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Kitchen Before and After Reveal

Do-It-Yourself Projects· Room Makeovers

 

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. A truly inspiring kitchen before and after reveal.

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You guys, I am so excited to talk with you today! I’ve been waiting forever to finally show you the finished kitchen. You know, that makeover I started back in June. After seven months of tearing out, installing, painting and waiting the space is finally done. Well, a couple more little tweaks like under cabinet lighting and a couple appliance changes…but for now, I’m calling it. 

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. A must see makeover!

Can you even remember what this space looked like before? Well since you don’t live in my house on a day-to-day basis, let me remind you:

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Before and after is amazing!

 

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Before and after is amazing!

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Before and after is amazing!

My favorite spot in this house is now my kitchen. I could sleep in here. This was the biggest remodel I’ve ever experienced. We kept the original cabinets and left the layout the same, but everything else changed! I learned a ton throughout the process, mostly how to be patient. 😉 The remodel started with the laminate counter tops and tile backsplash being removed to allow for the new Moen sink and faucet to be installed.

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Love this sink!

I debated on getting one with a divider but I’m so glad I didn’t. I can fit almost anything in this sink making that not-so-fun task of doing dishes a little easier. The bottom grid is also great for protecting the sink from scratches and gives me a nice place to set hot pots to cool. The motion sensor faucet comes in handy every single day. When I’m trying to cook with a toddler on the hip, I need all the help I can get.

Once the new sink was in, the new Quartz counter tops from Wilsonart were installed. I went with the Haida design. It’s a bright white design with fine, short black veining that looks very similar to the carrara marble look. We waited over a month for these beauties. A month of cardboard counters and lots of frozen pizzas. But friends, it was soooooo worth the wait! They turned out gorgeous and instantly brightened the whole kitchen. Both my husband I feel the counters made this kitchen what it is now…beautiful. 

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Love these quartz counter tops!

After the counters were in, it was time to install the subway back splash. (Find my full tutorial HERE with all my tips and trick on installing tile!) I’ve loved the look of subway tile for a long time and I’m so happy that it is now in my very own kitchen. I chose the Manhattan in glossy from Cypress South.  I decided to go with a grey grout called Mist that had a sealer already built in. Score! I have never tiled anything before, so this was a first time experience using a tile saw. I did some praying and away I went. After a few chips here and there… I got the hang of it. I love the look of it next to the Quartz counters. 🙂

One of my sisters favorite features of my kitchen make over is those stainless steel outlet covers. Once I finished installing the tile, the old covers just didn’t look right. I love the look of these and it was such an easy, inexpensive update to do. Why not?!

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Gorgeous tile!

After the tile was in place, I could install all the wood trim to add height to the cabinets. I hated that empty space. By filling them in, I instantly gave the whole room the feeling of higher ceilings. It was wonderful! (See my tutorial on how to add height to your kitchen cabinets HERE.)
A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Beautiful hardware!

 

With all the pretty changes happening in here, those old chipped floors needed to go. I loved Cross Sawn Chestnut by Pergo and knew it would go great with the gray cabinets. I’ve already shared with you how I picked this color and how I installed it. My knees liked to died after installation day, but you know what? I love these floors and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. I am so proud to say we installed them ourselves! 🙂

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Love the wood floors!

Now that the new floors were in, I was left with painting the cabinets. I knew I wanted to paint them gray, but there are so many gray choices! Wow. I finally decided on Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray because it was a pretty neutral gray with a hint of some brown undertones. Since the living room has vaulted ceilings with walls painted in a soft brown (that I will not be painting any time soon), I wanted the kitchen to compliment. I’m not gonna lie, that first swipe of the paint brush had me a little scared. But once I got most of it painted…I was in love. I used a Wagner spray painter for the doors and hand painted the frames.  UPDATE! The tutorial on how to paint your kitchen cabinets is available (click here!). I included everything you need to know to do the job right!

After I got all the doors reinstalled, it was time for the last step…adding the jewels! That’s what I like to call the hardware. I picked out stainless steel pulls in all different sizes. My favorite are these little t-pulls on the lazy susan doors…

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Love the pop of red!

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Cute coffee station!

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Remarkable!

kitchen-makeover-after-shots-1e-1

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. Great kitchen organization!

You can see how I organized kitchen counter with a few accessories HERE.  (pictured above)

A HUGE thank you to my sponsors that made this whole kitchen makeover possible:

Moen

Wilsonart

Pergo

Lowes

South Cypress

Wagner

D Lawless Hardware

If you are wanting to know the how-to on all the changes I made to this kitchen, tutorials are coming. After the holidays I will be sharing with you how I installed a farmhouse sink into a regular kitchen cabinet, back splash installation do’s and don’ts, raising the height of the cabinets, tips on spray painting kitchen cabinets, and more. If there is something you want to know that I didn’t mention, just leave me your question in the comments and I will try my best to answer it. 🙂

A builder grade kitchen gets a new look with classic features like gray cabinets, Quartz counters and subway tile. A must see makeover!
Do you like the new look?

Source List: 

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray

Sink: Moen

Faucet: Moen

Sink Grid: Moen

Sconce: Lamps Plus

Appliances: all new are Whirlpool

Counters: Haida from Wilsonart

Backsplash: Manhattan Subway tile with Mist grout from South Cypress

Trim: Home Depot

Flooring: Cross Sawn Chestnut from Pergo

Hardware: Stainless Steel pull bars from D. Lawless Hardware

 

UPDATE!!!! I  have finished the tutorial on How I Painted the Kitchen Cabinets found HERE…

how to easily paint kitchen cabinets tutorial

And if you are looking for ways to organize your kitchen, be sure to check out this post on the Five Organizers Every Kitchen Needs! 

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Comments

    • Laura says

      Thanks, Deb! Doing almost all the labor myself, really cut down on the cost. My knees may never be the same, but I think it was all worth it. 😉

      Reply

  15. Melissa says

    Your kitchen is beautiful! I love the color of the cabinets and the way you extended them to the ceiling. Thanks for sharing at the Family Joy Blog Link Party this week!

    Reply

  16. Christene Holder says

    WOW!!!! The Kitchen looks amazing! I’m obsessed with that sink – I would love to have a sink like that for our home! Congrats on finishing the reno and being able to enjoy your new kitchen. Thanks for sharing with us on the Family Joy Blog Link Party!

    >> Christene
    Keys to Inspiration

    Reply

  17. Lindi says

    BEAUTIFUL!! I LOVE this. I’m so inspired to tackle my kitchen now. I’ll be featuring this post at the Creative Gallery tonight! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  18. Rebekah says

    Wow! It looks so great! I would never have imagined those were your original cabinets! It’s amazing what paint can do though I understand about picking the right color! We are in the midst of adding on a new kitchen. I also wanted the same kind of quartz so bad but our installer wasn’t able to get them in time. 🙁 I was so bummed but we did wood and they turned out nice. I also got a moen faucet and whirlpool fridge. We are going to do subway tile too and my husband is going to install it. Love all the inspiration and how it turned out for you!

    Reply

  20. Ashley says

    How did you get the sink cabinet doors to work with the longer sink? They look smaller than they were in the before pictures?

    Reply

    • Laura says

      You are right, Ashley. They are smaller! I had to remove the original cabinet doors and then cut down the frame to the correct size for the farmhouse sink. Then I bought two new (smaller) cabinet doors and reinstalled. I will be sharing a tutorial on the whole process soon. 🙂

      Reply

  21. Doreen @ Hymns and Verses says

    Oh my gosh, Laura! Your kitchen is amazing! I absolutely love every single thing! It’s so bright and cheery! I’m dying over that Moen sink! I had my heart set on a white porcelain farmhouse sink, but this is making me reconsider stainless!

    Reply

  23. Candice says

    Love this kitchen! You are extremely talented. What material did you use to box in between cabinets and trim? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thank you, Candice! I used mdf boards and I will be writing a complete tutorial on that transformation soon. It’s really a pretty simple job to do, especially if you don’t have 45 degrees angles like I did. 😉 Stay tuned!

      Reply

  24. sherry hendrix says

    love what you’ve done from paint color, backsplash, and countertops! this is a look i would like to adopt in my kitchen. was interested to see that you noted your adjoining room was soft brown….same here. now i know what the effect would be in my own home. thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thank you, Sherry! I love that my kitchen gave you inspiration for your own home. That makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to share with me. 🙂

      Reply

  25. Mary E Priola says

    Your kitchen is just beautiful. I love it. What color paint and brand did you use for the cabients?

    Reply

  26. Yvonne says

    I was wondering if you have a tutorial of how you made the addition to the upper part of your cabinets? I am interested in doing that in my kitchen as my kitchen has 45 year old cabinets and I think what you did is absolutely amazing and gorgeous.

    Reply

  27. Trina says

    LOVE your kitchen remodel. Been working on our kitchen remodel for a while now. We live remotely so finding paint colors, etc is quite a chore. What color white did you use to compliment the Chelsea Gray? Is the kitchen window trimmed in stainless or is that the same paint color as the cabinets?

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thanks, Trina! I’m not sure what “white” you’re referring to…all my kitchen cabinets are Chelsea Gray and the walls are subway tiles. And yes, the trim around the kitchen window is also painted Chelsea Gray. 🙂

      Reply

  28. Shayla says

    So beautiful!! I have the exact same cabinets with the same space above but my ceilings are slanted for a vault ceiling. Do you think I could still do the top addition like you did? Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  30. Cheryl says

    Your kithen is absolutley beautiful. We are in the vert beginning stages of a remodel. We are going to start on the bathroom. Im scared because we are going to do it ourselves but you are giving me some motivation thou. What size subway tiles did you use in your kitchen?

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thank you so much, Cheryl! My subway tile is 3″ x 6″. Good luck on your bathroom. DIY projects always seem a little scary at first, but I’m sure you will love the end results. 🙂

      Reply

  31. Michelle says

    Gorgeous! We are in the middle of our kitchen Reno and are considering Wilsonart Quartz. Do you mind if I ask how your Quartz is holding up? Any staining, chipping, etc? Thank you! It’s hard to find many comments regarding Wilsonart Quartz!

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thanks, Michelle! My Quartz has held up beautifully! Not a scratch, chip, stain, mark…nada. And believe me when I say both my husband and my boys have tried!! I love it every single day I walk into our kitchen and have never regretted going with Quartz. Good luck on your kitchen reno too! It’s hard work but so worth it in the end. 🙂

      Reply

  32. Laura says

    your kitchen came out beautifully! I like the gray paint you used on the cabinets. We are currently trying to pick a cabinet and wall color. Did you paint any walls in your kitchen? All I see is the tile. If so, what color did you use on the walls to go with the cabinets? Thanks

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Thank you so much! Yes, all the walls that meet up to my kitchen are painted Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams. It’s a nice neutral soft gray that goes with any decor. 🙂

      Reply

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