Very warm and inviting! I like the way your choices work together, especially the countertop, faucet, and knobs and pulls. The Grazia Rixi is gorgeous, and the idea of putting a mirror up high over the range hood was inspired!

How do you like your refrigerator? When ours eventually dies, we will be looking to replace it, and we have been happy with our Profile stove and vent hood so far.

What a wonderful difference! I love the mantle and its story...Too bad you couldn't use the original, but that you could copy it is a great alternative. Your kitchen has a lot of life and personality. Enjoy!!

Thanks, eastbaymom!

We do like the fridge. I had always hated side by sides, but that's what was here when we moved in in '07. By the time it died a couple of years ago (after many prayers for its passing), we'd become addicted to the ice/water in the door, so that was our chief motivation in selecting this model. It holds tons of stuff, and I like the adjustable shelves. Most of the time we keep the one slid back to give us some room for tall items. The water/ice thing takes up a big chunk of door space.

Borderline lurker!!!! I think not! I read your ode to the Towel Pig. No lurker writes such things. No, dear, you are a regular...

It's a beautiful transformation. My favorite thing is the mantel... thanks for the story on that! For a long time I thought about using one of the ones we had from the 200 year-old house we tore down (not possible to renovate, too run down, but salvaged many items) where we built DH's office. (DH used one in his office, similar to yours, we used one on one side of our FP and will use the third on the other side when we finish our renovation.) Sorry to digress.

Back to your kitchen... I love everything about it! I love how your counter goes well both with the light and dark cabinets, all the little details that add elegance without going beyond the scope and size of your space, the red (!) (I'm doing that in my laundry room), the MW niche, the backsplash niche, the way you brought out the fridge panels, the sink bumpout, etc., etc., etc. (Many elements similar to mine, maybe that's why I love what you've done.)

Congratulations!

Beautiful creamy cabs, backsplash, and wall color! Your kitchen looks so much better without the sofits. And I love your towel dog--soooo cute! Are you happy with your Cambria? It's interesting that you kept the peninsula. I'm considering taking out my island (kitchen too small and it congests traffic) and putting in a small peninsula but there aren't too many on this forum. Most people take them out when they redo. Thanks so much for sharing and posting details. Relax & enjoy!

When I saw the first picture all I could think of was HATE THE FLOOR MATCHING THE CABINETS! Then when I saw your after pictures I was so amazed at what a difference it made to lighten the cabinets. We have picked a light maple for our floor and so our KD told us to go with Walnut cabinets to create some contrast. Everything in your kitchen just pops now - the contrast is fantastic!

Delicious! Talking out those soffits really raised the ceiling! I love the color combinations and your backsplash -- I have always loved the Rixi crackle and I like the way you put in the accent pieces.

I also liked the way you put in a "double oven" in the non-traditional sense.

And the towel pig . . . what a cutie!

Thanks for all the good words -- I really appreciate them.

Flwrs_n_co: We love the quartz. We'd used quartz in a previous kitchen remodel (house before this one) and loved that it's low maintenance (we're not great about maintanence). I've never been a big fan of granite anyway, so this was the obvious choice for us. We'd actually picked out a different color and made a last minute switch, and we did not go see the slabs, so I held my breath until it was installed after reading about problems others had with pooling. I couldn't look at this and tell you if some different shadings are "pools" and others aren't -- it's just all motley and I'm fine with that!

And we love our penninsula and little island: never dreamed of changing it after living with it for 3+ years. The island is a great landing between all the other things.

Wow, what a beautiful transformation! I also love the hood and the inspiration behind it. Your backsplash is perfect, I especially love the niche. Oh and I'm loving all the red accents too!

Love the overall look of your kitchen; in particular the mantle hood and red accents. What a lovely way to pay homage to your grandfather.

Beautiful mantle. I'd bet they'd be pleased.

Beautiful kitchen! I love how you mixed your door styles between the uppers and lowers. And your backsplash is just perfect. Wishing you many happy meals!

Fantastic!! Love everything you did. The red pops of accessories are wonderful. Could you post a close up pic of your counter?? Is the color a dark cranberry?? Such a pretty space. Enjoy.

Thanks for all the good words -- I really appreciate them.

Flwrs_n_co: We love the quartz. We'd used quartz in a previous kitchen remodel (house before this one) and loved that it's low maintenance (we're not great about maintanence). I've never been a big fan of granite anyway, so this was the obvious choice for us. We'd actually picked out a different color and made a last minute switch, and we did not go see the slabs, so I held my breath until it was installed after reading about problems others had with pooling. I couldn't look at this and tell you if some different shadings are "pools" and others aren't -- it's just all motley and I'm fine with that!

And we love our penninsula and little island: never dreamed of changing it after living with it for 3+ years. The island is a great landing between all the other things.

Don't know how that post got re-posted -- sorry about that. I'd written a response to chris45ny, but that came up instead -- go figure!

Anyway -- I've been getting the name of the color of the quartz wrong -- it's burnbury, not branbury. It's mostly dark brown, with some flecks. I'll try to take a photo, but it's so reflective, it might exceed my capabilities as a photographer to get it right.

The Cambria's site pic is a good representation of the different colors, though overall I think it reads a bit darker in person.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cambria Quartz burnbury

Great transformation! Love all the love of red. Mantle is terrific. It all comes together so well. What I really like is how you broke all the rules with that island. I can tell you put tons of thought into it and I am so happy you did what works for you. Looks great!

It's lovely, clergychick. I love the red punctuations, actually, all is so pretty. Spacious and warm and comfy.

And Jsweenc didn't let you off the hook. Congrats to jsweenc-very funny. Witty

What a fantastic transformation! Congratulations to you!

Where did you get that towel dog? Tuesday Morning? I must run out and get one--my pug dog uses the tumble dry method and then I can never find my towel!

Good Luck, God Bless and Bon Appetite in your beautiful new space.

What a great job you've done! I love your kitchen. The mantel is a wonderful touch, not only is it beautiful, but how neat it is that you will always remember your grandpa with it. I also love your tile. Rixi tile is a beautiful tile and your design melds so well with your kitchen.

Congratulations!

Great choices all around! The towel dog adds the perfect touch!

Thanks for the link to the site. That is some really nice looking quartz. On my monitor it reads as a darkish, rusty brown color with some blue flecks. Wonderful choice!!

Hey Semi -- didn't get my towel dog at Tuesday Morning, but I did get him "reduced for quick sale"!!!! Guess you could say he was a close out item -- the last of his litter to go.

Your kitchen is so pretty! It's traditional and elegant, and so warm and inviting. I love all your choices - the cream cabinets, your warm brown counters, the back splash tiles and all the trim details you added. And the wood hood is just gorgeous. Your hardwood floors really pop now with the cream cabinets. Did you have them refinished? They look great! Wonderful job! Enjoy!

Thanks, Marcy96, for the compliments -- we're enjoying it a lot.

The floors were refinished -- they had to do some patchwork because they found there was no wood under the old cabinets and the new cabinets were not quite the same size, plus we exanded the opening to the diningroom from 27" to 48", so that had to be filled in, too. And the finish was worn thin in several places -- particularly around the kitchen table and desk area. After the patchwork was done, they sanded it all down, stained and did two coats of polyurethane (oh, the fumes! Awful!). They did a final coat after everything else was done, and the floors just glow!

Your kitchen is beautiful! Warm and friendly and elegant.

I have to ask you where you got your red breadbox...it's adorable!

Thanks, trixieinthegarden!

We found the red breadbox several years ago in a small kitchen store in Black Mountain, NC. It's a "Typhoon" brand. DH and I were thinking it was too modern for our traditional kitchen, but I dunno, I kinda like it anyway-- I like a bit of whimsy here and there.

Love your kitchen! It's so bright, cheery and cozy but also brings in elegant touches as well. I especially love the range wall with the incredible mantel, great backsplash and very cool corbels. And, as for the color scheme? Well, you might say I'm a bit biased as I kind have a thing for red and white kitchens myself. That said, I'm finding yours to be a total winner on that score! Very, very nice!

What a lovely warm kitchen to cook in! I also love the story behind the range mantle. And the towel dog is a hoot!

Can you describe Kohler's cane sugar color for me? I looked on-line but they don't have images available and I don't think I've seen this color in person. It looks white in your photos but I'm guessing it's not as bright a white as Kohler's white. Did you choose it because it matched your cabinet paint best? TIA!

lisa_a,
The cane sugar finish on the Kohler looks almost exactly like the Rixi tile -- that's why we chose it! But there is no real "crackle" to its finish -- it's perfectly smooth. So if you look at the close up picture of the backsplash, then you'll have a good idea what the cane sugar looks like! Kohler's sea salt finish is similar, but more white with gray undertones and less creamy. HTH!

Hey, where'd my post go? CC, can you give the name of the store where you got the breadbox? We'll be in the Black Mtn area in Oct. and I'd love to check it out, if you remember it. If not, maybe I can google it. Thanks!

Beautiful transformation. And those red accents are
fantastic.

Jsweenc,
Your post is still there when I look! You remembered my Requiem and called me a regular ... I was touched!

The kitchen shop is right in downtown Black Mountain -- I think it is the only kitchen shop in town. Very close to Montreat Road. It is a very nice shop! --Amy

That is gorgeous...NICE JOB!!!

Enjoying looking at your beautiful kitchen again. Thanks for the info on the kitchen shop... I'll look for it! (I had posted the same question prior to the one that shows up, but no big deal. I know things are crazy on this forum with things disappearing.)

I'm wondering how I missed your kitchen. This is just beautiful, and the story of the mantle is just great. Everything works perfectly together. And I agree, you are hardly a lurker, you are certainly a regular around here.

Wishing you much happiness in that fantastic kitchen.

Great kitchen!! I'm also partial to red so I find your touches far from quirky - they add lots of personality and warmth. Love the story behind your mantle too.

Enjoy cooking in your beautiful new kitchen :-)

Eliz

I also just finished a creamy white kithen in May and I still lurk to see backsplashes...I'm a big fan of all your choices. Kitchen looks beautiful and I'm going to investigate those splash tiles. Thanks!

Thanks ecdiskin,
If you become interested in the 5 x 5's, I've got three whole boxes I could make you a deal on! (Unfortunately I only had 3 subway tiles left -- cut that one a bit close! But I knew the 5 x 5's could be cut in half if we got desparate!)

Have you posted any pics of your kitchen? I still love to look at what overs have done.

--Amy

I don't know how I missed this one! I love it! I love your mix of door styles--probably because that is exactly what I did (beadboard on bottom, plain on top), so big love for that! All your choices blend so nicely together. Your kitchen looks so comfortable and inviting. Love, love your niche behind the cooktop, and the story behind the mantle! Really, really lovely!

And your towel dog... I am soooo impressed! ;^)

Congrats and ENJOY your beautiful kitchen!

I am seriously in LOVE with your backsplash! I'm off to do a search to see if any dealers near me carry that beautiful tile. Please tell me it didn't cost 30$ a square foot like the bottocino marble I recently saw in a showroom...!!!
You have a gorgeous, elegant kitchen. Congratulations!

elle3 -- Thanks! I'm glad you love it. I love it too!

The Rixi field tiles and subways run around $11/sq foot. It's the added decorative pieces that really drive up the price. (They cost from $12 - 18 EACH! -- I can look up the particulars if you're interested.) I can't remember our measurements, but the total for the tile was around $1500 plus install, so it was not cheap, but I overbought on the 5 x 5s (3 1/2 boxes left!) and even a few of the decos. My tile store wouldn't take anything back, so I'll have to figure out another project for them!

So, what do you have in mind for your 'splash?

Hi clergychick (fellow ex-San Pedran)!

I'm so glad I came across your post... I just watched your slideshow...Wow! Stunning! You have a gift for decorating. LOVE it ALL! The red touches, the mirror, the splash, the whole she-bang in general. NICE!

KA:)

Hi, not sure if you will see this. Your kitchen is identical to mine in regards to the layout. Would you mind sharing your dimensions of your kitchen? We have a long narrow island right now and plan on getting rid of it and adding the peninsula just like yours. Was wondering if we could fit a small island like you did. Thank you.

Hi dermnp!

The basic space of our kitchen -- not counting the pantry and the desk/kitchen table areas -- is 15 x 14'2".

We love the layout -- especially the penninsula and the island. Some folks would say that the island is a barrier in that size space, but we use it for everything! The trash pullout there, across from the sink, is great. I think the angled corners help it not seem too big.

The aisles around the island are 32" (between island and penninsula and island and cooktop) 36" between island and sink, and more than that between island and fridge (just measured and have forgotten already!).

Let me know if you have any other questions!
-Amy

Hi Clergychick, such a beautiful space. I am drawn to traditional styling and just love your choices. How is you Cane Sugar sink holding up? Do you love it? It's one of my top choices, although I really like the Sea Salt color too. Then I think maybe I should do a farm house sink like the Rohl. Too many decisions! Hope you see this since it's been awhile since you finished your kitchen. Thanks in advance!

I was Googling framed herringbone backsplash to show my husband, poor man has no "vision", lol! Your backsplash frame photo popped up, so I just had to see the rest of your kitchen. I am so glad I found it because it is lovely! Such a neat story about the hood, I just love all the little details in your kitchen. And I especially love your towel dog!