We moved into a new house a few months ago, and as we were building, the number one question people asked was, “What’s your kitchen going to look like??” That was a good question, and I never really had an answer. We actually didn’t plan on building a house; we were about to purchase a different house nearby, and due to some random, serendipitous events, we suddenly found ourselves starting a new build. We actually put our house together rather quickly. In a way, it was a good thing; we didn’t stress over decisions- we just sort of picked things we knew we liked and it all came together. In the end, the kitchen is one of my favorite places in our house. It’s definitely the heart of our home; where meals happen, where homework happens, where life happens. So here’s a little peek into our home. This post is crazy long as is, so I’m going to do a part 2 to tell you about the appliances I chose- because that’s the second most common question! (–> Click Here for Part 2 <–)
Picking cabinets was fairly easy; for photography purposes I knew I wanted white so it would be light and bright. I also knew I wanted a gigantic island; this one is about 9 feet long by 5 1/2 feet wide with a granite top.
I also wanted a great spot surrounded by windows to snap pics of all the food we make around here.
We picked a soft gray for the walls (Sherwin Williams ‘Sensible Hue’); it’s actually one shade darker than the gray we painted the rest of the house.
The floors are an engineered hard wood. Yes, the dark wood shows crumbs and dust much more than a lighter wood, but on the flip side, that actually makes me keep my floors clean and sweep more than once a week like at my old house. Seriously. I love the warmth the dark floors bring to the house. They also have a hand-scraped texture that adds character and makes me not care about any dings since it’s blends right in.
The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams ‘Snow Bound’ and glazed in ‘Van Dyke’ stain for that dark highlight. I went back and forth and back and forth on whether I wanted them glazed and I’m really glad my husband, builder, and cabinet guy talked me into glazing; I love the dimension it adds and the detail it highlights. I also love the white cabinets and haven’t had any issues with them being hard to keep clean (like some people warned me about). Sometimes the cupboards we use the very most get finger prints on them, but all it takes is a quick wipe to clean them right up. I’m glad I went with white.
For contrast, we painted the island black. All of the appliances on the back-side have panel fronts on them so they look like cabinets. Hiding right there in the cabinet next to the pull-out garbage is my most favorite appliance, ever. You’re going to have to wait to see it!
When it comes to home decor I employ the same tactics as my wardrobe. Splurge on some nice expensive things, and balance out with some bargains! For example, we splurged on a granite upgrade that I loved, but found this great glass and marble backsplash tile at Costco for a fraction of what similar styles cost. I love that the clear glass has a blueish tint that goes well with all of the blue/turquoise accents in my kitchen. And the rest of my house. And my wardrobe. I have an obsession.
One thing I knew I wanted from the beginning was some metal tile. I’ve always loved it, but didn’t want to overdo it with an entire backsplash or ceiling. So I used a simple section above my stove and I love how it blends with all of the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
I also had the idea to do a recessed panel centered above the island. This is one of my favorite parts- and I feel cool and designer-ish for thinking of it myself, designing it out, and seeing it happen!
Metal tiles can be crazy expensive, but I special ordered these from Home Depot for about $35 per 2’x4′ panel. They have faux plastic ones for almost that much, so I think the metal is quite a steal.
Those mini chandeliers hanging over the island are from the Camilla line at Pottery Barn (which I got at a bargain during their annual lighting event). We have the large version in our entry way, and the globe light (seen later in this post) over our dining table. LOVE them.
This is me saying, “Hi everyone!” Obviously.
A lot of people in the comments have been asking to see better photos of the twig-like things sitting above my cabinets. It’s just something I picked up at Gordman’s. They’re real branches, nailed to a board and white washed. It would probably be pretty easy to make for you crafty peeps out there:
I have a few single ones as well; I just thought they were cool. I honestly stuck them up there temporarily because I wasn’t sure where I was going to put them and wanted them out of the way, and they’ve just stayed!
Back to the kitchen…
I almost did an apron front sink but decided I just wanted a nice big under-mount basin with no dividers. I love having one big, deep spot to pile in dishes and large pots and pans.
The island has chunky legs (resisting so many puns right now…) and those stools are from Ikea. We actually bought the super high ones on accident. We got them on a trip to Utah, so there was no exchanging happening.
However as it turns out they are the perfect height for the little people around here. It turned out to be such a happy accident. And adults can fit comfortably on them too, even though they feel higher than normal. We eat a lot of our meals at the island so it’s perfect.
Another thing I made sure to do was take advantage of every space available. I wanted nothing wasted. So there are big giant cabinets under the island for stowing away things I don’t access very often.
And nice deep shelves for my appliance addiction.
Even little spaces like the molding flanking the stove got put to good use
They’re hidden panels I can grab with my foot and fit about 4792 spice bottles.
Having all of the spices in there frees up tons of space in the upper cabinets.
Speaking of storage, people tend to assume I have a massive pantry, but it’s totally average-sized. I found with a large pantry at my previous house that it just got used up with storage, and I’d much rather have that space used outside the pantry. So I have a huge separate storage room nearby and tons of shelves in the garage where I can store big stuff. One thing I did do however, was make some extra tall shelves with electric outlets to keep the appliances I use regularly (like my toaster and my blender.) I have this thing with cluttered counter tops and I hate having appliances sit out. I also hate pulling things out over and over again. This has seriously been the most convenient thing. This pantry shelf (and the rest of it that you can’t see in this photo) become an extension of the kitchen that we use all the time.
I made sure to do a few cabinets with bubble glass fronts to let some of my pretties peek through- like my wedding china that finally got removed from their boxes after almost 9 years of marriage. Yes!
And my collection of blue glass.
Everything turned out as lovely as I imagined it, and for that I am happy.
Here’s the other Camilla light- the globe version. My favorite thing about this light, is that as the afternoon sun goes down and shines though the window, it casts sparkly little rainbows all over the house.
Watching my little kids chase those around is priceless.
I hope you all enjoyed the little peek into my home; I wish I could have you all sit down for dinner! Here’s a list of specs, if you have other questions, about anything, feel free to ask in the comment section!
Home Builder (In Boise, Idaho): Morgan Creek Homes
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams ‘Sensible Hue’
Cabinet Color: Sherwin Williams ‘Snow Bound’
Cabinet Glaze: Sherwin Williams ‘Van Dyke’
Granite: This same granite was called by different names in different places, but it’s most similar to “White Ice”
Metal Tile: Home Depot
Glass and Marble Backsplash: Costco find!
Flooring: Mohawk Flooring, Engineered Hardwood, Santa Ana Plank (Purchased through RC Willey)
Granite: I totally drew a blank, I’ll be back with the name of the granite!
Mini Chandeliers and Globe light: Pottery Barn, Camilla Line
Kitchen Table: World Market ‘Arcadia’
Appliances (Click Here for Details): Thermador from Orson Gygi
I just read every question and answer in the comments hoping I would find the answer I was looking for and not waste your time but… I saw it asked but I didn’t see the answer. Do you know the dimensions of your kitchen and island and is there anything you wish was different? I too am building a house and trying to make sure I get the kitchen right! Thanks!
Beautiful! Can you tell me what color of tin tile you used for your oven backsplash?Was is Chrome or unfinished steel? Thanks so much!
What a gorgeous kitchen Sara! I loved that pantry! I am building and I was wondering if you could share with me the measures on that pantry. Thank you a lot!
Sara, such a perfect and lovely kitchen! Can you please tell me if –given the size of your island– were you able to find a slab of granite large enough, or is there a seam? If there is a seam, would you mind divulging where it was placed, and how the placement was determined? Thank you in advance–I appreciate it!
My husband and I are buying a house that sort of has half a kitchen so we are going to be basically redoing, updating, and installing one. Because of the constant check of your credit we can’t really order cabinets until after we close and after sitting at Menard’s for 2 and a half hours earlier today picking out a kitchen design we found out it would be 4-6 weeks for the cabinets to come in. Which means middle of December, which means we wouldn’t be able to do a thing until after Christmas in January and I panicked. I don’t know how I can live with this absent kitchen for almost 2 months. I was wondering if your cabinets were in stock or a quick ship or custom built? I noticed you had the paint color for them which was through Sherwin Williams so I was wondering if you bought unfinished and had someone paint them? We’ve toyed with that idea to save us some bucks but I’ve heard its incredibly difficult to do a good job. I’m also asking because I want white cabinets and it just seems good ones are harder to find because the in stock where I looked were just an MDF. I’m trying to find another option that won’t require 6 weeks of waiting lol…
Our cabinets were custom designed and built for us.
Totally amazing kitchen!!! How the Arcadia table and chairs are? I’m thinking to buy this table and chairs, but I don’t know if the are a good material! Can you please tell me your comments about it. Thank you!
Oh, this kitchen is PERFECT!! We are just beginning a kitchen remodel, and I’ve searched and searched for pictures of what it is I have in my mind. I’ve looked at hundreds and hundreds of pictures in magazines and Houzz.com — NOTHING has come as close to my imagined kitchen as yours! I first found your blog simply because I was searching for what is already established in the plans for my kitchen: 9′ x 5.5′ dark-stained or painted island; white cabinetry, one glass cupboard space, and single-basin undermount sink. My google search brought me directly to your page!
I am wondering, however, if you could please share the name of the granite you chose? In the specs area you stated that you drew a blank on the name of the granite and would return to the blog to post it. I might just be missing it somewhere, but I don’t see it—is there any way you could email me the information? In addition, I’m wondering (since it’s light), if (as I’ve heard so often) is extremely porous and if you have had issues with staining? Is it Cashmere White? I have heard, even with extremely good sealing, the light granites — especially Cashmere White — are very porous and soak up everything. Can you advise and give insight to your experience? I absolutely LOVE your kitchen. ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE…. My island is set to be 9’x 5.5′ — you stated that your island is “about 9 feet”…. can you tell me the exact size? I ask because I am very concerned about the sink taking up the space and only having about 3-feet of counter on each side. This will be my one and only sink, plus my main prep area, so I’ve “considered” off-centering the sink, but I really think it would look better center and aligned with the stove. Thoughts? I would truly appreciate it if you would email me with your insight into these questions and issues. I thank you in advance! ~ Dawn
Crazy! We just finished building in june of 2013 and my kitchen has many of the same components and I love it too. We did the white cabinets as well with the contrasting walnut cabinetry on the island. Same double ovens, same full size fridge/freezer (which we LOVE since we have a large family and eat lots of fresh), same skinny spice rack next to the stovetop, glass backsplash tile, gray engineered granite, gray walls. Like you, I really wanted the undermount sink with no dividers, but also loved the apron front farmhouse sink so we found one that combined the two. I have loved it! Same stone fireplace and built in walnut book shelves next to it. Lol, I had no idea the concepts were so popular among others as well since we designed it all ourselves, too. But that makes me feel better that we probably weren’t too far off. We did decide to do real hand scraped hickory floors for this house; but we put into our last house the exact same engineered stuff that you have. We had it for 2 years, and while there were occasional knicks in it, overall I thought it did very very well and it was definitely more affordable than real hardwood so I think you will continue to love it!
I am building a house right now and found your information super helpful. Love your kitchen! I have been looking into Thermadore appliances and electrolux. Do you like your Thermador? I have read a handful of bad reviews…..
OH AND ALSO, DID YOU DO ALL YOUR TRIMS AND DOORS IN THE “SNOW BOUND”?
JUST CAME ACROSS THIS! YOUR KITCHEN IS BEAUTIFUL AND THANKS FOR ALL THE ADDED MATERIAL COLORS AND SUCH. I’M IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING AND I CAN’T DECIDE IF I WANT TWO TONED CABINETS AND ISLAND. WE HAD DARK CABINETS AND A WHITE ISLAND IN MY LAST HOME AND I HAVE BEEN PLANNING ON DOING ALL WHITE THIS GO ROUND. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR ISLAND? I’M REALLY LOVING THAT LOOK! THANKS!
I love your kitchen! Just pinned it as my dream kitchen. 🙂 So sad that Pottery Barn discontinued the Globe chandelier in your dining area. 🙁
This might seem like a strange question… but I’m planning our kitchen for our house and am curious: what are your walkway widths in the kitchen? Island – Refrigerator / Island -rangetop? And do you like the width???
You mean between the island and those things? It’s wide, probably 4-5 feet. We specifically made it so things could be open (fridge doors, dishwasher, etc.) and still have 2 people pass by each other.
How do you like your Blendtec? I’ve been using my blender a lot now, and I have a ninja which I thought would be fine, but I really don’t love it. I can get a blendtec for under 300 at Costco right now, so am seriously considering returning the ninja. I’ve heard great things about blendtec, but don’t want to go crazy and get a vitamix.
whoops! I just read through more comments and see you already answered. Thanks!
Love my Blendtec. I literally use it every singe day for something!
This is the most amazing kitchen that I have ever seen in my life! The amazing detail and the breath taking chandeliers! <3 This is 100% my dream kitchen!
I love your kitchen! What is the name of the paint color on the walls? It is so pretty. I looks like it has a hint of green in it.
All of the paint colors are listed at the end of the post 🙂
Love the kitchen. What is the size of your kitchen without the breakfast nook?
Beautiful kitchen!!! I would love to see a picture of your living room and entry. Love your taste in food and kitchen design/colors!!
I see you are in Boise. Does your husband builder/cabinet guy own his own business? I found your blog while looking for cabinet faux painters and refinishers in the area? I want to update my kitchen look and love what you have done here.
Linda, email me and I’ll shoot you his contact info.
A beautiful kitchen! Now that you have been in the kitchen for some time it it still as functional as you had hoped? Would you change anything? Talk to me about your sink being in the island. We are building and right know that’s when the sink is located? Do you have issues with piles of dishes on he counter, because no one else a see to wash them or put them away? Hope this kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful!
What color white did you do your pantry door and trim?
It’s the same as the cabinet color, listed above.
Great, thanks!
My mom and dad live in the Caldwell, ID area and are looking for similar pot lights that you used in your kitchen. Can you give us your Boise source? Thanks for sharing…so many great ideas that we will incorporate into their new kitchne.
we are in the process of building and I came across this picture. I LOVE your kitchen and am using it as an inspiration for mine. I was wondering what size you did the recessed ceiling and why you chose it? Thanks! Beautiful!!!
I chose it because it looks pretty 🙂 I just made it the same size as my island (about 10′ x 6′)
Yes, it does look pretty. I guess I meant why you chose those dimensions. 🙂 thanks for answering my questions.
this kitchen is GORGEOUS! That camilla light is so intriguing!! I can only imagine how amazing it looks when it is on.
How high is your ceiling? It looks like 10 feet…?? We are starting to build and our plans call for 10′ ceilings. Which seems really high to me. Does it ever feel too high?
Yes, they’re 10 feet in the kitchen, and it’s not too high. The surrounding rooms are actually 12 feet and for me, the higher the better!
Can I buy the Arcadia bench from you? I just bought the table and the bench is completely sold out. Let me know please!
Lol, nope! It’s kind of being used, haha
Hi we are just starting our new build and I really love this granite. Happily I am only five hours from Boise so I think that I can get this granite around here! Can you please tell me where you got it and the different names it goes by. I think you said there were a few names. Thanks so much. Gorgeous kitchen. Also, do you have a take on quartz countertops?
quartz is definitely trending right now. I think it might be the “in” thing in the coming years. I looked at it quite a bit, but I just didn’t think it looked very nice. It’s a little more modern- but some of it just looks like formica to me so I went with granite. I’ve seen some really nice kitchens with quartz though, so I think it’s a good option if you find one you like.
Can you tell me where you got the blue canisters on your counter? And any of the other decor that goes with the blue, orange, yellow scheme you have going on. Love it. 🙂
Pam
Those are from Ikea 🙂
I love the glass fixtures on the ceiling and the chandeliers! For my dream kitchen though, I want sunlights and a beam above the island for pots and pans, lids nearby under the island though. The way you have it set up though, as far as the spacious cabinet space, both under the island and throughout the kitchen is awesome though!! Also I like light brown in the way of colors for cabinets. The fridge looks very nice, does it have alot of freezer space. Something I lack right now. Overall it looks like a versatile kitchen..something my husband and I would enjoy cooking in! Our present kitchen is wayyy too small but I keep telling him not to worry we will get the kitchen of our dreams one of these days..: )
OMG…the only thing I can think of right now. I love your kitchen, wish I had a kitchen like that, omg! Can you rebuild it in The Netherlands please 😉 hihi