Carson and I survived his first day of Kindergarten. When I left and we were both in tears. probably one of the hardest thing I have ever had to do as a mama, leaving your first born in tears for an entire day is no fun! But Carson had a great first day, and came home and told me it was awesome an he couldn’t wait to go back!!!
Thank goodness I had the Lilly Sale to help me keep my mind off of everything 🙂 There are still so many great things, I have a feeling I may hit the checkout button a few more times 🙂
This sweater was just added and I made sure to pick it up in the cream!! I love cream in the fall and winter!
Here are some more items that were listed late afternoon, and most sizes are still available. I would grab what you want now as you now sizes don’t last long with this sale! And if nothing else get this dress, would be perfect for fall with boots! Also, this one was just added in navy and white!
Ahh and this blouse that I am wearing today is marked down to $48.00!!
So Todd and I have been talking for a while now about making some updates to our kitchen. When our house was built 7 years ago someone else picked out all the flooring, cabinets, counters, and hardware. Surprisingly, I really love most of what was picked out, and we’ve only made very minimal changes since then. The kitchen though, has been the one thing that I have been dying to change! It’s not terrible by any means, it’s just not what I love, or what I would have picked.
So here’s our thoughts……………. And PLASE share you opinions or advice with me, I would love to here your favorites, or if any of you have been through this process before any tips you have!
New Counters- Either pearl white granite or marble. And extend the bar out more.
Cabinets- Paint a bright high gloss white. They are a really light and I mean very light off white. But I feel like as soon as I add in all the white with the counters and backsplash they will look cream. I do though wish I could get around painting these.
Backsplash- I love classic white subway tiles. But I am open to looking at other options.
Hardware- I actually changed this about two years ago, but I am thinking about changing it again to maybe brass. What’s your thoughts, should I just leave it?
Lights- I am not sure how with all the recess lighting we have, but I would love to do something kind of like these maybe? Also above our bar area I would like some lights, but I feel it’s too low with the box they built around it.
So here we are now.
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And here are some of my inspiration pictures.
How fun that they have the same stools as my new ones. Really more like I have their stools.
WE have such the same taste in kitchens. I say yes to brass hardware or at least I would do brass:) I like the recess lights but you might could do some shorter smaller hanging pendants.
I moved into my house 4 years ago and loved everything but the kitchen. I had the cabinets painted a light blue, put in all ss appliances, added a tile backsplash and put in granite countertops and extended my island a little for seating. I was reading your post and thinking we just did the exact same thing. Anyway it is a quick and easy fix and now I love my kitchen;)
I think your kitchen looks great! But I do understand, mine needs work too! Here's my thoughts-have you looked into quartz countertops? There are some that looks just like marble! We put in marble in our powder room and it's great in there but I wouldn't put it in my kitchen, too many other durable alternatives that look just like it. The white subway with dark grout you can get at HD for cheap! I can't see what your current lighting is but love the idea of 2-3 pendants above your bar and leaving your can lights as-is. Can't wait to see what you choose! Can you share the details on your table, chairs, and bench at the eating area? I want new!!
I always love a white, white kitchen so I would vote marble counters to make a huge difference. I can't believe Avery starts kindergarten in two weeks. I'm so not ready 🙁 I'm glad Carson had a great day, makes me feel much better about it!!
Love Love Love that first inspiration picuture. I like a white backsplash also, it makes the happy kitchen clean fresh and happy! Your kitchen is beautiful! xo
Well done for getting through the first day sweet mamma! And so glad C enjoyed it too x
Loving your kitchen ideas and inspiration – we have just built our house so I designed and built our kitchen from scratch! And it sounds so similar to your ideas – I haven't done a house tour online yet but I'm happy to send you some pics as an idea?
We have white caesarstone tops with white high gloss cupboards. Our island in the middle is open – why not open up your boxed bar area so it is just the island top? It would make the whole area look bigger and give you perfect space for hanging lights – we have 3 big, round ones hanging above ours and its a great feature.
So exciting!! x
i love all of your ideas!! the only thing i would keep is i love your current silver hardware. brass is pretty but white + silver looks so fresh (like the first + third inspiration photos). also my mom recently renovated her kitchen and decided to go with white quartz counters apparently they look like marble but dont cost as much! i cant wait to see what you decide to do. xo jillian – cornflake dreams
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I am about to remodel our "new" house kitchen! It will have white cabinets, marble counter-tops, and white subway tile. I am going to use Ella hardware from Pottery Barn. I am the only person not a fan of brass hardware. I cannot wait to pick out lighting! So fun! I am also doing a farm sink and bridge faucet. Good luck!! Cannot wait to see what you do!!
Oh girl I would be so happy if you would send me some pictures!!! Would love to see what you've done!!
Yes that's what we are thinking, I agree it would make it look so much bigger!!!
xoxo caycee
We just renovated our kitchen with white cabinets and a light gray/white granite. We did a full reno but it's amazing how much the white brightened up our downstairs. We also did white subway tile backsplash which I love!! I wanted marble but we didn't go that route bc it stains easily which we learned the hard way in our powder room 🙁 we have no idea what stained it but even though it was sealed it's still very sensitive. I went with polished chrome for the hardware and I'm so happy I did because I think it helped brighten it. You can see pics of our kitchen reno on my instagram @eastcoastnat and I used the hashtag #hendokitchreno2014 on all my kitchen pics. Let me know if you have any questions
Good for you and your little man for hanging in there! Call me crazy, but I actually like your kitchen, I would leave cabinets and hardware as they are until you get the new countertops and backsplash put in to see how they all blend in, you might be surprised by how much brighter those two things will make your kitchen. I just recently redid my kitchen, and went with a white that I honestly think it's too white, I should had toned it down a notch, but I'm not about to re-paint the whole thing again. Good luck!
glad Carson had a great first day.. we had a first day of Middle school and High school and next Wednesday I am dropping my daughter off for her freshman year at Wofford~ sigh!
I like the white subway tile and marble no Brass!
love it all. Especially that first image! Don't do white marble, girl your OCD will hate it. Choose a quartz or white granite if you want the look!
Absolutely love your kitchen as is and love your inspiration picks even more!!
Love all white kitchens!! Go big or go home 🙂 I know you got your stools at TJMaxxs but can you tell me the actual brand. I can't find them anywhere and I love them!
Caycee, we've been wanting to make udpates to our kitchen too in the same direction you are heading! Your inspiration pics are similar to mine (and some are even the same!). Can't wait to see what you end up doing. Carson is adorable by the way!! Could he be any cuter?! I don't think so!
I wish I could redo my kitchen in white, so I am loving all your ideas. I think if you opened up the bar area, it would make such a difference. Open concept is huge right now and I think it would benefit in the long run. Not sure what your budget is, but what if you did a hood vent and removed the microwave and upper cabinet? Open shelves to the left and right of the stove? I think brass is super trendy right now and after a while it will make your kitchen look dated. I think white and silver is classic. Do you plan on redoing the floors? Can't wait to see what you decide!
I love the ideas, and I love brass. Although, I don't think I would commit to it in kitchen hardware – especially if you choose high quality/cost ones. Styles are constantly changing, and I fear that brass won't be as popular in a year or two.
I love all your inspiration pics! Those stools you scored are still the most amazing find and look so freakin good in your space. Can't wait to see what changes you make and I vote quartz countertops – I hear soooo many amazing things about them and I know you can find so many good dupes for marble without the cost and maintenance!
I love your ideas! We are renovating a house (well, we totally gutted it and are rebuilding), and our kitchen ideas have changed so many times! You can't go wrong with white. We started with white cabinets and have now moved to white counter tops (with a beautiful sea green cabinet color). Subway tiles are SO CUTE, and we had that on our list forever, but we have decided to do painted white brick. (We want a more industrial look.) It's so hard to decided – especially with Pinterest and so many beautiful blogs! Whatever you choose will be beautiful, I'm sure! I can't wait to see what you decide!
PS I am so glad Carson wants to go back! I hate leaving kids in tears, but they always end up having a great day!! Good job surviving Day 1!!
Congratulations on the first day of school! I think white Carrera marble would look great with white cabinets and white subway tile backsplash with dark grout. You should watch Fixer Upper on HGTV, she does some awesome kitchens! Oh, and I had to snag that cream sweater 😉 Hate when they keep adding things like that haha
Glad your little man had a great first day! Sometimes it's still hard for my 6th graders and their parents to part ways on the first day! I'm loving the kitchen inspiration– white kitchens definitely brighten up spaces! Looking forward to seeing the process!
Can't believe Carson is in Kindergarten! Happy to hear he loved it! My little guy starts preschool next week 🙁 Great post! We just gutted our kitchen, literally everything except the floors. So if you need advice please feel free to reach out. I learned a LOT. I don't think I would use marble though. Its gorgeous don't get me wrong. i wanted it but learned that it scratches easily and stains very easily. With small ones that just isn't practical. I used Romano Blanco granite in our kitchen. It has kind of the same look as marble but much more durable. I love it. Also, just go ahead and expect it will take longer for the kitchen to be re-done than what you are told. And it will prob cost more, so just go ahead and budget for that now. I still love marble, and found a way to keep it in the kitchen. I used it in our backsplash. A mix of marble and glass tile. I would be more than happy to send you pics if you would like. Also, I would wait until after you get the counters and backsplash installed before deciding on the color of cabinets and hardware. You may completely change your mind. This is a little bit of what I learned from our kitchen reno. Hope it was helpful! 🙂
We painted our cabinets high gloss white. It definitely IS a big job, but you do want to do it right if you are going to do it. Remove all hardware and doors, sand everything {base and door fronts}, prime, lightly sand again, do one coat of your white with a cabinet door roller, not a brush. Let dry 24 hours, then repeat. You will have to live without your cabinet doors a few days, and have a place they can sit to dry, maybe the garage? I love the white subway tile and think that it would be good for resale of your home later. I love that countertop in the first pic…that would be the direction I go. I wouldn't change the hardware to brass, since your appliances are stainless steel, and I feel if you have some gray in the countertops, it might clash with brass. Just my 2 cents! Good luck, can't wait to see what you do!
-Morgan
California To Carolina
The Gym Bunny
I agree with most everything you wanted to do. Definitely need to paint the cabinets in the high gloss white, extend the bar, marble countertops would be beautiful, but granite is much more practical for a family with little ones. I love the idea of brass hardware (brass with bits of gray in the marble does not bother me one bit), but you could stick with nickel… I'd just update the knobs and pulls to a more modern, cleaner look since you're going with all white. Can you get rid of the box around the bar? If so, you could add pendant lighting. Under-cabinet lighting would add a lot to the space too. Also, on the wall perpendicular to the sink with the 3 cabinets, what about changing those to glass cabinetry? Not sure how big of a reno you're looking to do, but if you could build the cabinets to the top, that would look great as well. 🙂 Hope this helps some. I always love getting other people's inputs, too!
I would want to do the same thing! I would love to do brass hardware, and a hanging pendant light would be amazing. I am a total sucker for classic subway tile but a herringbone marble would be really pretty too!
Have you thought about deciding on your cabinets after the granite/marble and backsplash are installed? If you still think they need to be painted then you can do it. We had our cabinets professionally sprayed. It does not matter what order you remodel as the painters will mask everything regardless if you have old counters and backsplash. Good luck!
I love your inspiration pictures. The subway tile will look so classic and great again the cabinets. I would wait, too, on painting the cabinets until you have the counter tops and backsplash. You may not need to paint them. They look more off-white b/c of your beige counter tops you have now. I would do silver hardware, too, since you will have stainless steel appliances and will never go out of style. I think it will look amazing if you can take out the box cut out in your island and hang pendant lighting. Can't wait to see!
Check out quartzite! It's different than Quartz and there are some that look just like marble. We are about to renovate our kitchen and this is what my interior designer recommended