If you’ve seen the sneak peaks on Instagram, you probably know that our kitchen was finished this week! When I left off, the cabinets had been painted, new hardware was installed by me, and the counters and backsplash were just itching to come off…
Come off they did!
We hired Wainwright Tile here in town for the job. I got quotes from Lowes (which would have required a lot of DIY and unknowns) and another local tile shop. The other tile shop never called me back despite multiple attempts to contact them, so Wainwright was our clear winner. They did an amazing job!!
The concrete was suppppper heavy and had to be carried out by two guys. So many dings and scratches!!
Missing kitchen sink
We always ponder doing things ourselves but in the end decide it’s better to let the experts do what they do best. Hiring out the demo cost us extra, but I am so glad we left it to the pros! As it turns out our counters were not level, so they had to do some extra carpentry to put in more supports for the new counters and level things out
Our sink was poorly caulked the last time and the crud in the seams drove me nuts! I had tried all kinds of cleaners and scrapers, but the gunk was stuck in the caulk.
Just imagine my smile as I was cleaning this bad boy to a shine!
Of course while this was all happening we were kicked out of the kitchen again for a few days, but just twist our arms to go out to eat won’t ya! We had breakfast at the bakery, lunch downtown and dinner at Citizen Burger Bar. Had this reno taken more than a few days I would have set up a temporary kitchen and shared some creative ways to eat. But since we only had to evacuate for 2 days at a time, we just found fun things to do outside the home. With restaurant high chairs that didn’t need to be cleaned.
The next morning at 9am sharp our beautiful quartz arrived
And in a matter of hours I was in love!!! Bulky seams be gone! We have two seams in the new counters, but you have to squint to see them they are so tight. Albemarle Counters fabricated the quartz and they did an amazing job as well.
When it came to choosing a new countertop material I had my heart set on quartz since the first time I googled “most durable countertop.” Since my biggest complaint about our previous counters were the chips, scratches and dings, I knew I wanted something that would last for the long haul. Quartz is resistant to stains and scratches, it’s easy to clean and it can tolerate moderate heat. It never needs sealing and it’s nonporous so you can use anything to clean it. I also wanted something totally sleek and modern with a bit of sparkle.
Thus, we chose Caesarstone’s Quartz Reflections (#7141) which is mostly white, slightly gray and has little sparkles throughout. It’s actually really similar to the countertops we have at the bakery.
Shortly after the counters went in Wayne went through and put some mud on our old backsplash damage to smooth it out. The kitchen immediately started to look amazing with all that brown gone! Shout out to Wayne, the owner of Wainwright, who kept watchful eye over every step of this process!
We had the weekend to fall in love with the counters before they started on the backsplash on Monday.
For the splash I knew I wanted a seafoam blue subway tile. I’ve studied enough kitchens on Houzz (have you seen that amazing site!?) to know that I loved the clean, fresh, beachy look.
We chose an Architectural Collections line called Cadence Collections in Seaglass in a 3×6 subway glass tile.
The color shifts anywhere from blue to a Caribbean green depending on the light
The took two guys an entire day plus some to cut and hang all the tile. Glad I didn’t DIY this one!
Yet another day they came back to grout. For a tiny second we debated going with a grout color other than white, but I just couldn’t do it. #whiteobsessed
And finally…………..the finished kitchen!
Love how my yellow radio pops against the tile!
Remember the 1” seam jump between the wood and concrete here? Now it’s a smooth workspace in all directions.
Flashback to before:
And after:
Before:
And after –
Who is excited to do some dishes? ME!
Katie says
I didn’t think it looked bad before, but it looks beautiful now! Congratulations! And I agree, some things are good to DIY, but other times its best to let the professionals take over.
Becky says
Having seen the before and after in person, I cannot tell you enough how much better the new is!!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
oh my gosh, I LOVE the tile you picked! What a great choice, and smart to use inspiration photos. I definitely would hire someone to do work like that for me, I have zero DIY experience, plus I’d be afraid of messing it up!
[email protected] says
The kitchen looks great! We just “re-faced” our kitchen too, and used Caesartstone Frosty Carrina, which I am loving. It turns out that our countertops were also uneven (because of the walls, not the cabinets below). It’s amazing how many small problems arise during minor renovations…
Elizabeth says
LOVE your kitchen! I love the clean fresh look! Your kitchen will be our inspiration when we redo!
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs says
It looks beautiful! I LOVE quartz countertops — I’d love to have one someday! We have butcher block counters now, and while they look nice, they’re a pain in the butt! Scratches, water damage around the sink, resealing them — not my favorite! Someday we’ll upgrade 🙂
Happy Friday!
Jackie says
The quartz is just stunning!!!!!
Aleesha says
I LOVE the new kitchen soooooo much. Those are all the same colors and materials I would have chosen also. Very light, bright, and super clean. Excellent job, my dear!!
lindsay says
That is beautiful! I am in love with those tiles.
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
How gorgeous! I love the side-by-side before and after pictures. It looks so warm and sparkling now. I love the counter top colors choice – well done.
We are dying to give our kitchen an uplift too but I think we’re going to go back to laminate. We have a huge island and the quartz is freezing up North in the winter, plus I’ve broken a glass setting it down too hard at a friend’s house. Whoops!!
This is really giving me the urge to get my kitchen re-design planning done!!! Soooo pretty!
Ana says
It looks beautiful Kath! Congrats!!! 🙂
Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite says
Looks awesome, Kath! I love the blacksplash, very chic!
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
Oh wow! It’s gorgeous!
Kristin says
The kitchen looks gorgeous!! I love your countertop selection. Just beautiful!! 🙂
Sheri says
Looks great! Good idea to have it done professionally. Love how it turned out!
Lynn @ the actor's diet says
Congrats Kath! So glad it was all worth it. Get cookin!
Melanie says
The new kitchen in amazing! Congratulations! You really have an eye for design and decorations…I love the simplicity and little pops of color 🙂
Dana says
I’m not usually a white kitchen fan, but for the small space, and with that great backsplash, I like it! Always more fun to cook in a pretty kitchen.
Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog says
It looks beautiful! I love the clean, bright look to it. The subway tiles are my favorite part!
Emma says
Kath, it’s absolutely gorgeous – so clean and happy! Congratulations!
Melissa says
The kitchen looks great and I am so loving the countertops!
Laura says
It looks gorgeous! Last year we installed recycled quartz counter tops in our kitchen and our quartz could be twins! Ours is also white with little sparkly flecks. I think yours has slightly darker flecks than ours. Word of caution: although it claims to be stain resistant, we’ve had a few issues with small stains occurring if we didn’t notice a spill (like red wine, sauce, etc.) and didn’t get it cleaned up right away. My husband lightly sanded the areas and was able to get the stains up but I wasn’t expecting to have to do that due to the stain resistant claims!
One other thing you might be interested in for the kitchen. We purchased under cabinet stick on lights which are battery operated to place under the cabinets. They don’t give off tons of light but it really sets of the counter tops and the sparkle!
http://www.sneakersandspatulas.com/2013/11/20/easy-crockpot-applesauce-recipe/
KathEats says
Oh no about the staining. That better not happen to me!
Can you please share your cabinet light brand? I tried some years ago that were awful looking and returned them
Connie says
I love, love the new kitchen, Kath! The backsplash is especially beautiful. We too have a similar countertop and have had staining issues. Red wine, coffee, citrus (which we’re very careful not to leave directly on the surface) have ruined parts of the surface. We get a ton of compliments on it, and it looks beautiful, but we are super careful. I warn you not to be negative, but I know how expensive these things are and it’s heartbreaking to see stains, damage etc.
KathEats says
So sad!!
Thomasina says
You spelled Houzz wrong. Check your link.
KathEats says
Fixed, thanks
[email protected] says
What a difference! The kitchen looks amazing. A pretty functional kitchen is the best motivation to get in there and bake/cook some delishous treats! So happy for you! I hope you love it this much for many years to come.
Joy says
Really beautiful! I love the quart countertop. You’ll have so much fun cooking and living in this kitchen!
Amelia says
Girl, your new kitchen looks phenomenal! I bet you are so in love and like spending extra time in that room now! The colors are perfect and similar to what I would pick too. And your sink? Um, yeah, that might actually make me want to do dishes too. 😉 I can’t wait to see what room might be next in your house!
Jess says
Absolutely beautiful! We updated the kitchen in our old house and I remember standing there admiring the new backsplash with a grin on my face many times after it was complete. I picture you doing the same : )
Hannah says
Lovely! You know your stuff!
Lisa says
Yay- absolutely love it!! I recently painted our kitchen a very similar color. It is so light abd bright!
Kim says
Beautiful!!! Are you going to rehang your yellow curtains? Did you guys consider doing the tile all the way up the wall behind the stove?
KathEats says
No I’m actually having a roman shade made. Reveal when it’s here! The yellow curtains are down in our guest bath now. I thought they were a little too young for the sophisticated space.
mary @ minutes per mile says
beautiful! i also loathe kitchen crannies/soft surfaces — they attract crumbs and stains!
Rachel says
I mentioned on Imgur that we had quartz, but am so excited about it that I had to post again! 🙂 We love it, and picked it for the same durability reasons. We chose Carrera Marble subway tiles to go with it. Enjoy!
yasmara says
What thickness did you get for your counters? We are embarking on a similar update (measurements for counters a week from today!) and debating the counter thickness. The material we are getting comes in a standard 3mm thickness or you can get 4mm, but it’s 2-2mm slabs laminated together, so there is an end seam. I’m leaning towards 3mm without the seam.
KathEats says
I’m not sure we ever specified, so I think we got the run of the mill standard size
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
I absolutely LOVE it! I’ve fallen in love with white and light kitchens lately – they’re brighten things up and are just so much happier. 🙂 Enjoy!
Elisabeth says
It looks beautiful! I love quartz countertops & subway tile…very good choices 🙂
Kate @ Indulgent Wellness says
Looks great!! But…”excited to do dishes”…hahaha..o.k., whatever floats your boat:-)
Emily @ Life on Food says
Oh it looks amazing! We are talking about new counter tops right now and I am pretty overwhelmed by all of the options. I love love love the back splash. Enjoy!
Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen says
i loveee your new kitchen!
Allie Ferguson says
Looks amazing, Kath! So fresh, love the quartz and the backsplash – enjoy cooking in your new kitchen!
Shelly says
Love it!!!!, Can you tell me where you got those tiles? My husband and I are remodeling our kitchen and have been looking for those same tiles everywhere around here (Greenville, SC) and cant seem to find them anywhere. Thanks!
KathEats says
We ordered them through Wainwright Tile. I’m not sure if you can get them publicly, but I linked to the maker in the post
Katherine says
Congrats on your new, bright & fresh kitchen, Kath! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it for many years to come. I have a quick question re: your old butcher block countertops that maybe you (or another reader?) can help me with. What method/product did you find to be the best way to clean them? I’ve tried several suggestions from Google, Lowes, & Home Depot but with limited success. I realize my question isn’t exactly pertinent to this post since you just said farewell to your butcher block, but perhaps you can still help me. 🙂 Thanks!
KathEats says
I just used my Shaklee cleaner mix and Method on occasion. We tried waxing them for shine but the cleaners took it right off.
Fancy says
L.O.V.E.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Kath it’s gorgeous and these photos must have taken forever to upload and organize – thanks for sharing it. I would LOVE to cook in your kitchen!
Oh and your other post about practice/preech with alcohol – loved it. Didnt want to chime in to the zillions of comments, but they were almost as interesting as your thoughts. Thanks for posting that one!
Kristin says
Gorgeous! I have kitchen envy!
Kel says
Love the new look! Did the new coat of paint get scuffed at all during the demo? I would have been so nervous that the counter replacement would ruin my pristinely painted cabinets!!
KathEats says
Only in one small spot. It was a hard call to decide which to do first, but I’m glad we did the cabinets so that when the rest when in it was all shiny and new.
Jesse says
looks great, kath! i love the backsplash. what a fun color!
http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2013/11/have-great-weekend.html
Melissa says
Wow, gorgeous! That tile ads such a nice pop of color and sophistication.
Lauren says
Looks so beautiful!!! It’s funny, we’re having quartz countertops installed in our master bath as we speak – I love quartz and it was a total no-brainer for us, too. Enjoy your “new” kitchen!
Ana says
We did a kitchen reno a couple of years ago, a complete gut and reworking. I want quartz countertops eventually but thought it made more sense to change out the cabinets now and update countertops later. Did you consider changing out the cabinets which look original to the house? And the orange floor?
I was just wondering as it seems like you may be wanting to move to a bigger home one day and I full kitchen upgrade would make it easier to sell?
KathEats says
we thought about doing more but the cabinets are in such good shape and the cork floor is actually pretty cool and matches the rest of our house. I think this is a good compromise between the cost of a brand new kitchen and a facelift
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
I was happily reading along then saw the backsplash tile and my mouth dropped and stayed that way. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous. That is my favorite subway tile EVER. Please enjoy it extra for the rest of us of who love it but don’t have it!
Carmen says
Congratulations! Your kitchen looks great!!
Pat says
I love it! The undermount sink is gorgeous. As is the rest, too. 🙂
[email protected] says
your new kitchen is fabulous! you have great taste! we made similar improvements over the summer to out kitch, but we’re still waiting for the tile to be done. i picked white subway tile;however, after seeing this, i may have to reconsider and check out the seafoamy green color!!
Jennifer says
I know this is not something you are supposed to ask, but we are local and looking into remodeling our kitchen. Would you be willing to share, or email me, a price range you agreed upon for this remodel? I love it! I never would have thought of those combos. Do you have any problems with sticky baby fingers on the white cabinets? (we do!)
KathEats says
shoot me an email please
Brittany (Healthy Slice of Life) says
Love love LOVE it! The tiles are amazing. Awesome face lift. Come do my house? 🙂
Emily S says
gorgeous! I have always loooooved glass subway tile. classic yet modern. well done!
[email protected] says
Stunning and so bright!!! Absolutely gorgeous…seriously missed your calling as an interior designer!
Lani says
Looks gorgeous, Kath! I love Caeserstone.
Janelle says
Your home always looks so light and bright – lovely!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
Looks great! I’m so jealous…I’m in desperate need of a kitchen reno!!! 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I love it! I am totally for a bright white kitchen with clean lines! It is exactly the type I want.
Alex @ Kenzie Life says
I love it! The tile looks great and it seems to really brighten up the space!
Rachel says
The kitchen looks gorgeous! I love the white with the blue– it’s classic but still modern all at once.
robin says
LOVE!!!
Katie J says
Gorgeous Kath!! Those tiles are swoon worthy 🙂
Jeanie says
It looks awesome. Love the backsplash!
Lauren @ Sassy Molassy says
Kath, I absolutely LOVE the color of that backsplash! It looks so calming with the white cabinets.
Meagan says
I think that’s so sad the wood is gone. That’s the part of your kitchen that I really liked!
Btw I love the stop top you have!
Samantha says
Just discovered your blog and this was the first post Ive read. LOVE seafoam, it was one of my wedding colours and I love how vintage yet clean it makes your kitchen look. Really lovely.
Jessica says
Looks so beautiful now! I hope you enjoy your new kitchen! 🙂
Kristen @ The Concrete Runner says
So gorgeous Kath! LOVE the aqua blue backsplash! Very you! 🙂
Mom says
Gorgeous!
Heather says
Looks beautiful!
Alan says
Knives hanging on the wall? With a cute as a button curious one year old running around? Does that not scare you?
In our kitchen, we had a locked drawer built for knives so no fingers find their ways.
Good luck in the new kitchen. Very nice functional design
Joan says
Hi, I have just had a new kitchen – where did you get the yellow curtains from please, and how did you order them? Look forward to hearing from you, regards, Joan from Plymouth.
KathEats says
I made them!
Reghan says
It looks absolutely gorgeous! Great choices!!
Lori S H says
What a beautiful transformation! I love your house. It always looks so clean and organized. I can tell you really work hard and stay on top of things, which is amazing considering you have a very busy little one at home. : )
Jubilee says
LOVE those tiles! The colour is gorgeous! Your kitchen looks amazing. 🙂
Elle says
Adorable! It looks so quaint and cottage-y!!
Katie @ Real Food Katie's Way says
I loved your kitchen before but now, it really does have a “beach house” feel if you know what I mean…
Awesome!!
We just did a kitchen renovation out at our cottage from April-June (we are DIY-ers so it takes more time LOL) and even now I walk into the room just to look at how prettiful it is!
Debbie @ Deb Runs says
Your new kitchen looks gorgeous! I LOVE the seafoam blue backsplash tiles. Good choice! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on my basement remodel that’s been going on since the day after Labor Day. They are supposed to be finished this coming Wednesday, with the exception of the rubber gym floor (mid-December)! It’s worth the wait!
Kandace says
Looks great~love the subway tile. Curious about your floor; is it cork?
KathEats says
Yes it’s cork
Kay says
I always liked your little kitchen. What a delightful upgrade!
Katie says
Looks great!
Patricia @ Simply Babies says
Kath! This looks incredible. You guys did a great job!
[email protected] says
LOVE! The backsplash is perfect, I love that color!!!
Judi says
Oops! Been waiting for the final outcome. Love the quartz and being from Florida, the beachy backsplash. Great job!
Angela says
Kitchen looks great!! I love the backsplash and I’ve also always loved magnetized stripes for knives.
Mary @ Health and Fitness says
I just LOVE the new kitchen you have right now, so beautiful! #kangaArticles
Andrea says
The kitchen looks awesome! I love that back splash tile!
Where is your crock from????
KathEats says
Homegoods!
Melissa says
Who is super jealous?! This girl! 🙂
That looks AMAZING!
Kathy W. says
The cork floor looks perfect with the quartz & the seaglass tiles–it looks like sand or seagrass, adding to the beachy feel.
It also adds warmth to the cool colors–much better than a dark wood floor!
Faith says
Gorgeous! Can’t wait to see it.
Colleen says
Looks really, really nice! Congrats and enjoy!
KJ says
Just FYI, when you’re talking about a preview of something, the term is “sneak peek,” not “sneak peak.” Unless there’s some kind of stealth mountain around… 🙂
KathEats says
I think my brain and fingers just disconnected on this one. Thanks though
Charise says
The updates look great! We love quartz too. After using it for our kitchen, we’ve made sure all the remnants we picked out for the bathrooms are quartz too – two of them are the color you used here, actually. Just a quick note about cleaning though – you said you could use anything, but we were told “no ABC” – no ammonia, bleach, or citrus. I don’t think the cleaners you’ve mentioned before contain any of those, but just a heads up.
Enjoy the new kitchen! 🙂
KathEats says
That’s good about the ABCs – my guy said anything, but maybe he wasn’t including the harsh ones : )
Amanda says
My dream kitchen! Love white cabinets, love subway tile, and seafoam green is my faaavorite color. Congrats on a lovely new space!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
It looks amazing Kath!
char eats greens says
Amazing!!! Love what you’ve done!!
Brittany says
I’m so late on this, but I LOVE the new counter tops and the blue tile. So pretty.
Nicole says
Love the backsplash. Makes everything look so fresh. Heck, I love everything in the design, except for maybe the fact that it’s not in MY kitchen instead. ????
Jeri says
I know I’m super late, but the kitchen looks bigger in the after pic. My kitchen is white and I want it to stay white, but then part of me wanted it to be the darker colors with the darker cabinets. But this makes me see the beauty in the lighter brighter colors to help usher in the natural light. I have bay windows that look out to the lake and get the afternoon sun shining in. This will help cut down on electric bills by being able to let the light bounce off of the cabinets and walls.
emily clark says
Could you please send me the name of the subway tile you used and where I can buy it?
Please!!!
KathEats says
It’s the Cadence 3×6 glass tile in Seaglass color
Noni Roan says
I love your backsplash but I cannot find out where to purchase it. Can you help?
Barb says
Hi Kathy,
I ran across your kitchen roe today. I couldn’t find a link to your backsplash tile… any leads you could pass my way? I am choosing the components for my Reno. Thanks.
Barb says
*reno
KathEats says
I found this in my email from many moons ago!
Cadence 3×6 glass tile in seaglass color