Pictures like this make my heart sing. If I were to do my dream kitchen (I won't), it would look just like this. Stunning!

Wow Julie, your kitchen makes my heart sing! The bank of windows are to die for! Love, love, love it! Lol, I chuckle cause I agree - it ups one's game, for sure. What a great kitchen

Love your kitchen! What is the ceiling material and finish on the sloped portion?

The lucite bar stools and clear pendants were great choices to keep it feeling open.

And the ceiling detail takes what might have been a problem and makes it a feature.

It's a wonderful kitchen, enjoy it!

Wow, love that wall of windows over the sink and yes, such a beautiful view. Your marble is gorgeous, so lovely. The whole thing is magazine-ready. I looked long and hard at Shiloh and would have gone with them if DH hadn't had a huge pile of old white oak boards. Thought the Shiloh cabs were really fabulous.

Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments!

Isabel98 - the dining room chairs are super comfy. Several guests have commented on how comfy they are - feels like they are hugging your back. We can sit in them for hours!

Raleighsharon - the sloped ceiling is 5" pine tongue and groove planks that were pre-primed on both sides. They are finished with Benjamin moore advance paint in white.

Mtnrdredux - funny about the sloped ceiling... The previous owners built a single story addition for the former dining room so there was a shed roof there, but they had sheet rocked the ceiling straight across. When we had the walls and ceiling open during this reno we really enjoyed having the open feeling there. At the last minute when they were getting ready to put the beams in for the ceiling we looked at the plan to see if it would work at all to keep the sloped ceiling and we decided that it could work when we saw where it lands in relation to where the range and island were going. The beadboard seemed like a no brainer once we made that decision. I'm very happy with it as it completely changed the feel of the room.

Here's a picture of the old dining room which, combined with the neighboring mudroom, makes up the new kitchen. You can see how different the room looks and feels with the straight ceiling.

That's awesome, Julie..... glad I could help you make your cabinet decision in some way.

Heritage is my favorite door style with Shiloh! A modified Shaker design with SLIGHTLY wider rails (3.5" vs 2.5" on Sq Flat Panel, Hanover and Homestead). I also like that the frame near the center panel isn't a hard edge, but has a softer, rounded, routed edge. Aspen is another one of my favorites.

Thanks for posting! I will definitely copy/save your pics to show future clients!!!! :-)

Kompy - those are the exact reasons I chose the heritage door. That and also that it came with 5 piece drawers on all drawers which I preferred while some of the other similar styles I was considering (hanover?) came with slab drawers on top.

If it weren't for GW and your helpful posts I would not have even known about shiloh and probably wouldn't have been able to get inset in my budget. :)

Thanks Julie. And thanks for sharing your kitchen pictures.
We are busting out the back wall of our kitchen and dining and adding 8' with a shed roof. We went back and forth on whether to have the ceiling sloped for that little bit or not. We decided to and now after seeing your kitchen, I'm so glad we did!!! To work with the island placement, we actually are shifting the soffit a couple of feet so our sloped ceiling ends up being around 6' wide. We just closed on the financing this week and work is starting either today or tomorrow (contractor laying out work areas outside, shrub, tree removal, etc.

Raleighsharon - that should look great!! Our sloped part is just a tad over 6' (it was originally 7' but we had a steel beam installed and that's a foot wide). Good luck with your reno!

Love all you choices. Congrats.

Swoon, just simply swoon....OMG, your BACKSPLASH!! I have a marble/walnut kitchen...but took the boring way out with a white subway bs. Wow...I missed the boat! Of course, if I had that backsplash I probably would never leave the kitchen, which would make it difficult to fulfill my daily responsibilities. :) Enjoy all that loveliness!

Love, love, love it! You must be so happy having such a beautiful space to be in!

Your layout is very similar to the one I am just about finalizing and hoping to start soon (can't come soon enough!) My sink, range, frig all roughly where yours is with island shaped the same with no prep sink. Would you mind answering some questions: 1) there is this whole "frig, sink, counter, cook" optimal layout going around... how is your layout working out? Do you find yourself prepping on the island (even without water) or are you to the right of the sink (between sink and range)? 2) where is your dishwasher... is that to the left of the sink? 3) where is your trash...is it to right of the sink? what do you think of those locations?

Obviously with your beautiful window you could not put the frig to left of sink, i also have something from preventing its placement there... i was thinking i would plop everything onto island and start going at it. so just wanted to pick your brain on how your (my future) layout is working out?!! thank you so much.

again, it's really a nice space. enjoy!

Hi momof3... Thank you! I love my layout. It was the obvious layout for the space and I can't imagine anything different in the room. I've lived and cooked in many kitchens and I don't think I've been in one that followed the ice, water, stone, fire rule. So I don't even know what I'm missing I guess! I prep on the island almost all the time. If I'm not at the island, I'm actually to the right or left of the range. I thought I'd be to the right of the sink like you said but for some reason I never end up there. Probably because that's where I leave anything that was hand washed to dry. I've had no issues and haven't wished something was closer or in a different place. I grab stuff from the fridge and plop it on the island like you said. Turn to wash when needed and then pivot back to the island for prep. I use a large cutting board and a bowl for scraps that I put in the trash or sink when done. Or I just turn and peel a carrot or potato over the trash can (under the sink) and turn back to chop.

I have 2 dishwashers so they are on either side of the sink and trash is under the sink on the left. Garbage disposal is on the right under the sink. Not ideal for the trash but a worthwhile compromise for having the second dishwasher. If I didn't have the second DW I would probably have the trash on the left and DW on the right.

Good luck with your reno! I know the feeling all too well of wanting it to start (and finish!) ASAP! :)

Love love!

I've looked at your kitchen a few times since you posted your reveal. It's gorgeous! I feel a kinship since I also have a white cab/ marble/walnut kitchen. I also have Imperial Danby & remember worrying that everything was going to be too white, too cold. I don't know if it's the subtle veining, the crystals or the creamy white color but as soon as my Danby was installed, the whole feeling of the white kitchen softened. Lucky you - an Imperial Danby backsplash too! It's beautiful, congratulations!

You did a great job with the space, the functional planning and the aesthetics. Love the way you were able to have a sit down table in the corner.

Thanks for the info Julie! Very good to hear! One (or 2) more questions?? What is the ceiling height on the fridge side? What size are your pot/can lights, 4 inch? Love your pendants btw.

Again, just fixated on your kitchen because it brings to life most all my choices! thanks

Romy718 - thank you!!! I am very familiar with your beautiful kitchen! I came across it many times while researching the heck out of danby marble! Lol! I read the clearstone posts, and I also loved your silver mats beside your range. I plan on getting those if my fabricator doesn't come through with my trivets as promised! And for sure - the danby could never look too white or cold. It is so soft. To me it's like clouds - dreamy! :)

Momof3 - on the fridge side the ceiling is 8'. I can't remember the size of the cans that were spec'd but the cans are 5" if I measure including the trim but less than 4" if I measure the opening only. Hope that helps!!! One more thing re: lighting. Make sure to get "eyeball" lights in the sloped ceiling, otherwise that part may be dark. We never changed the lighting plan after we decided to leave the ceiling open like that and had regular cans installed. We had to have electrician change to the eyeballs because it was dark on the whole sink run.

Love love!

I swore that I posted in here. Weird. Anyway, I have major kitchen envy. Gorgeous, gorgeous.

This is gorgeous and such a better use of space! What did you decide to do with the laundry?

Julie- I also really like this acrylic cutting board - I don't use it as a cutting board but when I have "helpers" doing the dishes, I place it next to the sink with the edge covering the marble edge of the sink - no worries about chipping the marble edge with a pan.
I bought it from Improvements.com. Sign up for their emails & you'll eventually get a 25% off coupon.

You nailed it Julie!! Congratulations!
I have Danby marble too and love it! Am also envious of your backsplash...I was tempted....now I wish I had done it too.

Totally gorgeous!! Magazine-worthy in so many ways!!! :)

Thanks for the info Julie!

Thanks so much everyone!

Practigal - I moved the laundry to a closet upstairs. I had to have the closet made a little deeper to accommodate the machines but now that it's up there I love it!

In case anyone's wondering about my sacrificed mudroom, I've attached a picture of the wall coat rack and boot tray I got from crate and barrel. I put them in the family room (just beyond the kitchen) which is where the door into the garage is. While not as good as having a dedicated mudroom, this set up has been working great. And sacrificing the mudroom allowed for the kitchen table, which was essential for us.

And thanks again Romy! Love that too!

Julie that is one seriously beautiful kitchen!
Well done!

Wow, wow, wow!!! All of your choices go perfectly together and make for a FABULOUS room. All of the windows, the walnut counter, the marble backsplash, the sloped ceiling...I can't pick a favorite thing! Great job!

This post was edited by lcskaisgir on Mon, Feb 2, 15 at 15:47

I cannot stop looking at the after pictures---stunning and sunny. Job well done! So impressed that you GC'd the whole thing!!! We're planning a reno next year and I love your layout. Our kitchen is long and narrow (20 ft long and 11 ft wide). It is currently kitchen and eat in but I want to use the whole area. Would you be up for posting your dimensions of the room and the size of your island? Also, would you GC again? Any tips or feedback that you'd like to share?

Again, it is a beautiful space. What a treat it must be to have that space in your home.

Thanks!

Goldengirl: the room is 22' long and 16' wide. The island is 74" x 39". I have 51" of space between the range cabinet run and the island base (it's 49.5" counter to counter.) This aisle allows for the fridge to face the open aisle rather than the island. GC'ing it ourselves was very tough. At the end I swore I'd never do it again. But now that the dust has settled, I probably will! For one, it allowed us to get more done with our budget (we also did the laundry closet and demo'd and built a new powder room.). But working with the individual trades was difficult and frustrating. I learned not to trust anyone but myself and had to check and double check everyone's work. And they all made mistakes. Multiple mistakes. So my advice to anyone considering it would be to make a solid budget and project timeline. Plan to be on site as much as possible. And consider every detail in advance - what is needed to implement each detail and how does each affect other details. In the end, it was totally worth it!

Beautiful kitchen but totally unusable for a family....the Marble will etch, stain and be trashed and the wood will scratched, stained and wear down. We have marble and got ClearStone which costs as much as the marble....probably wouldn't do it again as CeasarStone has a marble match now. I would never ever put a wood island in....looks great now - give it 6 months.

Reality sucks but it looks like a showpiece for sure. Just don't cook anything, cut anything or spill anything in it!

My word, your kitchen is stunning! I am in love. I will be gc-ing my own kitchen remodel this spring. I wonder if you'd consider a post of things you learned along the way that you wish you had known or planned for before you began your project. Amazing job.

Brutal post Duffydawg. I basically have the same kitchen & mine's not trashed. And I cook. I don't cut on my marble countertops but I didn't cut on my Formica. I use cutting boards. If I'm cooking with a known "etcher", I use a cutting board or a counter mat. It does take more effort than my old Formica but to me, it's worth it.
I'm not criticizing you for using Clearstone - I have a Clearstone on my Danby marble in the laundry room. Between marble with Clearstone & a white Quartz, I'd choose the Quartz. If I could do my kitchen over, I'd still choose the Danby. I haven't done it yet (not enough visible etching to bother me) but Danby can be rehoned by the homeowner. I did do it on my sample marble.
I have a different finish on my wood island than Julie, but I believe her type of finish is also renewable.

Wow duffydawg, way to rain on someone's parade. I was under the impression that the poster was showing us her new kitchen with pride and excitement, not asking people's opinions on what she should or should not have done.

Romy:

The point being is that many people are going for the wood and marble. They look fantastic new but unless you are anal and don't have kids running around or drink a lot wine, these counters are not like Granite or Quartz.

The fact is you did get and investigated ClearStone for the same reason. ClearStone's existence is because of this huge downside to all marbles including Danby. Quartzite also can stain and etch. I love my marble because I did put ClearStone but it was a small fortune. My wife reminds me everyday that we should have done granite or Quartz (engineered stone) and she is right.

My Kitchen is a lot like this one sans the wood island which I know from experience will show age not to mention use.

I think the kitchen posted is beautiful and they deserve compliments. My only point is that not all that glitters is gold - especially when it comes to marble and wood counters in kitchens and active use. We have two young daughters that spill like crazy and have wine parties so these surfaces are non-starters. Potential kitchen builders need to keep that in mind.

I am not trying to rain on anyone's parade but some KDs steer their clients to such kitchens posted above and my own ...and without serious protection or light and very controlled use, those counters are going to have a certain "patina".......

Again, its a stunning kitchen so I am sure they should be happy.

Duffydawg - I appreciate your insight but have to say I disagree with your statement that my kitchen is "totally unusable for a family". This is not my first kitchen with any of these materials. I've rented a beach house with marble counters for many summers. This house was heavily used with guests every weekend. And my last kitchen had a walnut breakfast bar. So I'm familiar with how they behave. I have kids and have been using my new kitchen very heavily since Dec. 20. I cook dinner in it every night and I've hosted Xmas eve, Xmas day, NYE, and Super Bowl Sunday. I've cooked up a storm and while I'm a fairly neat cook, I have gotten tomato sauce, oil, vinegar, red wine and many other substances on the marble. I clean up as I cook and when done eating. No stains or etches yet. I do know that there will be marks on the counter eventually and I don't mind at all. And I know I can always have them rehoned if I feel they need to be refreshed. And the wood finish is repairable. I can sand and apply more finish. You are correct that these finishes are certainly not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks. But a kitchen with marble and wood is certainly usable, and can be appreciated by many. Thanks again everyone.

Brighshinynew - if you look at my previous post right above duffydawg's you'll see I offered a little bit of insight about GC'ing the job. :)

Your kitchen makes my heart sing and I am in love! I love the Polar White on the gorgeous inset cabinets! I love the door style you chose. I love the marble counters and the marble backspash. I love the island so much! I love all the windows and lights. I love your ceiling.

What are your beautiful floors? Thank you so much for sharing. Enjoy.

I am absolutely in love. The sink run............... Gorgeous. I've been trying to explain to my GC why I need more windows and less uppers.. I think I'll save a pic of your kitchen to prove my point! I will move in and sleep on that run if you're okay with it.

Duffy - had she been asking your opinion before, it'd be fine to say. But you know what I tell my eight year old? If it's not a helpful opinion, keep it to yourself. ;)

Stunning!!! I love every detail. Beautiful job!

what a brilliant job!

i have marble countertops and i can assure you that after two years they are nowhere near "trashed" - even though we are a family and use the kitchen for 3 squares (plus snacks) 6 days a week. amazed at how very rude some people are.

enjoy your lovely space.

Brilliant! So jealous of your span of windows! It's a beautiful place to cook & entertain. Enjoy!

I like the slopped v-groove over the kitchen....but I find Interesting back and forth on this thread. Having installed many, many white marble in kitchens over the last 5 years of what I would call "white marble fad", I would have to say that marble is one of the least practical stones that can be installed in either kitchens or baths.

We probably have follow-up work for over 80% of clients that do install these counters. The poster who recommended cutting boards is spot on - you should be militant in using them. I feel badly for our customers that need this follow-on work but they have that need for the marble at the outset and so the look overrides the practicality.

I am surprised that wine, tomato products and vinegar hasn't etched as even 3 - 5 seconds of those on a surface whether its marble or Danby marble can definitely scar the surface. We do sealant the product but that is only good for 6 months - they say 1 year but that isn't the case. Even then it doesn't stop all the etching. Two of our clients recently swapped out their marble - thankfully we are just installers not the people that designed the kitchen. We just do what we are told and charge for it.

We do a lot of re-honing but that is not without risks as marble contains fissures or layers that can bust up even in delicate rework. Marble is a very hard stone to work with as a professional.

The look is very in right now and your kitchen does look great - I like the differential in your ceiling - very cool.

Silver Stone Contractors, Inc.

Your kitchen is stunning! I'm so glad I braved the new format with this Houzz merger to poke around a bit. I got to see this as a reward. I'd love to see more photos, but I'm guessing the migration of this thread into the new format deleted some of the photos.

I've been enjoying Carrara marble perimeter counters and a black walnut island top finished with Osmo Polyx Oil and with a prep sink for about 3.5 years. Hogwash about kitchens like ours being unusable for a family. I cook from scratch daily for my family of 4 and host multiple large parties a year, plus many smaller gatherings a month. I cook A LOT. I have minor scratches and dings in my walnut, which I have the ability to sand out and easily recoat with Osmo. Zero staining. Everyone who comes into my house comments on how lovely the counter is. I have etching on my marble, of course. But I dare you to find it. And like my walnut, ZERO staining. My counter is far from "trashed", and I haven't resealed since initial install 3.5 years ago. Oh...and I drink a lot of wine and cocktails with fresh citrus so I know of what I speak.

Enjoy your lovely space!

this room is fabulous! can you tell me please, what are the dimensions of your kitchen (excluding the eat-in area, if possible)? Absolutely stunning!

my apologies- i see it above :)

Still one of my favorite kitchens! I am getting ready to finish out our walnut island top. Have you been pleased with the Osmo Top Oil?

Glad this got bumped - hadn't seen it before and it's gorgeous! Nicely done :-)

Hi I know this post is old but I am building a similar kitchen at the moment and am struggling with understanding how the slab splash goes in. Does it push out the stove more? The cabinets it falls behind? Should I mill from 3cm to 2cm?

My slab will go behind my 48in range as well and will also go behind some of the bottom cabinets on either side of the range.

Thank you if you can reply to this!!

I’m also curious how your marble is holding up? Do you still love it? I’m thinking of putting marble in my kitchen.