We moved into a new house a few months ago, and as we were building, the number one question people asked was, “What’s your kitchen going to look like??” That was a good question, and I never really had an answer. We actually didn’t plan on building a house; we were about to purchase a different house nearby, and due to some random, serendipitous events, we suddenly found ourselves starting a new build. We actually put our house together rather quickly. In a way, it was a good thing; we didn’t stress over decisions- we just sort of picked things we knew we liked and it all came together. In the end, the kitchen is one of my favorite places in our house. It’s definitely the heart of our home; where meals happen, where homework happens, where life happens. So here’s a little peek into our home. This post is crazy long as is, so I’m going to do a part 2 to tell you about the appliances I chose- because that’s the second most common question! (–> Click Here for Part 2 <–)
Picking cabinets was fairly easy; for photography purposes I knew I wanted white so it would be light and bright. I also knew I wanted a gigantic island; this one is about 9 feet long by 5 1/2 feet wide with a granite top.
I also wanted a great spot surrounded by windows to snap pics of all the food we make around here.
We picked a soft gray for the walls (Sherwin Williams ‘Sensible Hue’); it’s actually one shade darker than the gray we painted the rest of the house.
The floors are an engineered hard wood. Yes, the dark wood shows crumbs and dust much more than a lighter wood, but on the flip side, that actually makes me keep my floors clean and sweep more than once a week like at my old house. Seriously. I love the warmth the dark floors bring to the house. They also have a hand-scraped texture that adds character and makes me not care about any dings since it’s blends right in.
The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams ‘Snow Bound’ and glazed in ‘Van Dyke’ stain for that dark highlight. I went back and forth and back and forth on whether I wanted them glazed and I’m really glad my husband, builder, and cabinet guy talked me into glazing; I love the dimension it adds and the detail it highlights. I also love the white cabinets and haven’t had any issues with them being hard to keep clean (like some people warned me about). Sometimes the cupboards we use the very most get finger prints on them, but all it takes is a quick wipe to clean them right up. I’m glad I went with white.
For contrast, we painted the island black. All of the appliances on the back-side have panel fronts on them so they look like cabinets. Hiding right there in the cabinet next to the pull-out garbage is my most favorite appliance, ever. You’re going to have to wait to see it!
When it comes to home decor I employ the same tactics as my wardrobe. Splurge on some nice expensive things, and balance out with some bargains! For example, we splurged on a granite upgrade that I loved, but found this great glass and marble backsplash tile at Costco for a fraction of what similar styles cost. I love that the clear glass has a blueish tint that goes well with all of the blue/turquoise accents in my kitchen. And the rest of my house. And my wardrobe. I have an obsession.
One thing I knew I wanted from the beginning was some metal tile. I’ve always loved it, but didn’t want to overdo it with an entire backsplash or ceiling. So I used a simple section above my stove and I love how it blends with all of the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
I also had the idea to do a recessed panel centered above the island. This is one of my favorite parts- and I feel cool and designer-ish for thinking of it myself, designing it out, and seeing it happen!
Metal tiles can be crazy expensive, but I special ordered these from Home Depot for about $35 per 2′x4′ panel. They have faux plastic ones for almost that much, so I think the metal is quite a steal.
Those mini chandeliers hanging over the island are from the Camilla line at Pottery Barn (which I got at a bargain during their annual lighting event). We have the large version in our entry way, and the globe light (seen later in this post) over our dining table. LOVE them.
This is me saying, “Hi everyone!” Obviously.
A lot of people in the comments have been asking to see better photos of the twig-like things sitting above my cabinets. It’s just something I picked up at Gordman’s. They’re real branches, nailed to a board and white washed. It would probably be pretty easy to make for you crafty peeps out there:
I have a few single ones as well; I just thought they were cool. I honestly stuck them up there temporarily because I wasn’t sure where I was going to put them and wanted them out of the way, and they’ve just stayed!
Back to the kitchen…
I almost did an apron front sink but decided I just wanted a nice big under-mount basin with no dividers. I love having one big, deep spot to pile in dishes and large pots and pans.
The island has chunky legs (resisting so many puns right now…) and those stools are from Ikea. We actually bought the super high ones on accident. We got them on a trip to Utah, so there was so exchanging happening.
However as it turns out they are the perfect height for the little people around here. It turned out to be such a happy accident. And adults can fit comfortably on them too, even though they feel higher than normal. We eat a lot of our meals at the island so it’s perfect.
Another thing I made sure to do was take advantage of every space available. I wanted nothing wasted. So there are big giant cabinets under the island for stowing away things I don’t access very often.
And nice deep shelves for my appliance addiction.
Even little spaces like the molding flanking the stove got put to good use
They’re hidden panels I can grab with my foot and fit about 4792 spice bottles.
Having all of the spices in there frees up tons of space in the upper cabinets.
Speaking of storage, people tend to assume I have a massive pantry, but it’s totally average-sized. I found with a large pantry at my previous house that it just got used up with storage, and I’d much rather have that space used outside the pantry. So I have a huge separate storage room nearby and tons of shelves in the garage where I can store big stuff. One thing I did do however, was make some extra tall shelves with electric outlets to keep the appliances I use regularly (like my toaster and my blender.) I have this thing with cluttered counter tops and I hate having appliances sit out. I also hate pulling things out over and over again. This has seriously been the most convenient thing. This pantry shelf (and the rest of it that you can’t see in this photo) become an extension of the kitchen that we use all the time.
I made sure to do a few cabinets with bubble glass fronts to let some of my pretties peek through- like my wedding china that finally got removed from their boxes after almost 9 years of marriage. Yes!
And my collection of blue glass.
Everything turned out as lovely as I imagined it, and for that I am happy.
Here’s the other Camilla light- the globe version. My favorite thing about this light, is that as the afternoon sun goes down and shines though the window, it casts sparkly little rainbows all over the house.
Watching my little kids chase those around is priceless.
I hope you all enjoyed the little peek into my home; I wish I could have you all sit down for dinner! Here’s a list of specs, if you have other questions, about anything, feel free to ask in the comment section!
Home Builder (In Boise, Idaho): Morgan Creek Homes
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams ‘Sensible Hue’
Cabinet Color: Sherwin Williams ‘Snow Bound’
Cabinet Glaze: Sherwin Williams ‘Van Dyke’
Granite: This same granite was called by different names in different places, but it’s most similar to “White Ice”
Metal Tile: Home Depot
Glass and Marble Backsplash: Costco find!
Flooring: Mohawk Flooring, Engineered Hardwood, Santa Ana Plank (Purchased through RC Willey)
Granite: I totally drew a blank, I’ll be back with the name of the granite!
Mini Chandeliers and Globe light: Pottery Barn, Camilla Line
Kitchen Table: World Market ‘Arcadia’
Appliances (Click Here for Details): Thermador from Orson Gygi
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Appetizers
Beef
Sandwiches and Burgers
Beverages
Breads
Breakfast and Brunch
Condiments
Desserts
Pizza and Pasta
Pork
Poultry
Salads and Dressings
Seafood
Side Dishes and Vegetables
Soups and Stews
I have been WAITING for this post! So gorgeous!
Sara que linda sua cozinha ,tremendo bom gosto,vc sabe que naquele sonho que tive com vc sua casa era mais ou menos assim linda demais tudo bem clim muito estranho meu sonho , parabens consegui ler suas historias pois o Adriano traduziu para mim poder ler parabens é tudo que tenho a dizer . bjs
Beautiful!! Wow, I’m wishing mine looked like that!! LOL And I’m married to a fabulous cabinet guy!!! (who would have totally talked you into the glaze too). Love the blue glass, I think I’m starting to get that obsession too after seeing how it looks in your kitchen!!
Wow, it’s gorgeous! You did a great job! One question… I thought you lived in Utah. No? You said you got the stools on a trip to Utah.
Nope, I live in the Boise, Idaho area! We’re just in Utah a lot for business since our publisher is headquartered there.
I just simply looove your kitchen and I wish i could have one in the future :)
Beautiful! We just renovated our old farmhouse’s kitchen, so I know what an undertaking it is. I love all of your choices! And congrats on having it DONE. :)
What a beautiful kitchen! You’re truly blessed and totally deserve it! :)
Looks beautiful. What color is the granite?
I totally drew a blank when I was typing this out. I’ll come back and add the name of the granite when I can look it up! lol
We have similar granite – the name was Delicatus White. I still love it.
So beautiful. It all came together so nicely!
Loved the spice rack, the outlets in the pantry and the OBB cookbooks on the shelf! You are brilliant. I’m hoping that what we’re waiting to see later is a lift-stand for your Kitchen Aid. I have one and it is my favorite thing in the kitchen. I also have a two-deep trash can cupboard like you do. So convenient for separating trash from recycling!
It’s one very gorgeous kitchen, with one very gorgeous woman standing in it (loved the bare feet photo). Great job, Sara!!!
P.S.- That is one very ginormous refrigerator!
Your kitchen is gorgeous!! I love the pops of blue that come from your glass collection and your tea kettle. And the hidden spice rack is awesome!
insanely jealous of your kitchen! Its wonderful! Nice job with the metal tiles, I love them!
Absolutely beautiful! I wish it was my kitchen.
Oh my gosh. That is GORGEOUS! I love the metal over the stove. Just perfect! Enjoy your super awesome beautiful new kitchen! You deserve it!
The outlets in the pantry was really a great idea. I, too, don’t love a cluttered countertop. Considering how fast you put it together I am very impressed you remembered all the details you wanted to add! The natural light from those big windows is beautiful and I love the huge refrigerator. It would be so useful when you need to put large trays in the fridge. Nice job.
Gorgeous kitchen! Do you live in Boise? You have the exact kitchen/eating area layout as my cousin who just built a house there. I love how you blended modern and traditional elements. Nice job!
The kitchen is amazing!
When I one day get my dream house, I’m copying this kitchen completely. I love it that much!
I’ve always thought of the kitchen as the heart of the home, and yours is wonderful. I’d never leave my kitchen if it looked like this! Well, maybe if there was a sinkful of dirty dishes and all. ;o)
um, I WANT THIS KITCHEN!!! every single bit of it.
Absolutely beautiful!! I have the same tray that you have on your table and I love it so I’ll be copying your set-up, so cute! I was curious where you got the table runner, maybe World Market? I’ve been looking for something pretty for summer to add some color and brighten things up and that one is very pretty.
Yep- World Market!
I love the hidden storage for the spices! Way to use all the space!
Both my husband and I looked through these pictures, loving so many things about this kitchen! It is perfect. Can’t lie, I’m quite jealous ( :
Oh it is just beautiful! Congratulations on the new house and gorgeous kitchen!! I am totally jealous! If you don’t mind me asking, I live in the Boise area too, who was your builder? I can’t wait to see what is in that secret door by the garbage door!! Thank you for the peak into your beautiful home!
Our builder is Morgan Ririe of Morgan Creek Homes. I can’t say enough good things about him, he was fantastic. If you’d like his number, shoot me an email!
Super strange i stumbled upon your kitchen images… You live in Boise… My family is moving to Eagle end of July… I will be there Sunday Monday to look at property as well as meet with a builder to potentially build. I would love to shoot you an offline email and perhaps you could share some insight into the building a home from scratch process ;)
You’re kitchen is amazing!!
Gorgeous! What are the tree things on top of your cabinets? They look awesome! Way to go with the tiles on the ceiling – they make the space.
Gorgeous!!! ♥
Its beautiful! I love the metal accents and the back splash. Also love seeing your lighting since I bought one of the small ones during the lighting sale as well. Its too small for my dining room….happy to know there is a globe.
Congrats! We did our kitchen 2 years ago so I know how much goes into it!
Its so beautiful!!
LOVE you kitchen! but looking at the photos makes me home-sick for my kitchen back in North Carolina! LOVED my white cabinets (well, cream…).
Gorgeous! I’m so jealous of your beautiful space!
Wow! Can I be you? Just kidding…It’s lovely, though.
Just beautiful! It looks like the kind of kitchen that was MADE for having stacks of pancakes ready on Saturday morning, with bleary-eyed kiddies stumbling in and mom & dad in their robes with a mug of something toasty. Well done!!
WOW Sara love your kitchen!!! Who says you cant have too many appliance!! Well my husband. That is one dream kitchen i would love to have!! I dont like appliances sitting around either. Love the idea of putting outlets in the pantry pretty amazing.
Love the bar stools! Exactly what I have been looking for! I have 3 little boys so I am thinking maybe I should buy the taller bar stools too. I’m glad you suggested it because I was going to get the shorter ones but the taller ones make so much more sense…no booster seats needed! :) Thanks! Oh and I love the kitchen! And I am really liking your table, might need one of those too! Do you like the bench? Or do you like the chairs better!?
Thanks for sharing this!
I love all the great detail you included.
The spice rack idea is so clever.
I’m lucky that I’ve been able to enjoy and be in your new kitchen!
Lucky Me! It’s just as great, even better, in real life.
Congrats on a beautiful new home and kitchen.
It’s SO gorgeous. Sigh. ;)
A-ma-zing!! Love the spice pull out. Will you post a pick of your whole pantry (like a from far view)? I like my pantry but did some things wrong. I love your appliance shelf idea. Thanks for the tour
So beautiful! I love the colors you chose. I also love the color blue which can be overdone, but you did it so tastefully! Nicely done. :)
Also a view inside your fridge! It’s huge and I love it :)
It’s a crazy massive beast! You’ll get pics of that, along with the rest of the appliances next week :)
WOW!totally LOVE you kitchen! Well done!
I cleaned model homes and one had the floor you choose in aboout a year from now you’ll be sorry…Love the other look but gives me flashbackes on ice melt on the floor! From the outside being tracked in off the streets..!
PS Why didn’t you run a water line for by your stove?
I don’t really like the look of a faucet coming out of the wall, plus my sink is literally right there next to the stove. Also, I don’t fill up giant pots of water very often :) As for the floors, ours are incredibly durable and they’ve held up great (snowy shoes, messy boys, and lots of toys!) for several months now. I fill in any scratches with a stain pen and you can’t tell the difference- I’m happy I picked it!
http://centurycommunities.com/gallery/photo-gallery This is the models
You may have to click on kitchen # 7 very simular to your layout the island is the best part of it all
I have had those exact same floors for 4 years and still love the heck out of them (dings and all!!) they do shows dust but I actually, like you, don’t mind since they are so easy to clean and it just keeps me on top of it! Love your kitchen, it is gorgeous!!!
We have the same backsplash all the way in Texas! Though we did not find ours at Costco. Boo for us! Beautiful kitchen.
I might be just a little bit jealous. Love it everyday for the rest of us with slightly below average kitchens.
I LOVE your spice jar organizer! I seriously think those are the coolest things ever, and they do save so much space in other cabinets! I hate how unorganized my spices are!
I love the kitchen! LOVE the floors. We just put engeneered hardwood in our kitchen/greatroom as well, though its little lighter than yours. I have gone back and forth on putting a rug under the table to avoid scratches. Your table looks great. I think I’ll settle on no rug as well :) Beautiful job.
SARA. It is so freaking gorgeous. Imma pin the crap out of it.
Your kitchen is my dream kitchen–just beautiful! My favorite part…ok of of the many..is the tin ceiling inlay…..can you saw AWESOME!!! And the lights….beautiful.
I am so happy for you….enjoy your kitchen….mine needs some work so I will just dream about yours when I am in mine for now ;)
It’s gorgeous. You did an amazing job on the design! I never would have thought of the spice rack or the outlets in the pantry. You’re a genius.
Beautiful!! Is the countertop white diamond?? I have that in my house and just love it!!
I love it, absolutely gorgeous!! Enjoy!!!
LOVE IT! Totally my style. What are the twiggy things above the cabinets?
They’re just that- twiggies, lol. They’re white-washed birch branches that kind of sit on a stand. You can’t see the bottom because they’re sunken in- I didn’t have a spot for them so I just threw them up there for now!
I love the way it looks. Did you make them or buy them? If so, where did you get them? I’ve been struggling with what to put above my cabinets that doesn’t look too cluttered.
This is truly a dream kitchen. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
So beautiful!!
Gorgeous!!! I am so jealous. I keep telling my husband that when we get rich I want to build my own kitchen (or house…) ;) My mom has cream colored cabinets (not white white, but still very light) and she LOVES them. They are also distressed so when they were installed we kids joked about how we could dent them and she would never know, she overheard us and said “I’ve counted the dings/cracks, I would know.”
I loved your kitchen – it is just perfect! My favorite features are the lighting and your huge island.
Love your kitchen! When we built our new home 3 years ago, I told our builder I wanted a plug in the pantry for my wheat grinder. He though I was nuts. But I have loved it from the day we moved in! I also love my big island, although it’s not quite as big as yours. It’s great for rolling out pie dough, sugar cookies, bread, etc. Can’t wait to read about your appliances!
Absolutely stunning! I love everything!
It’s beautiful!
I LOVE your pull out spice rack. LOVE.
It is exactly what I have been dying to put in my kitchen… :)
AWESOME!! what is the branch looking stuff on the top of your cabinets, and where did you get it??
Just lovely! Love white cabinets, the black island, and your choice in lights…where did they come from?
They’re from Pottery Barn, check the end of the post for a link!
So gorgeous! What is next to the blender in your pantry? I can’t tell if it’s some kind of grinder or a cereal dispenser or something else.
Cereal dispensers- love them!
http://www.amazon.com/Zevro-Dual-Dispenser-Black-Chrome/dp/B00013K8OO
Gorgeous!!
1) That pink top is super flattering. :-)
2) We have the same crockpot/multicooker! I got mine for Christmas, after I saw it in Real Simple. I’d love to see some recipes using the cooker…Ninja has a great one, too.
Your kitchen is wonderful! I just love that the top of the cabinets is a shelf – to leave empty or to display “stuff” that you like. My cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, but my sister has white cabinets with a space like yours, and she has quite a collection of varied pitchers and teapots up there. It’s like a gallery in her kitchen.
Thank you for sharing your photographs!
Beautiful!!! Enjoy your wonderful kitchen.
In my former home, I had an amazing kitchen…not so much anymore. I truly miss that 10′ L-shaped butcher block island!!
LOVE every single touch of your beautiful kitchen…all the way down to the containers for the cereal!! :) Thanks for sharing!! I always look forward to getting your daily emails! Thanks for all you both do for making our lives a little easier!! Happy Friday!!
Wow right out of the magazines…Beautiful!
I just love, love, love your kitchen. You are very much like me, except you are probably more imaginative. But we are semi doing our kitchen in our carriage home. We are refacing our white cabinets, actually exchanging them out for maple with a terrific color an glazing. Both my husband and I wanted the tin metal squares as a backsplash where we didn’t have granite. We will do that ourselves or should I say my husband will do it. I wish I had done my stainless steel sink like yours. Since mine is an undermount(granite countertops), it can’t be changed. I have the small sink with the larger sink to the right. That was ten yrs ago, so who knew.
Love your appliance idea. I too am an appliance nut. Love gadgets as well. So I have a lot of stuff. Need to extend my kitchen to the other end of the room so I can have more storage space!
Have fun in your new kitchen.
Beautiful!!! You look so tiny behind that massive island! If it were my choice I would’ve chosen a plate warmer in the secret appliance spot! I hate it when my food gets cold before I can sit and eat it…which, of course as the mom, is usually only after all the kiddos and hubby have everything they need.
oooh, I have one of those too! Lol. It’s in another spot- but yes, it’s fantastic!
Lovely! Just lovely!
I love, love, love your kitchen! We’re getting ready to build (crossing my fingers for this spring) and I just pinned this to show my husband tonight. You have everything I’ve been telling him that I want. I’m so glad that you said you like your white cabinets. I’ve been wanting white for all the light but everyone tells me I’ll hate how dirty they get (not that any of them have white cabinets…). Anyway, thanks so, so much for sharing your beautiful kitchen. I’ll be holding my breath for the next post. I’m dying to see details on that huge fridge! ;)
Hello dream kitchen!!! When can I move in?!?!
Absolutely LOVE your kitchen. What a dream kitchen!!!
I have the exact same floors! And yes you are right about the increased sweeping, but they just add such a warmth and coziness to the room. Have you encountered any scratches yet? My son did a whopper with a hot wheel car that had lost a wheel! Lovely kitchen- congrats on the new home.
Erica, do you have a stain pen? We’ve just had a few little knicks but you honestly can’t see a thing after touching up with the marker.
I’ll be getting one now. :) thanks for the tip. Those cheap bar towels from wal mart and a little pressure from my bare foot is all I need to wipe up little messes and tracks my son occasionally makes. I have had these floors for a year now and still love them.
Beautiful! I’ve been waiting to see this post! :) love your style!
Wow, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Love it all!
ADORE the kitchen! Wonderful taste you have! I’m in the market for a dining set and LOVE yours. Would you be so kind and tell me where you purchased. Please say a mass retailer (PB, World market etc…) as I am quite far from Boise!
Yes Ma’am- World Market! I LOVE everything about it- but I do wish it was wider across. By the time there’s plates and cups on the table, there’s not much room to set actual food in the middle and I wish there was. That’s my only complaint though :)
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/arcadia+dining+collection.do?&from=Search
Love this kitchen!! Its so my style and similar to what I have right now but WAY nicer!! When we build i am going to do all the awesome extras you have.. so nice!
I would love to see a tour of your house inside and out.. that would be awesome, please do!!
Ha. Maybe I’ll share things room by room as they get “finished”- the kitchen is about the only place that’s actually put together right now! lol
Sara, you are living in a magazine. For real. Your kitchen is amazing and beautiful. It is apparent that you and your hubby have good taste (and have been very blessed). :)
LOVE this!! I have been looking for a cute blue tray like the one on your table! Can I ask where it’s from? I love the colors you chose!
It’s from Hobby Lobby! I love it so much, I bought it in two sizes (I think they have 3 sizes). I bought that one and a ginormous one that I know one day will be fabulous to transport 87 cupcakes or something, lol!
Love the kitchen! Where did you buy your clock above your pantry door? I’m in the market for one and can’t find one I like.
I seriously looked EVERYWHERE for a clock I liked and had no luck at any of my favorite go-to stores. Then, last week I ran into my local Fred Meyer to grab a gallon of milk and saw that one so I picked it up. It worked perfectly!
What size is the clock you have? Maybe my Fred Meyer only sells the bigger one.
It’s pretty big, maybe 24″ across?
You have great taste, but that was already clear! I love your new kitchen.
Beautiful! Our kitchens are similar in taste and colors! Your countertop even looks the same, ours is called Eagle White, granite. Beautiful job! Isn’t building fun!?!
It is gorgeous! I really love that spice storage panel. Someone had a brilliant idea there!
Love it! Yes please. Going in my wish book.
I’m having a hard time finding that particular floor plank on the site you posted- what type of engineered hardwood is it? THANKS
That is so beautiful, I could cry! You are one super lucky girl!
JEALOUS! I love it!
Stunning. Magnificent. Amazing. I now have kitchen envy :)
Thank you for kitchen tour. It is adorable. We are doing some remodel work in our house and the kitchen will be then end of the year project. We finally did the lay out last weekend. I love you ideas and how your colors are incorporated. I’m doing white cabinets and dark floors and a table similar to the color that you have. It gets me excited to actually see a picture similar to what I am planning and dreaming. I give up sometimes on sweeping the floors and bust out the shop vac. A few questions do your kids play with your spice rack and what are the cute branch/tree looking things on top of your cabinets?
Nope, my kids have never touched the spice racks. They don’t even have knobs on them, so no one really notices they’re there! I’m going to post a photo of those branch things in the post today because everyone has been asking!
Wow. That is a beautiful kitchen. Thanks so much for sharing the details. I love all the hidden storage and customizations you made. And the colors are just beautiful. One question–do you worry about having the spices so close to the stove? I’ve heard that heat can be bad for spices, but I don’t really know enough about it to be sure.
No Kiersten, that’s just a range top above it- my ovens are on the wall, so there’s no heat there.
So I know being jealous is a bad character trait…but man am I jealous right now :-) beautiful!
I absolutely love everything about your kitchen! I would love to see your floor plan, is it available somewhere online?
Thanks for letting us all in your kitchen!! It looks fabulous! Can you tell me what the dimensions of your kitchen/dining room are? We are working on house plans and it can be hard to visualize the size of a room.
What a gorgeous kitchen!!! Lucky lucky girl!!! :) Thanks so much for allowing us this view into your home!!! :)
Wow!!! Your kitchen is stunning! Seriously! :) Everything is so beautiful and put together so well. :) You guys did a terrific job. I especially love your mantle, the lights you chose, your cabinets/spice rack (how cool is that?) and your little boy sitting at the island (love that island btw!). He’s so cute! Hehe Reminds me of my 2 year old son. :)
Sara, your kitchen is a dream. Pretty sure I’m going to “borrow” a few of your ideas when we settle down. ;)
Congratulations on your kitchen:) it’s beautiful and I love the ceiling and stove back splash ~ brilliant!
For someone who cooks as much as you do, you need to find and use Penzey’s spices. I have to recommend the shallot salt, French basil, and their Vietnam extra fancy cinnamon. Also, double strength vanilla is delicious if your into that kind of thing. They also make a vanilla sugar (which is kind of pricey) that goes well in recipes that only require a little bit of sugar. Just had to share! Your kitchen is LOVELY! Makes me want to cook just looking at it.
Love the dream kitchen! And the colors! I’m inspired. What color is the paint on your island?
Honestly I have no clue- it’s just plain ol’ black black :)
What I meant to say is what is the name of the color of your black paint on the island?
Um…can I live in your kitchen? I would totally sweep your floors everyday! Pretty please?
This is incredible; I just “pinned” the heck out of it so that when I get to build dream house, I can use this kitchen!
Wow – this is simply beautiful!!
I LOVE it all! thanks for sharing!!!!
I can’t wait to hear about the fridge because we are in the market for a new one and we have space to get a bigger one—like yours—so please show us every detail of the inside of the fridge and tell us what you love/don’t love so far about it!!!!
Thank you!
Beautiful kitchen. I just bought a house and it is going to be a rental property eventually after we fix it up. I loved the color of your walls. I’ve actually been looking for a light grey to put on all our walls. You said you painted the rest of your house a lighter grey. What is the name of the lighter grey you picked?
Just one shade lighter on the same chip- the lighter shade is Sherwin Williams “Aloof”. It’s pretty light and I absolutely love it.
I LOVE this! Thanks for taking us inside for the tour. I can’t wait for part 2!
Love, Love, Love!!! I pinned it, so one day maybe I can do a kitchen just like it!!
Love every bit of it. Wonderful job.
So gorgeous Sara! It is such a reflection of your beauty, style and talent! The appliance pantry is genius. I feel the same way about stuff on my counters. I love everything about it :)
LOVE it! I’m getting married soon, and my dream kitchen is about the same thing but I’d love to accent in pale yellows and make it all sunshine-y! My sister is throwing me a kitchen shower, and I’m really excited to get some (much) better cooking utensils and so forth. Beautiful kitchen, though, and I love the bench at your kitchen table!
Oh, I was wondering how you like your Blendtec blender? And where you bought it? We haven’t put a blender on our registry yet and it seems like so many of them get that burnt smell.
I love my Blendtec. I bought mine through Bed Bath and Beyond because you can use their 20% coupon and get the best deal around.
PLEASE do a tour of you entire home!! I’d love to see it
Dreamy! That’s all I can say. So very dreamy!!!
This is my first time visiting your blog. Wow I have to say, I thought my kitchen was big but yours is huge and beautiful. How fun to be able to create in this environment. I love the ceilings and wish I had your slide out spice cabinets. We made the mistake of having the spices on the inside doors of our cabinets and eventually it ended up causing the doors to shift. So, I had to remove them and put the spices in a different cabinet. Very pretty and it looks qutie functional.
I think you identified your second blog and book: Kitchen Design! Way to go.
Love your ideas – especially the outlets in the pantry! Your kitchen looks beautiful!
Wow! Love how big and light your kitchen is. We’re actually building a house right now and looking for backsplash for our kitchen. We loved yours! I know you said you got it at Costco, was that the one in Boise? And do you happen to have any more information on it–name? color? item #? Any other information you have would be super helpful, my Costco only has the brown tile right now :( Thanks!
I’m actually pretty sure my builder bought everything they had, that’s probably why there’s none left! lol Yes, we bought it at the Boise store. It’s the exact same brand and everything as the brownish one (we actually used that one in our master bath). I don’t have any packaging or anything from it though, sorry!
What a beautiful kitchen, and such a blessing that you are young enough to really use it.
Lovely kitchen. I love that it feels warm and bright at the same time. I have the same blue platter you have displayed on top of your cabinets. Love it! Thanks for sharing.
Getting ready to do a pretty big kitchen renovation…I love your glass and marble backsplash…are you concerned about the grout getting stained near the cooktop?
Love it! One question, though. Where is the microwave? Maybe I’m just missing it. Is it left of the fridge under that counter?
It’s under the counter, in the island across from the fridge.
Sara,
Do you remember the color of your ceiling tiles? I found them online, but they come in about 18 colors. I’m guessing yours are either, Brushed Aluminum, Argent Silver, Cross Hatch Silver or Galvanized Steel. Also, was the VanDyke Brown on your cabinets, only in the recessed areas? It looks that way, but I know sometimes lighing and flash can be deceiving.
We are in the process of remodeling and you and your kitchen have given me lots of inspiration!!!!!
Tracy
Your kitchen, with all the extras and awesome appliances, is amazingly fantastic!!! Love it and love all your recipes. You guys have a great writing style on your blog with humor, sarcasm, and fun nature. It really makes it enjoyable to read. Thank you so much for sharing your lives with us :)
Sara,
Never mind on my above question about the ceiling tile color. I was looking at the faux tiles and not the real metal ones. Was the VanDyke Brown on your cabinets, only in the recessed areas? It looks that way, but I know sometimes lighing and flash can be deceiving.
Tracy
Tracy
Yep, the van dyke is what you see just in the crevices where you see that dark line.
Hello! Love the kitchen, it’s totally my style and I’m sure you are enjoying it! It looks like you don’t have an exhaust fan over your stove. Is it hiding somewhere or did you just not want one?
No I do have one! It’s just hidden under that woodwork above the stove.
Those cabinets are amazing. I am also wondering how the stain/paint was applied to achieve that effect. Must have been incredibly time-consuming, but they look fabulous.
Basically the cabinets are painted and after they’re dried, a glaze is rubbed over them. A special solvent used to then wipe them clean, but the glaze will stick in all of the crevices.
Hi Sara-
I am in the process of building a home. I appreciate all your detailed info for your new beautiful kitchen. I have been frustrated trying to keep all my building info organized. I have pinterest boards, secret boards, houzz boards, loose papers, and all kinds of craziness going on. I have yet to find a way to organize it and be able to make notes and add info as the building process moves along. I would love a digital format, but maybe an old fashioned binder is my only option?? Did you have a great way to keep your files organized? Would love suggestions!
I honestly didn’t have files of any kind. A sticky note here or there, and piles of random papers in my office, haha. The whole building process was pretty quick for us and we made a lot of decisions on-the-spot simply to avoid papers!
My mouth literally dropped open! So gorgeous!
BEAUTIFUL! What finish did you use on your metal tiles?
This is seriously an incredible kitchen. I am thoroughly jealous to my core. I love to cook and that massive amount of space with great access to everything I could need nothing more. I think you did a great job with this and that ceiling above the island is something special. Congratulations on creating something most could envy.
I am in Idaho, too, and was wondering if you could tell me which plan you used from Morgan Creek. I got onto their website. Did might have just done a custom home though. Beautiful kitchen!!
My floor plan isn’t on Morgan’s website, sorry!
I love your kitchen, it’s my dream!! I am getting ready to build and have been looking at your builder and was wondering which house plan you used??. I really like the layout of the kitchen. Thanks so much!
Sorry, our house plan isn’t one listed on his website.
Thank you for inviting us into your kitchen! Who was your builder? Thanks!
I just saw the sidebar with your kitchen tours and was SO EXCITED! Your kitchen is so gorgeous!!! Love all of your choices! I have the hand-scraped floors as well (mid-tone bamboo) and they are PERFECT for hiding scratches and dings. Love, love, love.
LOVE your kitchen! I’m in the process of ripping up our tile and putting in wood floors. I have scoured the internet and asked lots of flooring people if they can help my find the Santa Ana floors you have. No luck…no one has heard of them and I can’t even find them online. Any chance you have the name wrong? Maybe it’s unique to RC Willey but I would REALLY love to find your flooring since it’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!
Hmm, that’s weird. I would contact someone directly with Mohawk and start there. They might make it specifically for RC Willey but I’m not sure. I do know that’s the right name though, I called and got all the info!
Thanks Sara! I’ll be giving Mohawk and possibly RC Willey a call…I’m on a mission to find that floor :) And I just have to laugh because even though we’ve never met it seems like we’re friends…does that sound creepy? :)
Haha, nope- not creepy at all. A lot of people say that and the feeling is mutual! We’re totally friends! lol Good luck on your flooring search. Really, you should just call the Boise RC Willey store and ask for Troy in flooring. He’s a friend and will totally help you out. Just tell him you want the floor from Sara Wells’s kitchen and he’ll give you the model number and everything- no joke. That might be the fastest solution for ya!
I called Mohawk and just wanted to let you know in case any one else asks you the same question…stores can take the Mohawk product and name it whatever they want and even change the numbers so it can make it impossible to find the same product at a different store or online. I live in AZ so no luck getting it from RC Willey but I appreciate your help!
K, so I know this will probably sound weird, but we are building and I knew that I wanted the walls if my home to grey, I have had paint swatch after paint swatch and the I took your kitchen tour and went to Sherwin Williams and your color is my fav! So my question is, how did you find an attractive carpet that the paint and carpet compliment? We are doing hand scraped walnut hardwoods in the living room, kitchen, office, and hallways, but for the bedrooms and family room, I just can’t come up with a nice carpet option. Any suggestions?
Hi Sara,
I’ve been looking for the metal tile you used from Home Depot. I think I found it except it’s being sold in 2X2 sheets now. It comes in a bunch of finishes – bare steel (for self finishing) white, clear lacquer, brass, copper and chrome – which one did you use? Thanks! My kitchen is getting close to being finished, and then off we move to Utah. I think 13 families are moving from the ward in the near future. : ( You would hardly recognize anyone anymore. So sad.
peace out
Did you customize your floor plans or did your builder offer you some. We are moving to Idaho Falls and are going to build. I have been searching for the perfect floorplans and I love yours!