From Builder Grade to Dream Kitchen

Excuse the laundry on the island. Thus, is life. I knew when we first moved in that the moment I had the opportunity, I would change the kitchen. We built this house before the Fixer Upper craze. Shiplap and subway tile were a future thought. We were left with basic choices.

I started dreaming and planning about three years before we started renovation. The idea began with a brick backsplash. I built everything around that brick backsplash. That’s the thing with design. You start with one idea and build from there.

At first, I wanted concrete countertops. That was the next building block on the kitchen design. After some research and talking to my general contractor, I decided on quartz. Thankfully, I found these oversized concrete looking floor tiles that, while not concrete counters, they filled the idea of having concrete in the kitchen.

The next idea I had to work out was what to paint the cabinets. I knew I wanted to lighten the kitchen up, but I didn’t want all white. Initially, I wanted navy for the island, but found Soggy Dog by Sherwin Williams and fell in love. The deep blue brought a bright richness to the space. I also decided to leave the ribbon around the bottom of the vent hood raw wood to break up the stark white of the cabinets.

The kitchen sink and hardware came next. I knew I wanted a galley sink. We had a stainless steel one and I liked the size and space. I didn’t want a typical farmhouse sink like everyone else had. I found this sink on Wayfair and love the details on the front skirt. The ridges bring depth and interest to the space. I wanted to continue a modern farmhouse look that was sustainable with the hardware. I didn’t want to pick something that would go out of style and need to be changed. The simple ridges and black color are classic and will last through time and trends.

We kept the wood paneling on the wall of the bar top. I liked having something there since we have three boys who like to put their dirty shoes on the wall. We painted it white to make it less obvious while still acting texture. We used fencing panels to create this shiplap look.

So, you may be wondering, has this blog turned into a design blog or is it still a space to process faith? Well, it’s a little of both. Part of my faith is walking into what I feel God has created in me boldly and sharing it with the world. It has taken me a very long time to become confident in interior design and renovation (you can read more of my journey on my previous post entitled, Who Am I ). Part of my faith journey is learning who I am and walking bravely into that space. It is where I process and find God. Yes, even through a kitchen renovation. My hope is that you, too, kind find yourself and walk bravely in it.

Love you.

Mean it.

Meg