Our mini kitchen makeover is finally complete! This makeover is by no means one of those jaw dropping before & afters, where you can hardly recognize the original space. However, we think the changes we made make a huge difference overall!
To recap: our whole plan was to update our kitchen without having to paint the cabinets - not only are they newer & in good condition, we didn't feel like taking on the extra task of painting the cabinets since we plan on moving eventually anyway. In other words, we weren't concerned with getting our
'dream kitchen' at this point.
To achieve our goal, we updated the counters with Frosty Carrina quartz, replaced the backsplash with white ceramic subway tile, & made some other minor updates (you can read more on those details in these prior posts: ordered countertops, picked out a sink & faucet, demoed our existing backsplash & counters, installed Frosty Carrina quartz & sink, installed installed our faucet & drywall, installed backsplash, grouted backsplash, new pendant light & finishing touches).
So here's what the kitchen looked like when we moved in back in 2008:
It wasn't awful by any means, just not our current style. It's funny how tastes can change, because we initially thought this kitchen was pretty nice (particularly in comparison with our former apartment kitchen). Even though we always planned on upgrading the laminate countertops, we actually liked the travertine backsplash originally.
However, over the last few years we've made some minor changes in our home (painted, updated some lighting, & added some decor/furniture) and, eventually, the stone backsplash didn't really jive with the style of the rest of our house. Here's what the kitchen looked like in January (before we started demo):
And here's what our updated kitchen looks like now!
The countertops read as solid bright white in photos, but in person they are a softer white with grey veining (we think it's a great alternative to marble). Here are some close-ups of the Frosty Carrina quartz by Caesarstone:
One of the best decisions we made was going with the larger single bowl sink & new faucet. We seriously love the sink area now:
The first thing we made in our new kitchen was some lemon poppy seed bread!
We think this mini makeover demonstrates that you can update your kitchen without having to paint your cabinets!
Mel & Nader
:)
Source List:
- Frosty Carrina Quartz - Granite Direct Warehouse (our salesperson was Melissa)
- Schon HD 16 Gauge Radius Undermount Single Bowl Stainless Steel 32" x 19" sink - Granite Direct Warehouse
- Kohler Barossa Faucet - Home Depot
- Snow White 3" x 6" Ceramic Tile - Home Depot
- Oyster Gray Grout & Caulk - Home Depot
- Hampton Bay Esdale Oil Rubbed Bronze Ceiling Light - Home Depot
- Wheat Bread by Behr paint - Home Depot
- accessories - most of the items are from Home Goods/TJ Maxx (luckily we had a gift card)
this was not a sponsored post
Fantastic job guys, it just looks so much brighter. I really like the sink. Is the one bowl really better than having two? What are the benefits?
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex! Personally, we love the single bowl because it makes washing dishes a lot easier since we can fit all those huge pots & pans with no problem. Also, we can have several different strainers & colanders in the sink at once while we're washing produce. Overall, there is just so much more working space. :)
DeleteI'm a first time-visitor via the linking party at I Heart Organizing and I'll be following you on Bloglovin. You have a fantastic blog--such a professional look with clear, concise writing and great photos. Your home is beautiful! The subway tile is a great change to the kitchen--really updates it and fits much better with your style.
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia - glad you stopped by! Thank you so much for the kind words! We really love the classic look of subway tile. If we had an unlimited budget, we would probably redo both our bathrooms & install subway tile instead lol!
DeleteThanks again!
Mel & Nader :)
Congratulations! I know you are not concerned with getting your dream kitchen right now, but you surely took a step closer when you finished this makeover. Although you didn’t change a lot, your revamped kitchen looks more sleek and modern. Sometimes the smallest changes have the biggest impact. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteDan Rizzi @ I.P.Q. Construction
It really looks great. I want to do something similar. Can you tell me what color grout you used and what size the grout lines are?
ReplyDeleteOops! I just saw the grout is Oyster Gray. Are those 1/8 inch grout lines?
ReplyDeleteyes they are! :)
DeleteI absolutely love the way your kitchen turned out after the renovation. I like the overall classy feeling to it, with the good combination of wood’s timeless look and the minimalistic aesthetic of quartz. Looks like you guys got the job done real well. Enjoy your new kitchen!
ReplyDeleteArthur Bryant @ Contractor Express
Thanks for this post, it was really helpful to see the various pictures of your countertops. I am considering updating my counters to Caesarstone Frosty Carrina as well and have recently found quite a few negative reviews regarding maintenance that has scared me a bit. I wanted to see how your experience with the countertops have been. I'ver read comments about the countertops chipping and staining. Any feedback you could share about how your countertops are would be soooo helpful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! Well, I can say we have not experienced any chipping at all or permanent stains...however, I will say that there have been a few times that the red juice from strawberries will get on the counter & leave behind VERY faint pinkish-red marks that didn't always just wipe right off.
DeleteThe guys that installed our counters said that acetone (industrial strength from Home Depot), will get any marks out. Not sure if Caesarstone endorses acetone but it's worked for us & has always completely removed the strawberry marks. I've also heard soft scrub works to get any stubborn marks out. Personally, we are really happy with our counters - especially the fact that we never have to seal them.
I hope that helps!
Appreciate your quick reply! There's really nothing on the market today that looks so close to marble and I love the white look. Decisions, decisions.....
DeleteDid you have any issues with putting in a deeper sink into the existing cabinet?
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth,
DeleteNo, we did not have any issues to speak of - we did not need to make any modifications or anything. :)
I dream of a kitchen like this beautiful!!! Great job.
ReplyDeleteI just found you today! I love this makeover... and was especially intrigued by the white alphabet magnets! I see you painted them. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tina! Yes, they turned out so cute, but I should have spayed a clear protective coat over the white...they ended up chipping :( Oh well, lesson learned. Thanks for reading! :)
DeleteThanks Shelley! Yes, it is the Oyster Gray. We did a post on the grouting process, if you'd like to read more on that particular step: http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2014/03/kitchen-update-grouting-caulking-subway.html#.WVO6JIjyvb0
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading & good luck on your backsplash! :)
It’s amazing how much difference there is with just changing the counter and backsplash!! I’ve heard mixed reviews about putting tile backsplash directly onto the counter vs having a 3” counter material backsplash and then tiling up from there. Some people said that they had some cracking as everything settled. How has you’d held up? If it cracked, was it just at the counter seam and a simple recaulk fixed it? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I'm so sorry for my delayed response, I'm just now seeing a ton of unpublished comments I never noticed! We have not had any cracking whatsoever. If it did though, I think a recaulk would do the trick! :)
DeleteI love the look of real wood. I also like the look of white cabinets in someone's kitchen but not for me. Everyone has white and I dont see anything original about it now. Your small redo looks great! You could also go a little easier with new cabinet pulls or knobs if u wanted. You put your money where it was well spent. Enjoy your kitchen!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I love real wood too, but I can say I'm not a fan of the reddish hue. I wish they were more of a neutral stain. Thanks for reading!
DeleteHi guys ! Beautiful kitchen, what color would you consider your cabinets ?
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thank you! That's a good question, I don't know what the technical name would be, but I'd say they are a reddish-brown color.
DeleteHi, you say in this article that the paint is Behr Wheat Bread but in another post I believe you repainted because it didn’t match the Oyster grout. What color wall paint did you end up with?
ReplyDeleteHi, you say in this article that the paint is Behr Wheat Bread but in another post I believe you repainted because it didn’t match the Oyster grout. What color wall paint did you end up with?
ReplyDeleteHello - I was trying to touch up the existing Wheat Bread paint on the walls with some older leftover Wheat Bread paint from our garage, and it didn't match - I believe it was actually because they were two different sheens of Wheat Bread. So i ended up buying a new gallon of Wheat Bread and just repainting the entire wall.
DeleteHi, great job with your kitchen makeover! We are looking to do something similar in our new kitchen (we just bought a house) and want to replace our existing backsplash. I’m a bit daunted as we have never removed tile before. How difficult of a job was replacing your backsplash and do you have any tips/lessons learned from the process?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you & congratulations! I think it depends on how the tiles were installed in the first place. I've heard some people say that their tile came off pretty easily, so I assume the adhesive wasn't great. In our case, there were areas that we had to replace drywall because the tile would not come off cleanly, but we were comfortable replacing some drywall so that was a non issue for us. We do have some posts specifically in regards to the back splash process which may be helpful - not sure if you saw those:
Deletehttp://duoventures.blogspot.com/2014/03/kitchen-makeover-subway-tile-backsplash.html#.XsxchGhKg2w
I think you could do it! Plus, there are so many how-to videos on you tube by both professionals & DIYers that I think would be very helpful.
In terms of tips.... I would say try a dry fit with the tiles laid on the counter (and consider your spacing size) before you install, just so you can don't end up with any super tiny pieces on any ends/corners. We also used a coordinating silicone caulk in the corners and where the counter meets the tile.
I hope that helps! :) Good luck!