Whitney’s Beautiful DIY Kitchen (with IKEA Cabinets!)

Whitney is back again today to share more of her home. She’s previously showed us her living room and her dining room; be sure to follow her @carpendaughter on Instagram for more beautiful home photos!

Let me introduce you to my kitchen. Which became an extension of my dining room after I removed the wall in between the two. My first floor pretty much became one big room and I really wouldn’t have it any other way. My house isn’t big. 1480 square feet to be exact. But it’s open. I can watch tv while I’m doing the dishes and that’s really what it’s all about. My kitchen was very much a DIY remodel. So let me give you the deets on what I tackled myself and what I left to the professionals.

(It’s a little hard to tell, but the next photo is from just about the same vantage point as this one. Where there once was a window, there is now a range hood.)

The cabinets

I weighed lots of options when it came to kitchen cabinets and decided on IKEA. Yes we would have to assemble them ourselves but the quality and price was right. I decided to go with the style that closest resembled “shaker style.” This style is classic but can also look modern depending on the finishes its paired with. I desperately wanted grey cabinets but at the time IKEA didn’t offer them. I took all the drawer and door fronts to a local furniture company to be professionally painted. Well worth the money. IKEA has a very easy and user friendly way to install cabinets. My sister and I installed them ourselves in a weekend.

Kitchen hardware

My dad and I installed the hardware ourselves. An easy job that really anyone can do. I chose 3 different types of black hardware to make my kitchen look more custom.

Backsplash

Subway tile. Subway tile. Subway tile. I’m in love with subway tile! It’s such a timeless and classic choice. Not to mention inexpensive. Switching up the backsplash would not be an easy task so I went with “classic” over “trendy.” I will never not love subway tile. Period. My sister and I borrowed a wet saw and tiled it ourselves. I was super intimidated but my sister had the gusto to try it and once we got going it was like riding a bike.

Countertops

Against every practical person’s advice, I went with white marble. Yeah yeah yeah I heard all the warnings. It scratches, it etches, it stains. But in the end I decided to throw caution to the wind. Even with the threat of all those imperfections they would still be more beautiful than any man-made material. And three years later I don’t regret my decision one bit. I had the marble people fabricate and install them because I wouldn’t even know where to begin to do it myself.

Favorite Features

The brick. My absolute favorite feature of this kitchen was something I originally was so annoyed about. See that beautiful brick in the corner? Before it was brick, it was just a large mass of space I had to design the cabinets around. But after working hard to expose it, it has become my favorite part of this kitchen. It brings a warmth, age and an architectural detail that you cannot find in newer homes.

My sink!: I love our 36 inch farmhouse sink. It’s huge  and I hope to someday bathe several future babies in it.

Open shelving: Its not for everyone but I love it. So French.

This house remodel has been a labor of love. And this kitchen is very much the heart of our home.

Sources:

Kitchen cabinets: IKEA, Style: Adel (no longer available), closest equivalent: Grimslöv
Range hood: IKEA
Pendants: IKEA
Samsung appliances: Refrigerator, Range, Dishwasher
Hardware: Lowes
Cabinet paint color: Valspar Wet Pavement
Subway tile: Lowes
Countertops: Marble Uniques, Tipton Indiana
Sink: Kohler, Lees Supply (discontinued)
Barstools: thrifted

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More beautiful kitchens:

Our IKEA cabinet kitchen renovation

Cottage Kitchen Makeover

Amazing 1950’s Ranch Kitchen Renovation

 

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