kitchen renovation Archives

Would I Choose Open Kitchen Shelving Again?

Aug132019

It’s easy to rave about things around your house when they’re brand new and don’t have the wear and tear of everyday use. I’ve had several people ask me if I’m still happy with our open shelving three years after our kitchen renovation so here’s the quick update. . .

I knew going into our remodel that I loved the look of open shelving and less heavy cabinetry; I just didn’t know how it would translate to everyday use for our family. Fortunately, it’s worked out great for us and I don’t have any regrets about foregoing more closed cabinets.

One reason it works well is that they’re directly behind each of the dishwashers (yes, two). I keep (most of) the dishes we use on a daily basis on these shelves–cereal bowls, white plates, smaller blue and white plates, glasses, coffee mugs, etc. I do think this whole look works best if you keep the dishes simple and limited to one or two colors. I also don’t mind if pieces are not-so-perfectly stacked. (Our not-so-pretty plastic bowls and cups are stored in the deeper bottom drawers.)

I know some were concerned about the dust that would accumulate when we first had them installed. I’ll just say there’s no more dust here than anywhere else in my house (take that for what you will. . . ) and that I’ve never been one to make a decision based on dust potential. Again, because everything is used almost daily (especially on the bottom shelves), it rarely has time to get very dusty.

I’m also happy to report that they’ve stayed up well (thanks to the metal rods that our contractor mounted through them) despite the adjacent door closing/slamming shut 197+ times each day.

Anything else you’d like an update in a future post?

Our Black Honed Granite Kitchen Countertops

Oct262017

When planning our recent kitchen renovation, I knew I wanted to go in a different direction from the granite countertops we had in our last house. I was forever wiping them down, only to see more streaks. I also wanted something that was low maintenance and to stay away from anything that felt really trendy. (This renovation is for the long haul.) I know you’re thinking I studied different materials for hours and looked at a billion samples. In reality, our kitchen designer brought over the honed black granite sample from her own kitchen, said it was easy to maintain and I committed.

Now that I’ve lived with them for over a year, I can say that I’m really happy with my choice. With all of the other design details going on in our kitchen, I think the simplicity of the countertops and flat finish works well. And low maintenance? For sure. I really don’t have to worry about spills or what may sit on them for too long. For everyday cleaning, I’ve been using Method daily granite cleaner. The granite installer told me to stay away from Windex, 409, etc., and also suggested I clean them with a water/denatured alcohol mixture. (I do this every now and then but not on a regular basis.)

I do occasionally notice that there will be some ring marks left that you can see in the right lighting. (Look closely at the photo above, and you can see one.) I put a call out on this Instagram post and got a lot of good cleaning suggestions, in case you’re looking for some as well. By the way, some of the rings that were bothering me before are barely noticeable now. . .

So, overall, I’m going to give honed black granite two thumbs up, especially for an extra busy countertop. It may also help that there are few hours in a day when I can actually see the surface of mine. . . ;)

Anybody else have experience with honed granite? What are your thoughts?

See the full kitchen reveal post (with sources) here.

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Our Kitchen Layout (Before & After)

Jun202017

After sharing most of the “after” pictures of our kitchen remodel, I wanted to follow up with a post to show you how we changed the actual layout.

As with most traditional 30-year-old houses, ours had a formal dining room (attached to the kitchen). Before the renovation, we had been using ours as a sitting/piano room.In our previous houses, we’ve either never used the dining room or turned it into a home office. I didn’t see us turning into a formal dining kind of family anytime soon, and we need all the kitchen space we can get. We knew from the start that the wall that separated the two rooms was coming out to make one large space.

renovation, week 1

I initially had my heart set on a sink in front of the row of windows at the end of our kitchen that overlooks the backyard. The designer we worked with helped me walk through a day (in my mind) of how that would work logistically. She helped me see that it would create a really busy traffic pattern in my main workspace, resulting in lots of frustration and probable yelling. :)

That’s when the idea of the of the sink in the island (and FIVE bar stools, please) came into play. This has worked out really well. I’m able to stand behind the island and get the kids what they need and then clean up all from one spot. There’s a dishwasher on each side of the sink. (No regrets there.)

Behind the island is our range, open shelving and lower cabinet storage. This is where the stove–and all of our countertop space–was before.

MLS photo

soon after we moved in

renovation, week 1

Again, I’m staying in mostly the same area when I’m unloading the dishwashers. It’s nice to just be able to turn around and place most of what we use every day on the open shelves.

I remember some of you being concerned about the refrigerator being on the other side of the island. To tell you the truth, there wasn’t a lot of options since we were working with a fairly long space. But it hasn’t bothered me at all to walk around the end of the island to get what I need. (If that’s my worst problem. . . ) And I’m especially good at telling the kids to get off their stools and get me what I need. ;) Before the renovation, the stove was in this space.

MLS listing photo

after we moved in

We also removed the pantry closet right beside of it (behind the shelving unit) which ate up a lot of floor space.

Yes, I love the huge fridge/freezer. An appliance post coming soon. . .

We opted for two pull-out pantries that are both in “the green section” of our kitchen. I keep our food in one and dishes/serving pieces in the far one by the front window. And, as I’ve mentioned before, the addition of comfortable chairs has made this area my favorite spot in the house. (This area is what was previously the dining room/black sitting room.)

MLS photo

the front room before we started renovation

On the opposite end of the kitchen (by the back door), we kept our dining table. I had originally envisioned a built-in window seat, but in the end decided that’s not where I wanted to use our budget. (It would’ve required reworking the windows.) I’m glad, because we use the table way less than we do the island.

MLS photo

Anything I missed? Let me know. :)

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In case you missed our kitchen reveal, you can find that post (and sources for everything) here.

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