girlies enjoying it 😉
Love, Grammie
Can you give me more info on the lovely reclaimed shelves? Where can I find that kind of wood? Where did you get the brackets? How do you install on subway tile? I want to do this in my kitchen?
You nailed it! And I ♥♥♥ the antique door…
Oh it is gorgeous!!!! Love the bright white! That door is amazing! And what’s better than a kitchen a filled with little ones 😉
You are so right about waiting for the perfect ‘find’ to go above that incredible door. You will know when you see it and it will look like it has always been there. That’s my criteria for knowing something really fits..looks as though it’s been there from the beginning!
So lovely! Love the white; love the marble; love the pantry door! About the door…what is sandblasted glass like? Can you see through like regular glass or does it somewhat obscure things in the pantry?
Gorgeous! Love everything, but that choicr of marble is fantastic and I think the door is such a perfect detail! It’s fabulous!
Gorgeous! Do you remember where you got the chair for your desk spot in the kitchen?
Love everything you have done – what a sunny happy space. Love all your personal touches. That door…..that door – AMAZING!
Bought your book – enjoyed every page – Congrats.
What an awesome kitchen. Love it!!! The only thing I would change is the fluorescent lighting. I would replace it with recessed lighting. This would flow a lot better for me. Only my opinion. I really love everything else. Great job!!!
Stunning, stunning, STUNNING! Just love it all. Every detail! That antique door is just too much. Too. Much. I’m in love. What’s the wall color? My sister is looking for a good white.
A very light and airy kitchen, beautifully done. That antique door is amazing – I appreciate the use and re-purposing of old/antique elements in a home, they bring character and charm to a room, instead of being tossed in a landfill somewhere.
I’m obsessed with that designs of KItchen. soo beautiful and inspiring… Thanks for sharing.
I really like your kitchen remodel! It looks so bright and pretty. I have to say that I especially love that you left some of the general overhead lighting. Many people, today, remove all the general lighting and only add/replace with pretty lights. Great for photos and during the day, but it makes it harder to actually work in a kitchen at night or in the winter. You did a wonderful job of combining. Also… love those twins (full fridge and freezer) ! 🙂
Love that door
Beautiful kitchen! I’m envious of all of your space. We definitely have an overlap in taste (although not identical styles either). Maybe you’d like to see our remodel from April here: http://lifebeyondsilicon.com/2014/04/13/our-kitchen/ Is your stove induction or electric? If it’s induction, I’d love to trade notes ( http://lifebeyondsilicon.com/2014/04/28/physics-in-the-kitchen/ )
This kitchen is gorgeous. I love all of the white. We are in the planning stage. Pinning for reference later!!!
It is lovely, but that door!! Just love it!
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself
or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to design my
own blog and would like to find out where u got this from.
many thanks
Love the barstools! Where did you find those?
what is the brand name on your refridgerator? i love the extra large side by side. where did you get it? do you like it?
This is exactly how I’d want my kitchen to look! Love it 🙂
-Taylor
Porch.com
Will you be doing a kitchen breakdown? Which farmhouse sink did you go with?
Where did you get your bread boards???
Hi there Stephanie!
We sale those in the shop! 🙂
On the bread boards you said you sale them in your shop, can you buy them online?? I live in Utah and am not near your shop. Also, How much are they??
Well done! It looks spectacular. We just bought our first house and is white cabinets too. We’re looking to upgrade to granite counter tops as soon as we move in 🙂
Thank you Russ!! We love our white cabinets! 🙂
Beautiful kitchen remodel, especially the marble counter tops stood out to me. Do you find that your counter tops get water stains easily? My in-laws had their kitchen remodeled in Phoenix, and found that almost right out the gate their beautiful marble counter tops began to get large water stains. We are now in the midst of having a kitchen remodel in our home in Vancouver, and are skeptical about getting marble counter tops, just based on what we have seen. The kitchen remodel contractors we got off Servicegems are getting us their discount on Wolf appliances, so that is something we are extremely excited about. Anyways, great pictures and those counter tops are timeless.
Wow! I want this for my kitchen. Very beautiful! I think I will be more inspired to cook for my family if I have this beautiful kitchen.
That is a very lovely white kitchen. I am awed about how you managed to transform and created space, that is very wonderful and creative
This is great, that white kitchen from House looks amazing.Thanks for Sharing about Kitchen Remodeling. Useful for me.Kitchen remodeling Austin
Kitchen with White cabinets is looking simply stunning. It will surely help others who want to renovate their kitchen. Thanks for sharing this post.
What a amazing Kitchen.very nice and relevant information…you covered all things in your blog…I just fall in love with your kitchen..I also want my kitchen like this….I mean simply amazing..great job..thankss for this post..
This kitchen looks like the decor set up for a cooking show, and I mean this in a good way. It looks great, congrats on your projects.
Thanks for sharing, this kitchen renovation came out perfectly.
Adding white cabinet in a kitchen is really a brilliant idea!!
White is a soothing colour which can make our kitchen more attractive and good-looking. After seeing the above images, I have decided to renovate my own kitchen with the same patter, design and colour.
I love the white cabinets and white countertops. I am curious, how has the marble countertops held up so far?
Hey there, It’s held up well…now I’ll tell you, marble is a softer stone, and I had it polished so it does etch. Some spots are more dull but it doesn’t bother me at all. If you’re super type A, I’d go with a harder stone, though. 😉
Now that’s what I call a kitchen remodel! Whole thing looks great. Really impressed with the quality of the pictures as well.
Great kitchen remodel and I love the pictures too. I can’t wait to see your next project.
Oh my gosh- amazing job on the kitchen!!! My cabinets are in serious need of painting and I am just too scared to bite the bullet- haha! I can’t believe the before and after. Nice work!
Just out of curiosity, where did you get the chairs you have on the picture with the peninsula with the overhand on the countertop? I really like them! The kitchen countertops look great too!
Beautiful kitchen, with white and gray make the kitchen became more bright and clean.
So lovely! The subtle blue is just really gorgeous!
Awesome post. The pictures are amazing!