Kitchen Update

Our kitchen is finally complete! I know the blog has been light on content lately and the kitchen project is one of the main reasons. I shared my kitchen adventure with you from the very beginning stages of design to painting backsplash tile and now completion! Today I'm sharing before, after, and my decorating sources.

We have a very small galley kitchen. When we first started this kitchen update the hubs and I agreed that we weren't going to do a full overhaul because we both know this isn't our forever home. We just wanted to give it enough of a facelift to add value to the home and make it more tolerable for us in the meantime.

Here's what we started with...

Eeeeek! Right? It was so dark, cluttered, and always looked dirty!

And after.....

We decided to go with a quartz countertop. We purchased the countertop from HomeDepot and were happy with the product and installation. My only suggestion...HomeDepot works with a third party to install countertops. Essentially they use a local business that specializes in countertops. Before purchasing, be sure to ask for their list of installers and do your research on them prior to ordering. When you place your order be sure to specify the installers you prefer to use. The installer we had was highly recommended in our area and the final product is fabulous! Also when you use HD the process can take up to six weeks from the time you place the order until installation, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Mule Copper Mugs: Bed Bath and Beyond

Apothecary Jar: HomeGoods

If you were following our kitchen adventure on the blog, you might remember the gap between the new counter and tile that was created after removing the old countertop. We kept our old tile and painted it (yes, that's right paint)! In order to fix the gap, we had a friend caulk the gap (he does this professionally, so it turned out perfectly). It looks beautiful and fits in seamlessly.

My Guide to Painting Tile

Cabinet hardware: Amazon

Kitchen hand towels: TjMaxx

Gold Tray: Goodwill with some gold spray paint

Artwork: Bed Bath and Beyond

We decided to go from the yucky brown walls pictured above to this beautiful Natural Gray by Behr. It really lightened up the walls!

I'm sorry I don't know where the pot rack is from...it was installed prior to us moving in.

Pasta container: HomeGoods

Faux plant: Ikea

You'll notice we kept our flooring the same. I wasn't thrilled when Brian put the stop to new flooring, but now that everything is complete it really doesn't look bad. The flooring is also in perfect condition, so it really didn't make sense to tear it up.

Jute rug: Ralph Lauren, HomeGoods

We decided to keep the wood cabinets instead of painting. I know that white cabinets are all the rage right now, but again I had to keep in mind that this house is not forever and painting cabinets is a huge undertaking. I actually like the way the wood looks with the countertop. It also gives the space a more rustic shabby chic look I was going for.

Tip: If you're looking for an easy way to restore some life to your wood cabinets, I highly suggest giving them a rub down with Howard's Restor-A-Finish. You purchase it in the color of your wood. It has a little stain in it and fills in the scratches or chips. You can find it at any local hardware store.

Drawer Pulls: HomeDepot Martha Stewart Collection (I had to special order in the store)

Basket: HomeGoods

Faux flowers: HomeGoods