Kitchen Remodel: Part 2 Vision and Installation
Part 2 of our kitchen renovation process was the vision & installation.
Vision:
We had a vision of a cozy country kitchen for our little cottage. We researched homes from the 1940's and found "The Mount Vernon" home design which looked pretty similar to our house. Read more about the design of 1940's homes here - Decorating a 1940's House.
We love the homeyness and warmth of that particular style. We imagined a Farmhouse sink and warm color scheme. However, as we began to piece together the kitchen it became clear we were leaning a little more into a modern color scheme (cool gray tones) with a mix of traditional finishes. Once we had an idea of the style, we were able to narrow down our choices for the specific items we bought (backsplash, sink, paint, etc.)
Installation:
We decided to start fresh and replace most of the kitchen (as we discussed in Part 1 of this kitchen series). We replaced the cabinets, backsplash, sink and countertop. Once the Demo was done we began our kitchen Reno with our vision and a lot of cabinets.
Jon found some really nice cabinets (Downsview cabinets) at a killer price on craigslist. We used them in the kitchen, bathroom and in the laundry room. We didn't have enough 24" deep cabinets to completely fill our kitchen. So, we chose to use IKEA cabinets for the remaining cabinets to make better use of the corner space in our kitchen. IKEA has some great cabinet storage options.
We then had to match the two sets of cabinet doors for it to look cohesive. We used 1/2 inch wall molding to match flat doors with the Downsview cabinet doors which had a similar molding.
We had previously updated our faucet due to the fact that the faucet in the house was barely usable. Also, we needed a new sink. The challenge was that the previous sink was offset in the corner and awkward. The reason for this was because the dishwasher had to fit on that back wall, which pushed the sink off center. We had to find a sink shape that would be large enough to fit pots and pans but also fit next to the dishwasher. We loved the look of the farmhouse style sinks but the overhang was a problem. In the end we choose a deep D-Shaped stainless steel sink.
We needed a few appliance upgrades. There was no microwave so we decided to get an over-the-range microwave so it could double as exhaust for the stove. We also replaced the fridge. The fridge we found was a steal of a deal from Lowe's at half-off the original price due to the fact that it was an unused returned item.
For countertops, we considered doing butcher block, concrete, granite or laminate. You can look at 5 different articles about countertops and end up with 5 different conclusions on the best option, so we just had to go with what worked best for our kitchen and how we use it. The durability and longevity of granite made it an obvious choice. We got our countertop through Lowe's. The countertop took three tries to get installed due to errors on the installer's part. That was a frustrating part of the process, but we are so happy with the results. Despite the cost and trouble of installation I would defiantly choose granite again.
Backsplash.
The original backsplash was square tiles, which were in good condition but really didn't go with our design scheme.
The cool part about upgrading a backsplash is that if you do the work yourself (demolition and installation), the cost for the raw materials can be quite inexpensive. We decided to use a classic white subway tile backsplash with a horizontal row of colored glass tiles. We installed the backsplash at the beginning of August and it made a big difference in making the kitchen look complete.
The last part of the installation process was the finishing touches. This includes:
 |
| A sketch of the kitchen I wanted. |
Vision:
We had a vision of a cozy country kitchen for our little cottage. We researched homes from the 1940's and found "The Mount Vernon" home design which looked pretty similar to our house. Read more about the design of 1940's homes here - Decorating a 1940's House.
 |
| The Mt. Vernon home |
We love the homeyness and warmth of that particular style. We imagined a Farmhouse sink and warm color scheme. However, as we began to piece together the kitchen it became clear we were leaning a little more into a modern color scheme (cool gray tones) with a mix of traditional finishes. Once we had an idea of the style, we were able to narrow down our choices for the specific items we bought (backsplash, sink, paint, etc.)
Installation:
We decided to start fresh and replace most of the kitchen (as we discussed in Part 1 of this kitchen series). We replaced the cabinets, backsplash, sink and countertop. Once the Demo was done we began our kitchen Reno with our vision and a lot of cabinets.
Jon found some really nice cabinets (Downsview cabinets) at a killer price on craigslist. We used them in the kitchen, bathroom and in the laundry room. We didn't have enough 24" deep cabinets to completely fill our kitchen. So, we chose to use IKEA cabinets for the remaining cabinets to make better use of the corner space in our kitchen. IKEA has some great cabinet storage options.
We then had to match the two sets of cabinet doors for it to look cohesive. We used 1/2 inch wall molding to match flat doors with the Downsview cabinet doors which had a similar molding.
We had previously updated our faucet due to the fact that the faucet in the house was barely usable. Also, we needed a new sink. The challenge was that the previous sink was offset in the corner and awkward. The reason for this was because the dishwasher had to fit on that back wall, which pushed the sink off center. We had to find a sink shape that would be large enough to fit pots and pans but also fit next to the dishwasher. We loved the look of the farmhouse style sinks but the overhang was a problem. In the end we choose a deep D-Shaped stainless steel sink.
We needed a few appliance upgrades. There was no microwave so we decided to get an over-the-range microwave so it could double as exhaust for the stove. We also replaced the fridge. The fridge we found was a steal of a deal from Lowe's at half-off the original price due to the fact that it was an unused returned item.
For countertops, we considered doing butcher block, concrete, granite or laminate. You can look at 5 different articles about countertops and end up with 5 different conclusions on the best option, so we just had to go with what worked best for our kitchen and how we use it. The durability and longevity of granite made it an obvious choice. We got our countertop through Lowe's. The countertop took three tries to get installed due to errors on the installer's part. That was a frustrating part of the process, but we are so happy with the results. Despite the cost and trouble of installation I would defiantly choose granite again.
Backsplash.
The original backsplash was square tiles, which were in good condition but really didn't go with our design scheme.
The cool part about upgrading a backsplash is that if you do the work yourself (demolition and installation), the cost for the raw materials can be quite inexpensive. We decided to use a classic white subway tile backsplash with a horizontal row of colored glass tiles. We installed the backsplash at the beginning of August and it made a big difference in making the kitchen look complete.
The last part of the installation process was the finishing touches. This includes:
- Under cabinet lighting
- Molding above the cabinets
- Microwave installation
- Open shelving installation
- Backsplash grouting
- Wine rack & open cabinet
We are waiting to show the finishing touches in the 3rd post, which will be the final kitchen tour.
See part 1 of the kitchen series here: Part 1 - Demo
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