I can not believe I’m writing this post already! I never would have dreamed that we would be revisiting the kitchen before the end of the year. We had not planned to replace our existing counter tops or back splash until next summer at least but something totally crazy happened over the weekend! Josh and I had celebrated our 10 year anniversary last weekend and since we’re not actually going on vacation until September, we decided to spend the weekend doing fun things. We made a trip to Atlanta on Saturday and dipped into Ikea while we were there because you’ve just got too when you’re there. We came across the deal of a lifetime friends. If you remember a few months ago, we ripped out the old laminate counter top and stove on the island and replaced it with a butcher block counter top. Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love with it! I thought I was sold on marble counter tops but I can honestly say I’m 100% stuck on butcher block now. We were unsure how it would hold up to our busy lives but it’s done great! We made sure to seal it well when we installed it. That’s a good thing too because just a few weeks ago I left a Zoku pop maker (which we love for making yogurt pops.) out of the island to thaw and completely forgot about it… 3 days people! Huge puddle! I quickly wiped it up. I thought the counter top would be ruined but I’m happy to report I was wrong. Not the tiniest ring or damage is there. After that little event J and I knew that we would really love the butcher block counter tops through out. I love the warmth they add to the kitchen as well as the classic style.
So back to our crazy deal. Before we left Ikea we decided to swing into the “as is” section. There on a pallet was five boxed up butcher block counter tops just like the one on our island. Are you ready for this, $30 each! Yes, you read correctly, $30! We paid $130 for the one we have on our island. They were 75% off because they have discontinued that particular stain. We were beside ourselves. We quickly loaded all five up and raced to the check out. For $150 we have new counter tops for the kitchen as well as a counter top for the laundry room which we hope to tackle after the first of the year.
I have now gone into full planning mode for the rest of the kitchen renovations. I’ve had a complete vision for the space for the most part. The tile back splash was one thing that I had not nailed down totally. Here are my four favorite options. After looking over them in person and really thinking on it, I’ve picked 1. the subway tile. A huge part of me wanted to buck the trend. So many people have installed subway tile. The rebel side of me thought, nope I’m not going to do it. I’m totally doing something different! I will say, sometimes when something is so popular, it’s for a good reason. Subway tile is just a classic. It’s been around since the 20’s and I don’t see it going anywhere any time soon. It’s clean, simple and lovely! However, I might just have to use the marble herringbone and arabesque tile elsewhere in our house. Which is your favorite?
No kitchen renovation is complete without a new sink and faucet! We’ve been living with the stainless steal sink and existing faucet with the plan to swap them out with the counter tops. Here’s the sink and faucet I’ve chosen. A white apron sink with a bridged faucet.
Here’s the kitchen before we moved in encase you’re new to the blog-
Here’s the kitchen today-
You can find our laminate counter top makeover here if you’re not quite ready to ditch your existing counter tops just yet and our planked back splash how- to here.
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I found our latest addition to our kitchen a couple weeks ago. This adorable bar stool was a steal for only $10 at the PB outlet! I just love those clearance finds. It fits great at the end of our island. Charlie has a new favorite seat!
I can’t wait to start the whole process. The thought of having a finished kitchen seems like a dream. I’ll be sure to share updates as we go along.
Next week I’ll be sharing our entry way reveal in a two part blog post. The before and after is pretty incredible! I hope to see you on Monday! Have a great week friends. 🙂
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