My New Kitchen is Finally Done!
It took way longer than expected because of some back-ordered items, but supply chain issues aside, I am loving it now that it is completed! Ryan and Pru installed it and did an amazing job!
I designed the cabinets to be two-toned with most of them in this soft sage green that is so versatile. It exudes a calm energy. It’s neutral and thanks to its cool undertones, the verdant shade serves all the room’s possibilities.
I am also so happy with the waterfall quartz countertop! And for a small kitchen, it is so much more open and spacious than it was before.
Here are some before and afters so you can see the dramatic difference.
The first thing we did was remove those upper wall cabinets above the peninsula to open the space, along with removing a soffit above there as well. We also pushed the peninsula out by a foot to make the kitchen a bit bigger, which meant moving that doorway between the dining room and family room over slightly. So, my dining room is now a tad smaller, but having a bigger kitchen, more than makes up for that. We spend way more time in our kitchen than our dining room.
I designed the kitchen, and my son, Ryan, and daughter-in-law, Pru, built/installed it for me. They are so meticulous and did such an incredible job! I couldn’t be happier or prouder!
I’m loving the beautiful white quartz countertop that’s replacing the ceramic tiles and grout that I lived with for over 30 years. The waterfall edge on the peninsula is super stylish and the countertop, combined with the white subway tile backsplash, and white appliances make the space so much brighter. The soft green of most of the cabinets is fresh and soothing.
We added open shelving on the wall to the right of the sink where there used to be wall cabinets coming out over the peninsula. To the left of the shelves is this fun piece of retro geometric wall art that I found on Etsy from the UK, made of rings of painted plywood, metal and ceramic.
On the refrigerator wall, we got rid of the little desk area that was there before and installed cabinets going all the way up to the ceiling, on both sides of the fridge and above the fridge.
On the range wall, we removed another soffit and, again, took the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. The microwave moved off the counter and up to above the cooktop and I love the new elongated vent that Ryan installed above the microwave. It looks so sleek and clean.
So, in my old kitchen, I had the typical corner cabinet issue of not being able to reach items that were stored deep in the cabinet. Instead of the common solution of getting a lazy susan for inside the cabinet, which is not very space efficient, Ryan installed an extremely subtle, almost hidden, cabinet door on the outside of my peninsula along with some shelves, so that I have access to that cabinet from the other side and can store occasionally used platters there. They are much easier to get to now. All I need to do is slide the counter stool over.
The last thing I wanted to show you is in my new laundry room, which Ryan and Pru also installed for me. Ryan made this wonderful laundry drying rack for me, that folds down on hinges when not in use. I can fit two sweaters lying flat on it to dry or I can hang multiple items over the slats at one time. And the ironing board below it folds down the same way. So clever and functional! We looked all over for something to purchase and there was nothing that looked half as practical and efficient as what Ryan created custom from scratch.
You can see that I have cabinets above the laundry machines. They added an addition on to my laundry room, too, and built me a 4’ x 6’ pantry. It has floor to ceiling shelves. So, I have a ton of extra storage now and don’t miss those wall cabinets that we took out above the peninsula in the kitchen at all.
That’s my new kitchen and a bit of my new laundry room. I hope you enjoyed the tour. I think the new design is timeless and beautiful! I will not be doing this again for another 30 years if I’m still in this house and I live that long, so it needs to be.