Kitchen Design Plans
We bought our house almost three years ago, and one of the things that I was drawn to was the fact that it had just been gutted and redesigned in a relatively simple manner — essentially a blank slate. Though I’d love to buy an old house with lots of original character and bring it back to life some day, I’m just not at a point in my life where that makes sense right now, and this house fits our current needs. When we were looking at houses we saw a lot that had recently been redone but my biggest issue with most of them was the choices in finishes and design details — think shiny red tiles, cold grey walls (why is this a thing right now?!) and super modern, generic everything. Not exactly my vibe. Our house has white walls, beautiful original mouldings and other older details I really liked, along with a layout that works really well for us. So though there were a few cringe-worthy choices like grey laminate faux-wood flooring (whyyyyyy?) and some questionable lighting fixtures, I saw those all as things we could easily update when we were ready.
And that time is now! Which is why we’re here.
I shared some of my primary inspo awhile back, and though this project has technically been in the works for over a year now, the overall vibe and aesthetic has remained the same. With this being the first home I’ve owned, it’s the first time I really let myself dream about what my perfect space looks and feels like with the intention of actually bringing that to life. And though this isn’t a forever home, it’s been important to me that I create a space that doesn’t feel temporary or like I’m just settling for the time being.
Designing spaces is a process, and one that takes time and patience and the ability to balance form and function while paying attention to and hunting for what you really love. I think that’s been the biggest thing for me — not getting too swept away by other homes or styles or trends. Instead, it needs to work well for us, and be filled with details I love.
So here we are, starting at the (approximate) beginning, with the overall plan and finish selections. Through this process, I’ve learned that I gravitate towards creamy neutrals, layered with various textures and accents of warm, blonde wood tones and matte black for a little contrast. There’s a simplicity and minimalism that a softer colour palette lends itself too, which is continued with clean lines. I love a good moment of intentional tension in design, so this gentle modern feel is juxtaposed with lots of handmade ceramics, softer and more organic textures, and vintage details — all of which will come through more in the styling. So though I’m very excited to get to that part, I figured I’d start with the bigger changes and selections I made, since all of that has to happen first anyways.
The first choice I made, and one of the most important, is the flooring. Remember that aforementioned shiny grey laminate flooring? It was probably my most disliked feature of the house. So I knew that had to go, and when I came across Canadian company Craft Floor and ordered a few samples “just to see,” it didn’t take long before I fell for their Brevik wood floors, which are handmade white oak floors in the most beautiful light blonde, natural tones.
The rest of the decisions followed from there, with the other big changes being the counter tops, for which we’re going for a warm white quartz, and the cabinet and drawer fronts. Our kitchen uses the IKEA system, which we kept most of, simply swapping out a few of the boxes for different sizes based on what fits our needs better. We’re using beaded fronts from All Style Retrofit, and I was able to choose my own colours for them, opting for two soft neutrals, with the darker tone going on the lower cabinets and drawers and then a soft white on the top.
I’ve linked all of these selections below, and now that the project is underway, I’ll continue sharing regular updates, with the next post on the actual drawings and layout and some sneak peeks at where we’re at — including some texture detail shots that I can’t stop swooning over. Oh, and you can also catch the original ‘before’ walkthrough and updates on stories too.