Kitchen Refresh

When we moved into this house, I knew that no major changes to the kitchen were in my budget. The house was about 6 years old and the kitchen was perfectly fine and functional. However, after 6-7 years, most rooms could use a little updating and I was determined to somehow make it feel much more like home. If I had my druthers, the cabinet doors would be inset and much simpler, the cabinets would extend to the ceiling, the hood would be some kind of metal and the island would not be angled...ok so I couldn't change those major things, but with a little tweaking I am very happy with how much fresher the kitchen feels to me. 

First Things First

Before we moved in, I was able to switch out the sink and faucet and change the color of the island from a distressed black to a cream that matched the other cabinets.

Change The Hardware

I also changed the hardware from oil rubbed bronze to a warm champagne color (shown on left). It just felt more current. I used a combination of two different sizes of pulls and a simple round knob. I also removed the scrolly wood work from above the fridge. 

End Of Phase One Result

This is what the kitchen looked like when we moved in and it stayed this way for about 18 months.

Phase Two

I have never been a fan of countertops with tons of movement -just a personal preference. No matter what I did in the keeping room or breakfast area, it always seemed to be competing with the granite. I finally convinced my husband to change out the countertops and backsplash. This made the biggest difference! I have always been a fan of white marble. I had honed statuary (which is very white) in my last house. I know marble can be controversial because it's a "living" stone an will etch over time, but for me it is my absolute favorite. I went with a color called Calcutta Creama. I had hoped that it would have enough warmth in it that I could keep the cabinets their original off white. I also went with a polished slab this time. The stone in this color was much richer looking polished. The pictures below are terrible quality, but you can see the color of the counter with the original cabinet color and the corner cabinets that were used as open shelving, which was odd to me because they are so shallow I could never seem to make them look right.

Phase Three-Results!

I decided I couldn't live with the cream color. I had to brighten up the cabinets and order doors for the corner cabinets. They always looked unfinished to me without doors. I am so pleased with the results!

It just goes to show that cosmetic changes can make a huge difference.  For me, the kitchen is fresher, brighter and works much better with the keeping room and breakfast nook.