Hello from our finished kitchen! It has been a journey to get here, but I’m thrilled to share the full tour and also take a look back at where we started. The concept of home as a sanctuary has always been important to me but now, in the current state of things, I feel that it is crucial. This kitchen has never seen such heavy use as it has in the past couple weeks and I count myself very lucky to feel like my best self in it. I think nothing helps someone feel more at home than a space that is a true reflection of themselves, a place they feel comfortable in. This kitchen couldn’t be more me. We poured ourselves into this kitchen, doing much of the work ourselves, but also splurging on some favorite details. I worked with Café Appliances to bring my dream kitchen to reality with their Matte White appliances and warm bronze appliance hardware (has there ever been a more me color palette? See the inspiration here). I ruminated over the details for months (pretty sure we used the kitchen without cabinet hardware for a good 6 of them) and while the bulk of the renovation was finished in 5 months, it took me another 7 to decide on and implement the finishing touches like the back plaster wall, the brass island panels and the hardware. I was originally planning to use my own brass hardware from my line with Park Studio but when I got my mind set on the brass island panels, it would have been brass overload. I wanted the warmth and softness of the wood ceiling brought down to the cabinets so really, my only choice was to get my hardware collection made in wood. I adjusted the designs to work with the new material and then tapped a local fabricator to make the prototypes. From there a new wood sss hardware line was born. We are still working on a larger production run, but they will be available this spring!

The new layout of the kitchen came quickly and easily. I had drawn up the plans before we ever set foot in the house! (see the floorplan before and after). I always knew I was going to utilize our “modern beaded” cabinet fronts from my line with SemiHandmade. They are my take on a traditional beadboard. With cleaner lines and wider spacing it brings texture into the cabinet but still has a modern feel. Two years ago I teamed up with Semihandmade to create the collection because they make high quality doors and drawer fronts that fit onto Ikea kitchen boxes, which brings a higher end look more accessible (and because we have worked together on many projects before and they are just good people. I only work with the good ones, 😉 and I am elated to be able to finally use them in my own kitchen (you can see them in some of my client kitchens here, here, here and here). Even if you aren’t a kitchen designer you can use the Ikea Kitchen Planner tool fairly easily or get help in store. How it works is you purchase all the boxes, hinges, legs and interior organization pieces from Ikea and then you get the cabinet doors and drawer fronts from SemiHandmade, as well as filler panels, plinth (toe kicks), and any spacers needed, for the look of a custom kitchen for less than a custom kitchen budget. You can read more about the process  here and see the beginnings of my first project with them, our LA kitchen from 2013.

But now… let’s take the tour!

Like I mentioned we did so much of the work in this kitchen ourselves which most definitely helped us on the budget front. In order to work this way with out contractor we made an outline of who will do what from the very beginning so that he was able to essentially treat us like a sub contractor and incorporate what we needed to get done when into his schedule so we wouldn’t be the ones holding anything up (because as you know time is money). Finding a contractor that was willing to work like this was essential for our renovation. I’ve outlined below how we divvied up the work between us (rupert, my parents and myself) and our contractor, Ayers Construction.

Contractor:
All structural work and framing. (we had to install a huge beam in order to make way for the new windows and doors along the sink wall as well as open up the floor and reinforce the beams below to account for the weight of the large stone island)
Tile flooring
Countertop fabrication and installation
Plumbing
Window and door installation
Drywall

Us:
Cabinet installation (Ikea bases, Semihandmade doors and drawer fronts)
Electrical (only because we have an electrician in the family)
Hardware
Range hood installation and hood surround fabrication
Brass Island Panel fabrication and install
Trim work
Plaster wall treatment

And now for some fun Before and Afters!

BEFORE

AFTER

Just a slightly different angle but you can see we opened up the entrance from the dining room to the kitchen considerably. By doing this we created a much better flow and unified the spaces so we actually want to (and do) have meals in there every day.

BEFORE

AFTER

The previous island was tiny. It housed a 30″ range with approx 6″ of counter space on one side and 24″ on the other. By moving the fridge to the pantry (see the reasons why here), it made space to take the range out of the island and give it the center stage and breathing room it needed and made it much safer for our kids (who like to speed around the island) to not have hot pots and pans right on the edge of it. Also we were able to get the 36″ Cafe range which meant more cooking surface area and a place for the range and range hood of my dreams. We chose the Zephyr Monsoon range hood insert and built the surround around it with leftover solid oak my dad had on hand in his shop and had it finished with sheet rock.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Along with the Café Appliances (thank you matte white and warm metallic finishes), the wood ceiling was a huge driving force when making design decisions. Pre-renovation the ceiling pretty much got lost in the mix of things but now, by bringing in shades of white (while mixing different textures for interest) on mostly everything else, it stands out and is celebrated in all its original glory.

So, there she is, it was totally worth the wait for me and it is nice to be able to invite you into my house at least virtually. Of course right now our kitchen floors are covered in puzzles, random crafts, legos and probably this mornings breakfast as we are figuring out our new (albeit temporary) no school/social distancing way of life but every night we (ok mostly rupert) does a big pick up and it helps us start each day feeling some sense of normalcy. I hope you guys are taking care, staying home and staying safe. Sending hugs from our home to yours.

Shop the Room:
Range by Café Appliances // Dishwasher by Café Appliances // Refrigerator by Café Appliances // Range hood insert is the Monsoon by Zephyr //  Countertops by Caesarstone in “Fresh Concrete” // Cabinet doors by Sarah Sherman Samuel for SemiHandmade on Ikea cabinet boxes // Vase from West Elm // Faucet by Kallista  // Plaster wall finished with Portola Paints Lime Wash in Blondie // Paint color is Sherwin Williams “Pure White”