kitchen update reveal!

Oh, hello 2016!

So I have to admit that I have several Holiday/New Year's  posts sitting half finished in my drafts and I am trying to decide if it is too late to share them. I have so many ideas ... but I'm really short on time these days! Some little person seems to take all of it! :)

However, I am finding time to share the long awaited reveal of our kitchen updates! 

I have had visions of a farmhouse kitchen forever and I have pinned and saved inspiration since we moved into this house. It took several months, but the space has finally come together.

This project first began in July when we browsed around some stone yards and finally choose some counter tops. I really had my heart set on Carrera Marble, and surprisingly it was in our budget, but our fabricator talked us out of it. Instead we chose Giallo Ornamental Granite. Apparently, this is a pretty popular stone because I have seen it all over Pinterest! We love the light color and how it integrates grays and browns easily. If you are local, we worked with Carolina Custom Surfaces and we were very pleased! We also ended up choosing a white cast iron sink for the space. I would have loved a true farmhouse sink, but that would have meant altering the cabinets, which wasn't an option.

Our countertops were installed in August and we had decided to extend the width to create a true bar area on our peninsula. We added 7 inches to create a 12 inch overhang, perfect for some barstools. Justin then added beadboard around peninsula and the next step was painting the kitchen and dining room. I struggled to choose a color, so I narrowed it down and bravely told Justin he could have the final decision. I came home from work one Friday to discover he had chosen Requisite Gray by Sherwin Williams.. and I loved it! 

The next task was refinishing the cabinets and changing them from oak to white. Justin used Rusteloum's Cabinet Transformations and like I said during our last kitchen update (read about it here) this is not a quick process, especially when you still have to work! About 3/4 of the way through, we suddenly had a baby! Obviously, our goal of having the kitchen completed by the time Makynli arrived didn't happen.

Things got put on hold for quite a few weeks, but Justin was eventually able to complete the cabinets and change out the pulls. I insisted that I wanted the drawers to have different pulls than the cabinets, which was a little bit more expensive and a little more complicated! (However I discovered that buying pulls in sets from Amazon is way cheaper!) Justin then moved on to the backsplash in December. We chose a simple and clean white subway tile and a light gray grout. My only regret about this project would be the grout--a darker color would have suited the space better. On New Years day Justin finally put the finishing touches on everything! 

It is quite the amazing before and after! I am so pleased with how it turned out. I think it makes the space look brighter and bigger, which is important in a small kitchen. 

Before:

After:

 I have plans for a little coffee station area .. I'm slowly collecting the right pieces!

Source List:
Paint color: Requsite Gray by Sherwin Williams
Counter tops: Giallo Ornamental Granite
Tile: Lowes
Stools: Kirklands
White pitcher and canvas art: TJ Maxx
Cabinet and Drawer Pulls: Amazon
Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation: Home Depot (ours took 2 large kits)
Faucet: Lowes
Sink: Lowes
Mail Holder: Kohls