Kitchen Remodel { First Round }

We’re getting incredibly close to kicking off our remodel. This weekend we’ll demo (well, Todd & co. will demo) and I will pack up my clothes, computer and kitties and head off to live with my parents for 4-6 weeks while the project is completed. We are, of course, a bit scattered…we’ve purchased some things and are still undecided on others. It’s going to be somewhat of an organic process but Todd is determined to get it done on schedule (fingers crossed).

We’ve agreed on the bones of the space. Details and first-round inspirations below!

Cabinetry & Flooring

I have been sold on Ikea cabinetry since day one, but Todd took some convincing. After collecting bids for custom cabinetry (independent contractors) and pre-fab (Home Depot, Lowe’s), it became clear that Ikea was our best option. Given the solid quality, the price simply cannot be beat. We quickly agreed on the simple, shaker-style cabinets (Adel) in white. I was very unsure about white given the sheer volume of pet hair floating around our house. But, Todd convinced me that the era of our home and size of the kitchen would benefit from white cabinetry.

We knew from the start that we’d opt for wood (or wood-like) flooring, but did not land on a type/color until recently. I was finding myself very turned off by warm-toned woods like Cherry, and felt that lighter woods like Oak were too modern for our house. After briefly toying with the idea of black wood flooring we decided on Walnut.

Countertops & Sink

There were many disagreements about the countertops, as I really dislike most granite or granite-like materials (what’s with all the speckles and sparkles?). I had my heart set on butcher block, but apparently this material is not recommended with an undermount sink (which Todd is insisting on). I also love concrete but it’s very expensive. We’ve compromised on a quartz material in a mid-tone cooler-gray, matte with no “embellishments.” It’s called…concrete :-)

Todd splurged on our sink, as we were struggling to find an undermount style in the smaller size we need. We then discovered that Ikea does, in fact, sell an undermount style…in our needed dimensions. At this time we’re choosing between the two options (there’s a $300 price difference). Our faucet is a simple goose-neck style with a pull down spout.

• Cabinetry: Ikea Adel
• Hardware: Ikea Hedra
• Subway Tile: Lowe’s
• Oven: Whirlpool Gold
• Microwave: Whirlpool
• Fridge: KichenAid Architect II
• Dishwasher: Whirlpool
• Pendant Lighting: Barn Light Electric
• Faucet: Kohler Simplice
• Flooring: Armstrong
• Countertop: CaesarStone
• Paint: Valspar (Travertine, Hazy Stratus, Tempered Gray, Beige Shadow, Vintage Gray, Urban Sunrise, Oyster)

Appliances

We chose to upgrade to stainless steel appliances, for a few reasons. We’ve been living with white appliances for four years, I hate black appliances and stainless steel seems to be the best choice for resale. We’re also adding two appliances that we do not have currently, a dishwasher and a garbage disposal (and, I must say, I am ten times more excited about the latter).

We’ve already purchased our fridge, which was delivered this past weekend and is currently housed adjacent to our couch. It is by far our biggest appliance expenditure, but it was a great deal for the value (we found it at a local Sears outlet for over 50% off its original retail) and I love it. We had initially planned on a slide-in range, but we’ve since changed our minds and are opting for a freestanding range with a double oven. The two styles run roughly the same price, and we decided that having some additional oven space trumped the integrated look of a slide-in.

Accents

We agreed on subway tile for our backsplash long ago, but were waffling on the color and struggling to find an affordable vendor. I had read online (somewhere) that Lowe’s sold cheap tile, which we confirmed (23 cents apiece) during our scouting visit a few weeks ago. We ordered samples of various colors, but decided to keep it simple with white and no accents.

Because we’ve chosen a concrete-colored countertop, I want to pair it with a lighter gray wall. I am still researching colors!

I was, again, insistent on integrating some open shelving into the space. Even though the kitchen is relatively small, I didn’t want it to look as though it’d been swallowed by cabinet uppers. Small sections of open shelving will be added by the oven, and adjacent to our fridge, where our espresso machine will live. More details, and a floorplan, to come.

Lighting

We currently have an overhead fan/light in the kitchen that we’re going to ditch. I love the idea of replacing it with something unique and a bit modern. I have done zero research on this particular item.

I would love to do pendant lighting somewhere in the space, but we haven’t landed on where. There are three options:

• In front of south-facing windows.
• Over the sink/dishwasher.
• At the coffee machine.

I like the look of industrial pendant lighting and am loving the offering at Barn Light Electric

We’re still undecided on integrated cabinet lighting. If we opt for under-cabinet lighting, it will have to be exposed cans, which I am unsure of.

That’s it for the moment, all thoughts/opinions/advice are, of course, welcome!

Tagged as: Decorating, Design, DIY, Home Improvement, Interiors, Kitchen, Nesting, Remodel