Lifestyle Room Reveals Sources

Bright, White and Bold Kitchen Revamp Reveal Part 1

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

The. Day. Is. Here! Excited is always an understatement when describing how I feel when I finish a space and reveal it on the blog, but I think this is the *most* excited I’ve ever been to be done with a room project! The hub of our home has been transformed over the course of 5 weeks and Kitchen Revamp Reveal day is here! Although it was a bit of a bumpy road…at times, not knowing if some [or any!]of my items would arrive in time or the hired work would be completed. We’ll just say that my tile contractor was here just yesterday finishing up a couple minor things that thankfully were not noticeable in the photos I shot over the weekend. It truly came down to the very tail-end of the wire, but we made it and I could not be more pleased with the outcome.

The updated, white kitchen in my dreams has now become a reality. Our Bright, White and Bold Kitchen Revamp is complete and I’m ready to share it all with you today as the final week of the New Year, New Room Refresh Challenge hosted by Casa Watkins Living.

I honestly can’t believe this big of a transformation took place in just a month’s time! In case you missed week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 or week 5, let’s quickly look and see where we started and then finally, how we ended up!

Remember the drab, dreary oh-so-90’s oak kitchen we were workin’ with before?

BRIGHT, WHITE & BOLD KITCHEN BEFORE

90's oak KITCHEN BEFORE!! 90's oak KITCHEN BEFORE!! 90's oak KITCHEN BEFORE!!

Before Photos + Mood Board

…And the mood board I created to help me stay on track as I aimed to bring my vision to life?…

Kitchen Revamp Mood Board | New Year, New Room Refresh Challenge

…then a few of the progress shots taken between weeks 2 & 5 of the challenge…

After primer

After paint

Old backsplash – yikes!

After the old tile was removed…

…And finally, the AFTER!

BRIGHT, WHITE & BOLD KITCHEN REVAMP REVEAL

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

Can you believe it?! I used to cringe every time I walked into our kitchen…so basically 977 times per day. Now, I am constantly pinching myself that it is actually the same kitchen!

And you guys, I totally went for the green! Thanks to all who weighed in. I wanted a deep green island from the very beginning, but I was so nervous to actually commit! You know me and color — I love it, but I rarely go big with it in areas of our home. For the most part, I stay pretty neutral.

This time, I decided to go bold and not look back!

THE PAINT

Back in Week 3, I discussed our cabinet paint color options. We ultimately decided to go with Benjamin Moore Simply White for all of the cabinetry and Benjamin Moore Hunter Green for the island. The green is so much brighter in the morning and early afternoon until the sun shifts to the front of the house.

At first I was nervous because I originally wanted to do a green that was so dark it almost looked black until I realized how dark and heavy the island would feel. Dark, almost-black green paint, dark counters, black stools and the pendant lights will be black, too.

The medium green shade is the perfect contrast with the dark and light in the room!

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

THE HARDWARE

Oh, the hardware!!

I am smitten with these champagne bronze bar pulls we installed on the doors and the bin pulls on the drawers. They are the perfect warm tone, not too gold and still look great with all of the stainless steel throughout the kitchen. 

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

THE TILE BACKSPLASH

This decision was probably the most difficult one. My vision was always some sort of a marble backsplash – marble hexagon, marble squares, rectangles,  etc. But after bringing home samples, I decided I didn’t like how the veins in the marble looked with the grain and movement of my countertops. We decided to go with a Snow Brick Glass Mosaic with 2″ x 6″ tiles. It’s a shiny, cool-toned white color that sparkles and shines! The grout we chose is a silver and the color blends seamlessly in with the tiles.

The backsplash part of the granite countertops were removed, so it was one smooth and consistent wall surface. There is a small section of the kitchen where the contractor had to run the tile from the base of the upper cabinet all the way down to the floor, so we did have to go out [2 times!] to buy more material.

With all of the intricate cuts that have to be made with a glass tile to go around outlets, corners, etc. we ended up needing an additional 15 sq. ft. of tile that wasn’t originally calculated for, even adding in 10% extra onto our measurements. Lesson learned! Or, maybe I will just have my contractor do the final measuring before we go buy materials next time ha!

THE RUGS

I so badly wanted to go with a black and white rug, but opted for this graphic, pattern-filled runner in shades of charcoal and light gray. I decided the white portion of a rug might not hold up so well in a kitchen and I was so drawn to the interesting pattern in this particular rug. Maybe you saw me unroll it in my Instastories when it arrived on my porch. It was love at first sight!

Instead of trying to coordinate another rug to go in front of the stove, I decided to use two of the same runners and ran them in opposite directions.

THE FURNITURE

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

There wasn’t a whole lot of furniture I needed to buy, but new kitchen table chairs were definitely a must. We had black leather dining chairs before that had springs hanging out from underneath, scratches and tears galore… you get the picture. They held up great for the 8 years we had them, but in the last several months, they all were sort of on their last limb. 

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

Enter these gorgeous cognac-colored leather beauties with gold metal legs. I heart them so much! I fell in love with them online, but once I got them home and in our space, I realized how perfect they really were! Plus, they clean up like a charm. I few quick wipes after a meal and the boys’ messes disappear!

If you’re looking for a mid-century modern edge or just want a lovely, kid-friendly chair, I highly recommend! These West Elm chairs are the ones I originally found, but with that price tag I just couldn’t. My chairs were half the price and I used a coupon, so they ended up being much more budget-friendly – the perfect West Elm dupe!

Our old black table had no reason to go, so it stayed in the space! I love how the warm cognac chairs look against the black table. We have it set-up as a small round table for everyday use, but we have the leaf stored away if we need to expand the table for guests. There are a few knicks and scratches on the top, but they are hardly noticeable.

Overall it’s been a fantastic table for our family!

You may also remember these brass & wood barstools from the kitchen mood board. It turned out our old stools were going to work out nicely in the space so we decided to not purchase new ones. ours are all black [seat and legs], swivel and have gorgeous brass nailhead trim. Sometimes you have to reel yourself in and remember it’s okay to keep something that functions well and still looks great.

New is nice, but saving a few bucks is always a good idea.

THE ACCESSORIES

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

These glass doors are everything! We always had 2 glass doors, but they had an oak grid across the front and the pieces didn’t line up with the position of the shelves so anything I placed in the cabinet looked choppy and cluttered.

Once the oak was removed from the glass and the inside of the cabinets were painted white, I was able to style my shelves with books, bowls, wine glasses, cocktail glasses, beer glasses and even a set of green vintage wine glasses that were once my grandma’s. 

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

Now that the kitchen has been de-cluttered and all of the countertops cleared off for me to take pictures, I instantly realized how nice it was to have just one centerpiece on the island. I won’t always have quite an arrangement, but I do love how this one came together! The gold bucket was a HomeGoods find and the flowers are a mix of faux stems from Michaels and fresh flowers from Trader Joes.

I love the soft pale pink mixed with the white!

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

I am a firm believer that everything looks better in a tray, so I corraled our oils and placed them in a tray with this black pineapple, small flower vase and a thrifted copper kettle that I filled with toothpicks.

Everything is in an arm’s reach while cooking on the stove.

Another aspect of this space that really pulled it all together for me was this printable art print I found on Etsy.

Honestly, it was difficult to catch a great shot of the art hung in the space because of the placement of the windows and the direction the light shines in near it, but it is stunning! I purchased the downloadable image [for $6!], uploaded it to Walgreens online photo center, had it printed in a 24″ x 36″ poster size and then picked up a studio poster frame from Michaels. I think when it was all said and done, I spent $50 on a HUGE piece of art!

The black and green brush strokes morph into a goldish-beige color – giving it sort of an ombré effect. I only had one wall to work with in the kitchen space and this print in a classic, bold black frame was exactly what was meant to be there!

THE KITCHEN LIGHTING

Unfortunately, the main lighting pieces are back-ordered until the end of February. However, this gorgeous brushed brass and glass flushmount arrived a few weeks ago and T installed it over the sink. It’s simple and elegant and is perfect for that little nook.

See our bright white & bold Kitchen revamp | New Year New Room Refresh Challenge | This is our Bliss

Although you can’t see it, the atrocious fluorescent light box above our island is still there! I’m patiently awaiting the arrival of the island pendants and a new fixture for above the kitchen table. So when they get here and are installed, I’m pretty sure I’ll be doing a Bright White & Bold Kitchen Revamp Reveal PART TWO!! 

That is it for me today, my friends! I hope you enjoyed this Kitchen Revamp Reveal and seeing our kitchen transform over the course of January. I can’t thank Stephanie of Casa Watkins Living enough for hosting this challenge and inviting me to participate for the last 3 years! [See my Master Bedroom Revamp and our Modern & Bold Playroom Reveal from the previous years’ challenges]

I’m also beyond grateful for the products I received from our generous sponsors. They truly made this Kitchen project possible!

Lamps Plus | Wallpaper Boulevard | Rugs USA | Velvet Finishes | Smith Honig | Liberty Hardware

Two things before you go…

One, I’ve linked sources throughout the post, but I have everything included down below. If something is no longer available or sold out, I tried to link something very similar!

[*Affiliate links are used below.]

green abstract art
black, white, gold abstract art
gray runners
2-tier gold wire basket
gold whisk
gold serving spoons
gold pedestal bowl [similar]
snow brick glass backsplash
leather & metallic dining chairs
flushmount light over sink
champagne bronze bar pulls 
champagne bronze cup pulls
black counter stools [or these]
black kitchen table
black appetizer plates
white rectangle dinner plates
striped napkins
black flatware
wood napkin rings
wood tray
black pineapple
spice rack
tall green wine glasses
acrylic wine rack
gold tray
DIY No-Sew Window Valence

And secondly, don’t forget to check out all of the other New Year, New Room Refresh Challenge Reveals today. They are absolutely stunning and super inspiring!

New Year New Room Challenge 2018

Casa Watkins Living // A Designer At Home // Seeking Lavender Lane // Domicile 37 // Iris Nacole // Pocketful Of Posies // Monica Wants It // Up To Date Interiors // This Is Our Bliss // Vintage Romance Style

Stay caught up with all the Kitchen Revamp posts in this year’s New Year, New Room Refresh Challenge below:

 The Before + Kitchen Mood Board
9 Fresh & Inspiring White Kitchens
Progress Update + How I Chose my Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color
11 Gorgeous Kitchen Pendant Lighting Options
Kitchen Progress Update + DIY No-Sew Window Valence
Bright, White & Bold Kitchen Revamp Reveal Part 1
Kitchen Reveal Part 2 [The Lighting]

Thank you all for being here. You’re the best!!

* This post was sponsored by Lamps Plus, Rugs USA and Liberty Hardware.  All images, thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make This is our Bliss possible!

2018 Master House Project Punch List
How to Make A Burlap and Floral Spring Wreath

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  • Corinna Henderson
    February 16, 2018 at 7:27 PM

    Oh my gosh Rachel! This space has turned out to be stunning! I just love the green you chose to go with. It’s lovely with the hardware you chose. And all of the art is amazing. Really upped the chic level of the space. Bravo!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 22, 2018 at 10:09 AM

      Thank you, thank you! I can’t say enough about my choice for the green! It makes me so happy and it feels so good to be done with such a big space in our home!!

  • Bliss
    February 9, 2018 at 8:49 AM

    What a great redo, it looks excellent!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 22, 2018 at 10:04 AM

      Thank you! We couldn’t be happier!! It’s so refreshing to walk into each morning now 🙂

  • IrisNacole.com
    February 8, 2018 at 12:04 PM

    This is spectacular, Rachael! Wow, and to think you had so many setbacks, but still managed to pull it off in time! You’re amazing, and I know you must love it! Enjoy!

  • Carli
    February 8, 2018 at 6:09 AM

    Rachel your kitchen is stunning! I love what you’ve done! What a transformation! Just beautiful!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 11, 2018 at 3:06 PM

      Thanks, Carli!! It’s one of those spaces I couldn’t be happier to have off my plate! It feels like a new home again 😉

  • honeynhydrangea
    February 7, 2018 at 10:06 PM

    This turned out fabulous!!! What an incredible difference. The green island is my favorite.

  • Kathryn Baugher
    February 7, 2018 at 7:50 PM

    This is so Rachael! I’m so glad you went with the green paint. With the pops of black and white it has a modern art decor vibe! You did so much in such a short time (weather and wall). Can’t wait to see the new light fixtures. Beautiful job. It’s perfect!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 2:43 PM

      Thanks, Kathy! Me too! I really can’t imagine it any other color now. The lights are definitely giving me something super fun to look forward to – another new kitchen all over again ha!!

  • Jeweled Interiors
    February 7, 2018 at 6:05 PM

    HOLY SMOKES! You nailed this kitchen. What a huge transformation and it’s hard to believe you did it all in one month! Well done!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 2:42 PM

      Thanks, Jewel!! It was literally down to the day before, but it all took shape like I envisioned!!! Yay 🙂

  • Sue
    February 6, 2018 at 8:20 PM

    I love love love it! The green cabinet is stunning! The chairs you got for the table are the best! They look awesome with black!!

  • cassie bustamante
    February 6, 2018 at 6:01 PM

    that island color is AMAZING!!!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 2:40 PM

      Thanks, Cassie! I’ve become infatuated with deep green hues and I love having it anchored in my kitchen now!

  • Deb
    February 6, 2018 at 2:15 PM

    The kitchen looks fabulous Rachel! I lovvveee the green island and those table and chairs are gorgeous!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 2:39 PM

      Thank you, Deb! I’m so happy that it all fell into place despite some of our delays! Glad the green is going over well 🙂

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    February 6, 2018 at 1:27 PM

    Rachel, this turned out so beautiful and I am obsessed with the cognac and green! You are totally after my heart with that combo! We are going to be tackling our kitchen this year and I have always wanted to paint the lower cabinets green and you totally made my mind up for me. 🙂

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 2:38 PM

      Thanks so much, Ashley!! Happy I could give you a glimpse into your future kitchen ha! I know it will be beautiful! Thanks for stopping by and say hi 🙂

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  • Jessica
    February 6, 2018 at 11:19 AM

    You are giving me the confidence I need to repaint my kitchen cabinets! Girl, this is stunning!!!! I absolutely love it! The green island definitely does it for me. I really like the b&w color combo with the cognac colored chairs….Magic!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 8, 2018 at 11:05 AM

      Thank you!! Yes! Totally go for it!! I am ga-go for green, so now I get to see it in this space everyday! I didn’t know how much I would love the green, black, white, gold and cognac together until it was all done!!

  • Monica Benavidez (monicawantsit.com)
    February 6, 2018 at 8:50 AM

    You are amazing to have this knocked out so quickly! I love that gold bowl on your island- I need to find me one! Glad you went with the green, it was definitely the right choice for this space. (Plus I’m having a major crush on green right now.) Great job, friend!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 7, 2018 at 7:24 PM

      Thank you, Monica! I was soooo nervous about the green and couldn’t decide to go dreamy white like yours or add a black or gray island. The bold color choice feels like it was meant to be in here now that it’s done!

  • Elizabeth
    February 6, 2018 at 8:36 AM

    I love this!! It’s stunning and I can’t believe it all happened so fast.

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      February 7, 2018 at 7:22 PM

      Thank you! I can’t believe it either, actually. I had a deadline though ha!!