Our Kitchen Renovation Reveal

I waited for this moment since we bought our home! I had always wanted to change up the kitchen and do a mini make over but knew that was an expense we just didn’t want to budget for at that time. Welp….the time is now! I am so excited to share our kitchen changes! I’ve linked everything and give details on all the paint colors and finishes. Check out our kitchen renovation reveal!

Our Kitchen Renovation Reveal

Listen, I know my kitchen isn’t the biggest. I’ve said it multiple times the reason we bought this particular floorplan was for the kids. They hit the jackpot with this home, whereas, my husband and I sacrificed on a more humble kitchen and master bedroom. That’s what ya do when you live in California and have 4 kids, haha!

To save money, we didn’t make any major structural changes nor did we replace the cabinets. We did, however, change the flooring throughout our home ( you’ll see that full post about everhome coming soon), added new backsplash, changed the countertops, painted the lower cabinets and installed new appliances! Oh, and I can’t forget about my new farmhouse sink and faucet! There were also a few extra DIY projects sprinkled throughout. I am so happy with how this project turned out.

Appliances:

So, first things first……let’s talk appliances! I had been swooning over GE’s Cafe appliance line for YEARS. Covid didn’t do us any favors and the majority of appliances were on backorder. It was worth the wait! We opted for the matte white set complete with the microwave that also acts as a toaster oven. You heard that correctly! A TOASTER OVEN!!!!!! Neil and I have gone through 6 or 7 toaster ovens during our time together. it’s literally used multiple times a day for full on dinner meals like lasagna or pork chops to dinosaur chicken for the boys quick meals. That also means it took up space on our limited countertops. I can honestly say I love this new Cafe microwave more than any other appliance I’ve ever owned. It’s simply amazing! Of course, the double oven isn’t too shabby too and the dishwasher is super quiet. I linked all our appliances below. They are expensive but WORTH IT. If you’ve been on the fence about his line, do it.

Countertops:

The granite we had was one of the things I disliked upon move in. It just wasn’t my style. It got stained super easily and I hated the color. I wanted something fresh and white with a little contrast in the veining. We chose to go with Home Depot. They offered free installation and a hefty discount on the product. After going back and forth on a few samples, we ultimately chose “Toscana Cream” quartz which is a Costentino product. It has some gray AND brassy veining which is what I wanted to help tie in the brass hardware and it’s brighter white than many of the “white samples” we were choosing between.

Backsplash:

We had a 5 inch slab of granite as our backsplash (which again, I wasn’t a fan of). Originally, I picked out a pretty marble pattern with white and different color blues, but I ended up keeping it simple with a white hexagon picket tile. But wait……this isn’t just any ordinary hexagon tile. It reminds me of a French cottage or my nana’s vintage white dishes. Upon closer inspection, you can see the slight cracking in the porcelain like old china. The tile is on the thick side and the the hand crafted nature gives it a distinct accent and a statement around my large kitchen window. Neil wasn’t quite on board when I first said I wanted to install in all the way to the ceiling around our window, but boy, it looks amazing and he totally agrees! This tile is available at various online stores and I’ve linked it all below.

Cabinet Paint:

My affinity for all things blue has seeped into my kitchen, ha ha! Oh how I love blue. It just makes me feel so happy. Did you know that the color blue is actually said to garner calmness and tranquility? I used the same shade of blue from Sherwin Williams that I’ve used in various other parts of my home, including my front door and a statement wall in the guest room. That guest room reveal post is awesome, go check that out too! The color is IN THE NAVY. It’s a true navy tone and goes so well with my “California Coastal” vibe. We also wrapped the backside of the peninsula with shiplap and painted it a bright white. All that project takes is liquid nails and a nail gun! This is a SUPER easy DIY.

• Sand cabinets FIRST
• use shellac primer in a sprayer
• In the Navy paint in the Emerald Urethane Cabinet Paint (2 coats and use sprayer)
• touch up using a “smooth” roller or sponge brush.

We used the same paint product for our DIY Travel Trailer Reno seen HERE.

Sink, Faucet And All Other Accessories:

I lumped the rest in to make it easy. We needed a “RETROFIT” farmhouse sink. What is a retrofit sink? Well, simply one that has a shorter depth in front to accommodate smaller cabinets. We only had about 7 inches of room for a farmhouse sink and this one fit the bill. Of course, I went with a brass faucet and accessories to match. The disposal button actually didn’t quite fit, so my husband worked his magic and we basically ripped the brass top off the new one and liquid nailed it to the existing one, hahahaha. You do, what ya gotta do!

I will also link out existing ceiling lights. That was one of the first things we installed in this home. I still LOVE them.

Take a look at the dramatic Before and Afters of our kitchen renovation reveal and let me know what you think in the comments!

BEFORE:

AFTER: