Our New Kitchen Reveal

At last, after 6 long months the blog post I’ve been so excited to share with you: our NEW KITCHEN reveal is finally here! If you’ve been following along on my Instagram page, you’ll know that we began a full-scale kitchen renovation in late August 2023.  Fast forward through fall, Canadian Thanksgiving and the first day of winter, we made it in just in time for Christmas albeit missing a few cabinet doors, lighting fixtures and some paint touch ups.  I should note here that we were living in our home throughout the renovation and since we didn’t have another kitchen,  we were relying on a makeshift kitchen (thank you air fryer and Vitamix!) and a lot of food delivery lol. To summarize: it was a three month project that took four months and another month to wrap it all up. There’s so much I want to share with you about the process, what we learned, what we would and wouldn’t do again but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on revealing the finished space along with all of my sources for your convenience. So grab your coffee or a glass of wine and join me for our new kitchen reveal!

*Please note: some of the items featured in my renovation were gifted in exchange for this post and social sharing. I may make a small commission on some of them if you use my link to shop.

To say that we are thrilled with the finished space is an understatement: we absolutely LOVE it!!!  Our goal with this renovation was to create a space that felt like it had always been here: traditional to match the style of our home with a casual chic French country aesthetic that I adore. Since we weren’t adding any square footage or removing any walls, the focus was to make the most of the space we have by creating “sweet moments” with refined finishes for an elevated yet casual feel the whole family could enjoy.

Windows

The biggest change we made was to move the corner sink/window situation to the back wall to improve kitchen flow and open up the view into the back yard. Centra Windows helped us decide on size and grid spacing to give our new energy-efficient windows a charming feel. We now have room for more than one person at the sink, closer proximity to the dishwasher and a lovely view into the garden and backyard. We also updated the larger window in the breakfast nook to match for a cohesive look.

Plumbing Fixtures

You might be surprised to know that an apron-front sink wasn’t originally in our design plan.  It wasn’t until I started looking at sinks in person that I realized how much I actually loved them.  I was also torn between a single or double bowl sink and this Kohler Whitehaven Smart Divide Farmhouse Sink from Robinson Lighting & Bath was the perfect solution! It fits large pots and pans but I still have a separate side for draining wet dishes. I love the classic and romantic touch it adds in here!

We paired the farmhouse sink with this stunning Kohler Artifacts Bridge Faucet  in polished nickel. A bridge-style faucet was always our intention and this one complements the sink and the rest of our kitchen so well!

Over on the range wall, we added the Kohler Artifacts Wall-mount Pot Filler also in polished nickel from Robinson Lighting & Bath. No more back and forth to the sink with pots: now we have water right where we need it for pasta, vegetables, etc. It’s also a stunning addition to this wall!

Cabinetry Hardware

Now you may be noticing our Polished Brass Cabinet Hardware from Yester Home and wondering why we chose to mix and match our plumbing fixtures and cabinetry finishes.  Personally I don’t think these two finishes need to match and in fact I think that mixing them creates a more elevated feel (as long as you keep all plumbing fixtures the same and all cabinetry hardware the same). We chose a polished brass finish that is unlacquered so it will naturally age and dull over time if it’s not polished.  I’m still deciding whether to keep it polished or let it age. Which look do you prefer?

Something else we did was to use a variety of knobs, pulls and latches for interest and functionality.  As long as you stay in the same collection and finish, go ahead and mix it up!

Countertops & Backsplash

I love the classic look of honed carrara marble countertops but knew I wanted something more durable and maintenance-free for our family.  I also loved the idea of incorporating just a touch of gold to tie in with the rest of the kitchen.  Our Silestone By Cosentino Ethereal Glow countertops and backsplash add the perfect touch of classic simplicity with modern updating. We chose a suede finish for a more organic feel.

We used 3cm slabs for the countertop and 2cm slabs for the backsplash and took it all the way to the ceiling. This created a seamless look that really draws the eye up making it feel much more spacious too! Here’s a close up of the countertop:

A design feature we knew we wanted to add in here was an archway between the kitchen and dining room.  We previously had a french door here that was always open and never really made sense.  We love the new transition between rooms and here you can see a sneak peek of my new pantry door too!

Walk-in Pantry

We considered removing our small walk-in pantry but I’m so glad we didn’t because we gave it an update too and it now feels like a pretty extension of the rest of the kitchen.  We removed the old bifold door (which made it feel more like a closet) and replaced it with this stunning 4-panel fluted glass beauty painted in a soft blue-grey, Gentle Gray by Benjamin Moore.

Thanks to our friends at Clever Quarters, we got the pantry of our dreams and I’m so excited to have a beautiful new space for storage that’s functional AND pretty! We now have cubbies and drawers for storing dry goods and baking essentials and a countertop that’s perfect for making toast in the morning.

We also have pretty hooks for hanging aprons, bags and brooms. A place for everything!

Door Hardware

Did you notice the pretty short plate brass door knob  from Grandeur Hardware on my pantry door? We love the touch of classic elegance and vintage charm it adds and it really pops against the blue-grey paint.

Our exterior door also got an upgrade with this short plate lever handle brass entry set and it pairs beautifully with our new french door to the backyard. They’re both made of solid forged brass and we love the “weighty” feel they have. Our exterior door gets a workout in the summer months so it was important that we have something here with timeless styling that will last.

Lighting

I wanted the lighting above the island to make a statement and thes 2 large pendants from Robinson Lighting & Bath do just that. When we first held them up I was a bit worried they were too big,  but I think it was because we weren’t used to having anything over the island. I love the glass shade and aged brass detailing. We did a single bell-shaped vintaged inspired sconce to match over the sink that adds a pretty touch and convenient lighting when washing up dishes at night.

In the breakfast nook we did a beaded chandelier and I love it’s casual style that leans a little coastal with it’s rope trim.

Decor

Now that the kitchen is finished I’ve been having so much fun unpacking my favourite dishes and treasures and finding new places for everything. My Fable dinnerware and vintage ironstone fits perfectly into this countertop cabinet. I was nervous about the glass doors at first but it’s such a pretty detail and very practical for storing everyday dishes. I think it might be one of my favourite things in the whole kitchen!

These French bistro inspired stools  at the island blend seamlessly with the white oak, just a tad darker but exactly what I was looking for. The table in the breakfast nook was a marketplace find that I had stripped and waxed and is a nice contrast to the bright white spindle back chairs. Charming linens from Solino Home are always a favourite for a touch of French country chic and the prettiest flowers from my favourite local florist Vivio Flowers.

In the family room, we updated the lighting, painted and replaced baseboards to match and I love the new view into the kitchen from the sofa. I updated the sofa with some pretty new cushions from Tonic Living and I love the soft blues and floral pattern.

Ok that was a lot to share in one post! If there’s anything I missed that you have questions about or if you just want to share your thoughts on our renovation, please leave them in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed our new kitchen reveal as much as I enjoyed sharing it with all of you. This post would absolutely not have been possible without my photographer extraordinaire Friday Eve Photo , you are an absolute rockstar!!  I’ll list all my sources again below for your convenience:

Windows: Centra Windows
Plumbing Fixtures: Robinson Lighting & Bath
Countertop/Backsplash: Cosentino Canada
Cabinetry Hardware: Yester Home
Pantry: Clever Quarters
Pantry/Exterior Door Hardware: Grandeur Hardware
Dinnerware: Fable
Linens: Solino Home
Pillows: Tonic Living
Flowers: Vivio Flower Gallery