I think it’s time…fingers crossed but I think we’re sending in our kitchen cabinet order today! I think of all the people we’ve been working with for the house construction, our contact at Shenandoah Woodworks is my favorite. Herbie has been amazingly patient and incredibly responsive to any and all of my crazy ideas/requests. He’s really helped me design and lay-out my dream kitchen workspace (dream kitchen, of course, within budget…no Thermador sub-zero or Wolf range yet…).
Anyway, we’re going with Integrity maple cabinets in their Gulfbreeze model (which is a Shaker-style cabinet). Our drawers will be slab front and all cabinets will be stained ebony. This is the door and drawer style:
And the stain color:
And the backsplash:
And the counters:
It’s hard to tell from the photos but the backsplash colors are very changeable based on the light and the direction that you’re looking at them. The laminate is also much more cool-toned than it shows in the photo. It’s the Formica Bianca Luna 180fx and will come with a bullnose edge. We’re also purchasing a Karran sink which is one of the few that can be undermounted to a laminate counter.
Our floors will be hardwood, similar in color to these:
Originally, I didn’t think I wanted hardwood but this house on Houzz made me do a complete 180. I love the way that floor compliments the ebony cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and light countertops! I know it’s not common to do an all black kitchen but it must be the musician in me…I’m so used to living in black clothes that this feels natural! Ha!
Our kitchen is L-shaped with a large v/u-shaped island that overlooks the dining room and living room. It will have stainless steel appliances (that’s another post!) and brushed nickel hardware. The upper cabinets are 42″ and will be 16.5″ inches above the counters so there will be room for crown moulding (we have 8′ ceilings). There is recessed lighting in the kitchen as well as under counter lighting. We will have two pendants over the island…we just haven’t decided which ones yet. These are the two options:
And finally, our kitchen layout…this is what earned Herbie a saint award…Pinterest and Houzz were especially dangerous for kitchen ideas. But after MONTHS of nit-picking, changing my mind back and forth, and wishy-washy-ness (if that’s not a word, it should be!) here’s the layout:
Ha, and yes, it’s in written form rather than drawn out since I changed my mind so much the original drawing is really hard to read:
Lower cabinets (from L to R):
-french door fridge/freezer
-24″ pantry with roll-outs
-3″ spice pull-out
-27″ cabinet with double roll-outs
-30″ gas range and oven
-18″ 4 drawer base
-36″ corner lazy susan
-21″ 3 drawer base
-36″ sink base with tilt-out tray
-24″ dishwasher
-16″ cabinet
Upper cabinets (from L to R)
-french door fridge/freezer with wine rack built above
-24″ pantry
-30″ shelf for microwave and additional cabinet above
-30″ hood above range
-18″ cabinet
-36″ lazy susan corner
-21″ cabinet
-36″ window above sink
-40″ cabinet
And the island from L to R:
-12″ tray dividers
-18″ mixer lift
-30″ 3 drawer pot and pan base
-18″ trash can base
-12″ bookshelf facing sideways
Whew, so that’s it! That’s our kitchen! Now I can get back to focusing on the bathrooms!
Love your choices! I spotted Vihara Minka in aBHG kitchen magazine two years ago and can’t get it out of my head. =) It looks so beautiful. I also like the Karran undermount system. I can’t wait to see your kitchen. House is looking good. So sorry it is raining so much. It rained every other day during our house construction. The house was very cold the first winter from having so much moisture coming out of it (not rain, just dampness). Good luck with yours. =)
PS if you ever thought you wanted large format tile (12×12 and up), but were afraid of lippage, try the Tuscan Leveling System. It actually pulls the tile down to get rid of lippage. http://www.tuscanleveling.com/
PS Forgot to mention… we’re going to try the Trafficmaster Allure Ultra flooring (not regular Allure which seems to make ppl sick) in Sawcut Dakota (medium brown with nice texture and just a hint of gray). It is supposed to be 100% waterproof and with cats and hairballs I am excited to see if it is for real. Good luck with your house build!!
Last thing… a tip from one blog on click together flooring recommended putting a while row end to end together, then snapping the entire length into the one already installed.
H, thanks for your comments! I’m actually going to be testing floor stains this afternoon. We’re having unfinished hardwood installed and I bought a couple of similar pieces of wood and a few Minwax stains to try. I’ve seen people recommending mixing stains in different combinations to get different colors so I’m hoping to find the perfect combination to pass along to my builder. We’re also planning on laying the hardwood in the dining room, living room, and kitchen (which is all open concept) on the diagonal. I’ve seen it on a few houses and it’s gorgeous laid diagonally! Have you finished your construction? Do you have any photos or a blog?
Hi again. I promise I am not a stalker! I don’t know if I should tell you this, but I have found another tile that is amazing like the Vihara Minka. Sumi-e. It is made by Stone & Pewter Accents. Here is a link that shows a sample of the styles they make/have. I think I am going to use Vihara Minka in the kitchen, but the master bathroom is screaming for Sumi-e something. They also have the Sumi-e in penny rounds! Some colors look better in different formats too. Ogari Natural (aka shiny) looks great in penny rounds, but not so great in some other formats. http://www.unitedtile.com/products/HOME/PRODUCTS/PRODUCTS%20-%20GLASS/STONE%20PEWTER%20-%20GLASS.aspx
We have not done our floor yet. I just finally decided on it last week as our best option for a wood look that can handle cats too. No blog.
I also love the split-level style house. I think you get a lot of usable space in the design.
Don’t forget to measure your stains so you know the ratio to duplicate for larger batches. Very excited for you. =) Have fun!
H, no worries! It’s nice to have someone comment who’s not related to me or a close friend! If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find my blog? And those glass tiles are gorgeous! I’m actually searching around their website to see if I can find out how to order a sample!
More sourcing – undermount sink (I love the Karran sink too) and I also found this: Vance Industries Undermount Sink Kit – do a Youtube Google on them too.
http://www.vanceind.com/undermountsinkinstallationhardware.aspx.
If you ended up donig more than one, I could see splurging on the tools. Then you can sell them or keep them.
Other sink I love
Kohler Yin Yang Single Hole Wading Pool sink (not sure at all about the splash factor on it, just love how it looks)
http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Yin-Yang-Wading-Pool-drop-in-bathroom-sink-with-single-faucet-hole/productDetail/Above-counter-Sinks/425912.htm;jsessionid=46284D9546B690A6492FF5EE431E7912.kohler-prod2-ecom1?_requestid=267144
I like that Kohler sink! These are the ones we decided to go with in our master bath: http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Reve-Vessels-above-counter-bathroom-sink/productDetail/Reve/427387.htm?brandId=651328&skuId=405436&categoryId=651314&page=catProductDetails&hash=id%3Dfilters%26startIndex%3D20%26scrollTop%3D304. I’ve always wanted a vessel sink and I love the sharp angles of their Reve line!