Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

Parents Kitchen Remodel

We gifted my parents a kitchen makeover, it’s something I have wanted to do since I was a teen. I’d watched Trading Spaces and thought how fun it would be to have them makeover my parents kitchen! Fast forward 23 years and I’m so happy I get to be the one the doing the makeover! It took us a total of 5 weeks to finish. That doesn’t include all the pre work. Like ordering and waiting for appliances, cabinets and figuring out the design plan.

Kitchen Before-

Kitchen After-

The after!!! I went with bright white on the cabinets since it felt so dark before. And accented with green and gray. It really feels like a totally different house! Much bigger even with more in it!

Kitchen Sources-

I always encourage a design board. When you put items together it’s easier to see how everything will connect. I will say, I changed my mind a couple times on my original design plan. The main components always remained the same: appliances, tiles, cabinets. But as things were installed and items were delivered. I could see true colors and textures and changed my mind. Usually if I hesitate or am not 100% in love. Then I just know I have to follow my gut and give something else a try. Our light fixtures and barstools got swapped out, and I’m so happy I didn’t settle because “I had a plan”. Being flexible is part of the process. This design is exactly what we ended up with. You can find links below.

Cabinets– (info below) Cabinet Knob and Cabinet Pull– nesting for 15% off hardware
Flooring– Grey & White Marble Bonneville Peel & Stick Floor Tiles
Bee Tapestry– this is a tea towel, but I used it as my main inspiration for their kitchen. Not only do the colors work well for them, they have bees! I will frame it and hang in on the wall. 
Olive Oil Green Jar– already got this and it is a great size
Olive Oil White Jar– going to do a tray on their counter or shelves with oil jars
Dinnerware Set– classic gray dinnerware set, to contrast all the white
Rattan Flush Mount Light– looks like a beehive don’t you think?!
Green Tile– using this for the backsplash, luckily we have leftover from Finn’s Bathroom!
Toaster and Electric Kettle and Blender– retro looking small appliances
Faucet– industrial faucet, this will pull in the stainless steal on the appliances
Sink– we had to do an under mount sink, love that this has a cutting board and drying rack
Star Light– for over the island
Counter Stool– I looked at a lot of different barstools, we need backless for their space, and these pull in the color of the rattan light fixture over the sink
SMEG Hood– excited for all the SMEG appliances! This hood will look great with the green tile
SMEG Range– they don’t have gas, so we are sticking with an electric, and also induction range
SMEG Dishwasher– love the retro vibe of this dishwasher!
SMEG Fridge– gorgeous fridge that will make a huge difference in their kitchen

Demolition-

This was the first time we had ever done a complete remodel on our own. It was a learning experience and it was so fun to have family help and be involved. We hired my nephew and Ella to help because it was such a big process and knew many hands (and muscle) would help move this project along faster. The demolition was pretty quick! We made sure to have a dumpster there so we could throw everything directly away. It took us about 3 hours to tear down all the old cabinets and take out appliances.
Then Kevin took down the soffit, that took a little longer because it was all framed in wood. So happy we did it, I knew cabinets that went to the ceiling would make the room feel so much bigger and give a lot more storage.

Cabinets-

My friend Ali, (who I met at my house for an event) saw me share on social we were planning a kitchen remodel for my parents, and looking at cabinet options. She reached out and told me her husband has a cabinet company, called REMEK, similar to IKEA where you assemble them yourself. I sent REMEK my parents kitchen measurements and they put this together (above)! Making it REALLY easy! Plus the pricing came to about $3500, less than IKEA. (Not sponsored, but wanted to share…REMEK is a new company, you can find HERE and their email: [email protected].
Kevin and my nephew Dillon assembled them all, they took about two full days to assemble. The only things we needed to assemble these cabinets were 4 of these clamps, wood glue, and a drill.
We did have to troubleshoot a few areas. The cabinet wasn’t centered under the sink. We slid everything over and aded a little trim piece so the window would be centered. I had the same issue with our Connecticut Kitchen, we used build your own cabinets in that kitchen also.
The cabinets are all really so nice!!! Soft close and I love that they have the wood tone interior.
I added some nice organizers inside each cabinet to keep things tidy! Love this roll out two tier shelf -for the Tupperware.
And this organizer for their pans (it doesn’t roll out, it was a super tight cabinet, but keep things organized).

Kitchen Island-

If you look at our original cabinet plans you’ll see we had plans for a peninsula island. I didn’t love it. I knew we could play around with it once we got fridge in. Once in, I decided on this island set up. We had to make sure fridge and dishwasher could open and not have anything in the way. It really was the best placement and we ended up getting 3 barstools instead of 2.
This is what we ended up going with. Their kitchen is long and narrow with a washer and dryer in a closet to the left and a railing to the right.
Love these backless barstools the wood added warmth in the kitchen against all the gray. They are comfy for a backless stool. We looked at A LOT of other stools and ultimately decided a backless was best for this tight space.
There is plenty of walkway , about 2′ on either side of the island. Ideally you want 3′ but 2′ is fine to walk through.
My mom said she loves how the island extends out so she can see out her front window and into the dining room area.
PS- notice the plug in the island?? Little things like that are SO nice!!
We left a spot open for easy access to their microwave and blender!

Quartz Counters-

The countertops could not have gone any smoother. Once we had our cabinets built and I had a timeline of when we could have counters installed, the first thing I did was call a few companies and ask for a specific date they could come. We remembered one of the parents of a player on Ella’s soccer team told us he did counters and construction, we called him and they came and measured Monday, I went and picked out the Quartz (at Arizona Tile) the same day, and we had it installed Friday!!! (We used Bowcut Flooring for the quartz counters, so happy with them!!)
Zuiri (top quartz) was the top choice in a poll I took on Instagram. While I loved it, it just felt too white with the white cabinets, also it was about $45 a sq foot (not including install). In comparison to my first choice for my parents kitchen, the bottom quartz is called Calacatta Jubilee which was $30 a sq foot (again not including install).
The total price for 30 sq ft Calcutta Jubilee Quartz with 3 CM polished edge, (which was 1 slab of quartz) was $4k. Our first bid was closer to $6k with 3 CM build-up and mitered edge, which would have taken 2 slabs of quartz. That price does include install.

SMEG Appliances-

For the appliances I wanted to use SMEG appliances, been around for over 65 years! Made in Italy standards. We have them and adore them. Not only do I love the look of SMEG, but the quality is top notch. I did partner with SMEG on my parents appliances to feature them here!

Range and Hood–

SMEG Range– We need an induction range, and this one is really so nice!!! We made cookies in it the other day and we noticed how quickly it heated up! It is really such a nice range.
The SMEG Hood– 30 Inch Wall Mount Chimney Hood with Recirculating Option
The hood has 3 speeds with an additional intensive speed that can be controlled with knobs. It is also equipped with 2 LED lights to help illuminate your cooking surface. 

Dishwasher–

This Dishwasher is AWESOME!!! Generous in size, smart organization for washing dishes. Also ENERGY STAR rated. Not to mention the cutest dishwasher I have seen.
About the Dishwasher – SMEG built-in dishwashers are the perfect way to complete your kitchen in style. Exceptionally quiet and incredibly well designed, the dishwashers vary in terms of style and load capacity.

Refrigerator–

This Refrigerator– is counter depth, which was very important in a tight space. That being said, it can hold a lot! It can hold up to 26 bags of food shopping and comes with loads of great tech to keep your food in the best condition. We LOVE it SO much!!!!!

About The SMEG Refrigerator– 28 Inch Freestanding Bottom Mount Refrigerator with 16.2 Cu. Ft. Total Capacity.
The freezer section has 2 Freezer Drawers, which allows food to be accessed more easily. It does have a manual ice maker too.

Sink-

We had to use an undermount sink because the way the cabinets are. Which I was happy with. I found this sink that comes with a cutting board and drying rack, it is so nice!!
Went with this faucet, really a statement piece and nice quality.

Hardware

The hardware is from Battle Creek Hardware. We did drawer pulls and large knobs. They have unique options that are affordable. Battle Creek offered me a 15% off discount code: nesting I could pass onto you too!
It helped to use a piece of tape to decide what type of hardware and where it would go before ordering.
Cabinet Knob and Cabinet Pull– 15% off discount code: nesting

Flooring-

We installed these Floor Pops (essentially peel and stick) over my parents laminate flooring, they did not have real tile or really grout, that was laminate floor before. It was our first time using them and I am really impressed. We spent about $500 on flooring, needed about 10 square feet (we did order extra to have incase).
You can find all the instructions on how to install on their website. We followed those and had the floor installed in 2 hours. The look like real tile, and we have extra in case we need to replace any. I love the pattern and look without having to actually tile. Budget friendly too!
You wouldn’t know it wasn’t real tile from these photos. In person it is just as good. They feel great to touch too. Easy to clean and they seem like they are going to hold up awesome.
I had a few comments, asking why we didn’t do “real tile and do it right”. My question is…what is right? This peel and stick floor pop is similar to a laminate floor like they have EVERYWHERE else in their home. We took out a piece the other day to test, it was so easy to fix one piece if needed. It looks AMAZING and goes with the rest of their home, the height was continuous throughout the main floor. If they had real wood and real tile everywhere else we would have matched that quality and done tile. Plus we were trying to stay in a budget and time frame for this kitchen we gifted to my parents and it tuned out better than before!

Open Shelves-

This was a happy accident. We did assemble cupboards for this space. But, the cabinet piece next to the sink was too big. So open shelving it is! My mom later told me that she secretly wanted open shelving somewhere but didn’t want to ruin my “creative design”. We both really love how this space turned out! I am all about decorating with things that are functional. So I like to buy the cutest item of what is needed. All these things have a purpose, and look super cute on display.
I shared more of the shelf styling on this blog post!
My mom loves to make bread, so I created a cute spot to toast and cut bread anytime!
TOASTER // KNIVES // MAGNETIC KNIFE HOLDER // CUTTING BOARD // BUTTER NEST
Another area we had shelves was this little cut out area. Before there was a counter and a stool here, growing up that was where the phone was too, a little phone station! Now is it is a drinking station. We have a wood stand for their Berkey on this stand, and floating shelves above with glass cups, and of coarse a plant and art.
Always a spot for a diffuser! We have the Love of Lemons Diffuser here.

Lighting-

Electrical was something we weren’t going to mess with. We hired our friend Chad, if you are local and you need electrical work I strongly recommend him (Chad Seely 1-801-842-9655)! I wanted to add some can lighting and also pendants over the island. Since we were changing the layout of the kitchen we also had to move and remove lights. With my parents having and older kitchen we also had to update some plugs and make sure things were fire safe.
This light over the sink is such a fun piece! I love the wicker brown.
The two star pendants hanging over the island add so much!!! Pull in the black and just add some whimsy.
A sweet little lamp in a kitchen is always welcome, love the warm glow!!

Backsplash-

We had some of this gorgeous green tile left over from Finn’s bathroom and I knew it would look beautiful in a kitchen too! Finns bathroom tile was installed in a herringbone pattern and we laid my parents in a brick pattern.
My dad helped Kevin install the tile. They started in the center of the main focal point wall and worked their way out. Our spacing is 1/8″ with tile spacers, we did white grout really helping to make the green pop!

Fruit and Vegetable Cart-

The space next to the fridge under the window was tricky. my parents have a closet there with the washer and dryer that they need to able to open the doors. I was thinking of adding a bench but they really didn’t need more seating…we just added three barstools! I had this tea cart and decided to try it out. I actually really love it there. For now its great to use as storage- veggies and fruit. A fruit and vegetable cart! We like that it also can be cleared off to use as an extra serving piece when hosting gatherings.

Total Kitchen Cost-

Kitchen Cost Breakdown-
Cabinets $3805
Flooring $550
Tile, grout, material $2000
Quartz countertops $3500
Electrical Labor $2500
Paint, Trim, Sheetrock, Material $1000
Dumpster Rental $500
Plumbing $250
*Faucet $650
*Fridge $3700
*Stove $4300
*Hood $1500
*Dishwasher $1900
Stools $240
Light fixtures $450
Sink $400
Faucet $666
*Cabinet Hardware $300
Small Appliances (microwave, toaster, blender, kettle) $500
Total $28,711
*items that were gifted to be featured
My parents are thrilled with it!
Share this post:
Keep on reading...
Banquette Seating- Cha cha cha changes in our Kitchen
Eat-in Kitchen with Wallpaper Wall and Industrial Island
Friday Favorites Anthropolgie dish towel, mums and fallFriday Favorites and Anthropologie Sale

Don't Miss Any of the Fun! Subscribe Today!

* indicates required

Comments

  1. Amy says

    It turned out amazing! The green tile and open shelves are really pretty (as is all of it!). You do such a beautiful job. Love your style and that you did this for your parents.

  2. Emily says

    Beautiful job Brooke! I love how much you care about all your extended family and enhancing their lives. You are such a light and joy to follow. I also love your style! That kitchen is gorgeous!

  3. Tina says

    All the praise for this cutie kitchen! So honored to be a part of the amazing transformation! The only thing missing was the Trading Spaces host, Page ;-)!

  4. Patti Thomas says

    Love, love the kitchen. I was wondering where you purchased the larger lemon art picture you have hanging…Please.

  6. Michele says

    Absolutely gorgeous!! You and your family are so kind, what a special thing to do for your parents. Love your ideas, style and brand!!
    Thank you for sharing!!
    Michele

  7. Jennifer says

    Your mom and dad must be so happy with the renovation- it’s just beautiful. What a gift! It’s funny that someone commented about the flooring not being done right. In our last home we put in formica countertops because we wanted to upgrade the old 1968 laminate ones and that was what we could afford. We had a bullnose edging done so that it would look more “real” like granite. They were beautiful and practical and what is so amazing is that the house was on the market recently so I looked at the pics on Zillow and even after several years and wonderful new owners and remodels, the countertops are STILL THERE. Just goes to show there is no “right way” to do renovations. 🙂

    • [email protected] says

      Thanks for sharing this Jennifer! YES! I am sure your upgrade went right along with the value of the home too. Sometimes the most affordable option is THE BEST option for the project.

PRIVACY