The before and afters of our completed luxury kitchen renovation don’t feel real to me! The goal was to take a dark, 2005 space and create a more timeless, high end kitchen… while still keeping it approachable for our family of six! This post should be a resource with all the details; or at the very least inspiration.
I also want to mention that a simple blog post showing before and afters may give an impression that this was easy… but the truth is, the experience was stressful! As a family it challenged us – and while we are happy we did it, we are happier to have it behind us! Would I do it again? Not unless I had a very organized contractor I was confident in. While some people we hired were fantastic, others left us having to redo some of the original work that was done, dragging the project on for months.
Many items (appliances, cabinetry, etc.) were ordered before demolition. The start date of demo was February 2022, finishing up by November. If you’re planning a kitchen remodel be sure to read my 2023 Kitchen Trends Report.
Same view, on move in day:
Table of Contents
Our Major Kitchen Remodel Reveal
Links to all items you can shop are listed at the bottom of this post. Ceilings are 10ft.
Cabinets
The cabinets are made by Crystal Cabinetry, a US based company. The color is called Frosty White; its a warm shade of creamy white.
Paint Colors
We painted the kitchen drywall and trim to match the warm cabinetry, to keep it uniform. The color resembles SW Alabaster. It’s a warm, creamy white.
Opening Up The Kitchen
The old kitchen was completely closed off, surrounded by 4 walls with narrow doorways! My goal wasn’t open concept – but partially open. The first time we saw this home, we envisioned combining both the living room and kitchen.
These two views are the same:
After getting the green light from an engineer, we put a steel beam in and took down the wall between the living room and kitchen! A wide arch with millwork sits where the two rooms join.
Floors
Our floors are solid white oak hardwoods in a herringbone pattern. Get the details on the color and installation in my post about my herringbone floors.
Marble Countertops and Splash
We sourced 3 slabs of 2cm marble from Walker Zanger in Charlotte, NC. It is honed Arabescato Vagli. I chose honed so the kitchen feels collected, not brand new and shiny.
We are 8 months in and it looks pristine! But if you look at our marble from low angles in direct light, you will see etches in the finish from spills or acidic liquids. Etching is much harder to see, but it will happen, so it’s something to accept.
We don’t have any stains! Seal your marble yearly so stains don’t penetrate easily. This is what our fabricator uses to seal:
If you want a perfect countertop, look into quartzite or even better, quartz (and here is why!).
A view from our living room, seen here.
My Sink and Faucet
In my 2023 Kitchen Trends Report I discuss workstation sink trends. Our sink is this 33″ apron front workstation sink made by BOCCHI. Fireclay doesn’t chip as easily as porcelain, and is easy to keep white.
Our faucet is the PLP Pulldown in a unlacquered brass finish from Waterstone, with a filter faucet, dish soap, and disposer button. I toured a luxury kitchen last fall and fell in love with the PLP! I love the aging on the finish. Read more about what to expect when using unlacquered brass here.
Breakfast Nook
The before:
I found the St James table in Antique Natural at an RH store. I matched it with these french looking chairs, sold here. The chairs are lightweight but sturdy; so far great with our kids.
Kitchen Drapes
Our drapes are custom, with Decor de Paris trim. I can’t source the hardware or exact fabric because it was sourced through my kitchen designer, but this is a good curtain rod look alike (use elbow connector pieces for a bay window). And these drapes in a ivory white are most similar- I’ve used them in other places in my home!
Stools
I was majorly concerned during the whole process that we keep the kitchen approachable! Marble, glass cabinets, brass everywhere – was this going to be too upscale!? Our woven stools are necessary to make our guests feel comfortable. They are well made; and easy to keep clean.
Read about my thoughts on the stool after 6 months here. Or, shop the stools here, and a great look alike are these stools here.
Appliances
The original Thermador oven/microwave/warming drawer combo are almost 20 years old but working great! We moved them into our scullery as secondary appliances. We also picked out two paneled Miele dishwashers that we’re so pleased with.
The column Subzero freezer and fridge took 13 months to arrive; glad we ordered those early! They are paneled appliances:
For the range we picked out the Fulgor Milano Sofia with a griddle. We chose it because it was an Italian brand in stock with a good reputation, and one of the most affordable luxury brand ovens.
Kitchen Runner
This is our affordable kitchen runner! It goes in and out of stock so check back. I keep it secured to the floor with this Rug Tape.
(Related: see 14 kitchen runner rugs here, or see my post on 11 Washable Runners!)
Hardware
All of our hardware in the kitchen is made by Classic Brass and sourced from Bird Decorative Hardware, out of the Wilmington NC location. I didn’t see them in person beforehand; a risky move! But Classic Brass hardware is frequently used in luxury kitchens, giving me confidence.
When they arrived, I gave a sigh of relief – the money spent was worth it. The hardware is very heavy and the finish is perfect.
We used various types of pulls, knobs and cups, all in unlacquered brass. Don’t be fooled- unlacquered brass is only maintenance if you choose to polish it shiny as it ages.
Read more about choosing unlacquered brass as a finish, here!
The Dog Bowls
This spot previously was unusable space; it was the back of an HVAC return! An HVAC company determined the return could safely be moved back within the wall! This didn’t give us enough space for a very deep cabinet, but it was ideal for built in dog bowls.
Lighting Sources
The pendant lights and the floral chandelier over the breakfast table is from Vaughan Designs. The lantern sconces are from Hector Finch.
Island Outlets
Our outlets are hidden under the island where the stools go, on either side.
Shop My Kitchen:
Our kitchen runner (runner size comes in and out of stock often, so check back)
Our counter stools are here, a more affordable look alike is here
Our woven dining chairs are here, our adorable step stool is here
Flowers on table are these gorgeous cherry blossoms (I used 6) in a big gray vase. Greenery on island are these large Italian stems sitting in my black textured vase.
An affordable version of the same green stems are here! And, a more affordable version of these cherry blossoms (in ivory) are here!
The marble fruit pedestal and faux artichokes
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Stunning! I love it all, elegant but function and still cozy. Where is your dining chandelier from?