Kitchen Renovation Before and After

Words cannot express how much I LOVE my kitchen. It has always been my dream to have a happy light filled space at the heart of my home. When we bought our house, we knew we were going to make a few updates and light was the most important change we wanted to add. I had a vision from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Windows

Thankfully, when I threw out the idea to my husband to remove the upper cabinets to make room for the window of my dreams he was on board. It was kind of a chain reaction, because if we removed those cabinets, then we needed to remove the cabinets  all the way around. I was fine with it and with that simple step it immediately took the kitchen from traditional to transitional. We also installed custom metal windows that open. We are obsessed with metal windows and the look that it gives a space. I know it’s a trend, but I’m ok with it and I’m not sure I would ever choose anything else.

Cabinets

All of the cabinetry you see is original to the house. It’s amazing what painting and hardware can do to transform a space. The only modification we made was to the island. It originally had legs by the stool area, but it didn’t really match the direction we were taking the space. Our contractor had his cabinet guy come over and make a panel on each side like book ends. It’s all of those minor details that really add up and make the space complete.

Marble

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is what kind of stone is that? This is honed Calacata gold marble from AGM Imports. I went by myself to pick it out and I just didn’t overthink it. This is the second time we’ve used marble in our kitchen and I still have no regrets. Does it mark? yes. Am I mindful of that? yes. If I spill wine or spaghetti sauce I wipe it up immediately. Our kitchen is the hub of our home and things are going to get used. If the sun is shining and I get down on eye level with the marble, you will be able to see water stains. Do I lose sleep over it? no. Can you notice the water marks? No…not unless you’re really trying.  I had polished marble at our last house and I will definitely say that polished marble shows more water stains. I love the look of honed though, it’s not reflective and it’s just looks so good in person.

The dimensions of my island is something people always ask about.  For all of you asking, the dimensions are 8′ feet long x 4′ 6.5″ wide and 40″ tall.

Hood/Range

We used the same range that the previous owners had, we just removed the metal plate on the back of it and then had the backsplash taken all the way up. The hood is like a gorgeous piece of jewelry and the finishing piece of the renovation. I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. Jason Smith at Smithworks designed and built this hood, he is incredibly talented and he nailed the finish. It’s the perfect combo to pull in the beams and the brass finishes in the rest of the space.

Beams

This is actually a funny story. Originally, we were going to keep the existing beams and then upgrade them later to the antique beams. The existing beams had a little too much red undertone, so we attempted to stain them a bit darker. Well, that was a massive fail and at that point we just decided to switch out all of the beams in the kitchen and the family room.

Paint Colors

The first plan was just to paint the island darker to weight the kitchen. After the drop cloths came down and I could take a step back I decided just to paint the whole thing Black Fox. It’s just paint, so don’t be scared…anything can be changed. Big shout out to my Aunt Nola for helping me pick the color. I’m awful at paint colors, but my Aunt Nola is the color guru!! She has people stop by her house frequently just to ask her about her paint colors, haha.

Details

Contractor: RLS Construction | Architect: Tim Adams Studio | Actylic Counter Stools (bar height) | Sconces above metal windows: Restoration Hardware | Hanging shades above island | Kitchen Lamp | Wall color: White Dove | Cabinet Color: Black Fox | Hardware: Architectural Accents (unlaquered brass) | Acrylic Stools | Rugs: Antique Oushaks | Faucet: Ferguson | Hood: Smithworks in Atlanta