Since we’re still in the drywall/floor finish/boring phase, I thought I would answer Katy’s question from last week’s post.

I read a lot of home remodel blogs and love hearing about all the details on the process, would be interested in learning specifics on what choices you make – such as what countertops/backsplash options you considered and what you end up choosing, paint colors, appliance choices, love any and all details!

Well, Katy, we’ve made most the decisions for the kitchen, so here goes!

Kitchen countertops – Caesarstone in Blizzard. First and foremost, we chose Caeserstone for its looks and durability. I’ve been known to be a little bit of a klutz in the kitchen (whatever…pots and pans are slippery), and that combined with our crazy kids led us to purchase a material that was durable, BUT still had a modern and clean finish. D has used Caesarstone for many of his clients, and it has always been well received.

Backsplash – White marble. Now in a perfect world, I would have white marble countertops, but considering the above-mentioned facts, marble countertops are a no-no for us. But I just loooooove the look of white Calacatta marble, so we decided to use a slab for our backsplash. We found a beautiful piece with a really bold gray vein, and we are super excited about it. It really is a piece of art.

Cabinetry – D uses a great cabinetry company on his client projects, and I’m so pumped that they will be custom-making our white kitchen cabinets and island. The cabinets will be simple and slab-front – no raised panels. We will also have some open shelving. We haven’t bought the hardware for the cabinetry yet, but are leaning towards linear, chrome handles like the one shown in the image.

Paint colors – We haven’t started swatching yet, but the entire house will be painted white. We have a lot of art and accessories in bold colors, so we want the house to be as clean and simple of a canvas as possible.

Appliances – Well, after reading your glowing reviews, we went with Bosch for our dishwasher, cooktop, and oven. Plus, it didn’t hurt that they are doing a 15% rebate for 3 or more appliances right now. Sold! As for the refrigerator, we really wanted a built-in with panels, but it wasn’t in the budget. Instead, we went with a stainless, freestanding Viking because it was the only one that had the looks, measurements, and trim kit that we wanted. We had heard mixed reviews on Viking refrigerators, but it turns out that the Viking built-ins are the ones to look out for, trouble-wise. The freestanding units are actually made by Kitchen Aid, and are great. (Fingers crossed.)

We are also using an Elica built-in range hood, a Lenova zero radius stainless steel sink, and the Grohe pull-out faucet pictured above. Most of these choices were based on D’s experience with the products and companies.

Hmmm…I think that’s all of it for now. Let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great weekend, everyone!