There are a bunch of things I’ve loved about our kitchen ever since we bought our house, most notably the white cabinets, large wood top island and granite countertops that don’t show crumbs, spills, etc. Since we wanted to simply update our kitchen a bit and not completely overhaul it, the most obvious place to begin was the backsplash. (Just in case you’re in the market to replace your backsplash, I had a blog reader recommend this backsplash designer website to me which was immensely helpful in seeing what style of backsplash would look good with our current cabinets and granite.)
We initially considered replacing our backsplash ourselves but ended up hiring a contractor our real estate broker friend Drew recommended to help with the project. This was absolutely the right decision for a myriad of reasons. To keep a long story short, once our old backsplash was removed, the project involved a lot of additional steps before the new backsplash could be installed and they were steps that would’ve been way over our heads.
Our contractor, Mike Howie, was incredibly thorough and his experience helped us brainstorm ways around the hiccups that kept popping up after our old backsplash was removed. (If you happen to live in the area and need someone to help with and tile/floor/home improvement projects, I cannot recommend Mike enough! I’m happy to pass his contact info along to anyone interested, so feel free to reach out and let me know! He’s talented, ethical and very reasonably priced.) We purchased our backsplash and all of Mike’s supplies from Lowe’s and absolutely love the way everything turned out.
Here’s the BEFORE:
(As you can tell from the chains and instructions on the counter, we were clearly about to begin replacing the light above the island when I remembered to quickly snap a “before” photo!)
And the AFTER:
Aside from the backsplash, we made a few additional changes to our kitchen, including updating the faucet (I’m 100 percent obsessed with the look of large coil faucets), installing a reverse osmosis water system, swapping out our bar stools and changing our overhead lighting. Our faucet was another Lowe’s purchase Ryan bought after doing a lot of research and the reverse osmosis water system was his idea as well. I was fully on board with that one since the space where the little spout is now located used to be a random soap dispenser that we never filled because it was such a pain to fill underneath the sink.
As for the additional aesthetic changes, I ordered our new bar stools and overhead lighting online and am incredibly impressed with both the quality and the price point of our finds! The stools feel sturdy and comfortable and the Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Light looks like one I was coveting from Restoration Hardware but cost a fraction of the price. (We chose the antique silver leaf finish to coordinate with our stainless steel appliances.)
Overhead light BEFORE:
Overhead light AFTER:
The only additional changes we made were to change up the way we organized some of the things on our counter tops and I scoured HomeGoods for a few fun finds like the tray holding our flour and sugar bowls and a candle and kitchen towels to bring some of the colors of our family room into our kitchen.
I’m actually still in the market for some mini plants to add to our counter tops to incorporate a little greenery/color I think will pop against the white backsplash, but I haven’t found anything I love just yet.
So there ya have it! Our kitchen refresh! I’m so happy with how it turned out and love the way the space feels lighter, brighter and happier!
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Oh, Julie, your kitchen is absolutely beautiful! I love to cook/bake and be in the kitchen and it looks like it would be such a joy/treat to be able to do so in this kitchen! I love that it gives a lot of light, too.
thank you, melissa!! it was a fun project and thankfully came together quickly!
Julie,
Wow! It looks amazing! So very stylish and a great place/space to spend time!!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
Hi Julie. I’m just going to leave this here, please do with it what you will. I realize you may have made these purchases from Wayfair a while ago before this all came out, but I think it’s incredibly important to keep up to date with big news, especially when it comes to ethical partnerships and purchases. Where you choose to spend your money shows a lot about a person’s character and their privilege to say “It’s not my problem, it doesn’t personally affect me, so why should I not buy what I want from whatever company I want?” https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/06/25/wayfair-employees-plan-walkout-oppose-furniture-sales-migrant-detention-facilities/STcUfJsDN4AXXls0PmJuhN/story.html Thanks for taking the time to read.
While I did purchase these items weeks ago and this post is not a paid partnership, I had not read that article before you shared it and I am truly horrified by what’s happening with the migrant children and their families. I actually called my senator yesterday morning and donated to TogetherRising and appreciate you sharing this information with me.
…So maybe remove the links to the Wayfair items and the pllug for their site? You’re still directing clicks and shoppers their way. Most items on Wayfair can be found through other vendors.
Absolutely planning to update the post ASAP when I get back home after camp drop off and can find alternative links to share with the readers who may be interested in the products!
Maybe this isn’t the place for this but I’m throwing it out here. Why is it bad for Wayfair to provide beds for immigrants. I just don’t understand the rationale here. I understand they are profiting from this horrible situation but isn’t having beds a good thing?
Hi Julie. I think I remember you saying that one of the problems Mike came across with you backsplash was a gap along the countertop. I notice that there is a white trim piece all along where the countertop meets the tile, I assume this is to cover the gap. Is this trim made of wood or tile? I also encountered this problem. Kitchen looks great by the way!
Yes! We needed the white trim there to help with the gap. It’s actually made of foam but looks like wood and you’d never know!
Oh & Mike actually specifically said he wanted to avoid wood as a trim just bc of the way it would age over time if water got on it (highly likely in a kitchen) so I figured I should share that as well!! Not sure if there is a tile option but I think that would be a good alternative, too!
Thanks for your reply. I thought the same thing about using wood. Is the foam quite hard as to not sustain any dings? I’ve never heard of such a product. Was it purchased at Lowes as well?
One more question: did he caulk or grout on both edges of it?
Yes! Very it’s hard! And he did caulk on both sides! He also chose a foam that was already white & advised against choosing one you’d have to paint. And yep, it also came from Lowe’s!
Thank you! I live in Canada, so hopefully have that product here and that it comes with colour options.
Good luck!!! Hope everything turns out well!
It looks gorgeous! The white backsplash just makes everything pop and I Love the overhead lighting. Wayfair is my go to for everything!
Looks great! Your kitchen was beautiful before, but the backsplash really pops. I’m not sure if you’re looking for real or fake plants, but I’ve purchased some really nice faux potted plants from TJ Maxx. I have a few around the house and they add a nice pop of green and complement the real plants nicely.
Your kitchen looks beautiful! Can you do a review on your new coffee maker??
Oooh, thanks for sharing! This was a fun post! The back splash looks great, and it’s amazing how much whiter the cabinets look now! (At least to me!) The faucet swap made a huge difference, too. Installing an RO system is on my to-do list, too! We moved into our house a little over a year ago (and had a baby in December), and it seems like my house to-do list just grows, ha. Luckily we found a great contractor to work with, too – it’s amazing how many things come up and how many decisions need to be made during house projects. We re-did two of our bathrooms (he finished up riiiiight before I had our baby – eek), and now our contractor is going to be replacing all of our terrible, original 1970s interior doors so I can’t wait for that! When we had the flooring replaced and the walls painted last year, it just made the doors look that much worse. Thanks again for sharing – great job with the kitchen updates!
Beautiful transformation!! I love your style. You quickly updated the kitchen and brought the style forward 10 years with just the little changes. I love the new backsplash, light fixture, and even the faucet makes a big difference. Gorgeous.
i appreciate that so much! thank you!
What an absolutely dreamy kitchen!! Thank you for sharing how you spruced up your lovely space. Great job!
Thanks Kori!! <3
Love how the reno’s turned out! The kitchen looks beautiful:) As for greenery…I’ve been adding more and more plants into my home decor, and one that is tried and tested for me (because my green thumb is only so-so, haha) is the ZZ plant. So easy to maintain, and I think they look great in any space! You can get them in many sizes, so you should be able to find one that will work on the kitchen counter (if you end up liking that style of plant!). I also like the snake plant if you are looking for another easy to maintain plant:) I hope you find something you like!
awesome!! i NEED plants that can stand a little neglect since i’m horrible with keeping them alive. thanks for the recommendations!!
The instructions given to me for the plants are: they only need to be watered about every 6 weeks or so. They are technically a dessert plant, so they don’t mind the lack of water. They can also survive with little to no light, so they can even survive in a windowless room! That’s my kind of plant;) haha.
these sound like my kind of plants!!!!
it came out absolutely beautiful! So JEALOUS of all your counterspace! we have a huge kitchen which is outdated but one of the things on our list to re-do years down the line…as with most house things, kitchen renovations are so expensive (and seem to be pretty complex, we are definitely not well versed in most do it yourself projects haha!) Right now we are in the midst of getting work in our backyard done…another one of those things you don’t think is going to be expensive but totally is. It’ll be worth it to have some space for the little kiddos to play around in. Home ownership is FUN I tell ya 🙂
Thank you for sharing!!
It looks so good! I am so jealous of your kitchen. I would love white cabinets but how do you keep them clean with Sadie and the boys? I have 2 boxers and a 4 month old. I’m terrified they cabinets would always be spotted and filthy!
They’re definitely not sparkling clean ever but whatever paint the previous owners used thankfully makes them really easy to wipe down & clean off any splashes, stains, dirt, etc.
That’s good to know! I wish I knew what paint they used! Haha! I guess I’ll have to go some research!
Could you share the link to your faucet? Also in the market for a new one!
I know Ryan ordered it from Lowe’s as well but I’m not sure the brand off the top of my head — I’ll ask him & report back!
Looks amazing! We are getting new countertops/sinks/faucets in a couple weeks and I am so excited to update our spaces.
What a great update! I love the bright backsplash! We’re hoping to one day paint our builder-grade oak cabinets in our kitchen white as well, but it would require swapping out the countertops AND the floors at the same time so that they matched, so….it will be awhile 🙂 For now, I’ll just drool over kitchens like yours!
I don’t know if you’re looking for real plants or not, but IKEA has some great inexpensive plants that look awesome for about $5. If you want to see one, I have a pic of ours in my bathroom update post:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/25/100-bathroom-makeover-with-before-after-pics/
(The plant on the shelf is fake, the plant in the window is a Brasilia plant, and it’s real.)
What a difference those changes made!! Looks great, Julie!!
I have been anxiously awaiting this post!! Looks so good! Also it led me to your living room post which I also loved 🙂 Doorknobs are on my to-do list too. Hate the brass. Did you guys swap out the hinges on the doors too or just the knobs?
Ha!! I would’ve texted you a pic if I knew you were anxiously awaiting this one! 🙂 and we STILL need to replace the hinges but they are kind of faded so they don’t look nearly as bright/brassy as the knobs. It’s on the to do list though!
Looks awesome and I like the bar stools! Thanks for the recommendations!
http://www.themilestraveled.com
Looks great! Can’t believe how much changing the backsplash brightens up the space even more!
I love it! How do you like your wood countertop island,?do you worry about scratches?
I love it!!! I’m shocked at how well it’s held up against scratches. We only have one ding in it and that happened when I dropped a heavy picture frame on it. It’s surprisingly resilient!!
Love it! We’re actually about to start replacing several light fixtures in our house and it’s amazing how big a difference such a small change can make!!
Your kitchen looks beautiful! Would love to have Mike Howie’s contact information if you don’t mind sharing.
Absolutely!! Do you mind emailing me at PBFingers@gmail.com and then I will happily send his phone number along!
Your kitchen looks amazing! It’s SO bright and airy! I’m impressed that just a few changes can make such a difference like that.
It looks fantastic! You are giving me dangerous ideas to try the same ?. Do you like the amount of light your new fixture gives off? I need a new one with enough brightness for my breakfast table and I love the look of yours!
Your kitchen looks so great!!
Looking GREAT Julie!!! MY favorite faux potted plants/succulents are from T.J. MAXX/Ross?Home Goods/ Target (or course) 🙂 good luck!
Wow!!! It looks awesome!!! Just brightens up the kitchen so so much! And that fixture over the counter..obsessed!!!
Oh wow it looks awesome!!! Isn’t it amazing what a few changes can do for a space?! I love it!
“The level of your citizenship as citizens is really the appropriate channel to try and attack an issue like this. To pull a business into it — we’re not a political entity. We’re not trying to take a political side.”
What is wrong with having personal beliefs but not allowing them to enter your business practice? I don’t understand what Wayfair did wrong here.
Wow, Julie! Your kitchen really is a dream. Who knew small things like updating the backsplash and light fixtures could totally transform your space! I love the white cabinets, too. Such a bright, pretty kitchen. I’m currently planning on changing the color of my cabinets and I’ll definitely be hiring professional cabinet painters because as a mom of three under 5, it would take a miracle for us to ever get it finished!
Wow! It looks amazing! I’m always shocked by how just a few small changes can make such a huge impact! Everything you did looks so good! Is the reverse osmosis system built into the faucet? I am in the market to get some kind of water filtration system….. but not sure if I should get something for just my faucet and a filter for my shower head or a whole home water filtration system. We have terrible water where I live- hard water that leaves residue on all my dishes, sink, shower etc. So trying to figure out the best way to go about getting my water filtered!!!
Your kitchen looks beautiful! It’s amazing what a difference new backsplash makes. Love what you decided on 🙂
Your kitchen looks great! Would you mind sharing your experience with your island countertop? It looks like it is some type of wood? We are in the process of designing a kitchen (!!!!) and Ive always loved the look of wood for an island, but have never had any experience with it. Thoughts? Thank you!
Wow, what a beautiful transformation!! So refreshing and bright. Your updates have made a huge change! Wilmington, DE
It looks so beautiful!
I love before and after articles!! You’ve got a great kitchen and I love the refresh!