Cathy's Kitchen - Counter & Backsplash

Cathy's family chose a recycled material countertop called Eco that is manufactured by Silestone. It is pricier than other options, but the family wanted to use a recycled product and it met their design goals. The field tile of the backsplash is a cream colored 3"x6" subway. The band is a glass and stone mosaic that brings in the earthy colors Cathy loves.



One of the things we changed in the layout was the shape of the countertops. The picture below shows the old counter shape on the island:


By rounding the corners, we were able to make the space much more functional and Cathy loves it! The new shape:



One of the interesting features in Cathy's Kitchen is the appliance garage:


We added under cabinet lighting to illuminate the space. Perfect for storing and using the blender, mixer, and coffee machine!

Cathy's Kitchen

Cathy's Kitchen is the center of activity with 4 teenage boys and their friends:





The box fluorescent lighting, old Formica counters, and cabinet finish date the space. We will keep the recently re-done floors and the cabinetry, but update with color.


And here is Cathy's Kitchen completed:

Shannon's Kitchen - Finished!

So here we are, finished with Shannon's Kitchen! It's been rewarding and exciting to see the kitchen transform into this beautiful space in just 10 weeks! I know it was tough on the family, living with no kitchen and all the dust, but they are very happy with the results. To recap, this is what it looked like before:


This is during:



And this is after:


Remember Shannon's 1'x1' pantry:


This is the new pantry:


Complete with a pass through to the utility room:


More views of the space, I am standing at the front door for this before picture:



And after:





Now it's on to a new bathroom for Lois!

Shannon's Kitchen - The Backsplash

And now, the Mosaic backsplash:


This tile mosaic comes on a mesh in 12" x 12". Isn't it gorgeous!

This is what it looked like before the grout:

Shannon's Kitchen - The Marble Counters

This countertop was one of the first things Shannon picked. She knew that she didn't want anything dark and she really liked white. After looking at several different suppliers and many slabs, we found this gorgeous Calacutta Oro Marble.


This marble slab set the stage for the backsplash, the wall color, the floor color, and the cabinetry color. So you can imagine our dismay when we found out that our slabs had been released and sold to someone else! But thank goodness, the slabs had not been taken from the supply yard yet-- And after some intense negotiations, the slabs were rightfully returned to us, and here they are!

The lesson here is when you find a one-of-a-kind slab, either purchase the slabs or make a down payment. That sounds easy to do, but until you have the cabinetry in place, you don't know exactly how many slabs you will need. This is an expensive product and we were trying to make sure that we would only use two slabs. By making a change to the microwave area, we kept it to two slabs with only a 10" x 30" piece left over.


The part in front of the microwave does not extend under the microwave area, thus the savings. Next stop, backsplash.

Shannon's Kitchen- the Cabinetry

The cabinetry is completely finished! There are still a few parts that need to be painted and that will be done when the painter returns for touch up. The are the photos:












Shannon saved about $2 per knob and $6 per cup pull by finding ones she liked at Home Depot. On the Entertainment Unit, she spent a little more with $8 knobs from Anthropology. Next step, beautiful marble counters!