Kitchen Before & After

We finally finished the backsplash in the kitchen.

I know I had talked about using this brick product:

However the current sample didn't seem to have any color variation and that would seem rather flat to me.  The next thing that caught my eye was silver travertine split stone.  We live in Nevada and are surrounded by rocks.  I like the idea of having more natural stone in the house.

The colors look wonderful with the antiqued Calcatta marble.  To me the antiqued version is not quite as heavily brushed as leathered marble.  It has a great patina to it that I think will withstand the test of time.

The camera doesn't really capture the look, but this closeup at least shows the edge I selected for the island.  I am really happy with the final look.  It wasn't easy with all the independent decisions that were made,  

I am happy that Mark, our cabinetmaker,  built a frame around the fridge to give it a more custom look.   Isn't that crown moulding fantastic!  He did some sand-through which gives the cabinets some depth.  All white would have been a little to boring for me.

He did the same on the oven side.  It really helped balance the room.

Another detail that Mark came up with is the cutout kick plate underneath the stove.  pulling the stove forward helps break up the long wall of cabinets. Since I don't cook, this is about enough emphasis on the stove for me!

On the island, I really struggled with the size, I had to leave enough room to walk around the island and have room for a table.  The final size was 102" long (8'6") x 60" wide (5').

We had corbels placed on the ends for the 12" overhang.  My husband doesn't like hitting his knees on corbels in the middle of the island.    

The work side of the island shows the fantastic farmhouse sink.  I went with a Reinhard  because I liked the profile and the surface finish.  So far it is a dream to work with.  I don't know how I've ever been without one.  The large single interior is really great.   

I couldn't get my husband to agree to one of those fancy bridge faucets.  He wanted a sink with a single control.  (He does the dishes more than I do, so he gets a say in it....) I thought they all looked too contemporary, until I saw this faucet from Waterstone, and got it with the larger crook neck in polished nickel.

Waterstone 5600 Faucet 

I really love the faucet.  There is a magnetic pull-down sprayer.  The only thing you need to be careful of is that if you are running hot water, the sprayer handle is VERY hot.  

Some of the other details - polished nickel 9" pulls, and crystal knobs.

I know, I'm supposed to be trendy, but I like polished nickel.  It looks good with silver.   In fact so much so it is hard to tell the difference.  The big difference being no polishing!!

(Yes I love silver and silverplate....)

The best way to end is to remind you of what the "before" looked like:

"Before"

"After"

Click on the above photo to see the enlarged photo.   I am now on the hunt for appropriate bar stools.

A big thanks to Mark Bartolomucci of Sierra Wood Products in Gardnerville, NV, who had to put up with me trying figure out what my dream kitchen cabinets were--and then delivered them!   I also have to thank my husband for putting up with alot of my nonsense and chasing ideas with me. Much of this is D-I-Y.  My husband and I did the flooring and backsplash.  My husband did all the plumbing and electrical.  Next on the honey-do list:  Paint the walls (color??), finishing electrical, and baseboard.  

I am linking up to the following parties:

The Scoop

Inspire Me Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesdays