Kitchen Design Board + Floor Plans

The countdown is on! In about two weeks, we'll be starting our kitchen renovation and I cannot wait. Demo is set to begin in about two weeks - in other words, things will be getting real real fast. (Any advice on living without a kitchen for awhile?)

I basically started planning this kitchen reno the moment we first laid eyes on our house last year and if you've been around the blog for awhile, you might remember that in our "30 day blitz" after closing we took down a wall and did some quick reconfiguring to make it work for us before we could move forward with a true remodeling project.

It went from this (real estate photo):

To this (wall came down, installed a dishwasher and moved the sink to where the fridge used to be):

Since this photo was taken back in the winter, the only thing we've done is install pendant lighting (shown in the design board below) over the peninsula. Though it's been in a state of limbo - for example, our only ceiling light in there right now is a hanging bulb from a ceiling fan we took down, ha! - it's been great to live with the kitchen in this form for awhile to really be able to know what we wanted our new one to be like.

A few months ago, before I took time off from blogging in June and July, I shared my kitchen inspiration, and I'm happy to report I've stayed pretty true to that vision! Light, bright and modern are the key words.

So without further adieu, here's the design board for our new kitchen!

(Please note that some of the following are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through the link, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog in this way!)

1. IKEA cabinets (VEDDINGE) || 2. quartz countertop (Caesarstone London Grey) || 3. butcher block countertop || 4. refrigerator || 5. range || 6. dishwasher || 7. brass hex knob || 8. brass pull || 9. pendant lights || 10. faucet || 11. sink || 12. floor tile

We decided to go with IKEA for our cabinets, doors and quartz/butcherblock countertops. Their system is amazing (soft close doors, anyone?!) and the prices are hard to beat. Though there's a lot of assembly involved, I'm not too concerned since I'm an avid do-it-yourselfer and I have a contractor father-in-law spearheading the project. :)

I went back and forth for a good while on whether to go with flat panel doors or shaker style and ultimately decided to go with the more modern, flat panel doors. I'm pairing the simple door style with some really fun brushed brass pulls and knobs that take the kitchen to the next level. (By the way, the hardware I chose is super affordable - especially those Target pulls. I went into the store the other day to see them in person and they're a great weight and color, which I wasn't necessarily expecting for a Target find! #targetdoesitagain)

For the countertops, I wanted something that looked like marble, but was more durable, and these London Grey quartz countertops fit the bill. I loved the veining and the grey tone. They'll be everywhere in the kitchen except for a small section that will have butcher block. Those cabinets will imitate a credenza - more on that in the floor plans below.

I haven't nailed down the exact tile for the flooring, but I know it will be a dark gray/charcoal and likely be in a 12"x24" size. We're also pretty sure we're going to install electric radiant heat under the tile since our kitchen is freezing underfoot in the winter. Does anyone have any brands they recommend for that? I'm still researching...

Our sink and faucet were ordered this week. I can't tell you how excited I am to be replacing our cheap double basin, stainless steel sink with a deep, single basin one, and our leaky, low faucet for a sleek, pull down one!

Lastly, appliances. I've been thrilled with our Whirlpool dishwasher (it's silent and cleans really well) and we'll be going with them for our refrigerator, range and microwave/hood as well. I'm not sure exactly which models yet, but the three I linked above are strong contenders.

Now let's take a look at the rough floor plan! If any of you have ever tried out the IKEA kitchen planner, you know it's a bit maddening to use, but it gets the job done for the most part.

Here's the overall view:

The main part of the kitchen will maintain the existing L-shape, but the countertop on the peninsula (where the sink and dishwasher are) will extend out into the dining area so we can have a real bar with stools under it for seating. The new items are the "credenza" (represented as brown in the above floor plan) and the floor-to-ceiling pantries (labeled 10 and 11 above).

(To see our kitchen as it stands now, check out this post.)

Below you can see the pantries on the left side. The cabinetry surrounding the range has basically the same layout as the existing cabinetry. A microwave/hood will go above the range.

And P.S., I have no idea why the knobs aren't parallel with each other - a quirk of the software I guess!

Here's a better look at the "credenza" on the opposite side of the space. It will have exposed legs since a small radiator will be sitting under those cabinets. I'm excited to gain a bit of counter space here too!

Our sink, dishwasher and pull out trash can(!) will be in the peninsula and the bar area will extend out the back.

I think that's it. Phew! That was a long post, but I hope it gives you a better idea of where we're headed. Hopefully the next update will be a real life one where we'll be saying adios! to the old kitchen!


*Psst! Need help with your home? Come on over to Mix & Match Design Company and let's chat!

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