Ok, it’s time for the big kitchen reveal. Below are a few pictures to wet your whistle of what our kitchen looked like when we bought the house. Painted cabinets, plastic laminate countertops and backsplash, lovely wallpaper, and white floors that were impossible to keep clean. Let’s not forget the popcorn ceilings and beautiful chandelier.
Kitchen when we bought the house.
This next picture is what will eventually become our kitchen nook. It’s hard to believe that this picture is actually an improvement from when we bought the house. The back wall had striped wall paper that was nauseating to look at. We removed it immediatly after moving in so we would not feel dizzy while eating.
On the other side of this back wall, were two closets that were accessible to the master bedroom. We already had a walk-in closet and didn’t feel the need for the extra storage space, so we pushed that wall back two feet to utilize the space for our future kitchen nook.
This was a fresh start situation. We had to remove two layers of wood paneling from all the walls in the kitchen. The flooring and subfloor came up and cabinets out. The only thing that stayed was the ceiling, with exception to the popcorn texture.
What will become our kitchen nook. You can see in this picture the two closets we utilized in the kitchen.
It was such a mess!
Subfloor had to come up so that our new floors would be level with the old floors.
Starting to make some progress. Cabinets are going in.
The nook is coming together!
And now to the finished product! We have hardwood floors throughout the majority of the house, so bringing that into the kitchen was seamless. To contrast the floors, we decided on black cabinets with brass accents. For the sink wall we wanted the durability of a quartz countertop but the look of concrete, so we utilized one of Caesarstone’s concrete looks. We didn’t want the kitchen to appear too cold, so we warmed up the walls with wood open shelves and lots of pottery!
The full picture looking at our custom nook.
The pendant fixture you see hanging above the sink is a collaborative effort between my husband and I. He hand built it with clay, utilizing a black glaze and I pieced it together to the fixture that you see. And check out that awesome Brizo faucet from Ferguson Showroom. It’s the perfect amount of black and brass that is carried throughout the kitchen.
I am lucky enough to be related to potters. I have lots of beautiful, handmade pottery that is not only gorgeous but also totally functional. This needs to be on display. One of the reasons we went with a tall “bookshelf” on the side of our kitchen was so that our kiddos can reach glasses, bowls and whatever they need so they can be self-sufficient in the kitchen too. They also have no excuse not to help unload the dishwasher, an added bonus!
Lots of open shelves both functional and decorative!
This nook is my happy place. It was such a wonderful addition to our kitchen. This is where life happens for us. The back wall is sheets of steel, which adds a really interesting backdrop to the nook. The steel is, obviously, magnetic and is typically filled with our kiddos’ art creations and lit by the custom wall sconces made by yours truly.
Our nook!!
When we pushed back the two closets from the master bedroom, there was a small recess in the wall, which we utilized as a bookshelf. This bookshelf allows us to add so much interest to our nook through artwork and books.
Bookshelf in nook.
Well that about sums it up! It was a lot of work but it has been so worth it. Next up on the house is our studio. I’d say it is about 80% complete, so you should be seeing it here very soon! I can’t wait to share that project with you, as it is very special to me.
Thank you so much for reading and as always…
Stay True!
Allyson