Welp, here we are. 2021 is coming to an end, we’re all moved into the new house, and – while not quite done – I finally have a fully-functional kitchen! As is always the case, getting to this point took a lot longer than I thought it would, so I wanted to share some updates and tips for anyone out there going through (or planning to go through) the same thing.
Here’s my first piece of advice: if possible, do not live in the house while your kitchen is being remodeled. Alternatively, don’t demo a perfectly good kitchen without having a firm delivery date on the new cabinets and appliances. You will eat too much take out and burn through too many paper plates and plastic utensils. You will have to wash your dishes in a bathroom sink. You will get sick of pizza. I’m sure most of you are like, DUH. But for those of you who think you can power through – learn from my mistakes!
Anyway… here’s where we started:
Here is the space after it was demo’d (4 months ago):
And here it is today!
Overall, I am SO happy with how everything came out and thought it might be helpful for Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops to provide an overview of the process, since many potential clients come to us not knowing where to start!
- Choose a trade professional – Remodeler, architect, interior designer, builder. Decide who will work as part of your team on your project as they will help you determine the scope as well as set a realistic timeframe for completing the project, from start to finish. Check references, ask for project photos, review their portfolio! Do not be afraid to ask for these things – it’s your home and your money.
- Create a wish list – Establish priorities for your cabinets and countertops. Think about your lifestyle and how you want your room to be used. This can also include items featured within the cabinetry – spice rack pullouts, paneled appliances, etc. I really wanted cabinets that went to the countertop to hide appliances that we use regularly.
- Select appliances – Before designing begins, it’s extremely helpful to select your appliances, as they are a crucial part of any project design and are a key factor in the design and layout. Given today’s appliance shortages and long lead times, it’s best to purchase these early in the process to ensure you have them when you want them – we are still waiting on a few things (thankfully, nothing too critical), and we ordered in early May.
- Schedule a complimentary consultation – Contact one of the showrooms to schedule an appointment with a Metropolitan designer to discuss your project. Bring the room’s measurements, layout (if available), appliance specs and any inspiration photos. Be prepared to discuss your budget, list of wants and needs and your overall aesthetic.
- Schedule a Proposal Appointment– Once your designer has created a preliminary plan and pricing, a follow up appointment will give you the opportunity to view the floor plan and renderings, discuss alternative layouts, and provide cabinet and countertop pricing that reflect the elements of your space discussed thus far. Once you decide you would like to work with Metropolitan, your designer will take a retainer deposit and schedule a site visit to take accurate measurements.
- Design Appointments – This is the time you and the designer will flesh out the many details that go into creating a final design. Pick out cabinet hardware, cabinet color & style, countertops, faucets/plumbing fixtures, backsplash materials, flooring, etc. I went with classic shaker-style doors in Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige with the stiles to the floor so they looked more like furniture. I also added tongue & groove paneling to the sides of the island, since it’s so prominent right when you walk in the door.
- Once you approve the final plans, your designer will keep you and your contractor updated on the cabinet ETA.
- Countertops – Once the cabinets are installed (yay!), Metropolitan’s stone team will come out to measure. Once you have signed off on your stone order details, production takes roughly 10-13 business days depending on current lead times.
Once all the cabinets and crown moulding are in and I get the window seat cushions and window treatments installed, we’ll be shooting the kitchen and I’ll show you the real final product. For now, here are the final selections I went with:
cabinets: Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops // tile: Tiles Plus More // countertops: Daltile // pendants // flushmounts // cabinet hardware: knobs, bin pulls, appliance pulls, latches // faucet, bar faucet, disposal air switch, soap dispenser // sink // art // stools (the green isn’t available any longer, but the light gray is pretty!) // antique secretary (I found mine on Facebook Marketplace)
I s as m looking for the exact name of the checkerboard tile on the kitchen floor
I followed the link to the tile store however am not seeing this sad pacific tile name
Gorgeous renovation!
Molly–
It’s just lovely and looks quite functional. I hope once you’ve used it some, you’ll tell us how you like the stove. Quick question–where is the refrigerator?
This is beautiful! I keep going back to this post and looking at it. I love all of the storage spaces, the flooring, and that cabinetry color is stunning! I feel like I don’t see the warmer tones in kitchens as much anymore and this is quite refreshing. I would be so happy to wake up to this kitchen every day. Wonderful!
Beautiful!! Those are my abolishes dream kitchen floors when we move but my husband is worried about standing on a hard surface (vs wood) while cooking/being in the kitchen. Kinda irons since I’m the chef in the family and spend hours in the kitchen daily and he merely grazes through ;)
Love love love the look!!
Your kitchen turned out beautiful. I was wondering. Did you always know you wanted a free standing range? I would love to hear the pros and cons of a free standing range vs wall ovens and counter top stove.
I love the progress so far! The green counter stools are gorgeous. Wondering the source of your knife block?
Thank you…
Thanks for sharing your beautiful kitchen and your tips and tricks!
Can you give link for stove, please?
Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful! Such a nice job.
I’m confused, is this a client’s kitchen or your kitchen?
We ripped out our kitchen down to the studs in all directions but didn’t move plumbing. This was in the old days and the whole project was finished in three weeks. And that was long enough squatting in our dark basement with a microwave and fridge, washing dishes in the laundry sink. We loved it and were quite happy for 30 years. I hope you love yours as much. Can’t wait for your final photos!
This is so gorgeous and thank you for sharing your tips, as I am about to embark on my own renovation journey! I never thought of asking our architect for references but I love that idea.
One question – do you plan on making your cabinets flush with the ceiling at any point? Was there a reason you chose to have a gap between ceiling and cabinets? Genuinely curious because that’s something that drives me nuts but want to see if there is a logic for it!
I think they are waiting on the crown molding to be installed, which would close that gap.
Correct!
Great overview! However speaking from first hand experience that MET Cabinets was an awful experience. After three appointments (impromptu walkthrough of showroom, scheduled appointment walkthrough of showroom, 1:1 session with a designer) they never followed through with any next steps that they had outlined. We had a cabinet budget of about $60k and I couldn’t even get them to pull together a “back of the envelope” starting point for us. Totally unprofessional and I have heard the same from other local architects as well. Perhaps they give local designers a precedence but if trying to go this alone I would not recommend.
Simply fabulous!❤️
So beautiful, Molly!!!
This is so beautiful! What a transformation. I was wondering if you will have a kitchen dining table or if there was not enough room once you changed the layout of the island. We have a similar kitchen shape and am trying to figure out the best way to design it. Would love to see pictures of your kitchen dining table if you have. Thank you!
When you walk into the kitchen from the front porch, there is a dining room to the right and a little nook to the left, We had to decide between a breakfast nook and a mudroom area there, and we went with mudroom so we could store shoes, backpacks, etc. and use the dining room as an informal dining space. I’ll be sure to share more photos of the layout when it’s done!
This is lovely! I love the entire look and feel. Nice job.
Wow, beautiful! Love the pop of green!
Michelle