As the old adage goes- better late than never. At least that is what I keep telling myself! Welcome to our complete IKEA kitchen design!
I get it!..it has been months since I last gave an update on the Beige Bungalow, however, the posts will finally be coming out starting with this one. So buckle up and enjoy the ride, because in the end she turned out to be a real beautiful home.
The kitchen design
We will begin in the heart of the home- the kitchen. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the first and second chapters about this reno before reading on.
This room was one of my favorite transformations in the entire home- we began with dated oak cabinets in a cramped u-shaped kitchen and finished with an open concept traditional shaker style kitchen with a large island. Chapter 1 focused on the new IKEA kitchen design and cabinetry layout.
In Chapter 2, we discussed IKEA cabinet installation- at the time it was our first real taste of the new kitchen layout. We were thrilled with the transformation but knew there was still plenty of work to go before we could call the kitchen complete. We needed our quartz countertops installed, the millwork for the island needed finishing (read all about the custom kitchen island here), the subway tile for the backsplash needed laying, and the kitchen lighting still had to go in.
Quartz Countertop Day!
Let’s start with one of the most exciting days during a reno- when the new countertops arrive on site. We knew right from Day 1 that we were going to go with a white quartz countertop with grey veining. Lucky for us, this is a design that is definitely in style right now so most companies have several options available. One thing to remember is not all quartz is created equal. Spend some time researching the various companies for yourself. Ask your installer what brands they prefer and which brands cause the biggest headaches- I promise you will get complete honesty. After all, it is their reputation on the line. Before I get into the details of quartz countertops- let me provide you with some eye candy. We chose the company LG Hausys and their Viatera quartz, more specifically Muse, from their masterpiece collection. It was EXACTLY what we were looking for.
Now on to some less glamorous but still very important information. For those of you interested in learning a little bit more about quartz counters, keep on reading. If you just stopped in to see the final result, scroll on down!
How are Quartz countertops made
Quartz is a man-made engineered stone formed by combining 90-97% ground quartz with 3-10% resin, polymers, and pigments. The mixture is poured in the desired shape, cured in an oven, then cooled. The finished product emerges as the glossy, smooth, durable, and gorgeous material we all know and love.
Some of the major brands include Silestone, Cambria, Caesarstone, and LG Hausys (slightly smaller than the others). These companies all manufacture their products using a patent owned by the Italian company Breton. Other manufacturing techniques are emerging from India and China, which have led to many new companies with smaller price tags. Your installer will help point you in the right direction when it comes to the brand name and level of quality you are after.
Quartz counters Positives
- Extremely durable
- Non-porous (though not stain proof)
- Crack resistant
- Requires no sealing or resealing
- Massive selection
- Easy to clean.
Quartz counters Negatives
- Expensive
- Not heat resistant
- Seams are inevitable in larger countertop designs (though this will also happen with natural stone and laminate)
Once the countertops were installed we moved onto tiling the backsplash with a brick pattern white subway tile, finished with Delorean grey grout. In our case we were after a very timeless and and traditional look for the backsplash.
A couple quick notes when choosing your grout colour. Take a minute to think about your space and what you plan on using it for. For example- a kitchen backsplash may see splatters and spits- I know ours does when the kids want to ‘help’ with dinner. Suddenly that beautiful white grout has a few red spots from last nights pasta sauce that doesn’t always come out. The second point to consider is your overall design. At the Beige Bungalow, we chose a grey that was similar to the veining in our quartz countertops. Further it allows the bricked tile pattern to stand out. In the photo below you will also notice a few other grey accents creating a cohesive design that allows your eyes to flow seamlessly throughout the space.
So without further ado, I would like to formally introduce you to the completely renovated kitchen at the Beige Bungalow.
After weeks of brainstorming, demolition, and construction, we finally had a completed kitchen. It is hard to remember what it looked like before we began (here is a reminder), but the highs and lows were all worth it after seeing the finished result.
And with that, I will say adios mi amigos. Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned as up next we walk through the master bathroom renovation.
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