There are a few other major changes that we made to the kitchen to tie it all together: new appliances, new lighting, a backsplash, and a coffee bar. We chose stainless steel appliances and we’re THRILLED to finally have a dishwasher that doesn’t sound like a motorcycle gang is idling in our kitchen. We picked out our light fixture from Wayfair – it was on clearance and it makes a huge difference in the room. Javi also added under-cabinet LED lighting. He used peel-and-stick LED strips that plug into the wall – they are super easy to install and add a ton of light to a kitchen with only one window (limited natural light).

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The absence of a backsplash has been a thorn in my side since we moved in. I don’t know why it bothered me so much that we didn’t have one – I just think it ties a kitchen together so nicely, and it’s easier to clean food splatter off of tile than a painted wall. We originally thought we’d get classic Subway tile, but we ultimately landed on sheets of small hexagonal tiles. The sheets were fairly easy for Javi to install – the only major pain was cutting hundreds of tiny triangles to fill in the gaps at the top and bottom. He was a tile cutting grout master by the end of the project. I LOVE the hexagons and the final look is so clean and beautiful!

The last big project Javier completed was a coffee bar in the back corner of the kitchen. We’ve been working on this little nook for a very long time, and the bookshelf was a cluttered, clunky mess in an otherwise-beautiful space. We decided it would be a good place to store dried goods in open shelving and to keep my coffee gadgets. Javi removed the shelves from the bookshelf and painted them the same color as the cabinets. He installed them in the wall using white brackets to blend with the wall. He ordered and installed a wall cabinet beneath the shelves – a base cabinet was too deep and didn’t allow for enough space between the bench and the cabinet. The wall cabinet was the perfect depth. We keep Penny’s art supplies in the cabinet for now.

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The cabinet needed a countertop, so Javi used the leftover pieces of pine flooring he removed from the second floor of the house last summer. This is the same wood he used to build the table, bench, and chairs next to the coffee bar, so it flows perfectly with the rest of the room! Have I mentioned he’s amazing? He also added little hooks beneath the bottom shelf for my mugs. I’m obsessed with all of it!

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So that’s that – our new beautiful kitchen. Here are the long-awaited before and afters – Enjoy!!!

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