Being in the remodeling industry for over 15 years, I was excited that it was finally “my time” for a new kitchen. I had been dreaming and planning my own renovation in my head, and on Pinterest, for years!

However, my initial feelings of excitement and anticipation quickly turned to feelings of self-doubt and worry. I couldn’t stop asking myself, why did we do this, how are we going to afford this, did we even need a new kitchen?! I started to convince myself that our appliances were fine and that it didn’t make sense to renovate with a 3 & 4 year old.

BUT I knew I not only needed this new kitchen, but my young family of 4 needed it, too. I recognized my girls needed a space they would be excited to eat breakfast in each morning – and would encourage them to actually sit down for more than 1 minute!

So I am going to tell you my renovation in real life. The good, the bad and the beautiful. But first, let’s start at Step 1 – Designing for Your Lifestyle. This new kitchen couldn’t just incorporate my visual wish list, but it needed to make sense for our life. So here is what I chose and why…

1. Durable Finishes

My two girls are wild! I wanted materials that would hold up with lots of traffic and use.

• Quartz Countertops –For the best wear and tear I chose quartz countertops, to avoid a counter that would scratch and etch. I had moments where I thought I could go with a gorgeous honed Everest Quartzite, but I wanted to be realistic and knew I would worry less with quartz. (Note, further countertop and cabinet details to be covered in the next post!)
• Glazed Porcelain Floor Tile – I choose a glazed porcelain tile for the floors because of its strength. I really wanted a light color floor but needed some movement so it would not show every bit of dirt. I fell in love with this particular floor because of the color, variation and texture.

2. Appliances

Functionality won over style in this category! As a mom who cooks a lot, I needed the most practical (and not always the chicest) appliances.

• Flex Duo Oven – This oven was one of my MUST have items, due to its convenience. I really did not want a convection oven on our new countertops so I found the best solution. Using removal smart dividers, you can cook multiple dishes at the same time. This one oven is really two! I can cook chicken nuggets and French fries in the top for the kids and a pork loin in the bottom for my husband and me.

3. Prioritizing Wish List

To meet my budget, I had to pick and choose where to save and where to spend.

• Limited custom cabinets – I had to forego many interior components, pullouts and accessories to keep down the costs, but I prioritized a couple of items to upgrade on, which included an awesome custom drawer box with dividers for snacks. The new snack drawer was my only splurge on the cabinet end – and totally worth it.

4. Incorporating Trends

I wanted the kitchen to feel bright and fresh since we are a young family, but also timeless since it would be with us for many years. I chose the cabinetry and countertops in classic neutral tones to ensure that it would look current for years to come, but I did want to incorporate a little bit of glam, and decided to integrate gold and black accents throughout. These accent items can also be easily (and not too expensively) changed down the line if I want to give the kitchen a little refresh.

• Hardware – The gold accessories really started with the gold Emtek Mod Hex Pull in satin brass finish that I had been eyeing in our showroom for months.

• Faucet – I wanted a dramatic, bold faucet that would be a big feature in the space. The black and gold Brizo one I chose is not only super chic, but has SmartTouch Technology! I have always wanted a touch faucet because we are constantly in the kitchen cooking, doing experiments and cleaning. The Brizo touch faucet had both the look and the function I was looking for.

• Lighting – To complete the space I found a gold chandelier and sconces on Wayfair. I wanted them to be the two things that really put spunk in the kitchen.

 

Check back next Friday where I will discuss the kitchen design!