the kitchen

Welcome to our kitchen! Most of these pictures our builder had taken (photography by Natalie Bills) before we moved in, so everything looks brand spanking new. Here are some features that we went with:

On the top: the range hood! I’m trying to decide what exactly to do with this decorating-wise. It could be a fun spot to decorate for the seasons/holidays. Or to display some meaningful recipes in our family. Or some photos or a large wreath? Hmmm…what do you see going up there??

The bottom: big fat drawers perfect for pots and pans and serving dishes.

We went with a different color on the island! The main color of the cabinets is white dove, and the island  is Martha Stewart’s Magnetite. I love it most of the time, but grays are tricky and sometimes this can almost look purple to me in direct sunlight. We ended up getting 5 barstools at Sam’s Club that I shared on Instagram, but they aren’t in this picture.

The granite is giallo ornamental. It is a level 1 (meaning least expensive) and I loved this piece at the granite yard, and my husband was thrilled that it was included in the price of the home, so we didn’t upgrade on it! Wahoo! We saved money! But then we paid some extra for the thicker edge.

We talked about cabinet hardware here, and we ended up going with #6 and #7, the brainerd crystal and the brainerd bar. I have loved the design, weight, and feel of these. I also used a classic brushed nickel round knob on cabinet doors.

This has been a lifesaver to divide up cookie sheets and muffin tins – it is above the fridge.

I wanted to soak up every second of the gorgeous view from the kitchen sink so we went with a bigger window there.

Glass cabinets! You remember how we made our own in our Virginia home, and we wanted them again in this one. We may still do something fun with the back of them. They are on either side of the sink. Did you also notice the cabinetry? I just went with the simple recessed panel with a small beveled edge. It was choice #1 when we discussed it back in January. It was quite a bit more to have cabinets go all the way to the ceiling and I was wondering how on earth I would reach up there anyway, so we didn’t do that.

I am still in love with Moen Motionsense faucet. I have professed my love for Moen before and was drawn to the fact that my builder used all Moen. Their customer service is absolutely top-notch and they stand by their motto: Buy it for looks, Buy it for life. Meaning, Moen’s faucets have a lifetime warranty (more here)! I loved reading the comments in that previous post – of people that had 30 year old Moen faucets that were sent new ones if they had a problem with them.

The Motionsense is my best friend when I have raw meat hands and don’t want to touch anything, need to get the dish cloth wet quickly, don’t want to keep the water running the whole time while loading the dishwasher, or to quickly wash a piece of fruit. I could go on and on, but it was a must for me in the kitchen. Moen was kind enough to send this one for being a huge fan, but it would have only been a $100 upgrade through our builder.

Pull-out garbages. Love to have these hidden away!

And pull out spice racks on either side of the cooktop. I swear these free up 89% more space in my cabinets and I don’t have a side of the fridge anymore, so these are great.

Schoolhouse lights --- I found these on Joss & Main but if you search Savoy house schoolhouse pendant, you should be able to find them online. They were $55 on J&M when I got them.

 

I still love classic white subway tile. Except, I wasn’t here when they began laying it and I would have picked a thinner grout line like I had in my previous kitchen. It wasn’t a big enough of a deal for me to have them begin again, but I wish I would have left a note for them to clarify. Assume NOTHING when you are building/remodeling.

And, like my previous kitchen, I love a desk in here. With some open shelving above. And a big walk in pantry, but that is to share another day. The appliances were purchased at Home Depot back on Black Friday sales that I shared here.

So, there you go. Did I miss anything?? Any questions? I want to add some warm, personal touches but I also love a clean, uncluttered kitchen so I’m thinking there probably won’t be too much to add.

Thanks for coming in! I wish I had some banana bars to share with you.

Happy Tuesday~