Here it is!! My brand new kitchen! I can hardly believe it’s mine.

If you saw my earlier post when we returned from our trip to Germany to find my kitchen falling apart. Then you know what a big deal this has been.

When we bought this house, the kitchen was literally the cheapest construction part of the house. The cabinets were bottom of the line formica, and there was even a book shelf shoved into a slot where perhaps a wine fridge once stood.

We repainted it when we moved in, but that was the extent of what we did really.

So, a few years later, and after 2 months away in Germany, I came back to an even worse situation: counter tiles were falling off, and the cabinet doors were loose, and even missing. And the base cabinet under the sink was destroyed from water damage.

I just couldn’t handle prepping food in it anymore.

So, I decided it was time to gut that sucker and start over: clean slate.

The world was mine, only limited by my imagination (and my budget). I rethunk my whole kitchen and how I used it, then spent some time on Pinterest finding my inspiration.  

I figured out what I wanted, and got to work creating it.

I sourced these amazing, high end, non-toxic, US Made custom cabinets for less than the Made in China brands I’d been quoted (I wrote about that here). I love them!

My contractor (who is also a friend) made these bad ass floating concrete shelves, and matching concrete counter tops with a custom sink, drainage and cutting board slot.

Totally eco friendly and exactly what I wanted!

Once the counter tops were installed, we created a custom color for the cabinets, then painted the kitchen cabinets ourselves. It was actually pretty easy. I reused my original drawer pulls for economy sake and a simple look.

So, here it is: 
MY NEW KITCHEN

Mostly Made in the USA, hand-assembled, hand-painted, non-toxic, functional, and a place we love to gather in. It’s so easy to cook and prepare foods in now. It’s clean and fresh feeling, and really a joy to use every day.

That’s something I never expected to say about a kitchen.

I replaced the ceiling fan with the perfect vintage chandelier to create an industrial-chic feel.

A note on ceiling fans in the kitchen: Just no.

Ceiling fans are not really hygienic for the kitchen and they can adversely affect food prep.

Ours was coated with kitchen gunk and was long overdue to be gone (though I would never have realized it if I hadn’t rethought my whole kitchen).

I actually have to take a moment to talk about this rethinking point because I’ve mentioned it before. This was a brilliant moment for me and changed the way I use my kitchen completely. If you haven’t read that post, I invite you to see the inner workings of my mind and the creative (and dare I say ingenious) designs and gadgets that make my kitchen easy to keep clean and use. Seriously.

Okay, back to my kitchen reveal.

We did replace the stove and dishwasher to match the fridge now that it was more obvious. That was unexpected.

We chose Whirlpool (Made in USA). Our previous dishwasher wasn’t as up to snuff as we would have liked, so it worked out well.

And we ditched the microwave. For good.

Yep. That was weird at first, but honestly, we don’t really miss it anymore.

*UPDATE: So, it’s been over a year, and here’s how my relationship with my kitchen has worked out: Both Grant and I prepare most of our meals at home from scratch together. I have shifted a few things around once I established a routine and really developed a rhythm of how I use my kitchen.

Clean up is always quick, smooth and honestly, not a problem. Even after the whole family has been here and we’ve used nearly every device and/or dish in the house. My kids even comment on how easy it is to clean up.

So, it’s mostly tidy and lovely these days, and I often let out a happy sigh after I’ve cleaned everything up and shut down the kitchen.

I love it. Truly.

Resource List:

Love something you see or feel inspired? Here’s the details of what and where to find everything.

Kitchen Cabinets: Barker Cabinets (Read my detailed post here)
Cabinet Color: Custom Mix with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
Backsplash: Floor & Decor
8×8 Canvas Photo Prints: CanvasChamp.com (seriously best prices I’ve found on line)
Whirlpool Appliances: Best Buy
Kitchen Faucet: Kohler Bellera Pull-Down Faucet 
Range Hood: IKEA DÅTID Exhaust hood, Stainless steel
Rails and Baskets for Wall: IKEA FINTORP Rails and Baskets
Knife Storage: Magnetic Knife Strip

Don’t miss a single post!

Subscribe to the 365 Days of Awesome Blog and get notified when there’s a new bit of awesome added. —-> Look for the subscribe form on the right. It’s as easy as that!