Kendra's Treats

So remember over 2 months ago when I posted the first post about our kitchen remodel? Well, our kitchen is finally finished!! Woo hoo!! It ended up taking about a month longer than we had anticipated for several different reasons, but it was totally worth it. We’re so happy with the way it turned out =).

There wasn’t anything horribly wrong with the kitchen when we bought the house – save the 20 year old appliances – but there weren’t that many cabinets and they didn’t go all the way to the ceiling. We originally planned to bring our appliances with us and talked to the cabinet maker about having more cabinets made that would match, but it was going to cost over half as much to get a few additional cabinets made as it would to just get all new ones. I’m so glad opted for all new, because our new cabinets are so much nicer than the old ones.

We ripped up the old linoleum and put down this Gunstock Ash Hardwood floor. We picked this floor because we loved the color and because it was affordably priced. The 2-1/4″ floor does take longer to install but I love the way it looks.

Next, we bought some new appliances. Jordan looked on consumer reports and read all kinds of reviews online before deciding which ones to buy. In the end, we ended up buying a different refrigerator than the one we picked out because apparently all stainless steel isn’t exactly the same color (who knew?) and so we ended up buying a different fridge so all the appliances would be the same brand. I’m really glad the salesman pointed that out because it would have been bad to have realized after the appliances were delivered that they aren’t exactly the same color!

This is the fridge we ended up buying and so far we love it. We knew we wanted a side-by-side and we wanted a freezer with a bigger ice storage area. The only thing I don’t like about it is that occasionally it makes a weird noise when it enters defrost mode ;).

My new stove is awesome! The oven is really big, it has aqua lift self-cleaning, and it’s convect or bake – yay! This is my first glass-top stove and it seems like it doesn’t really get as hot as my other one did, but it is certainly easier to clean. And the microwave? Well, it’s awesome to be able to heat up leftovers or melt butter without turning on the stove! I never realized how much I used the microwave until I didn’t have one.

After washing all the dishes by hand for 2+ months, I’ve never appreciated my dishwasher more! I loved the look of this dishwasher – so clean and sleek – and it seems to do a really good job of getting the (even really dirty) dishes clean. Isn’t it pretty? =)

Our cabinets were made by a local cabinet maker. They’re solid oak (oak and ash have the same grain pattern) and match the floor perfectly. I love the way they go all the way to the ceiling! Even though, I can’t reach the top shelf without a stool, it gives me lots of extra room for storing those items that I don’t use that often. And, I don’t have to worry about dust bunnies on top of the cabinets ;). The kitchen originally had somewhat of a strange layout, so we opted to add an island for additional cabinet and countertop space. I’m basically at the island all the time =). I did opt for rain glass in one door in the corner and I love it =). We picked simple knobs and pulls in a brushed nickel to match the appliances.

We debated about what type of countertops to get. I really wanted granite, but since this is our first house and we had already gone over budget by getting all new cabinets and appliances, we opted for formica. They’ve came a long way with formica in the last few years and although it still is a far cry from granite, it’s a great option if you’re on a tighter budget. We picked Amber Kashmire with a honed finish and an ogee edge. Maybe our next kitchen will have granite ;).

We (my dad and brother) also installed some under-cabinet lighting. It’s pretty much the best thing ever ;). (Although, you’ll notice that the lights aren’t on in most of the pictures. Fluorescent lights = strange white balance.)

Last but not least, the backsplash! I mentioned the backsplash in an earlier post and picking out the backsplash was definitely the decision we labored over the most! It’s a little pricey, but it really gives the kitchen a finished look and pulls everything together. It’s easy to install and we love it!

It seemed like we would never get everything finished, but it was totally worth the wait! We love our new kitchen =).