Tuesday, April 1

Making progress in the kitchen


My big project so far this year has been going s.l.o.w.l.y. . . but I'm excited to share a bit of progress with you!

Here's what my kitchen used to look like:



Last year I made some changes in an effort to make things lighter and brighter.



But I've been wanting a real change in this room.  The bones of my kitchen are good, and my budget is limited, so my changes need to be reasonable.  The first change made a big difference--painting the walls a lighter color and painting the island a beautiful green.



Next was a change that's fairly subtle, but it's made a world of difference in the way I feel about my kitchen.  I've been especially bugged lately by the dark and heavy feeling of my tile backsplash, especially the area over the stove.  Here's what that area looked like before:


It may be silly, but I just hated that stainless steel backboard behind my range and I was tired of the tumbled marble.  Actually, I like tumbled marble, but I was longing for more of a farmhouse kind of look.  

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw these progress photos:



And here's that area now:


Subway tile to the rescue!  This is a crackle-finish glazed tile in a cream color.  It works nicely with my existing granite, which I won't be changing (that's way outside my budget parameters!).

KitchenAid manufactures a stainless backsplash for its ranges that don't have tile backsplashes; that's what we used to have.  The new tile backsplash goes all the way down to the countertop level, so there's no need for the stainless backsplash.  I replaced the stainless backsplash for the "island trim," and I love the sleek, clean look.

The backsplash project was pretty involved, since it included demolition of the old backsplash and installation of the new.  The other change I've made so far, though, is ridiculously simple: new canisters.


I like canisters that are big enough for me to fill a cup with sugar or flour right at the top of the canister. These 2-gallon glass jars from Anchor Hocking work perfectly for that!  They're inexpensive and so cute, don't you think?  I love the way the aluminum scoops work in the canisters, too.

Inch by inch, I'm working my way to more of a farmhouse look in this kitchen!  I'm hoping to have all the changes made so I can do a full reveal soon!

So how do your projects go?  Are you a tortoise or a hare?


Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links.  

20 comments:

  1. Oh, Richella, it is looking so pretty! Well, it was very pretty before, but I really do like the subway tile and the beautiful green island!

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  2. I love the lighter paint color and the green island that you did previously, and now the backsplash is amazing. So beautiful. Your kitchen is a dream, I love it. I would love for you to link up to my Inspire Me Tuesday party .
    http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2014/03/210th-inspire-me-tuesday.html Hugs, Marty

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  3. Looks fantastic! You really have changed the look. I have the same canisters and love them. It's funny how many people come in and comment on them too. :)

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  4. I think the changes you've made look FABULOUS~!

    I've been 3 months deciding what to do with my kitchen and on april 8th we BEGIN the redo:) guess that makes me a Hare huh.. it will take 7 days to bring it all together and I will be cracking the whip every minute..
    not sure why these guys agree to work for me lol- they know I am a tough taskmaster.
    I'll be watching to see what else you do in there.. So excited for you- woooohooooo.
    Sonny

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  5. I love it! That tile really brightened up the area and your countertops and accessories show so much better now!

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  6. It looks beautiful, Richella! We're getting ready to do subway tile in our kitchen too. Actually, we're going to paint our cabinets white first. Lots of work in our future! :) Your kitchen looks great! I also recently switched to clear canisters (my old ones were red) and I love the cleaner look. Yours look like they hold a lot too. I love the farmhouse look you're gravitating toward. So pretty!

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  7. Wow what a huge difference and it turned out great!! Still loving that island painted.

    Cynthia

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  8. Richella, it is all looking SO nice!!! Love all your changes.

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  9. That looks really great, Richella. I love the green island- that made a huge difference. I have the same granite and tumbled marble that is similar but I still like it pretty well. I have always loved subway tile though and my next house is going to have the subway tile. xo Diana

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  10. Happy April Richella, I have always loved your kitchen, your house and all your design choices; your choices here are perfect too. I too have a similar tile backsplash that is tumbled, but since it is my dream kitchen I won't be changing it at all.
    Thanks so much for sharing.
    Hugs, Noreen

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  11. I love your new tile and wish we could do the same. May talk hubby into it eventually.

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  12. Wow!...I so love the changes!...and the green color of the island is fabulous!!!....looking forward to your big reveal!

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  13. Very pretty changes, Richella! I like that it is nothing that will break the bank. Love the subway tile. We really need a backsplash here. We've waited over two years now because we weren't sure if we were going to replace the countertop {we moved here 2 1/2 years ago}, but I have a feeling we aren't. I definitely need to do something light because we are in a condo and there are no windows in our kitchen.

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  14. Love the new look in your kitchen. What color green did you paint your island? I love it!

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  15. The white subway tile really gives your kitchen an updated look and I'm sure in person that it is lighter. With the green island, your updates look so nice.

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  16. That is exactly what I want to do for a tile backsplash. We had almost the exact same counters. Thanks for the ideas!

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  17. I really like these changes and it certainly brightens up your kitchen One thing I noticed is the placement of your electrical plugs - I love how they are up high and a bit hidden - with all of our wonderful technology, you would think that someone could come up with a great idea on how to hide these!

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  18. Mary, the island is painted with "Oakmoss" by Sherwin Williams. I'm so glad you like it!

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  19. It's funny how making a change can mean so much since we all work in the kitchen most of our day. It looks lovely!

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  20. Richella! It's looking SO good, the green is lovely. I LOVE classic subway tile -- it's so clean and fresh!

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