Want a full tour of our newly renovated kitchen in 4,390 words or less? Grab a LaCroix and settle in — this is the post for you.
Let’s start with a few before-and-after shots. This is the view from the living room before, when the kitchen was mostly hidden.
And now, the same view after the renovation:
Here’s the old view when you entered from the garage:
And here’s how it looks now:
There’s a lot to cover about this kitchen, so today we’ll focus on the finished photos and the key material choices that shaped the space: cabinets, counters, hardware, appliances, lighting, and finishes.
Cabinets
We’ve always loved white kitchens — they brighten darker rooms and give a fresh, timeless backdrop. Because our backyard trees reduce morning light, white cabinets made sense to maximize brightness.
We ordered our cabinets from a local cabinet maker and chose Quality Cabinets for their solid craftsmanship, standard soft-close drawers, and the option to upgrade to five-piece drawer fronts for a little extra detail. Their stock white has a subtle cool hint rather than skewing yellow or overly gray, which helped it coordinate nicely with trim and counter samples.
We picked a classic recessed panel door with a double-beveled edge to suit the home’s character while keeping clean lines. Functionally, we prioritized drawer bases — almost the entire island is deep, wide drawers for pots, pans, and everyday dishes. Drawers make daily life so much easier, and they’re one of our favorite practical choices.
We considered Ikea cabinetry because we’ve had good experiences with it in smaller spaces, but for a project this size we wanted the confidence of working with local fabricators who could handle trim, fillers, and a fast turnaround without extra on-site adjustments.
Counters
After trying granite, Corian, marble, laminate, and concrete in other homes, quartz felt like the best fit here. It’s non-porous, low-maintenance, resists staining, and holds up well to everyday use — important when you plan to stay put and have kids. Quartz slabs also allowed us to execute a very large island without seams.
We ultimately selected a bold, veined quartz for the island to create a strong central statement and paired it with a softer, concrete-like quartz on the perimeter. The island slab felt dramatic in person — the larger-scale veining reads as a focal point, especially in real light.
To add presence to the island we went with a triple-thick look: a 3″ profile achieved by mitering and gluing side pieces from the same slab so it appears solid and substantial. The effect is big and impressive without the cost of using three times the material. It’s supported by a thick plywood base and yes, it took several people to carry it in safely.
For the perimeter counters we chose a warm gray quartz in a matte finish to resemble concrete and to let the glossy island stand out. We ordered those pieces separately after comparing samples from multiple fabricators to get the best match and price.
Hardware, Faucet, & Shelf Brackets
We chose polished nickel for our permanent fixtures and hardware because it has a slightly warm tone that plays well with the wood floors and the warmer veining in the island. For the faucet we went with a single-handle pull-down model for convenience — it’s simple to use and looks clean.
We decided on a simple rule for cabinet hardware: knobs on the cabinets above the counters, and pulls on everything below. Keeping pulls consistent in size helped the design feel cohesive, and the balanced hardware layout reads clean and intentional.
Appliances
We installed a counter-depth refrigerator to keep the line of the cabinets streamlined. We bought a matching set of appliances before the remodel so we’d have a coordinated look while living in the house through the renovation and afterward. We also switched from an electric range to a gas slide-in model; the look and cooking performance won us over, and the slide-in profile keeps the backsplash clean and uninterrupted.
We placed the microwave under the counter in a tucked location. It’s convenient, safe, and surprisingly accessible even if you’re shorter — and it keeps the sightlines uncluttered. So far it’s worked very well for our family.
Lighting
We added several recessed lights for balanced, dimmable general lighting, plus targeted accent cans above the sink and counters to avoid shadowing while working. The most impactful fixtures, though, are the three oversized island pendants. We designed them to have polished nickel rods and a generous metal dome finished in a soft putty tone so they feel proportionate over the large island while tying into the nickel hardware and the island’s veining.
Wood and Natural Accents
With so much white and gray in the room, we deliberately added warm wood and natural textures to keep the space from feeling sterile. The wood floors anchor the room, and woven blinds, wood stools, cutting boards, and woven trays add layered warmth and tactile contrast. We also added reclaimed wood open shelves that we stained after some experimentation — they bring a relaxed, lived-in feel to the space.
Tile & Paint
We ran the backsplash tile all the way to the ceiling on the main window wall for a dramatic, cohesive look and left a seven-inch reveal around the windows so the tile could read as a continuous plane. We chose a matte, tumbled marble tile for subtle texture that complements the brick fireplace visible from the kitchen without competing visually.
We sealed the tile thoroughly to protect the grout and surface from grease and kitchen splatters — so far it’s holding up well. A door wall that felt unfinished was continued in tile to visually connect the mudroom cabinet area to the rest of the kitchen, and we replaced the old metal door with a nicer paneled one painted a lively blue-green to add personality.
The remaining walls are painted in a soft warm gray that sits just a shade darker than the cabinets and lets the tile, countertops, and fixtures be the stars.
Sources
We’ll share more details in future posts about cabinet organization, mistakes we made, how we built and stained the reclaimed shelves, and how we constructed the built-ins in the living room. For now, here are key finishes and items that shaped the kitchen aesthetic: a polished nickel pull-down faucet, a veiny quartz island paired with a matte concrete-like perimeter quartz, wood counter-height stools, polished nickel shelf brackets and hardware, oversized metal dome pendants in a putty finish, a tumbled marble backsplash, woven blinds, and natural accessories to add warmth.
We received many questions from readers wondering whether an island would fit their layout, so we included a rendering with measurements to help illustrate spacing choices. We were careful to specify shallower cabinet depth behind the stools to preserve comfortable circulation even when people are seated.
One last before-and-after to close things out — the wall that used to block the view is gone, and the new open sightlines make the whole space feel larger and more connected.
We still have lots to share — photos, organization tips, a breakdown of mistakes, and DIY instructions — but it feels great to finally show you this space. Goodbye, faux-brick linoleum floors. Hello, kitchen we’ll enjoy for years.
* This post includes references to the products and finishes we used while renovating the kitchen.