I didn’t think the day would ever come that I was posting this, but we officially updated our kitchen! This wasn’t a full remodel, and it’s not fully “done”, but we are set for now.
When we first walked through our home 5 years ago when we purchased it, the orange counter tops in the kitchen really turned me off. We just aren’t bright colored people, and it was a lot to take in right when you walk in the door. Plus, it was so hard to flow from one room to another with such a bold color in the kitchen. AJ “loved” the orange counter tops- because he didn’t want to pay for new ones :). So I decided to save up and do it myself!
Let’s take a look back where we started. I only have 2 before shots, because I’m awful at documenting the process.
Kitchen- Before
Like I said, it was a LOT. Every single person to ever walk into our kitchen had a comment about the orange counter tops. Also, since they were a solid color, the scratches were very noticeable too.
The Remodel
When it came to picking new counter tops, I wanted a neutral vibe for our kitchen. I also knew I wanted to keep the butchers block- we have so much white with the cabinets and they really warm up the area. I considered doing all butchers block, but we would have been replacing everything because it was nearly impossible to match the same stain. Below is the sample I chose.
I also have ZERO pictures of install day, but, it really wasn’t that interesting. They came first thing in the morning and left by noon.
Along with new counter tops, we also decided to upgrade our sink. Our old sink was outdated, and it just made sense to do it right now while we were cutting the new counter tops. We went with an apron front, white ceramic sink and an industrial faucet from Kohler. I think the sink might just be my favorite part of the kitchen.
Kitchen- After
Total updates:
- Counter tops – $1020
- Sink & faucet – $615
- Labor (carpenter/plumber) – $430
- New cabinet hardware – $60
TOTAL COST: $2,125
The bar stools and refrigerator are new as well, but those were both before this kitchen project.
I would still like to add a backsplash, and possibly an accent wall behind the refrigerator. We will need a new stove, but we prefer not to replace appliances that work perfectly fine! But, eventually we will have all black slate appliances.
Well there you have it! I still have to pinch myself every time I walk into the room- it just doesn’t even feel like the same house!
