It sounds sort of cliche to call the kitchen the heart of the home, but it really is true for us. It seems to become our natural gathering spot for everyday and for entertaining.
And that’s why I’m so excited about the kitchen in our new house. We will finally have a space that is open to our other living areas – and I’m looking forward to being part of the action!
And because this house is going to be “it” for a long time (God willing), I have had kitchens on the mind. I just can’t stop pinning and talking and dreaming.
So here I am, writing about it to give my husband a break from all the kitchen talk.
The players
A lot of the main details are similar to our last kitchen, but I think it feels cozier and more like a farmhouse.
Overall, I want the kitchen to be really bright – lots of white (cabinets, tile, beadboard) with pops of wood tones (floor, hood), black (hardware, lights, faucet) and red (accents). I’m also thinking about bringing in some slate gray and aqua for walls and maybe the island.
Cabinets – I really loved our white Shaker-style cabinets in the last house. I love that the white is light and bright and clean. I love the simple style of the doors. It was a good fit for our family and our style. And I still have high hopes that it will stay classic for many years.
We are planning an inset door style this time around, with vintage black hardware. And I’m thinking I’ll paint the island slate gray or navy. Still deciding.
For hardware, we’re going with black cabinet latches (LOVE) and pulls.
Countertops – they are a neutral color granite that was removed from my in-laws’ kitchen a few years ago. Oddly enough, the size of the island is right on and we’ll only need a few cuts made to make it work. Not only will this be a huge cost savings, it’s a much more high-end product than what we would have splurged for. The snapshot isn’t perfect of the counters, but you get the idea. It has a lot of tans, browns, and greys in it so it should work well.
Sink – we decided to go with the stainless Kohler Vault shortened apron front sink. I did tons of searching and liked the depth, style and simplicity of this sink. It is really designed to be slid in (which would be great for a remodel with existing cabinetry). I liked that the sink goes to the back of the countertops (while most apron-front sinks have a slice of countertop behind the sink where the faucet is mounted).
For the faucet, I actually decided to go with the same faucet we had in our last kitchen – the Kohler K-596-BL.
Appliances – I’m waffling on appliances. I really don’t like our stainless appliances right now – I find they are much harder to keep clean. But I do like the look overall. So, I’ve been considering slate, stainless or black.
Floors – We are planning to use wide-plank reclaimed barn boards as floors throughout the main floor. If it works after planing and sanding, we’ll probably just finish with tung oil and let them stay a natural color.
Walls – I’m hoping to combine a little subway tile and a little bead board on walls for some variety. All of our ceilings will be planked.
The interesting thing is that the basic pieces are really similar to the last house but I think it will feel really different, too.
Lights – We will have recessed lighting throughout the main floor, and will include these great pendants from Lowes above the island.
The inspiration
Much of our inspiration is similar to what we loved for our last kitchen.
But I think the execution will be very different. It’s interesting how I am still attracted to the same basic styles (many of these pins were from 5 years ago), but have some key design differences.
Range hood by The Lily Pad Cottage, Built-in pull-out pet/baby gate by Neals, Built-in hutch by BH&G
The three photos on the left share the overall feel I’m going for – bright and light with a pop of color and warmth. I think they all feel like a farmhouse. (Photos via Country Living, Midwest Living and Apartment Therapy)
On the right side, there are some details I love.
- We don’t have many uppers in our kitchen, so I’d like any that are to feel built-in and run to the ceiling, like the fridge surround by Spicy Perspective.
- The range hood by The Lily Pad Cottage is the perfect pop of warmth.
- We’re planning to install built-in pet/baby gate that pulls out from behind cabinetry, like this example from Neals.
- This built-in hutch from BH&G is our inspiration for the hutch in our kitchen. I love the trim details and the glass doors. (Our kitchen will be directly adjacent to a dining room, which doesn’t have space for a real hutch.)
The layout
I think it’s pretty common to get a few different ideas for kitchen designs. When we were beginning our planning, that’s just what we did. I worked with local and online kitchen sources.
I think we’ve pretty much settled on this one. (The large bright hole is our patio door.)
We chose to double the size of our kitchen window when we ordered, which gives us a great view out of the kitchen. It also means we won’t be doing many uppers, which is no big deal to me. Windows over cabinets. All the way.
On the other side of the kitchen, we are installing a built-in hutch/pantry area. This will also house our microwave. They are a narrower depth than traditional cabinets but will provide tons of storage and display space.
And the island (which will not have a seating area, despite the mockup), will provide a lot more great storage, a trash-pullout and counter space.
Here’s a quick view from above. (And directly to the right of this mockup is a huge pantry closet which will give us a lot more space for food storage.)
The build
After getting some quotes and designs from traditional sources, our friends Dave and Pam offered to build our cabinets. Dave is a very talented woodworker and cabinetmaker and we feel way more than lucky to have this chance to work with him. (I shared a little peek into their own beautiful kitchen on Instagram.)
I also think Ryan will learn a lot from him in the process, which I hope means that we’ll have more custom woodworking in our house in the future. (Don’t tell Ryan.)
And what’s even more awesome for us is that we have a chance to do more upscale and custom looks than what we can do from made-to-order cabinetry in our budget – things like inset doors and drawers, soft-close, 9-foot ceiling height built-ins and custom storage options. Plus that pull-out pet gate. I. AM. REALLY. STOKED.
Dave doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. Yet.
What do you think of our design and inspiration?
Note: There are some affiliate links in this post. Real my full disclosures here.
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Manddi K says
We are in the middle of a kitchen renovation right now. Over the weekend, we installed an apron sink from Ikea in our island. I am in love! I can bathe my 15 month old in it! We also did floor to ceiling cabinets surrounding the refrigerator and it looks wonderful. Very clean and elegant looking.
We went with black appliances…it is awful. After a week I was regretting it. It shows everything, especially water spots so it never ever looks like my cooktop is clean. I will say I am glad I went with the upgrade to the convection oven though. If I chose again I’d go with white like we had at our previous home.
Your design looks wonderful! And I will say from experience that it will be the most wonderful feeling to cook in a kitchen that you designed yourself!
Oona says
I agree with the black appliances commentary. In this house, it seems impossible to keep them clean. My little house had black cabinets, a black oven, black walls, AND a black fridge and it never seemed dirty, but in this house they are always filthy and icky looking… Maybe something to do with the gravel road and the filthy landscaper that doesn’t hose himself off before coming straight in the front door. womp womp.
Gretchen says
It’s going to be amazing! love the white cabinets with black hardware. and pops of red–yes!
Ashlee Michelle says
Absolutley gorgeous. We are moving into our new house soon too and I cannot stop pinning and talking about my new living room and kitchen. I love looking at blogs and pinterest boards to see the different tastes everyone has, it’s so much fun. I cannot wait to see your finished product.
-Ashlee
Sara @ Russet Street Reno says
Yes, all kitchens should be white! It will be bright and gorgeous!
christine says
also, I vote for light gray over navy for the island 😉
christine says
ok, last comment,kitchens get me jazzed up!! do you have fabric inspirations yet for window coverings or furniture or will you have cushions in the dining room bump out (will that be built in seating?) I think I’d get that stuff half thought out (ala sarah richardson) before you decide on island color 🙂
Kim says
That’s a great point – but goodness, I’m not ready to go there yet. Ha.
christine says
love the design so far, was there any particular reason you decided against seating at your island? (what about your cookie baking with your lil assistant?!)
Kim says
THat’s a really good question actually – it’s mostly about space. I was a bit concerned about the chairs being in the way of a pretty main thoroughfare of the kitchen. And the dining room is literally right next to the fridge so it seemed unnecessary. We also have an island countertop that is already the exact right size without the overhang.
We figure we’ll use it this way and then if we decide we need some more seating down the road, replace the countertop with a butcher block top (or something else). It seems wasteful to purchase a countertop when we have something perfect for the space. Esp. with all my reservation.
As for Henry man, I think we’ll store a little stool away for him under the end of the island so he can still help me.
cassie @ primitive & proper says
oooooh i love this! it’s going to be amazing!
Faith@TheStirringPlace says
Really classic and beautiful. Love the direction you’re heading. 🙂
Kristi says
Love all of your inspiration and the sketches of your kitchen. I just stole a bunch of your pounds for our future kitchen remodel. You are also do lucky to have someone build you custom cabinets!!
Krista says
Gorgeous design! Those cabinet latches are so charming – I just love them. And that picture window above the sink in lieu of uppers – GAH! Amazing! I have the same Kohler sink and you will not regret it. It’s the first thing everyone comments on when they visit our home (and we love the functionality of the large basin sink). We went with GE slate appliances and I highly recommend it. It’s a similar look to stainless steel without the hassle, and so far it has served us well. Can’t wait to see your design come to fruition!
PS – where is the pull out dog gate going?
Kim says
I am so excited to hear that you have the same sink and appliances. Do you have pictures? I would love to see them! The slate seems like a great compromise -still feels modern but may feel a little less cold!
The dog gate will be behind the floor to ceiling pantry on the right wall. So it will slide behind there and then pull out right next to the sliding door.
Christina @ The Frugal Homemaker says
Love all your kitchen choices! Love the colors, the style of cabinets, lighting, tile, etc. My dream kitchen! 🙂 Can’t wait to see you put it all together.
I am totally with you on more windows – I love natural light. And this may be too late if you already have window holes cut out in the house. Wondering if you made the window over the sink just a bit smaller and did open shelving on each side of the window. Like this – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/185562447118393662/ or this – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/162481499032003158/
You may hate open shelving – so just a suggestion! 🙂 Just would add more interest/texture/design to that wall.
And try the stainless appliances that are supposed to reduce fingerprints – ours is great!
Kim Woodward says
Thanks so much for the tips and thoughts! Love them! We are probably going to add a little open shelving somewhere, but we already ordered windows and installed them so we’ll have to see where they work. I sort of like the idea of living with the space first and seeing what I would use for shelving (or for display).
I do LOVE that inspiration image, though. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
Wow! The plans look stunning. I couldn’t agree more: windows over storage always wins:)
And my two cents on the appliances… These are totally personal preference, but I’ve lived in two places now with a combination of black and stainless appliances. Stainless are okay, they always have marks on them but they are livable. Having had black appliances, I can only tell you my experience has been pretty negative. They show (specifically the stovetop) every fleck of dirt and the dog hair I pretend isn’t floating around. They only ever look clean for five minutes after I’m done cleaning them. I know it’s strange but I’m a fan of white appliances. I think they blend nicely and don’t stand out (in a white cabinet/light and bright kitchen) and don’t show all the dust and dirt that black appliances do. But to each their own!
Kim says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience – we did have black appliances in the last house and I would agree about the stovetop. But I’ve had the same exact issue with our stainless, too. (Because the top is actually black.) I’m leaning more and more toward this new slate color – maybe a happy medium. I would actually be totally cool with white if there wasn’t already so much white. But, I’m still totally debating and appreciate your two cents for sure.
Amy Jones says
This is going to be awesome. I love how detailed and thoughtful you are with your planning. You certianly have a knack for this stuff.
deb says
It’s going to be stunning!!