You have made a wonderful kitchen - beautiful and functional. I love what you did with the sample set! The insets of really pop.

I forgot to add - I love the exterior of your house! Are the baskets with the dish towels also from IKEA?

"The colorful band of accent tiles are going to be shamelessly copied by GWers for years"

I thought I'd be the odd ball with the BS accent strip being my favorite! wow! and the flooring...and the display shelf... and the beams... the WHOLE kitchen! awesome!

just plop it in my space and i'll be a happy camper!

a beautiful job with preserving the character of the room.

also love the outside of the home - and the benches.

Beautiful!!!
I especially love how you kept the exposed brick detail and incorporated it behind the hood. It's nice to have that reference back to the original character of the house. I know you're going to enjoy this kitchen SO much!

Beautiful transformation! I love how you used the sample tiles! Great idea to incorporate the exposed brick area into the range hood focal point. Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!

Petra - it's all so lovely. I could stare at that one corner with the display shelf forever!!!!!!!

SQ

Beautiful! Add me to the list of those who love the backsplash accent tiles. You did a wonderful job with this kitchen.

I also love both kitchens. The before kitchen had an artsy/earthy feel. The new kitchen is much more functional. Very nice!

What a beautiful kitchen! I especially love that display shelf, and the fact that there are so many places to store wine! A great kitchen to celebrate- I hope you thoroughly enjoy it!

I love that accent tile and the story that comes with it! You did a fabu job putting this all together. It looks so warm and inviting.

Well I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the kitchen...

Great job making it more functional without losing the character. The rainbow strip is a nod to the original multicolored tile splash. I like the grooved panel on the island echoing the beaded board cabs but on a bigger scale. I would love to have your heated floors.

Is that a freezer next to the fridge?

Count me in as an admirer!!! It looks like a happy kitchen!

I also kinda loved your before look.
But of course the after is fantastic!
I'm partial to the cabinets, I have them in my mudroom too.
Well done! Enjoy.

I like the before and the after! Beautiful job.

Wonderful job!! I go weak in the knees for Spanish architecture. And that glass listello is awesome!

How much land do you have?

I'm so glad that you kept at least some of that awesome exposed brick / stucco feature, it adds so much character to the kitchen. Great job!

I really, really like the kitchen too. The exposed beams of the ceiling just open the whole room up. Like MCMesprit, I also loved the "before", altho I realize there was a storage issue. It's very inviting and lovely.

Thank you for all your kind and appreciative reactions, especially the rainbow listello and the display shelves are liked by many of you.

MCMesprit: I love that cooktop, especially the centre wok burner. I am sure many happy meals will be cooked on it.

phoggie: that's my dad you see scooting around, one knee on a cushion, breaking up the floor with a jackhammer. He always tells me he doesn't mind this sort of jobs, but looking at this picture it looks awful. I know you had your share of knee trouble, so I can imagine your feelings.

plllog: the shelves are a happy accident, really, like the rainbow tiles. The island top is constructed of 2 butcherblock tops stuck together, the offcuts form the shelves.

ptamom: Yeah, Spain has it all ... :-)

boxerpups: Funny thing is, Quinn only eats his kibble from these bowls. He will only drink from this bowl, which I made for him:

dianalo: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, isn't it? :-))

lazydaisynot: Lovely cities, I am very fortunate to have these beauties less than a 2hr drive from my home:

Adrienne2011: You are absolutely correct, those are dried chilies. I just needed a place for them till the shelves were put up (to make sure they hang down next to the shelves), so that's why they ended up on the coatrack.

liz_h: Yes, the baskets with kitchen and teatowels are from Ikea, I could't find them on the US site, but I know the Ikea sites are sometimes not complete. I give you the link of the Spanish Ikea site, so you have at least the name of the product.
http://www.ikea.com/es/es/catalog/products/90177457

desertsteph: Those benches are a prettyaddition and a lovely seat for an early morning cup.

VickieHallmark, Brickton: we would have loved to keep the entire strip of exposed untreated brick, but it would have been impossible to keep it clean behind the cooktop. I tried some protective products on other bits of brickwork around the kichen but they all altered the appearance of the bricks too much. In the end I decided that this was a 'function over form' thing and went with tile behind the cooktop.

oldhousegal: Yes, what better way to fill up 2 difficult spots ... :-) The M�laga region was once famous for its sweet wines, a vine disease put an end to the extensive production in this region. Still, Spain produces many fine wines so we are never without.

edie_g: Yes, that's a freezer. Way smaller than what you are used to, but it serves us well. We try to cook from scratch everyday, so we can make do with a smaller freezer.

houseful: We are fairly certain that the original property only consisted of the central part of the house. The 2 extensions left and right were later added on. The house stands on 5.000 square metres, which is roughly 1,24 acres.
This shot was taken at the bottom of our field (which forms about 2/3 of the total plot).

We let our neighbour use most of the plot to graze his young horses. Here they are on the plot next to ours:

Once again, thank you for all your lovely comments and interest in this little corner of the world. For those interested I've added some extra pictures of places near to where I live.

Love, Petra

Wow! A little piece of heaven!! Thanks for the pictures!

The views are breathtaking. Thanks so much for the photos.

Thanks for posting all the pictures. Always nice to see where someone else lives. In the kitchen- I really like how you warmed up the space with the wood on the island, in the corner open shelf and the beams. All tied in and looks great.

What a beautiful house and kitchen! Thanks for sharing.

Very nice transformation!! Thank goodness all the wood remained. If I'd seen your backsplash before doing my kitchen, it may have well been my inspiration. I love the simplicity and the bling of color!

I want your kitchen! I want your house! I want your gardens! I love your sights!
And I know the coatrack was just made for my jacket!

You did a beautiful job in a lovely house. Hmmmm. I'll have something with garlic and potatoes and chili and a glass of wine. Something green, too.

Wishing you and your father many smiles at home.

I was so taken with all the other photos, I don't know how I missed the window treatment in this picture! I want one exactly like it! In fact, I'll take two! ;>D

My, how nice. I like the sheen on your - is that a stove? - that reflects the island in front. And the plaster-brick opening above the hood. And what everyone else said. It's very nice to dream about these kitchens in lands so far away. Thank you for expanding this north-ameri-centered forum.

I do love that glass accent tile - congrats to you on your new space!

Oh my! Hmmmm, I'm having a hard time with this one. I just can't form an opinion - I think I will have to take a vacation and get a closer look at what appears to be a gorgeous interior and an amazing exterior. Your view, the horses, the "feel" of the open space outside - how nice to have a property like that with the ability to create a beautiful kitchen. Oh - I have put on my glasses, now I see the beautiful color strip - GREAT idea! I better see if my passport is up to date - I'm having a hard time determining what stain was used on the beautiful chairs. Yep, it's too hard for me to get the "real - feel" of this kitchen . . . and it's been a long summer with the college kids back home - I'm ditching everything here so leave out a bottle of wine on that beautiful counter! Enjoy

aliris19: That's the wall oven, I got lucky in the Ikea As-Is section and found a floor model at half-price (with full warranty). It's the Nutid wall oven with pyrolitic funtion.

Kellykath (and others who like to travel): :-) There is one American airline that lands in Malaga, the airport nearest to us. If anyone ever would like to stop by, I'm sure something could be sorted out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea Nutid oven

It is so beautiful! I love the beams, the exposed bricks behind the hood, and your use of the sample tiles as an accent is fantastic - a nice splash of color. Great job!

Beautiful! I love your entire kitchen!

I have Luna Pearl granite as well. I have heard that it is also called Bianco Sardo, but I was not aware some call it Blanco Perla. That is good to know.

I like how the subway tiles are beveled and I love the thin colored tiles.

Enjoy your new kitchen!!!

-Laurie

This is really lovely, especially the backsplash.

loved looking at your other pics of the house, land and area. so beautiful!

i like the idea of a small upright freezer - will have to look more here for one. didn't see one yet with a nice handle on it like yours has.

and the slide out bins (under counter) that you have towels in - what brand are they? Are they just available in your area? would like to find those here where I could get some - they look so handy for a number of things - in the kitchen and in a bathroom. So far I haven't found anything like them thru google.

will have to drool over your pics some more I'm sure.

Hi desertsteph, the freezer is a Liebherr. Bit of an upmarket brand here in Spain, but it copes very well with the summer heat and it is very energy efficient. I just checked the US website, it looks like Liebherr sells only its tall models in the States.

The slide out bins are by Ikea, they are called Rationell Variera. I tried to find them on the US website, but didn't see them, which does not mean Ikea USA does not sell them, the Ikea sites are notorious for being incomplete. I linked the product from the UK site for you. If you are near to an Ikea look for them in the kitchen department.
HTH, Petra

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea pull-out container

thx so much for your rely Petra. I've looked online here for the small uprights too - not a huge selection - at least not with a good well known name and good reviews! oh, and in my price range. I'll keep on eye on what comes out new and try to figure just where it might 'live' in my new place - maybe next yr!

and the pull out - IKEA! figures... we do have a store w/in about 30 miles or so. I'll try to get over there sometime soon. i have a feeling if I get inside the store I'll be in there looking for a long time! I also bookmarked the link you provided so I can find it again.
thx so much!

Petra, I adore your kitchen! I was going to do a natural maple kitchen, but after seeing your kitchen I have sincere doubts! It's just gorgeous!!! Congratulations!

Oh, my goodness, I missed your reveal (I was on vacation) but I'm glad I found it now. Lovely, lovely transformation and a wonderful mix of old plus new. I especially love how you kept some of the unique brick detail around the range hood. Enjoy your new kitchen!

Beautiful house...charming kitchen...I love the floors.

WOW! This is my new dream kitchen! Just perfect. The colored glass tiles are fantastic, and I actually have a sample board of the glossy tiles. I didn't think they were "useable" because of the foam board and backing. Did you remove everything down to the bare glass before installing them?

Anyway, just heavenly. I hope you're enjoying your new kitchen!

Hi lemonlime,

I received the glass tiles as all separate pieces, not on a sample board. Some had the mesh backing still attached to them, so I suspect they were all pieces cut from larger 'mats'. I removed the mesh and any excess glue that got stuck to the sides. I left on the white coating at the back. HTH, Petra

Wonderful! I missed this earlier, but wanted to let you know I love your kitchen and especially the glass liner in your backsplash. It's a tribute to the multi-colored tiles that were there but with a fresh treatment. Clean, fresh and yet warm and charming.

Thanks Petra, that's helpful info!

I love your backsplash! I immediately thought...where should I order color sample tile from? Your kitchen is now bookmarked in my favorites file. Enjoy!

So so happy to see ikea cabs looking beautiful and appropriate to the style of your stunning home.
Thank you for sharing.

Debrak_2008: the glass tile are from Susan Jablon Mosaics, I mixed glossy and frosted tiles. I am sorry I missed your question.

For those feeling tentative about using a low-cost kitchen cabinet system like Ikea: everything is working smoothly and as new after 3 years of hard use.

HTH, Petra

Here is a link that might be useful: Susan Jablon mosaics 1x3

Petra, thank you for responding. We ended up just doing a black pencil line. Your backsplash is still one of my favorites! Glad you are enjoying your kitchen.

Debra

Always a treat to start the day with another viewing of Petra's great B/S!

Liriodendron

Oh, does time fly ...
My white Ikea kitchen was installed 5 years ago and I thought a follow-up would be usefull.

I regularly see questions like: ¨Do Ikea cabinets hold up well over time?¨ and ¨Do you regret choosing white cabinets?¨.

Well, the answers are quite simple: the cabinets look like the day they were installed and the drawer hardware is running as smooth as ever, even when filled to capacity. I have no pantry, so everything is in drawers, and you can stow amazing quantities of dry goods and cans.

As for the colour (a white comparable to BM ´Simply White´), yes, you see everything on them, but in a positive way. Meaning that you clean them up sort of straight away and therefore ending up with a clean kitchen.

I am still thrilled to bits with my hard working Ikea kitchen.
HTH, Petra

And totally not kitchen related, but beautiful, the garden in spring:

Thank you fir the follow up! Still a gorgeous kitchen!

Wonderful kitchen, and a look that has held up very well over 5 years :) .