Monday, March 14, 2016

Kitchen Reveal!

The kitchen is finished! I haven't decorated or accessorized it or the adjoining dining and living spaces (think lots of mirrors, family photos, TV, baby clutter, a rug) but I wanted to show it to you today.

We are LOVING it.

My resident photographer is at school right now, so my unedited cell phone pics will have to do for now.

  • Tim's favorite part is how open it is.
  • Margaret's favorite part is the homework/breakfast bar.
  • My favorite part is how much more light we get, even on a dreary day like today.



View from kitchen into Living Room:


More realistic, cluttered picture:


Living room sitting area. I would like a comfy sectional here for nursing and hanging out. We also hope to buy a new TV which will hang on the long LR wall, but just have to agree on size first.  Sectionals are expensive, and I just missed one on our yard sale site. Will keep looking. Bird chair from Target.


Breakfast/Homework Bar in LR. Stools are from Target and are gorgeous and comfy.




We didn't go for a lot of bells and whistles like wine fridge, etc. but we did get these spice racks built in:

AND one of my favorite parts, these two appliance garages, one for the microwave, and the other for the coffee maker and toaster. Now you see them:

 Now you don't:
This leads right into the dining room area. It is pretty small and I haven't quite figured out how to decorate it yet, but it feels brighter and more open than ever! It was cut off by a small doorway and slatted doors.  Remember, we how we switched our foyer light out and put it in here? I really like it, and the much bigger fixture looks great in the foyer. 


 Here are the new sliding doors. The dogs are loving running in and out of the house this way:
 Huge foyer light fixture:


I am looking for a narrower farmhouse-type table to replace this thrift store one, but there is no rush. I will either make a gallery wall of mirrors around my Grandpa's china cabinet, or replace the china cabinet with a white sideboard I have upstairs to make room on the wall for even more mirrors. My mom had a wall of mirrors when we walked into our house growing up, so I've had one in each house since then.



This shallow cabinet next to the breakfast bar is to store Margaret's homework stuff as well as arts/crafts supplies for the baby. Wish I'd made it one inch deeper so binders would fit better. When I find her things sitting all over the counter, I shove them in the cabinet.


View as you walk into kitchen from the rest of the house:


We did keep this narrow wall between the foyer and kitchen. Tim doesn't like it, but I'm cool with it:


And when you walk in from the garage. I love the range hood and the wavy, extra long subway tiles in light gray:

Here's the close-up of the countertops, Calacutta Grey (I know it's spelled funny, but that is the name) by Quartz Masters. This is the decision that sent me reeling, but I'm super happy with them. We have already spilled stuff on them, and Margaret got Sharpie on them within the first 10 minutes,  so it's good to know they are super durable. 





Sink view. We went for an inexpensive, $150 stainless sink with no divider. Looks plenty big for bathing a baby.

Breakfast nook right off of garage. This is where you will see family pics and a bulletin board when I get around to it. Oh, and a high chair!


We replaced the built-in desk area with a pantry because of all of the upper cabinets we lost. Instead of fancy pullouts, we opted for plain, adjustable melamine shelves to save space and $$. Our builder just took a fridge cabinet and added doors to it. I kept the phone jack and plugs in there for charging. Love it!


Even though I lost sunlight before taking these final shots, you can get the gist of the whole space here:




And of course, after all of the stress of small details that loomed large, plus living through, and then paying for, the renovation, it's good to have a reminder of what's REALLY important. 

I ordered this from Wall Words, just as I did 13 years ago in the old house. Makes me happy that the new baby will see these words every day just as Jack and Margaret did:



47 comments:

  1. Looks amazing! So happy you finished before the baby comes! Enjoy

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  2. It's beautiful Anna and I get goose bumps every time you mention something "baby!"

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  3. I absolutely love it Anna! The countertops are gorgeous and I dig the pops of blue, but my favorite part? The built in spice racks! I'm very much a 'a place for everything' kinda gal and those are great. It makes me want to come over for a cuppa and a chat on Monday mornings!! Congrats on surviving a remodel while pregnant! ❤

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  4. I love it! Can't wait to come visit!

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  5. Oh my goodness it's beautiful!!! So calm & serene - LOVE the color choices & decorating so far! I think continuity and tradition are so important, in little choices like your mirror wall and hand-me-down china cabinet. Even though the most important things aren't things per se - sometimes the importance shows up in the thoughts that choose the things :)

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  6. love it ... so peaceful and calm feeling and clean I love the white.

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  7. Perfectly updated and homey and Donaldson.

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  8. Absolutely Gorgeous! I love how light and airy your home feels. Great job!

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  9. It looks awesome, Anna! I love it too!! I remember the wall of mirrors in your mom's house and always loved it. I love that you replicate that in all of your homes.
    Barb
    xoxo

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  10. I love it! So open and airy!

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  11. Your kitchen is beautiful. Congratulations. I love the countertops!!! It actually looks like you picked them first and coordinated the kitchen around them. We have granite counter tops and love them too!

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  12. Oh, Anna, it is GORGEOUS!! Before, and even during, this remodel, I had trouble visualizing it. Wow! You surpassed my imagination by far. Such a bright, cheerful and organized area. I love it all!

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  13. It's gorgeous! And so lovely to have the same quote up there for the baby to grow up with. :)

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  14. I love this in a million and one different ways. You and your family make me so happy.

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  15. Lovely. I especially love the counter tops. It has the look of marble. Did you get the sharpie off? Thanks for sharing.

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  16. Beautiful rooms! Can't wait to see how things fill in. I'm intrigued by the wall of mirrors!

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  17. so happy for you! just gorgeous!!!

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  18. Looks awesome! Thanks for sharing. Jealous of your window seat in the breakfast area and your built-in spice rack. I deal with a spice avalanche in my kitchen at least once a week. Enjoy!!

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  19. Anna, it is absolutely gorgeous. I love it! I am also a huge fan of subway tile and white cabinets. Enjoy!!!!

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  20. The last pic-sentence sort of makes me want to cry. I love the bird chair. I love the everything. I'm so happy I get to see it in person in August.

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  21. It looks so airy and beautiful. All of the natural light and organization systems are perfect! May our Lord bless your home always.

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  22. Anna, I love it! It's a beautiful remodel. Congrats on getting it done before your due date.

    love,
    jbhat

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  23. Love it!!

    NoVa mom Jen

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  24. It looks great! We live in Northern VA and have a very similar main floor layout and this is almost exactly what I want to do with our kitchen. I even want to keep up the wall in the foyer like you did. If you don't mind sharing who you used to do the work, I'd love to have a recommendation.

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  25. It's ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!!

    And thank you for sharing where you got the bar stools...I'm in the market for something very similar.

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  26. Longtime reader, first time commenter. If you're looking for a sectional, or any other furniture, I highly recommend the site "aptdeco.com" When we moved this year, I bought a great Room and Board sectional for $500, a dining set, and a bedroom set. They also arrange delivery. It's like Craigslist, but much easier and less creepy. I have no affiliation with the site at all, but I've been impressed with the selection and quality.

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  27. The space looks so great! Lovelovelove the countertop. I'm so in the mood for making big changes in my kitchen, but for now, I'll continue browsing pinterest for great ideas. :)

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  28. Oh Anna! It's a beautiful kitchen...I love the openness, the counter tops, and the bar/stools is one of my favorite things. It's just gorgeous. You all are going to love it!
    Cindy

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  29. Gorgeous!!! We just finished a kitchen reno this fall, and ours looks very similar. So of course, I applaud your choices!! We also had to buy a sectional, and finally decided on a very neutral one from Macy's. Bought during one of their sales, the price was fairly reasonable, its comfortable, and seems to stand up to two very active boys with no problem. Enjoy your new space!! Baby toys will look beautiful in it! (Love the words above the window!!!)

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  30. Love, love , love your remodel. We did something similar in 2010 to our 1970's split foyer home in Dunn Loring. Took down kitchen walls and opened it to the living & dining areas. It's much more functional & lets in the light. My husband also loves it because now we can be in the same " space" & it's great for entertaining. Wanted to let you know how I appreciated your kind words and advice about my FIL's death last Nov. He will be buried in Arlington March 31st & many family members will be gathering at our home that day. Very glad we have the space now to accommodate everyone. I know how much your growing family will love that new kitchen!

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  31. Love love love! Everything looks amazing!

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  32. Look how pristine that new sponge looks in the new sink. Every detail is beautiful, right down to the sponge holder. Enjoy!

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  33. Joanna Gaines got nothin' on you! Looks great, especially with some "clutter" on the counter. Good job!

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  34. It's beautiful!! I hope you and your family make many, many happy memories in that kitchen!! :)

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  35. It looks gorgeous! I hope it will look wonderfully lived in for many, many years.

    We have almost the same fixture over our dining table, but ours is the silvery finish. We love it, it gives a lot more light than I was expecting, and it looks so cool. We call it our time turner light (Harry Potter reference).

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  36. Looks awesome! I'm sure you will make many happy memories there once baby boy joins the family on the outside! I love the "touches of Jack" also!!

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  37. I love it all. You have wonderful taste. I love the soothing, soft colors of white, beige, blue, and gray. Stunning! I am intrigued about the wall of mirrors. Will have to see that! I like your comment about the clutter being realistic. We live our lives using our homes, and not just the way magazines showcase homes. I am sure you are relieved it is over. It looks inviting and warm, perfect for relaxing with a cup of tea!

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  38. I love your new kitchen! So beautiful! and your pantry is so organized! I am so jealous!
    You have beautiful taste!

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  39. Looks absolutely fantastic! Bet you're glad you did it now! I love the signs sign, by the way ;) Best wishes in your last weeks of pregnancy.

    Anna (your book fan who emailed a few months ago from Poland!)

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  40. It is beautiful. The white and gray are so clean and serene. I love it!

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  41. It looks gorgeous! So happy and bright, it's just perfect. And just to share, we bought a long farmhouse-ish table at World Market (very inexpensively, might I add!) and added white cross-back chairs from IKEA and we LOVE IT.

    http://www.worldmarket.com/product/harrow+dining+collection.do?&from=fn

    Good luck with your pregnancy! Best wishes to you and your sweet family. :)

    -Molly

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  42. Love, love, love the renovation! I'm so happy for you!

    xoxo,
    ~Ashley in Austin

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  43. Took me forever to get around to checking out your new kitchen - it's gorgeous! Jealous of the big windows and counter space and, well, just about all of it. ;-) So glad you finally got the major things done before Andrew showed up.

    And your "clutter" is less than my "this is the best it gets." Sheesh.

    Enjoy it all!

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  44. Your kitchen looks fantastic…..thanks for sharing your photos.

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  45. Wow! It is really beautiful! Love the cabinets, the floor, You had a wonderful vision and executed it beautifully!

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