Love it! The colors, the flow, the open shelving, the granite, materials you used are great. beautifully done!

I must ask since you did away with upper cabinets by the frig and stove do you have enough storage space? it looks lovely but it is practical?

I don't think anything is off. I think your kitchen gorgeous the way you have done it!!! I would never have guesses it is the same kitchen that is in your before pictures. You definitely are a talented decorator.

Beautiful! What's that cool looking stove?

Love the dark hardwood instead of carpeting and tile. It works because you have a good amount of light. Love the window treatments. Your LR, DR, kitchen all tie together nicely. Still neutral but better with more vibrant browns, cream. etc. Love the backsplash and granite. Good choice of paint colors too. Very earthy which is a look I personally love. Well done!! And the dog is the perfect touch to your warm, cozy, welcoming but classy new digs!!

Now, all we need are the details.

Rjr220... you crack me up! No, this is not an April Fools joke!

Ok let me see.

Aloha, The name of the granite is different everywhere you go. I got one slab in Atlanta and they called it Autumn Frost and here I have already forgotten the name. It basically is a very white granite with some gray and then it has large chunks of an amber colored quartz. Makes you think you could put your hand into it as it looks like glass. There are flecks of gold and silver and some varying rust colors and also, some black marks here and there. I will try and take a good pic of it and post it. For me, I just know it when I see it. It is pricey but I got a remnant. Usually 75.00 a sq ft depending where you are. Mine was 35 or 40.00, I cannot remember.

The cabs I got at some online place and I finished them myself. I had a local woodworker help me with my overhang and the rest of the island.

The shelves and butcherblock are from Ikea.

The backsplash... good old Home Depot. Still need to grout that

I put rope lighting on all the shelves.

The two odd walls that hold the plumbing and the load of the upstairs are painted in a Ralph Lauren suede paint. In person they look like concrete.

I got the chairs at overstock.com and re-upholstered them. They were about 50 a piece (if that).

If anyone wants to know the color I can look and see. It was behr from HD.

The faucet I got from Overstock. I am forgetting the name right now. I love it though and have had the same brand in my last house. It was a steel!

The pulls I got from Lowes and the fingers pulls from an online store. Cannot remember.

My fridge is a Samsung.

I got a very well priced large farm house sink for 600.00 and I have to say it is holding up fabulously! If anyone wants I can look back and check on the brand.

Hmmm.... anything I am forgetting? probably bc it appears I can remember very little. I might be getting early dimentia in my 30's!!

Oh and jt, the cool looking stove was once an old white stove that we took apart piece by piece and I spray painted it an oil rubbed bronze hammered metal finish. It worked out well and I really like it. When I have more money I will break down and buy a stainless steel range.

Ej, As for storage.... it is only me and my boyfriend and I have two pantries and all of the space in the large island and the space under the wall side of cabs. It works for me! I find I try to always keep clean dishes to keep them up on the shelves as that is my "decor" haha

Chris... the dogs always do give the room character!

Kate, I think the room feels off bc I had envisioned more white and bright but as I went along I realized I needed coziness. I guess I am still fighting that white kitchen I thought I wanted!

Jeri- no I am not a decorator. I wish I were and thanks for asking that! Made my day!

Joly, thanks so much for very kind words!

Amy

Nope, nothing's "off"--it looks great!

aktillery - I'm in the process of looking for my after-divorce house. You want to come help me decorate it :)

Seriously, everything is simply gorgeous. Can you tell me what kind of floors you put in?

Laurie

It's really, truly lovely and a great and impressive improvement. IF you're going to make me look for any negatives, I think the change of shelf type over the fridge, and the things on those shelves, detract from the hefty, dark, carefully-arranged shelves over the range area. I could like a cleaner look there (framed and sheetrocked with doors over the fridge) to let the other shelves have similar boundaries at each end and keep the focus.

I think the decision for coziness over the white & bright was a good call. :-)

Rhome, I think you might be onto somehting. I am considering something like that!

My floors are Heritage Wood Craft (Vintage Couture) I chose Lapacho.

here is the link. When I bought them they were about 1.50 less a sq. ft. than the current price. They always run specials and I love my floors!

http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Exotic-Flooring/Vintage-Couture-/Lapacho/flooring547.aspx

Love your shelves!
Great transformation. Enjoy!

LOVE it! Come help me with my house! :)

Love, love, love it. What an amazing transformation. I love the black island and the granite is gorgeous. I'm with karin_2009 - you can come help me with my house.

So, if I did use a cabinet there, would I a paint it white or deep brown like the shelves next to it? Also, would I buy one that came out to the depth of the fridge or just stick with the 12 inch depth?

Thanks!!!

yes, TKO!!! not good

Just beautiful! I don't think there's anything off about it! I think you just had a white kitchen in your head and now just need to change that vision to the beautiful, warm and inviting kitchen that you created. Great job!

Wow - What a beautiful transformation! I love your granite. If you were thinking of a white kitchen this is a big difference but I personally love it more than a white kitchen. The shelves help it appear open and light. You did a wonderful job.

So does anyone else think I should use a cabinet over my fridge?

I kinda think so - could use a little mass. Maybe paint a piece of posterboard and tape it up?

It's a wonderful combination - love your colors.

Lovely! Not that I'm surprised, I loved your previous kit chen, too.

Count me in as another who thinks a cab or Rhome's idea of a framed and sheetrocked unit with doors over the fr:dge is a good idea (not that I really think your kit chen is lacking, though). I'd make it the same depth as the fr:dge.

As for color, I'm torn. Deep brown might look too heavy and white might demand too much attention, both potentially distracting the eye away from the beauty of the items on your shelves. How about using the same color that's on the walls so that it blends in and lets your other details stand out?

Love that green, btw.

WOW WOW WOW!!!!
This transformation is unbelievable! I'm so impressed with how much of it was DIY! This blows any of those HGTV shows out of the water! You obviously have a real gift for this type of thing. Your creative resourcefulness is such a gift! I LOVE your kitchen!

Thanks everyone!!! I feel so much better about ALL of my decisions now. I was being overly questioning and obsessed. My boyfriend probably wanted to kill me. Especially because he was my handy man in the end stages of the kitchen coming together.

Until I can afford something else this is my solution to my above the fridge issue. It works for now I think.

{{!gwi}}

That's better...Cleaner and less cluttery.

But as far as the cabinet over the fridge idea I mentioned, I did mean framed and sheetrocked (same color as the wall), and the depth of the fridge. I think dark doors might be too heavy and attention-grabbing. I was thinking white like the stove wall cabs, and to match the pantry door...But I just remembered you are changing that to glass. Will it still be white around the glass? Maybe you could do frosted glass above the fridge, too. Or I think I could also like Lisa's idea of painting them the same as the wall.

Wow, great before and after! Very nice, I love the backsplash and the granite!!!

Aktillery, I love the changes you made and I would also like to see a close-up of your granite that is beautiful in your kitchen. I also love your kitchen table chairs.

It looks like a million $$$$!

Looks like it could be in a magazine - very beautiful. Amazing job!

What a transformation, you have done a fantastic job! That is one character-filled, interesting and beautiful kitchen. Enjoy it and relax, it isn't a 'little off" at all.

it's ironic you should be fighting off your urges for a white kitchen because mine is on its way ...but after seeing yours i'm beginning to think i need more coziness and COLOR! ughhhhhhhhhhhh. it's that old adage again: the grass is always greener!

and yes! i think i would prefer a cabinet over the fridge. but if you chose not to go that route i doubt anyone would fault you. ...and you mentioned "boyfriend". DO TELL! (good for you!)

That. Is. Gorgeous.

Normally I don't even like open shelves, but they're PERFECT in your kitchen. I don't know that I would put cabinets above the fridge - even sheetrocked, painted-same-as-walls ones. (Sorry, rhome, I *love* your kitchen and totally respect your opinions on these things!) I like keeping the area looking wide, and closing it off the end of it with more sheetrock might make it look smaller. The baskets above the fridge help - less cluttery.

I can't believe this whole thing was DIY. It is just gorgeous and warm and inviting (like the rest of the LR), and SO MUCH BETTER than a white kitchen would have been. You nailed it. (Uh, literally. ;-))

You all have made me feel so much better!

Kate: If I had another sort of house with a big kitchen I would go with white. I always love white. I bet yours will be gorgeous! Yes I have been seeing a wonderful man for about four months. I feel pretty lucky ; ) Plus he is lightening fast and an electrical engineer and can do just about anything! He remodeled his last house in Seattle pretty much all himself and it is amazing. He even installed radiant floor heat on three levels all by himself! Can't beat a guy like that with a stick! haha

You all had asked for some close ups of the granite. I really wished I knew a name for it.

Here you go... hope it helps. I still think NO pictures do it any justice.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Charli: thanks for the very kind words! I would not sheetrock it. In fact, I think I am going to leave it as is unless I get a wild hair someday. Who knows. This is not my forever home so I want to spend all of my money very carefully. So, when I sell I can make a decent profit!

aktillery, your basket fix is perfect! Who knew that a little shifting of items would make such an impact? Okay, you did. You have the touch, that's for sure.

Gorgeous granite! Could it be Bianco Antico? I've only seen it once IRL but if it isn't, it must be a close cousin.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Oh my, your kitchen is stunning! That rock is absolutely gorgeous is perfect with all your choices!

I cannot even believe that is the same kitchen! Great job!

good for you aktillery! enjoy!

I think this is a wonderful kitchen, where nothing needs changing! In fact, your kitchen is just the kind of place where I could see myself popping over for a visit with a dear friend and just feeling immediately at home! I'd have no sense of pretentiousness or fear of somehow damaging something irreplaceable but would have lots of admiration for clever, charming, comfy and welcoming kitchen design. Couldn't help but note that this remodel is part of a whole new start for you after a divorce. Having been there and done that, and having come away with my own single again T-shirt, I say hot damn about your kitchen (and bf)! In this season of renewal, your kitchen -- and the whole house, it seems --are testament to starting over even better. Congratulations! You go!

aktillery, I love the granite so much and the beauty of it close-up is breath taking. I am sure it is even prettier in person. Thanks for sharing.

love the granite, my guess is a type of Delicatus
Great job on the transformation

Wow, you have an amazing talent to pull this all together. I loved your last kitchen too. Beautiful.

Beautiful job - I love how you took a generic white space and made it so personal, colorful and warm. It's definitely magazine ready - great work.

I'm blown away! What a fantastic transformation in that space. I love everything about it, great job, and enjoy that amazing kitchen!

Amy, your new kitchen is wonderful! I didn't see your post so I'm late to the party, but boy, it's an amazing transformation. I really like what you've done with the shelving, the colours are beautiful and the whole effect is warm and cozy. I would love to see a pic of your range - it sounds amazing. Now I have to go find your old kitchen....

Eliz

Thanks Eliz! Yes, the range is quite different. When you have little money to spend you sure can get creative!

Love what you did. I really like the open shelving and your backsplash. Great job.

Your kitchen is stunning! Love your granite....It kind of looks like White Delicatus, but I'm not 100% sure. I have 2 slabs on hold and it's been awhile since I've visited with them! Congratulations on a job really well done!

Yes I am not sure either. It is either White Del or Antico Bianco? Who knows.

Thanks for the kind words Kitchen and prill!

Amy

What a beautiful kitchen, so warm and inviting. To take a drab rather usual space, and turn it into something so well thought out is not commonplace. Kudos to you and your talented eye.

Enjoy your new kitchen. I love your backsplash.

Your granite looks exactly like mine...Antico Bianco!
Your kitchen is beautiful! Great Job!
I can't wait till I can post "after pictures" of our finished kitchen!

What a transformation! I'm loving the stone and the colors you have chosen. Especially the chairs and the faucet colors.

The only thing that strikes me is the big stainless refrigerator. It sort of dominates that very pretty wall.
Maybe at some later time you could consider putting panels on the refrigerator.

It really doesn't look at all like the original kitchen. Great job!

Another one late to the party but I just have to say GORGEOUS! You really nailed how to make open shelving work.

And it looks like Bianco Antico to me... you just got a piece with a ton of mica. My slab has a small area with the big black mica pieces, but unfortunately am going to lose most of it to my sink :(

I just love how you took a ho hum builder cookie cutter kitchen and made it so warm, welcoming and gorgeous. Did you decide to put a cab over the refridge?