Welcome to My Kitchen

by Mandy on March 18, 2012

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It’s been a little over two years since we moved in to our home. It seems like I have been wanting to do a home tour here on the blog for what seems like forever.

You know when you get something new…and you worked REALLY hard on it…you want to share it with the world?

That’s kind of how I feel about my kitchen.

new home kitchens

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Except I always felt like there was just ONE more thing that needed to be finished. And when that one more thing was finished, then it became the “I would actually have to clean this kitchen if I wanted to post pictures on the blog”. And not just kinda clean it…like DEEP DEEP clean it. You can’t show off your kitchen when it looks like a grocery store exploded on your counters.

With 3 boys, a husband, and a dog…the kitchen is the messiest room in our house. I think the peanut butter has a permanent home on the island counter. Usually with the lid off and a knife sticking out of it.

new home kitchen ideas

I have been trying to learn how to use my camera better and so really…the motivating factor to clean this kitchen and welcome you all in to my home came from the deep desire to learn how to shoot in manual mode.

This kitchen…practice 101. Don’t judge my skills.

Ahem.

kitchen ideas

I’m proud of the finished product {finally} and although, some things here are still a work in progress *cough-basement-cough*, other things…have come a long long way.

kitchen sink

First let me just say this, my dad was a huge HELP in making this kitchen/house what it is today (shocker, I know).

modern kitchen modern kitchen backsplash

He installed the cabinets.

He installed the floor. AND the backsplash.

modern kitchen ideas

His lifetime employee discount with Whirlpool scored us almost 50% off ALL of our kitchen appliances. Oh, and he installed them when they arrived.

kitchen modern kitchen new home

He installed the hardware.

You get the point. His free labor…saved us thousands of dollars.

Lucky us!  Because if you haven’t ever looked in to the price of labor for some of the things I mentioned above…you may have to go sell your first born to be able to afford it.

Geez. 

Between his free labor and our discounts on the appliances, it allowed us to do the *extra* things in this kitchen that really make me smile.

Like the pot filler.

backsplash

Be still my pot filling heart.

My dad actually hated this feature. His 50-something-year-old mind just couldn’t understand the need to have running water available ABOVE an electric appliance.

I get him. Really I do. But, I also told him that he needed to get with the times, if you know what I mean. Thankfully, against his wishes, he ended up liking our pot filler (although, I am pretty sure he still thinks it’s ridiculous).

We were also able to spend our $$$ on things like frosted glass…

kitchen in new home

…and pretty stools.

kitchen bar stools brand new kitchen

So there you have it. My kitchen…finally complete.

Now if having a pretty kitchen only meant you wanted to cook more, right?

Pssst.

new kitchen ideas

Not so much.

I really need to attend a cooking class. In a bad bad way.

updated kitchen

Source List:

Paint color – Valspar Lambs Ear {Lowes}

Paint color pillars – Glidden Bittersweet Chocolate {Home Depot}

Hardwood Floors – Wynfield Hickory Burnt Barnboard

Granite Countertops – Bianco Antico

Cabinets – Aristokraft Winstead Maple in Sarsaparilla finish

Kitchen Faucet – Delta Talbott 16968 SSSD-DST

Range Hood – Arietta 30 inch DKW001MX30

Refrigerator – KitchenAid 25 Cu. Ft. Architect Series II

Pot Filler – Danze D205314 Melrose Collection

Bar Stools – Lowes

Backsplash – Lowes

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To see more of our home…

home tour house of rose

{ 112 comments… read them below or add one }

Diana August 21, 2012 at 10:58 pm

Is there a microwave or did I miss it? Stunning kitchen! Love how there is really no white anywhere like a typical, boring really, home (like mine is right now).

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Mandy August 23, 2012 at 9:39 pm

The oven looks like a double oven, but it’s actually not. The top part is a microwave. :)

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Wallace @ Bellevue, WA August 23, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Hi Mandy,
I’m a real estate agent in Bellevue, Washington. I preview dozens of homes a week and have seen that many houses have a beautiful kitchen like yours. Looking fantastic!
- Wallace D. Reay

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Jan August 25, 2012 at 3:47 pm

Dear Mandy, I love your home. Thank You so much for sharing your ideas.

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Heather Womack August 27, 2012 at 7:13 am

Hello! I love your bar stools! I have a console table with 2 banana leaf baskets across the room from our counter and think these would be a nice compliment. Are the backless stools also from Lowes?
I checked Lowes online and didn’t see the stools with or without backs but I plan to visit Lowes this week and see what they have.
Thanks for sharing your home with the world. :) Beautiful!

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Mandy August 27, 2012 at 9:22 pm

Thanks! It’s been quite awhile since I purchased them, but I think you can find them other places. Try HomeDecorators.com. :)

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nikki January 26, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Hi Heather – did you have any luck finding these bar stools? I’ve been trying to find them but come up short wherever I look! let me know if you found them and where I may get lucky. Thanks so much! : )

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Melanie August 27, 2012 at 8:00 pm

Mandy, First off, your kitchen is beautiful! We are planning on installing hardwood or laminate in our house soon and I’ve been struggling with what to do with the kitchen. I would love to have the wood everywhere but I keep hearing warnings about putting it in places with water (ie. kitchen, bathroom, etc.) Did you have any concerns about that? Also, how has it been holding up so far?

Thank you so much!

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Mandy August 27, 2012 at 9:20 pm

Thanks! I haven’t had too many issues with water and the hardwood. My husband did leave our pot-filler dripping one night and it flooded a part of the kitchen…but I must have cleaned it up in time because the floor is ok. I love the handscraped look if you are wanting something to hold up well. With the dog and 3 boys…it was a must for us.

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Brian August 31, 2012 at 7:25 pm

Mandy,

Your kitchen is literally my vision of every single thing that I want in my dream kitchen and I am SO jealous! Question: where is the microwave??

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Mandy September 2, 2012 at 9:04 pm

Thank you! It looks like a double oven, but it’s actually a microwave on the top.

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Christin Erwin September 10, 2012 at 3:46 pm

I am building a new home and we have picked the same cabinets you have. I was wondering the size of bar pulls you used on cabinets and drawers. I also love your west elm light and am thinking of it for my diningroom. Do you still love it?

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Mandy September 11, 2012 at 8:48 pm

I will have to get back to you on the size of the pulls…they are not all the same. The drawers are different from the cabinets, but I’d have to measure to figure out what they are. I ordered them off ebay. I LOVE the West Elm light!! It’s one of my favorite pieces in the whole house!

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Heather April 5, 2013 at 9:00 am

Love your kitchen girl! My hubs and I just finished our dream home and I am searching for cabinet/drawer pulls similar to yours. Of course, I want the best deal I can find. Did you find your pulls on an ebay store where you can purchase or did you bid on them and win? Our cabinets are very similar in size and love the larger pulls for the drawers. Just gorg!!! AND where do you find the time to do all of this with 3 boys???

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Mandy April 14, 2013 at 8:03 pm

Luckily I only had 1 child for most of the home planning. Bents (our middle son) was born 3 weeks before we moved in to our house, but by that point, I was pretty much done planning. I ordered the pulls from an ebay store. I did not have to bid on them…I did the “buy now” choice. You can find stores on ebay that sell them and you don’t have to bid.

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Dana September 19, 2012 at 12:24 pm

I love your kitchen.. We are in the process of a total kitchen renovation!!! We are wanting an island but its going to have to be super skinny.. What are your island dimensions??

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Vanessa September 26, 2012 at 4:00 pm

I absolutely love your kitchen!! Your house layout is lovely! I wanted to ask you about your refrigerator. I’m about to upgrade to a french door fridge, but have heard of issues with the ice dispenser taking such a long time to refill once you remove all the ice. How do you like your fridge and can you give me more information on it. I really appreciate it!

~Vanessa

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Mandy September 26, 2012 at 9:30 pm

Hi Vanessa! We love ours and have had no issues with the ice dispenser!

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chloe December 8, 2012 at 9:03 pm

Hi there! Where did you get the EAT sign? Thanks!

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Mandy December 9, 2012 at 1:30 pm

I got the letters at Hobby Lobby!

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kim December 11, 2012 at 9:20 pm

I noticed that the color of your kitchen and master bedroom are the same. How come they look so different. I was trying to figure out which color was the dark gray/black from your master bedroom but realized that its actually at dark brown. Am I missing something or is the color actually brown and not dark gray?

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Mandy December 13, 2012 at 9:07 am

I don’t have a dark gray/black in the master bedroom. It’s a deep chocolate brown. It is the same color that is used in the kitchen on the pillars. The lighter color in the master is also the same in the kitchen. They probably look very different because of the lighting. My kitchen has TONS of natural light and my bedroom does not. Makes a difference in how paint looks.

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Amy January 2, 2013 at 11:55 am

So…I’ve always wondered about hardwood in the kitchen. Our next home I would like mostly hardwood throughout the house. Does yours stand up well in the kitchen?

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Linda Lakes January 8, 2013 at 10:32 pm

LOVE LOVE and more LOVE. I have the same counters and floors as you, but when we bought our house it had oak cabinets. Now that I see the darker cabinetry…I may have to have mine refinished!! LOVE THEM!

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Abby January 22, 2013 at 6:55 pm

do you know what the square footage is of your house? also, how tall are your cielings? thanks!

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Mandy January 22, 2013 at 8:20 pm

3,600 sq ft (that doesn’t include basement). Our ceilings in our living room are 12ft and the rest of the house is 10ft (bedrooms 9ft).

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Abby January 25, 2013 at 1:38 am

wow! i would LOVE a house that big :) one other questions, were did you purchase your pendant lights above your island? thanks!

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Mandy January 25, 2013 at 9:43 pm

Thanks Abby! I got them at Menards!

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Nikki January 30, 2013 at 4:35 pm

Hi Mandy,

Wow – this is beautiful! We are currently building our home and you have a lot of the same colors as us!!

I’m sure you’ve already got this plenty of times but I’m coming up with no luck on finding those bar stools – have you had any luck finding them anywhere else? Did you get them at the Lowes store or online??

Thanks for all of your help!

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Meg March 6, 2013 at 10:14 pm

I would love to know this answer too! I can’t find them anywhere!

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Melissa March 15, 2013 at 8:29 am
Melody February 2, 2013 at 8:18 pm

Hello! I was curious where you got your rope looking vases on your island near your tall stools? I have been looking for some like that for forever!
Thanks!

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Mandy February 3, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Pier 1, but it’s been a LONG time ago. :(

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Danielle February 6, 2013 at 5:45 pm

We are about to build our house… I love the layout of the rooms that I can see…can you give a layout of your home ( or how each room flows?)

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Jennifer Poenitske February 10, 2013 at 10:30 pm

I saw you got your cabinet hardware off eBay.. Do you happen to remember the sellers name? Name of the style? Thanks! Beautiful kitchen!

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Abby February 18, 2013 at 1:26 am

do you remember the name of the backsplash wall tile from lowes?

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Cristina February 22, 2013 at 3:41 am

Hello! I had set out to decorate my children’s rooms in our new house. I used google for a girl’s room inspiration and I saw thousands of pictures and fell in love with the white and gray room. I had so many ideas and so then I decided to look for ideas to decorate my son’s room. I typed in google ‘boy’s rooms’. I saw this big boy room I fell in love with and, lo and behold, it was yet again fromyour blog!!!! If that is not a coincidence, then I dont know what is!! We are currently in the decorating process. You’ve inspired my crafty and artsy side that for some reason I had long forgotten. Thank you..

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Jessica March 5, 2013 at 9:39 pm

Hi there! I must say awesome job! I was wondering what kind of rug you had at the sink and what color are the letters spelling eat? Thanks so much for your time.

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Mandy April 14, 2013 at 8:41 pm

The rug is from Target (over a year ago) and the letters are gold (from Hobby Lobby). :)

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Kim Specht March 8, 2013 at 7:02 am

I love the kitchen! So jelly! Let me borrow your dad and I’ll give you cooking lessons! :)

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Jessica March 27, 2013 at 1:35 pm

Hi i was wondering where you got tha untensil holder by your stove?

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