Want a full tour of our newly renovated kitchen in 4,390 words or less? Grab a LaCroix and settle in—this post walks through the finished space, the major material decisions, and lots of after photos.
Here are a few before-and-after views. This is the view from the living room before when the kitchen was tucked out of sight:
And now:
From the other side, by the garage door, here’s the old view:
Now that doorway opens to this:
There’s a lot to cover, so today we’re focusing on cabinets, counters, hardware, lighting, and the choices that shaped this white kitchen. We’ve already documented the layout and the demo/rebuild, and this post explains the materials and finishes we used.
Cabinets
We love a white kitchen—having bright cabinetry helps since mature trees block some morning light in this room. After exploring options through a local cabinet shop we’ve worked with, we chose a Quality Cabinets style for solid craftsmanship, standard soft-close drawers, and the option to upgrade to a five-piece drawer front with recessed paneling. The stock white is a clean, slightly gray-leaning white that pairs well with trim, counters, and tile, but we always recommend bringing a sample home to confirm a match.
Instead of a super-simple flat shaker, we selected a more traditional door with a double-beveled edge to add character appropriate for the house. Functionally, we prioritized drawer bases—most of the island is made up of large, deep drawers, which we love for accessibility and storage.
We also considered other cabinetry systems used in smaller projects but chose the local cabinet company for this large, quick-turn renovation because they offered the custom finishing and on-site support we wanted to ensure everything fit and looked balanced.
Counters
We considered natural stone and other surfaces but selected quartz for durability, low maintenance, and non-porous properties that resist stains and bacteria. For the island we chose a dramatic quartz with large-scale veining to create a bold focal point, and a softer, concrete-like quartz for the perimeter counters to balance the look.
We tracked down a full slab to confirm color and scale in person. For the island we went with a large-pattern quartz that reads like marble but with the resilience of engineered stone. The island slab was fabricated to appear triple-thick: mitered edge pieces were glued to the slab edge so it looks like a 3″ solid slab without using three times the material. The installation required multiple people to carry and set it, but the visual payoff is one of our favorite parts of the remodel.
For the perimeter we selected a warm gray quartz with a matte finish to resemble concrete and to let the island’s glossy veining stand out. We sourced the island and perimeter from different fabricators after comparing samples and prices—shopping around paid off.
Hardware, Faucet, & Shelf Brackets
We favored a polished nickel finish for permanence and warmth that complements the wood floors and island veining. Although bridge faucets felt attractive, we selected a single-handle pull-down faucet for practical everyday use; it’s simple to operate and very functional. Polished nickel shelf brackets and cabinet hardware feel solid and weighty; we kept knobs on upper cabinets and pulls on lower cabinets for consistent and intuitive use.
Appliances
We installed a counter-depth refrigerator for a cleaner sightline and chose a matching set of appliances before the reno so everything would coordinate. We switched from electric to gas for the range, which was a relatively small expense to run a gas line and gave us the look and cooking performance we wanted. The oven and range are part of a Gold-level series and have performed well overall, although baking with a gas/convection oven requires some getting used to.
We also placed the microwave in a lower cabinet drawer, which has proven convenient and child-friendly so far. For people concerned about height and ergonomics: reaching down into a microwave drawer is no harder than lifting items from an over-range unit, and it keeps the upper wall space clean and uninterrupted.
Lighting
We added multiple recessed cans on dimmers for even ambient light and spot recessed lights over sink and prep areas to avoid shadows. The statement lighting over the island is a set of large metal dome pendants mounted on polished nickel rods. We sized them larger than typical pendants so they hold their own over the expansive island and finished them in a mid-tone putty color that ties to the island veining and balances gently with the surrounding neutrals.
Wood and Natural Accents
Because the room’s palette is primarily warm grays and whites, we introduced texture and warmth with natural materials: oak floors, woven blinds, wood stools, cutting boards, woven trays, and reclaimed wood open shelves. The shelves are a DIY project using locally sourced reclaimed lumber that we stained to coordinate with the rest of the room.
Keeping the permanent elements calm and neutral gives flexibility to swap accessories—vases, frames, plants, and other accent pieces—whenever we feel like updating the look.
Tile & Paint
We ran the backsplash tile to the ceiling for a continuous, classic look and left an even reveal around the windows so the tile could read uninterrupted. We chose a matte, tumbled marble tile because it reads as refined texture without being visually competing with the fireplace brick visible from the kitchen. The tile and white grout were sealed thoroughly to prevent staining, and so far they’ve handled splatters well.
We extended tile around the door to better connect the mudroom cabinets to the kitchen and to visually balance the space. The mudroom door was replaced and painted a lively blue-green to add a small pop of color against the neutral walls, which are painted a soft warm gray that lets the tile, pendants, and island stand out.
Sources
Below are the primary finishes and accessory categories we used so you can recreate elements of this look. We’ll cover additional details—organization, lessons learned, the reclaimed shelf project, and the living-room built-ins—in future posts.
Mixing metals works if you keep to a small palette and repeat finishes so nothing feels random. We used polished nickel for permanent fixtures and introduced a few gold accessories for contrast and warmth.
- Pull-down polished nickel faucet
- Bold veined quartz island counters and warm gray quartz perimeter counters
- Counter-height wood stools
- Polished nickel shelf brackets and reclaimed wood shelves
- Large metal dome pendants in a mid-tone putty
- Gold accent clock
- Polished nickel cabinet hardware—pulls on lowers and knobs on uppers
- Gold cylinder vases and small accent pieces
- Matte tumbled marble backsplash tile
- Wooden cutting boards
- Gray diamond sisal runner
- Minwax Provincial stain on oak hardwood floors
- Square cutting board with painted accent handle
- Favorite drinking glasses
- Framed artwork with a bright whitewashed frame
- Live greenery for life and color
- Polished nickel door knob
- Thin gold frames for photos and prints
- White dotted bowls left out on a woven tray
- Woven serving tray
- Faceted pitcher for single stems
- Woven blinds for warmth and texture
Small touches that make the kitchen feel lived-in include a stack of books on the open shelves, framed photos, easily reachable cloth napkins, attractive salt and pepper shakers on the island, and a few scented candles. These finishing details complete the space.
Many readers asked about dimensions to see whether an island would fit in a similar layout, so we included a layout rendering that shows how a 10-foot island works here while preserving comfortable aisles—partly because the cabinets behind the stools are shallower than typical to allow extra passing room.
One last before-and-after to close things out—this was the kitchen before:
The kitchen we dreamed about for years and spent months building is finally here. We’ll follow up with posts about how we organized storage, the mistakes we made, the reclaimed-shelf tutorial, and how the living-room built-ins were built—so stay tuned for more details and photos.
*This post originally contained product references and source notes.*