My year got off to a bumpy start … but I’m ready to get back at it starting with Snowberry’s kitchen renovation reveal.
In a couple of weeks, I’m participating in a Kitchen Styling feature with a group of talented bloggers …
it’s a real thrill to be included with these ‘big girl’ bloggers!
I’d better not screw up.
To lay the groundwork for that post, now seems like a good time to share the details of our kitchen renovation … the good, the bad and the ugly.
Mostly the good.
So here goes …
Snowberry’s Kitchen Renovation Reveal
I’ve included sources throughout and at the end of the post.
This post includes affiliate links for your convenience at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Snowberry Before … Look at that backsplash tile!
Open concept, big island, banquet seating …
you won’t find any of these features at Snowberry!
Walk-in pantry, prep sink, soaring ceiling … no, no and no.
Plumbed coffee maker, warming drawer, built-in microwave … can you guess?
Crying, not crying …
What’s left you might ask … well, I’ll tell you. A good old fashioned, traditional kitchen.
As a country singer once crooned ‘I’ve got everything I need and nothing that I don’t.’
Yes, all of the above features were on my kitchen wish list. Some were on my must-have list.
But, as with most renovations, tough decisions and compromises have to be made.
And they were.
Decisions, decisions …
I recently shared, in our blue and white bathroom reveal, that many things on our renovation wish list did not make the final cut because they would require an addition. An addition would require reconfiguring the entire floor plan. At that point we’d be better off tearing the house down and starting from scratch.
It was the classic one-thing-leads-to-ten-others situation. And we decided to work with the existing footprint.
Snowberry’s kitchen was (and still is) in the middle of the house …. it started out small and square and ended up larger and rectangular. It’s a wide-galley style.
Truth be told, a galley style kitchen is ideal for serious cooks (I am not a serious cook) … it creates a functional work flow with ease of movement between the sink, refrigerator and range. The holy trinity of kitchen design.
About that pantry … we started out with space for a good-size, reach-in pantry. We ended up trading it – valuable real estate – for a laundry closet.
This turned out to be a great decision.
And we squeezed cookbook shelves in the dead space between the laundry and built-in buffet.
Speaking of squeezes … we purchased an Electrolux washer and gas dryer that fit perfectly, but without an inch to spare.
As for the ceiling height we elected not to raise the 8’ ceiling.
The kitchen had an existing skylight. A massive skylight.
I’m not a fan of skylights, but this one does double duty by breaking up what would otherwise be a long narrow space and it lets in a ton of much needed light.
Humongous Sky Light in process of being paneled.
We decided to panel the inside to match the kitchen’s bead board walls and a crown molding detail was added at ceiling height to spiff it up a bit. The crown also hides strip lighting that’s very pretty at night.
Here’s the original floor plan … and our architects proposed layout.
Original Floor Plan
Proposed Floor Plan
More Tough Choices
Once these tough choices were made (and I came to grips with them) I turned my attention to the design elements.
These were my must-haves, and no compromises were made.
- Inset cabinetry
- Millwork
- Under-sink drip ledge
- Paneled appliances
- Cookbook shelves
- Pantry cupboard
- Hidden microwave
- Dish drawers, and lots of them
- Outlet free backsplash
A word about color …
Do you love a white kitchen? I love a white kitchen. Our last two houses had white kitchens.
Snowberry did not get a white kitchen although that was the initial plan.
I wrote a post about Snowberry’s design inspiration and how I came to decide on sage paint for our kitchen cabinetry.
I also wrote about my process for choosing our interior paint colors.
In the kitchen the winners were Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre for the cabinets and Benjamin Moore’s White Opulence for the millwork.
Cabinetry
With the layout decided and paint colors chosen, it was time to meet with our cabinet maker, Bob Turtino of The Cabinet Masters.
Bob’s company designed and built all the cabinetry, built-ins and closets at Snowberry.
We spent a lot of time together, which I’m sure Bob remembers fondly.
Jeff Tutino / The Cabinet Masters
In the galley area of the kitchen we chose flat cabinet frames. The top drawers are flat front, and the lower drawers and cabinet doors have recessed panels with a bead detail.
On the built-in buffet we added a bead to the frame to differentiate it a tiny bit and create a more furniture-like look.
After the cabinets were installed, Bob shared with me that he did not like our paint color choice, but came to appreciate it once the kitchen was finished.
That last part may have been a white lie, I’ll never know.
How it started …
You can read all about Snowberry’s demo day (ahem … 3 weeks) here.
How it’s going …
The upper and lower cabinets on the far right function as our pantry.
Glass front uppers work with the skylight to keep the kitchen from feeling closed in.
The flooring throughout the house is Du Chateau wide plank, engineered wood in Basal. It’s European Oak.
I chose Classic Brass Hutter Collection cabinet knobs and pulls … in Burnished Brass. They’re solid brass and were a splurge. In fact, they arrived on-site via armored car. Just kidding. Kinda.
Note: When ordering cabinet hardware, count, recount and recount again. You’ll still come up short.
We used Calacatta Caldia marble for the counter tops and backsplash. They’re honed with an eased edge.
All our electrical outlets are out-of-sight underneath the upper cabinets.
When this picture was taken, our refrigerator panels had not yet arrived.
Our microwave and other small appliances are hidden inside the upper cupboard on the far right.
The French doors and door hardware are by Pella.
The kitchen window is part of Pella’s Architect series and opens out from the bottom …
I think it’s called an awning opening.
There is no exposed drywall in the kitchen, what few walls are exposed are covered in bead board and the ceilings are paneled with v-groove boards.
The pull-down faucet, disposal button, hot/cold water dispenser and pot filler (over the range) are from Newport Brass’ Taft Collection in their Antique Brass finish.
The sink is a 33″ Shaw fireclay, apron front sink by House of Rohl.
The drip ledge is walnut and fabricated from a remanent left over from our buffet, laundry closet countertops.
I have a love hate relationship with pot fillers. It’s a long story. I always install them though because … resale.
Having said that, Jim would like me to add that we are never moving again.
The built-in buffet sits at the far end of the kitchen and just outside our little dining room. The six lower drawers house extra dishes and my mom’s china. We added a bead detail to the cabinet frames to give this piece a little extra something something.
The countertop is walnut butcher block to further differentiate this piece from the main part of the kitchen.
Cookbook shelves are recessed to the right. And, the double doors hide our laundry closet. We used Emtek’s door hardware; clear knob and rectangular plate in oil-rubbed bronze, throughout the house
The Garden City sconces above the buffet (and kitchen sink) are in an Aged Brass finish.
So, there you have it. Snowberry’s renovated kitchen.
About all those features I mentioned that went by the wayside, turns out I’m not mad about it …
I love the way our kitchen turned out.
Read all about how I styled my kitchen here!
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Snowberry’s Kitchen Sources:
General Contractor: C Cubed Construction
Cabinet Maker: The Cabinet Masters
Countertop slabs: Calacatta Caldia honed marble from Pietro Fina, Inc.
Fabricator: Coliseum Tile
Walnut countertops (buffet & laundry): Sienna Tile
Bead Board & Moldings: Apple Blossom Moulding & Millworks
Paint Colors: Cabinets – F&B Vert de Terre, Millwork – BM White Opulence
Flooring: Du Chateau wide plank engineered wood in Basal. European Oak.
Appliances: 48″ Duel Fuel Wolf Range, Vent-A-Hood range ventilation, 42″ Sub-Zero Refrigerator (panel ready), Cove Dishwasher (panel ready), GE Monogram Microwave, Electrolux front loading washer & Electrolux front loading gas dryer
Farm Sink: House of Rohl, Shaw 33″ fireclay, apron front sink
Finished Plumbing: Newport Brass Taft Collection in Antique Brass – Pull Down Faucet, Hot/Cold Water Dispenser, Pot Filler
Sconces: Garden City Sconce in Aged Brass
Cabinet Hardware: Classic Brass Hutter Collection in Burnished Brass
Door Hardware: Clear Knob with Rectangular Backplate in Oil Rubbed Bronze
Windows & Exterior Doors: Pella Architect Series
As always, I appreciate your visit and would love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
Two weeks from today I’ll be joining a group of fabulous bloggers to share how I styled Snowberry’s kitchen.
Did I already say that?
I guess I did, but I’m really excited … seriously excited … to be part of the group!
Until then, cheers from Snowberry!
Most of the (good) photos in this post are by Monica Vargas Photography. I think you’ll be able to tell which photos were taken my moi … and not the fabulous Ms. Vargas.
Well done! Love all your choices, especially the paint!
Carol! I’m so happy you like the paint … it felt like a risk and thank goodness it worked out. Whew! xo
OBSESSED with the cabinet color. This is a a kitchen I could bake in ALL day.
Please come and set up your baking station … I’m a great taster!!! xo
Your kitchen (and entire home) are gorgeous Juliet!!! You have SUCH an eye for design. I look at the “Old” Snowberry and would never have had the vision to create what you did. It is lovely, and warm and inviting. Very classy, yet homey. The perfect combination!!!
Robbin … you’re always so sweet and kind. Thank you. We love this house … and it’s so gratifying to hear your comments. xo
Well, I have stood in the BEFORE and AFTER KITCHEN and it is BEYOND FABULOUS!
I LOVE YOUR PAINT COLOR!
MEN!!!!!!
JUST IGNORE THAT COMMENT…………….XXX
Contessa! You certainly have! And, if it weren’t for this darned pandemic you would have spent more time in it … or at least I hope so. As for men … I have no idea what you’re talking about. 😉 xo
I really enjoyed all of the detail in your blog. Very informative.
Thanks so much, Debbie … I’m happy you enjoyed it! xo
Absolutely Stunning! You have an amazing eye for design! I love every detail, especially the paint color and hardware. Well done Juliet, it is very YOU!
Thank you, sweet Whitney! I appreciate the compliments coming from you … who designed such a beautifully home! xo
Your kitchen is stunning. I love that sage green – it’s fantastic. And that skylight – oh! It’s so high up and the bead board looks amazing. You’ve done a stunning job.
Thanks, Carol! The skylight is huge … and do you know that paneling it was the toughest of all our millwork jobs. Or, so says our finish carpenter. We’re lucky he was so good and so conscientious because what could be an eye sore turned out to be an amazing focal point. xo
Juliet I think it looks fabulous! I love all of the details. In 2 years we are downsizing and my husband and I are serious cooks, jokingly he said the other day the the next house just needs a huge kitchen, bath and bedroom!
I am very excited to see your post in two weeks on the blog hop. I believe I know who you will be joining are they are fabulous!
Oh, yes, Elizabeth … I think you know too! Your husband is right on … the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are the keys to a happy downsize. I wish our bathroom was bigger … I wish we each had our own bathroom. Oh well, next house. Oops, don’t let my husband know I said that!!! xo
I love your kitchen! The walnut drip ledge is genius! That and other touches like hiding your outlets, built in book shelves, really make it special. Your kitchen feels luxe, but totally approachable. Well done Juliet!
Thanks so much, Marie! I adore the drip ledge too … people thought I was crazy, but not only does it perform its function but I think it breaks up a very long run on green cabinetry. xo
Beautiful!
Thanks, Suzanne! xo
LOVE, LOVE how you redesigned the kitchen. I love the color and the hardware is to die for.. Good luck and enjoy being part of THE GROUP..
Love Ya
Thank, Mama P … so glad you love the hardware although Jim may not be able to retire for another year! xo
What a beautiful kitchen! The color of the cabinet is so pretty! The built in which houses all your extra dishes is my favorite! Well done, Juliet!
Thanks, Kim. We really love the built in buffet … the storage is amazing. I considered putting a desk I that space … which I really need … but then what would I do with all those dishes. The desk situation is still a conundrum … but I’ve never regretted the buffet choice. xo
Every detail is just beautiful Juliet. You must be so happy!
Thanks, Kim … we are so happy with it! Especially since lock down where we’ve done so much (more) cooking at home!!! xo
Juliet, The kitchen is gorgeous and the sage color is so different and beautiful. I do love the shape of your kitchen also as it’s practical for cooking. The details are fab! We also have an awning window and I love it.. and love that drip ledge. I think it’s pretty cool you have a space at the end for your mom’s dishes and cookbooks too! The whole house is fabulous. It will be fun to see how you style it on the blog hop too! Hope you have a great weekend! xo
Thanks so much, Kim! I’m looking forward to joining the blog hop … but you know me … less is more so my ‘styling’ will be pretty low key and practical. Looking forward to seeing what you do … you’re so creative. It’s going to be fun! xo
I’m swooning over here! Love it all! Especially that stove and sub zero fridge. Beautiful job—So. Well. Done.
Thanks, Leslie … you know that stove and refrigerator have gotten a lot of use this past year. We moved in just before the lockdown … this kitchen has been a workhorse!!! xo
This is so pretty, Juliet. I appreciate your giving so many details and also explaining how and why you didn’t end up with everything you thought you wanted at first; this helps to keep things realistic for those of us who are dreaming of a kitchen renovation. The cabinet color is gorgeous and you will not tire of it; the drip ledge is such a nice aesthetic and functional addition. I am wondering why you did not keep those beautiful wood floors from the original iteration.
Hi Judith … wish lists are great because they allow you to examine all the possibilities and then make choices. I’m so happy with the way things turned out … given our space constraints. And, the kitchen got a lot of use this past year … it really came through for us. As for the floors, they might look good in the photos, but they were in bad shape. Some sections were worse than others. And, there were serious leveling and creaking issues that had to be resolved. I wish we could have kept, refinished, patched and added … but it wasn’t possible. So sad. xo
Juliet,
I absolutely love, love, love your kitchen. I would trade my open concept and large island for your kitchen any day! What your kitchen has is lots of character with modern upgrades. It is hard to find character in newer homes.
The color of your kitchen cabinets are STUNNING! I am a green, greenish blue and navy kind of girl over here at White Lilac Farmhouse.
Absolutely stunning remodel! One thing this new house is missing a the hot/cold water dispenser. I need to add one. Miss the one I had at the old house. Oh my goodness it’s a must have in a kitchen remodel!