THE LONG AWAITED KITCHEN POST (AND SOURCE LIST!)

Welp. Here it is, guys. It only took me half a century. But hey, kitchen renovations are exhausting, alright?!?! Especially when it's all DIY! We needed some time to rest and enjoy what Summer we had left...

But now... (stands with fist) I blog.

(gorgeous napkins from Wildflower Parade)

I can't possibly include every single kitchen detail in one post...but if you've asked me to include it, I have. I imagine there will be a "part two" coming in a week or two, once I whittle through the remaining questions. Because, you know, #dedication. 

Ready? OK! (I hope you read that in your best cheerleader voice)

Cabinets 

Our kitchen cabinets are from Cabinets.com and we LUUUURRRVE them. We worked one-on-one with one of their designers, who brought our vision to life. Not only was she super helpful (shout out to Suzanne! Hey, girl, hey!) but she was so unbelievably patient as well. Cabinets are a big investment, you guys. And I was fully aware of that. So I got a little "cabinet fright", you know, changing things up on a daily basis. But Suzanne stuck with me through it all.

The process was seamless. We browsed their designs, ordered samples, then made our selection. We chose the Deerfield cabinets, already assembled, Sebring Style in Bright White. They were the perfect choice for us. I love the look of shaker cabinets, but I wanted a little extra something...and Sebring fit the bill like a match made in Heaven. 

We put the cabinets in ourselves, which was totally doable. I will say, if you don't have much experience with this kind of DIY project, I'd recommend enlisting a sub-contractor or family member/friend who knows their way around cabinets. There's just a few all important things (like leveling) that you'll want to make sure gets done correctly.

 All in all, it was an AWESOME experience. I seriously cannot recommend them enough....for price, quality, and customer service.

Hardware 

We were on a tight budget, y'all. And hardware can add up. So I was aiming for "the dream" here...low prices, great quality, and classic style. And to my surprise, it was Amazon.com for the WIN. I searched high and low, all over the interwebs, for the best prices. And Amazon SLAYED. Not to mention, they had TONS of styles. It made my life so much easier, being able to return options that didn't work. But then again, that's Amazon. (And no, they did not pay me to say that. I WISH!)

Hardware choices are linked below each picture. How's that for efficiency???

Black and White Porcelain Pulls, Amazon.com

Antique Brass Cabinet Pulls, Amazon.com

Black Kitchen Drawer Knobs/Pulls, Amazon.com 

Kitchen Island & Hardware

One of the number one questions I get asked is our island paint color. Oh, how I wish it was a simple answer. I knew the exact color I wanted for this island, and when I couldn't find it...I set out to create it. But truly, all the credit goes to Mr. Festive Farmhouse who has a background in art and color theory. He literally saw what was in my mind and mixed it to perfection. HIMSELF. He's also pretty cute (broken wrist and all). 

The closest match I can find, although it's not exact is Dartmouth Green by Benjamin Moore. 

As for the hardware, I knew I wanted a vintage gold to offset the green-blue. (Insert heart eyes here). I originally had my eye on some Pottery barn pulls, but at $12 a pop I just couldn't spring for it. Lucky for me, I found these dupes on (you guessed it) Amazon.com. HOLLA!

These skiffer corner protectors were a special touch I had hiding up my sleeve. And I just love the detail the add. We actually have more hardware coming for the island, soon. But I won't spoil the surprise just yet. THE SUSPENSE.

Countertops (Wilson Art Laminate in White Cararra, Velvet Finish)

Don't ask me how I knew I wanted laminate. I just knew it. I sourced ALL of our options, but laminate won out...not only because of the cost...but because I loved it the most. Laminate has really come a long way, y'all. I was so impressed with the designs that are available, but also....with the understated elegance. I didn't want cold stone. I didn't want a super shiny surface. I wanted the look of honed marble, without having marble (been there, done that, never again). And guys, it is everything I dreamed of in more. 

We made our countertops out of moisture resistant plywood and applied the laminate ourselves. I've included a few "how-to" video links that we found super helpful. Was it easy? No. Was it doable? Yes. The trickiest parts were the corners, and doing your best to avoid the dreaded "black line." But, in our experience, no one puts more care into it than the one paying for it. (Wink) So we decided to do it ourselves, rather than be disappointed in someone else's lack of perfectionism. (Side note: we might have a problem)

Wallpaper (London Rose, in Smoke/House of Hackney London)

THE NUMBER ONE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: Wallpaper??? In a kitchen??? Stop the presses. Want me to pour salt in the wound? Ours is by the STOVE. (gasp)

While I totally get the concerns, I just couldn't resist this amazing pattern. I was a smitten kitten from the beginning, as it reminds me of a pair of rose sketches done by my mother when she worked for Hallmark back in the day. I knew it was THE PERFECT statement piece for our kitchen. And as for it's location? Yes, we were fully aware of the possibility of drips and splashes. But we went for it anyway. And as a precaution, we created a storage ledge for our wooden cutting boards...which creates our own unique backsplash. Or rather, sidesplash. 

Bottom line, it works for us. And it makes me smile every time I walk in the room. And that, my friends, is money well spent. 

Sink & Faucet

Don't cry for me, Argentina. But our sink is, in fact, discontinued. Why, Ikea? WHY????? I've linked to it's replacement although, I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan. 

For our faucet fixture, I wanted a vintage gold "old world" look. My particular IKEA sink has only one fixture hole, so there was no spot for a sprayer. Jury's still out on how I feel about that. Mr. Festive Farmhouse loves it, but I'm still missing my sprayer. I looked high and low for a vintage gold faucet/sprayer that DIDN'T sacrifice the vintage style I was going for. But no such luck. The good news is, this one was mucho affordable, so if I find one with a sprayer down the road, I can always switch them out.  

Light Fixtures

We've had our kitchen nook lighting for quite sometime, but I included it here for those who asked. Our island lights are from West Elm, but I refinished the metal to have a more "vintage" gold look. (You can see the process in my saved IG highlights! @thefestivefarmhouse)

Our above sink fixture is a vintage milk glass in Art Deco style that I refurbished. It makes my heart skip a million beats. That is all. 

Open Shelving & Tile

Another big question we get is how we braced our open shelves. We actually installed the L brackets straight to the studs BEFORE adding hardibacker and tile. Best decision ever. These babies aren't going anywhere and it's a good thing because we LOVE them. I know there are lots of concerns about dust when it comes to open shelves, but for us? It's just not that big a deal. We use practically everything on our shelves regularly and I simply Swiffer dust once a week (just like everywhere else) and we are good to go. It's that easy.

The shelves we built on site. And the tile is Capella White Brick from Home Depot and it is EXACTLY what I wanted. Can't say enough about The Home Depot's amazing customer service, as well. 

Blinds

Y'all. Let me introduce you to a little magic called Blindster.com. You know me...and you know I wont' sacrifice style or quality for a low price. But when you can get all three? Sign me up. I've seriously used them for all the blinds in my house. And no, I'm not paid to say that. I just LOVE having them on speed dial. 

These particular blinds are the Bamboo Woven Shades in "Tonga." 

Paint Colors

I'll keep this one quick because this post is already GONE WITH THE WIND. But a gal needs to share her paint colors, am I right?

Walls: Benjamin Moore Shoreline (lightened 50%)

Woodwork: Benjamin Moore Simply White

Island (for good measure): Closest match is Sherwin Williams Dartmouth Green

Whew! Did I cover it all? I am sure a missed something, so be on the lookout for a sequel. And if you are looking for info on Laverne (our vintage stove), I figure such a lady deserves her very own post (coming soon). I also plan to do an entire post on doing a kitchen remodel all by yourselves. The good, the bad, and the ugly (you know you want to know)!

Until then, my friends! Hope you have a wonderful week! And happy remodeling. 

XOXO,

Alli