We went back and forth on which sink we wanted, and while I do love the look of the big white farmhouse sinks, I honestly didn't dig the idea of cutting into our cabinets. I also didn't see much utility in that design, per se, but I loved the idea of having one big basin. It's a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it drove me nuts every time I did the dishes that I couldn't lay down flat my bigger pots and pans, and that the divided basin didn't really serve any utility for us. (For other homes, it probably makes perfect sense, which is why I love all the options and styles out there to choose from!) We looked everywhere, and even ventured outside the typical big box haunts by checking out IKEA and Seconds & Surplus. It was really helpful to see some of the options out there in person, to better hone in on what we liked and didn't like (as well as compare scale and size with the measurements of our existing sink), and this served us well as we ultimately ended up ordering a KRAUS sink that M found online. It was hard to image ordering something so critical to the design (and function) without seeing it in person, but it had everything we wanted and we liked knowing that we could take it back to Home Depot locally if it was a fail.
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| Holla! |
The good news? It was glorious. Stainless steel, undermount, extra-deep, and even came with a steel grid (that we often use as a drying rack). The packaging made me laugh at first because you would have thought it was a precious relic, packed away in a fabric bag and lots of padding, but as soon as I saw it, I felt like it was totally deserving of the hoopla.
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| This guy was a strong contender... Until M put the image of Gonzo in my head. |
The next step was to find a faucet. This also proved to be tricky, because we didn't want to OD on stainless (as all of our other appliances--save for the microwave--are stainless steel), and I wanted to embrace this opportunity to create a statement in the design, something unexpected that would be a great anchor for years to come. I gravitated toward oil-rubbed and antique bronzed looks, which I thought would complement the oil-rubbed handles on all the cabinets, as well as hold its own against the butcher block counters and epic stainless sink. We went back and forth between the Moen Wetherly Mediterranean Bronze High-Arc Faucet and the Moen Annabelle Mediterranean Pull-Down Faucet, and after M made a compelling argument for an all-in-one faucet, we picked up the Annabelle model. (We didn't install the soap dispenser, nor did we use the baseplate. Kept it clean and simple.) It was the right choice and accomplished exactly what I hoped it would!
A spur of the moment decision was made after removing the old laminate counters to go ahead and get a consult for backsplash tile. (The counter removal left a few decent sized holes and tears that needed to be patched and re-painted, so we had a candid conversation about doing double work, knowing we would eventually want backsplash anyway, and made the call. Like, the actual call to a tile guy who was recommended by our realtor, a.k.a. our sister-in-law. Best resource EVER.) We found our guy, agreed to the price (which was surprisingly low and quickly made the decision for us in terms of trying to do it ourselves), but now we needed tile.
We looked at lots of options (yet again), and quickly narrowed down that we wanted a classic subway tile...with a twist. Something that was a little special, but still timeless and age-appropriate for the house. We considered mini subway tile, as well as colored and glass mosaic subway tile options, but ultimately fell in love with a Cobble Subway Mosaic (especially after getting our hands on a sample and seeing the quality). The handmade feel was a perfect compliment for the natural grain of the wood, coupled with the slick modernity of the stainless.
So how did it all come together? Like dis...
Now that you've seen the bulk of the steps, next time I'll share all the After photos, as well as full list of our sourced materials!
Other posts in the kitchen reno series:
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