A Kitchen update doesn't have to include tearing out cabinets and replacing appliances. Let's look at this recent project.

Above is the "Before" of Jody's kitchen. She wanted to make it feel fresh and a little artsy and she didn't want to rip out the wood cabinets nor take down the coppery mosaic tile backsplash. Jody does want to replace the white formica countertop with butcher block and she would love to see a piece of stone at the end of the counter. She saw that idea online and thought it was pretty cool. Her designer (that would be me) was worried that adding a detail to the end of the counter in a small kitchen would stop the eye and make it appear even smaller. Jody persisted, won me over and we got it done.

Here's the "After!" Isn't the Carrera marble at the end of the counter some kind of wonderful? Jody was right! It's a cool idea!

We specified White Oak counters with a clear, catalyzed conversion finish. Signature Custom Woodworking in King, North Carolina made and installed them and they're absolutely gorgeous! We removed the old formica backsplash, replacing it with very affordable brick tile (64 cents per piece!) and a not-so-affordable copper pencil tile on top to transition nicely with the older mosaic tile. A very successful transition!

Another photo of the "After." Jody had the painter give the white cabinets a fresh coat after everything was in. Now this kitchen reflects her personal style which is warm, interesting and fun.

We wanted to use a farmhouse sink in this project, but they weigh A LOT more than other sinks and would have required adding serious support in the existing base cabinet. Jody didn't want to lose that much storage space, so we switched gears and chose this fabulous Blanco Granit sink. It's a great choice. It doesn't have a shiny white finish like porcelain. It's faintly speckled.

We took down the heavy woven woods valance over the kitchen sink and replaced the dated track light with a pretty multi-colored glass pendant that adds some nice sparkle. A new oil rubbed bronze faucet and soap dispenser add more warm tones. And isn't that sweet pig painting by local artist Ana Peralta an awesome addition to this kitchen? I'm calling him Wilbur (not very original, but it fits).

Sean, our super duper handyman did the demolition work on the old counter and sink. It was his idea to router out the space for the marble piece so it could sit level with the counter. Genius! We were all very excited by that idea.

Wanting to keep the artsy vibe going with splashes of color, we added this sassy little rug by Company C at the sink. Isn't this kitchen SO pretty now? Nice update, right?

The kitchen table is right next to the new counters and in a lovely bay window, overlooking a spectacular back yard (think trees, flowers, fire pit, eating and grilling space). All we needed to do here was to replace the light fixture.

The new fixture is by Dailey and blends oil rubbed bronze with mercury glass lamps brilliantly. Sparkle and texture baby!

THEN, we moved into the next space, adding two wood beams to the ceiling and updating the ceiling fan. The world is filled with bulky old ceiling fans and I'm making it my personal duty to draw attention to them and replace them with new ones that are more modern and visually lighter!

The way these rustic beams from AZ Faux Beams work with Jody's woven wood blinds is simply awesome. I didn't get a very clear picture of the beams. Let's try another one:

The beams are stained Fall Leaf Brown. They add so much character to a room and you would never know that they're made out of high density polystyrene! Sean has installed beams on several projects now and he says they cut like butter. He always does a fantastic job. Attention to detail makes all the difference.

Not every project has a huge budget - this one probably cost less than $10,000, with the biggest chunk going to the wood counters (and worth every penny). However, every project has a homeowner with a personality and a desire to create a beautiful home that makes walking in the door at the end of the day a pleasure. Jody didn't want a space like everyone else has. She wanted to update her kitchen and end up with a space that looks like Jody lives there.

Now we're moving on to the front of the house to make some changes there. I'll show you what we do when it's done!

Ciao,

Anne

I was wandering through Target this morning, trying to get through my pre-Easter list--but failing because, as I said, I was wandering through Target...

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Because I'm a lighting freak, I always have to check out the lamps and shades. Look at this cutie! The base looks like jadeite and the shade has a caned overlay on white. Loved it, want it, don't need it, still thinking 'bout it, where would I put it?

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And look at it in saffron! It's a deep, saturated yellow. Target is a great place to keep your eyes peeled for lamps. Very hit or miss, but when you hit, you hit.