Another Day Another Beautiful Kitchen Complete

I know I usually only post once per week but after being on-site this morning I couldn't wait to share how wonderful this creamy white kitchen turned out.  Dreamy.

I've been working with these clients on updating their entire house over the past year, maybe more :0.  One of the last rooms on our list was updating and upgrading the kitchen.  For those of you who follow my blog you might remember that in December I posted on the family room which is part of this open concept kitchen family room space.  If not rewind to early Dec... Field Trip Friday.  http://movingdesignz.blogspot.com/2009/12/fridays-field-trip.html

My clients had recently purchased and installed all new stainless steel appliances and wanted their kitchen updated to complete the main floor of the house.  The final installations happened 2 days before Christmas.  I had my fingers crossed and our ever reliable supplier Tops to Floors came through with flying colours.  http://www.topstofloors.com/

View 1 - The original kitchen... I know some of you are probably thinking, hey there is nothing wrong with this room, it's rather pretty.  Which is true... but what if?  You took it a step further...

View 2- This morning and wow.  The kitchen cabinets were repainted with BM Cloud White, which I simply adore.  We have now added quartz countertops, a stacked marble backsplash, brushed nickel knobs and pulls, new sink and faucet and a new roman shade for the window treament.

View 3- Showing the old cooktop and the mess left behind the cooktop after the old tiles we removed.

View 4 - The new look for the cooktop and backsplash.  Doesn't it look so pretty!  And hey that counterdepth fridge is now looking tres glamourous and right at home with the new look!

View 5 - The Bottocino Marble backsplash close up and personal.  I absolutely adore these tiles.  They are so pretty and a find ... off the shelf from The Home Depot at only $13.99 sq ft. 

View 6 - The former sink, faucet and bare window.  Still pretty especially with the outside view but then...

View 7 - Add this sink and faucet with the oh so pretty curvy lines.  http://www.oasiskitchenandbath.com/ And the new custom roman shade adds a nice dash of texture.  We have an awesome seamstress who makes the most amazing blinds ever!  Oops I think we lost a couple of knobs and pulls.  Note to self add to "to do list :)

View 8 - One last time, one last view of before.  Take note of that light valance.

View 9 - I have to talk about this island and the 6' eating extension.  It took a whole lot of convincing to get my client on side with this idea....like 4 weeks and 2 house visits.  Previously they had a table and 4 chairs occupying this space and they rather loved it.  However, it totally cramped the space.  It is a rather small room afterall and I felt extending the island was the perfect solution for the space issues.  The quartz is Hanstone Victorian Sands, a personal fav of mine.  It looks really good with either white, cream or dark cabinets.

Are we done yet?  Almost, not quite... :)  Two more things...  Our site visit today was to measure for a new light valance which will be constucted and attached to the ceiling next weekend.  We will then have 4 lovely glass pendants, seen above, completing this amazing glam kitchen transformation.   And lastly the remaining 3 barstools which have been on back order since November were shipped out today.  Halalujeh!  A special note to the homeowners and you know who you are ... it has been a pleasure. 

Stay tuned for Kate and Gordie's kitchen and their amazing new house. We're almost there. While the cabinets were being installed last week... Kate and I were busy choosing the hardware and confirming the right shade of white quartz countertop. Here's a sneak peek from last Thursday.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great week!

Susan

Kitchen Love

Todays post is all about the white kitchen. Why white? It's a classic choice for your kitchen. It's light, airy and will always be timeless. It seems that all of our new construction projects involve white kitchens and quite a few of our renovations/makeovers end up white as well.

How many kitchens has Moving Designz painted white during the last year? Six! That's right we've been involved in 6 projects this year where we've painted out wood cabinets to white. Nancy's, Tracy's, Susan's, Beths's, Joan's and Angela's have all been made over with a coat of Benjamin Moore Cloud White. Coupled with new hardware, lighting or countertops all of these kitchens look and feel brand new.


I had my own kitchen cabinets spray painted white about a year after I purchased my house. Here's what you do. Have all the doors, hinges and hardware removed. Fill hardware holes with wood filler and then clean them with a mix of TSP available at most hardware stores to remove any greases. Give the doors and filled areas a good sanding so the paint will adhere. Then take the doors to a company which sprays furniture and have them do all the spraying for a nice even finish. Spray All painting in Charlottetown does most of ours. The cabinet frames and interiors can be hand painted while waiting for the doors to be finished. Some people prefer melamine paint but a good semi-gloss will work fine with less smell and mess. Then it's simply a matter of reinstalling the doors and adding new hardware if needed.





Today's inspiration kitchen. I love the feel of this kitchen. Love the french doors, the wainscotting, the checkered floors, the chandelier, the faucet, the sleek cabinet doors and last but certainly not least the marble countertop. Well done! Very pretty!






Another lovely white kitchen. I love the way they've carried the bulkhead up over the upper cabinets. This is such a good idea because without it way up there collects alot of dust!





The white kitchen from the movie "Something's got to Give". A personal favorite of mine.

Another view same kitchen. I like the way they've used not one but two islands. One for kitchen prep while the other acts as a sideboard/eating nook/piece of furniture.

Here's a small galley style kitchen that looks uber functional with plenty of cabinets and a nice layout.

A farmhouse style with a free standing island/eating area.

Another farmhouse style with the same table idea. The upper cabinets are pretty interesting with the double shaker style framing.

I love the double lighting pendants over the island. Very chic chic and hung at an appropriate height.

Moving on to a little more contemporary look at white kitchens.

A white breakfast area under construction by Moving Designz.

I like the way this corner area has been left as open shelving for displaying decorative items and whiteware dishes. Whiteware is a favorite of mine. It goes with everything and food looks good on it. Look for a wide selection of new whiteware serving dishes coming this fall to Moving Designz.

White subway tile on the backsplash is another classic choice.

If you've looked carefully at all of these images almost all of them feature wood flooring. The warmth of wood sets off white cabinetry beautifully. Add upper cabinets with glass inserts for a classic feel. There's something about glass fronted cabinets that really open up a room. The profiles of the doors are all kept simple in a classic shaker or flat style. Don't be afraid of stainless steel appliances. Yes they will require a little extra effort to keep clean but look so right with white. Be experimental with your selection of door and drawer hardware.

If you are looking for a more traditional feel go for knobs on all of the doors and simple cup pulls on the drawers. For a more contemporary feel choose long bar style pulls or simple door tabs. To add value and glam factor use natural materials like marble, slate, wood or granite counter surfaces but be aware they will require upkeep and annual maintenance on the finish. I would stay away from solid surfaces like Corian as I find they tend to scratch over time. I like using quartz. It's a great material that comes in a variety of colours. It closely resembles granite but is stain, scratch, heat and bacterial resistant. AKA known as low maintenance. The extra cost is well worth it.

Thanks for reading. Have a great long weekend!

Susan