Aside from some shiny new accessories and a little DIY, I haven’t really talked much about the kitchen recently despite it being on my ‘hit list’ for the year. The last time I really talked about my plans was in September when I was in two minds about going with a different dark colour in my dining room and well, we all know how that ended up working itself out – I ended up going with a much lighter colour.
That original dilemma centred around the cupboard colours and tiles, stemming from the fact that my dining room and living room open to each other through a large doorway between the rooms as you can see above. Adding an architrave and skirting board to both sides has really made the opening look so much better and I adore how much more finished it seems! However, the kitchen is far from finished so there’s still lots of work to be done!
I’ve expounded on the myriad of issues in my kitchen plenty of times before so I won’t go to into that in this post (you can read about all the things wrong with my kitchen here and yes, quite a lot of it still needs to be addressed) but at the time, I hadn’t yet decided whether or not to re-tile while we were doing all the other work required. As a bit of explanation, we’d never installed tile trim which I sorely regret and that would have meant ripping out the entire top row as well as the sides to install it retrospectively. Can you say “ballache”, kids?
Well, happily, I’ve decided to just replace all the tiles, using the same gorgeous marble-effect porcelain tiles I picked out for the dining room fireplace from Tile Mountain and I’m SO excited about that little development.
And I know I just showed you these but LOOK HOW PRETTY THEY ARE. JUST LOOK AT THEM AGAIN.
I love them so.
One of the other things I was struggling with at the time of my last kitchen post was the colour of the cabinets. They’ll need repainting regardless once we change the handles (and having a car sprayer as a partner is a bonus) but I wanted them to tie into the colours used in the dining room. Well, now that the dining room is coming along nicely, I’ve made up my mind! Whoop!
Here’s my inspiration in terms of the cabinets. This whole kitchen is over on My Domaine as designed by H2 Design + Build and I freaking love it.
So pretty. So classic. Oh yes, I’m going with black on the lowers and leaving the top white. As the dining room will have quite a few touches of black including the fireplace mantle, it made sense to tie that into the kitchen as well. And our kitchen has always been a light bright space being southwest facing so I reckon it can take the darker colour on the lowers without feeling like a cave.
The cupboard handles I’ve chosen are the same ones I used when I did the makeover on my desk but I’m going to go for the slightly longer ones. They are just exceptional quality and at around £9 each, affordable too.
I’m going to be trimming out all the tiles with the same brass edging that I’m using on the fireplace as well. The tiles will go all the way across the length of the kitchen and we’ll remove the current backsplash above the cooker. (If you are wondering, the reason I don’t need the backsplash is because my gas cooker has a glass top that lifts up as you can see below, protecting the wall behind. So having another backsplash is just a bit redundant and I prefer that uninterrupted look.)
We’ll also continue the tile to the corner, something we failed to do last time around (I honestly don’t know what we were thinking at the time because it just looks stupid that the tiles stop at the end of that row of cabinets).
Now that of course leaves the countertops. As much as I love marble, it’s just not going to happen here unfortunately. First, I simply can’t justify the expense when I know we won’t be in this house for more than a few more years and second, I really just don’t want something that’s too high maintenance. I have looked at loads of different options in terms of worktops and there are some great ones on the market at the moment that mimic real marble. I’m currently waiting on samples of this one to see if it works well with the tiles I’ve chosen.
However, if it doesn’t, then the likelihood is I’m going to either go with pure white or something white with flecks of grey in it. Now that I’ve chosen the tiles, I’m slightly less fussed about a marble look worktop – as long as it’s good quality and hard-wearing and works well in terms of colour with the tiles, then I’ll be happy.
Once I decide on the worktop then I’ll choose the sink. Do I want this one? Yes, yes I do. Will I be able to swing it? I am going to try to save up enough to be able to manage it because OH MY GOD IT’S A GOLD SINK.
Overmount…
Or possibly undermount if I go for the worktop above… decisions decisions!
Of course, the final flourish will be a gold tap. This one? Possibly. Again, I’m gonna be saving pennies like a mad woman in the next few months. The decision on the worktop will probably decide whether I’ll have enough to splurge on these beauties. So we’ll see.
So, at least *some* of the decisions have already been made and whilst the worktop decision hasn’t *quite* been made (and believe me, if you have been following my blog for a while, I have done a myriad of posts about not being able to make my mind up and I have looked at ALL THE OPTIONS). But I feel like we’re definitely getting there.
Once this dining room remodel is totally finished, the kitchen just has to happen!! I’ve been living with a half-finished kitchen for the last 5 years and it’s time, right? What do you think of the decisions I have made? Would you go for black in the kitchen?
Yay kitchen makeover! Thank god for the internet, where I can vicariously live in other peoples’ houses!
And,erm, not to sound like I’m chasing the ambulance (or whatever the makeover equivalent is), but what will happen to your pretty cabinet handles?!
LOL’d at ‘chasing the ambulance’ – do you want them? I will have no need for them after they get replaced ;) xxx
Well it DOES seem a bit rude …”Oh you are making over your kitchen, as you’ve been wanting to do for quite some time CAN I HAVE YOUR DOOR HANDLES?” :D
But yes, if you don’t need them anymore, I would love to have them. I “need” new handles for a cupboardy sort of thing, and I really like yours. (Another good thing about interior blogs – I’ve been looking at those handles for years now, and I still like them! It’s the perfect test drive. :)
Hahaha!! Honestly, I have so many things around that I need to get rid of that being able to give them to someone that wants and needs them is absolutely my pleasure! Sure, consider them earmarked for you and once we’ve replaced them, I’ll be in touch to sort it all out ;) xxx
Thank you! xxx
Girl, I’m in LOVE with all your selections! We’re currently looking into adding a window in our kitchen and now you’ve got me wanting to paint all my lower cabinets black and get a freaking gold sink! And now I can’t unsee this post and will pine for these things for a very long time until I see another shiny object! hahaha!
Hahaha!! Your comment made me laugh!! Love. It. LOOK AT ALL THE SHINY THINGS. ;) xx
I have just painted all my kitchen cupboards black and I’m really pleased with it. It has made the whole room look so much better. We have a stainless steel worktop which we can’t replace but actually it goes really well and I used the natural leather handles from superfront for a bit of warmth and texture. Like you I dream of a marble worktop but it ain’t gonna happen. Your kitchen is going to look great! XK
Oooh yes to black lowers!! Are they on your blog? I’m going to have to check those out! The superfront handles are so cool too, I know exactly which ones you mean. Yeah, no marble worktop here – maybe in our forever house though if I still love it then ;) xxx
Love your plans. Can’t wait to see the final product. One thing that concerns me – do you think those gorgeous gold sinks will show scratches more than stainless or porcelain?
Such a good question!! I actually contacted someone (in Sweden!!) that had the same sink asking that question and she told me how they make them, impregnating the stainless steel with a layer of nitride (honestly it was so science-y a lot of it went over my head) that makes it super hard wearing, just like stainless steel. She said in her own experience, the sink is nearly the same in terms of maintenance as a standard stainless steel one. Yay! xxx
Good to hear that. I think I would still use clear mats made to protect sinks. You can remove them when you photograph.
YES YES YES! It’s going to be fabulous! I have those sinks bookmarked for my fantasy kitchen! Aren’t they just incredibly gorgeous?! Can’t wait for this one, it’s going to be a corker. X
Love your new ideas for kitchen, but I really LOVE the way it is now. I would have to say its my favorite room . Actually Your whole home is wonderful!!!
Definitely go for black. It’ll look great and I think it will make your kitchen look wider, as the floor and kickboards are dark.
Eeee I have that same tap saved for my future kitchen remodel! :-D
Loving your plans, and I’m taking notes. You do all the research, find the best stuff, and I’ll copy it when it’s my turn ;-)
I’m intrigued by the Minerva worktop you’ve found. It looks like marble! But it isn’t? I’ve had a quick look at their website and they don’t seem to say what exactly their products are made of. Are they a high quality laminate?
Looking forward to the transformation of your kitchen. With your plans, it’ll be GORGEOUS!
Scratch that question about Minerva, I’ve just found the answer in their FAQs!
Love everything! I’m in the middle of remodeling my kitchen and would love to go with black lowers and gold but have to go with all white. Can’t wait to see your changes!
Meeeeep – just ordered a tile mountain sample. Can’t wait to see it! X