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Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Just yesterday, my husband and I took the same pen and held it together in both our right hands and did something we’ve been wanting to do for a very long time.

We crossed “Kitchen” off our list.

It was a glorious moment.

We have loved watching the progress of this room, as we worked on project after project – but it seemed to take an eternity.  We had disciplined ourselves so we couldn’t move on to other things we hoped to do, until the kitchen was done.

A year and a half later – as time, money, health, and babies would allow – it is now complete.

You may have seen the previous “almost finished” reveal, HERE.  Or you may have read HERE when I talked about how our DIY concrete countertops had to go.

But today . . . today I am showing you the kitchen that is finished.  The kitchen we have finally perfected.  The kitchen that was in my dreams from the get-go.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

The finished white kitchen, with touches of wood tones and splashes of blue.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

The finished kitchen where there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

The kitchen that just makes me smile every time I walk in it – even if just to do the dishes.

If you have followed along, and read the last reveal, HERE – I would like to address the things that we’ve changed or added to bring it all together.  Some of them were minor changes and some of them were pretty major.

Forgive me if you feel you have seen some of these same images before but I wanted to be sure a complete update was available.  Also, if there are details you feel I am missing or if you would like to know more, try reading my last reveal which is full of details.  If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.

Real quick, lets take a look at the before, during, and after.

This is the “before”, or how the kitchen looked when we bought the house.

before

Then we have the “almost finished” version, where we were exploring our countertop options and wrapping up details.

Kitchen-remodel-tidbits (2)

And finally, with some hard work from the hubs and his DIY super-skills, and me and my paintbrush . . .

. . . Our kitchen today.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

What do you think?  Should we have left well enough alone when we bought it?  Or has it improved some (wink)?  Did you like the gray tops and more white, or are you digging the color?  Truly – I would love to hear what you think.  (and sorry for the sometimes blinding light.  This room has no direct natural light which makes it a big challenge to photograph, as I have to use the overhead lights.)

The biggest change from the pictures, was with the countertops.  After it became evident that we would need more reliable/permanent tops, we explored our options and what we could afford.  My ideal “in a perfect world” countertops were either white granite/marble with gray swirls or the corian/solid surface version of white with gray swirls.  Neither were in our price range or ability.  But we did discover some white wholesale corian/solid surface slabs that could be purchased – minus any labor – for a fraction of the price.  My talented man mustered the courage and decided that he could learn to make and install corian countertops all by himself – if it was the last thing he would do.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

And I must say – he rocked it.  They are absolutely beautiful and he did such a good job.  There is so much more to say about this DIY countertop, and I have tips and pictures for you if you think you would like to learn yourself – so go HERE to read my post on DIY Solid Surface/Corian Countertops, if you are interested.

Once the new tops were on, I just couldn’t help but think it was too much white.  I know.  Is there even such a thing?  I really didn’t think there could be, but I couldn’t repress the nagging feeling to add some color.

Bold color.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

So in a spur of the moment trip to the paint store, I searched for a blue with a subtle green/gray and found “Soft Chinchilla” by Benjamin Moore.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

20 Dollars and a half hour later, I was having a nervous breakdown from all the color.  I don’t usually go that bold.

It only took a week for my eyes to adjust, and I came to the realization that I absolutely adored this color in my kitchen, and it was just what it needed.  All of a sudden, the kitchen felt like it was coming together perfectly for that coastal cottage + hint of French farmhouse look that I was hoping for.

All I needed now, was some big chunky corbels (from Home Depot), white washed with white wood stain.  (P.S.  Have you ever used this white wash pickling stain? (affiliate link)  It’s amazing!  I can see it being well used in many future projects).

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I really love how the color in the peninsula flows with the dishes in the background.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I left everything the same on my open shelves the hubs built, because I still love the arrangement.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

 Our bananas are also still caged from the French inspired box I found at Hobby Lobby.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I added a couple of houseplants – which is a first for me.  Many of my readers had recommended I add them to my spaces.  I am pleased to announce that I have managed to keep them alive for 4 weeks, and I am resisting the urge to buy more because of the crazy sense of life they have added to the room.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I found this plant at Lowe’s, and it is called a “golden pothos”.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Still need to make some oilcloth slipcovers for our bar stool chairs, bought from IKEA.  So technically, that is one thing left on the list, but I’m not counting it.  (In other words, it won’t get done for a year or so.)

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Over on this side of the kitchen, my husband (his name is Kevin, by the way) built a butcher block from some wood and I added the same white pickling stain and a top coat.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen

It created the most lovely wood tone and still allowed plenty of wood grain to show through.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I framed some very old and very loved canning books passed down from my husbands mother, and added them to this butcher block, as well as a wood bowl to catch my phone and keys.  I seriously love the charm these books bring into the kitchen.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

The office space, blogged about HERE, received a houseplant as well.  It is an exotic angel plant variety from Lowe’s.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I do still love the entry view (blogged HERE) I get to look at while I work on the computer.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I wish I could say it is always this clean, but the papers do seem to get dumped all over this planked top Kevin built.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Or shoved in the cupboards which you should be grateful that I covered.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Over by the oven, a lot was kept the same.  I finally found a platter I loved to stick behind the pans (thank you Hobby Lobby), and I ended up giving the upper baskets a blue/whitewash paint job.  The dark contrast of the baskets from before was bothering me.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

We still love our farmhouse sink from IKEA and the convenience of the skirt.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

My husband finished the faux pillars to extend down to the ground on either side of the sink.  After I have learned to stop stubbing my toe, I’m sure I will like them more 😉

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

We enjoyed adding fun little details to help the space feel more unique.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

Kevin added to our cutting board collection when he came into some beautiful old wood, and they are in handy reach of my work area.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

You might also notice the little glimpse you get into the dining area of the kitchen.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I can’t wait to finally reveal the complete dining table Kevin built from old wood from my grandpas junk yard, but this post is really long enough.  Stay tuned for the next post on our dining room!

I love and appreciate any shares you can send my way, and here is a pinterest friendly image for you to add to your boards.

Cottage Fresh Kitchen, by TIDBITS

I hope you have found some inspiration here, and as always –

Thanks for reading!


*This post contains affiliate links.  Rest assured, I never recommend a product I have not used and loved.

**Linking up to these parties, HERE.

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78 Comments

  1. I love your kitchen. I just took down an over the range microwave and am looking to replace with a shelf. Where did you get yours? I’m assuming it’s afloating shelf?? Tia!!!!

  2. Hi! Can you tell me where you found the black towel bar on your soft chinchilla painted peninsula? Please and thank you!!

  3. Camitidbits, I think this is a ideal kitchen model for them who really want to have not only a gorgeous but also at a time calm and peaceful kitchen. Really It looks very peaceful . I must say that there is no natural light there but the white color and all color combination make it very shiny and also I admit your choice and decoration style is admirable. Every single things is in there perfect place. Be happy whit your kitchen. Thanks for sharing such beautiful kitchen like this.

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  5. The kitchen looks gorgeous!! I love what you did to the island!! Where did you get that towel bar at the end of the counter?

  6. What an amazing kitchen you and your husband have created. Many years ago a few houses back I painted my kitchen blue and cream in stronger colours than yours and loved it. Unfortunately we were selling at the time. I am moving in a few months to a modern Edwardian Townhouse which will contain my old antique furniture and to blend I will use many of your ideas. Most especially the scroll brackets under the bench. Regrettable there is insufficient wall space to incorporate the open shelving, and the area itself is smaller than yours. Because of the size I do not think I will incorporate black relief as you have in the handles. Thank you so much for sharing.

  7. Ooooh!!! Eye candy for sure. I LOVE your kitchen!! It’s the prettiest one I’ve seen so far. Not over the top fancy, but warm and so inviting. The color pop is perfect!! I also love the pickled butcher block…the only thing I didn’t like was the shiny brass frame around the canning cook book picture…does not match with the classy farm house look. And pothos plants are super easy!! I live in south west Texas near the coast…pothos grows outside here all year…the leaves get as big as dinner plates. Huge!! Anyways, I enjoyed perusing your blog. I’ll be back when I want some more inspiration…my husband and I are going to install whitewashed pine floors in our living room…that’s what brought me to your blog in the first place.

  8. your redesigns are absolutely gorgeous!! its amazing such HUGE transformations! gives people like me inspiration that you can get that dream result with some work and creative skills. so glad I stumbled upon your page! the kitchen is so beautiful and to see a brick wall as well?? this is like a dream kitchen to me. maybe one day I will own a house again to be able to do this, until then I can look on your page and dream!

  9. You went from average to outstanding. The cups alternating blue and white caught my attention. Yes lightening the baskets made a big difference. The counter support looked brown in the first picture then off white. The off white looks better.
    Your blue is almost the one I chose for my kitchen/family room 8 years ago, I still love it, unfortunately I have not gotten very far with my modifications.
    Question: is that a new fridge or did you paint it?
    Please give those plants some sunlight occasionally, I want you to be able to get some more plants. 🙂
    Nice tour, lots of pictures.
    What do you use to seal wood after adding white wash?

  10. Kitchens can sometimes be a little chaotic since they are they most used room in our houses but yours truly looks calm and actually relaxing and like a great place for the family to converge. I love all the colors. I think you’ve used just the right amount of white, blue, and wood tones. You and your husband did a wonderful job! Way to go ☺️

  11. Lovely! Looks so bright. I have those same maple/oak like cabinets—ugh. Please share which bright white paint you used. I’m afraid I missed that (probably distracted with all the pretty photos). Just started following you on instagram tonight too. Can’t wait to see more!!

  12. I love everything about your kitchen! I’ll be borrowing more than a few of your ideas in my own kitchen. It’s always a challenge not to over do the white because I love it so much, but I think you have the perfect amount of white with color thrown in.

  13. I Love everything and plan to borrow some things to add to my 1970 kitchen work in progress. Like the korbels And hanging the chopping boards. Where can I buy those same dishes. I have looked and can’t find those same ones.

    1. Thank you Becky! I found the blue and white dishes from IKEA. Unfortunately, they changed the blue color on a new line and no longer have this beautiful soft blue. So bummed. I have broke a couple and was hoping to replace them.

  14. Your kitchen looks amazing both ways! Great job! I KNOW the kitchen remodel took HARD work, we are going through our second kitchen remodel now. I’m sweating! Lol Love all of your touches.

  15. Lovely! You did a great job. I have an old kitchen and have thought I’d paint the original birch cupboards. I may have missed it, but is that what you did? Looking at your original kitchen it is hard to believe it is the same place!

  16. So glad I came across this post this morning! First I have to say I love the blue peninsula! And I’m so glad I found this about countertops. I too really want the white, (carrara marble would be amazing!) but to save money thought I would do the concrete, and I see now that I would truly hate the colour! So I will search for other options. Thank you so much for this post!

  17. Gaw-jus! I am renovating a kitchen in an old house, and have been trying to come up with the right island, and I am going to steal your adorable breakfast bar idea. The transformation is amazing. Really beautiful job, you two!

  18. I love your kitchen! I found your blog this evening on The Wicker House, and your kitchen is what drew me in. 🙂 I have been eyeing the color “Soft Chinchilla” for a while now in my paint deck, and your peninsula is the first time I’ve seen it used! I love it!

  19. I LOVE your kitchen and dining area… The colors are tranquil and clean…You have inspired me and given me ideas on freshening up my kitchen…Thank you for sharing

  20. Do you have an exhaust fan above stove? I want to get rid of my old and ugly exhaust fan which would open kitchen to living room. If you don’t have one, does that work for you? I live alone and don’t cook much anyway.

  21. LOVE your entire home and especially the kitchen peninsula! Have been searching and searching for a way to spruce mine up! Just found your blog today thanks to Rhoda at http://www.southernhospitality.com What did you use as the “shiplap” for your peninsula?? LOVE how you painted it a different color too … would have never even considered doing that until now … after seeing yours, I’m definitely going to try this! THANKS for sharing your awesome ideas!

  22. Cami your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! You had more courage than I did and the White cabinets are so beautiful. I had always wanted white but chickened out at the last minute and went with maple. I tried to tell myself I liked them but I want the white! Good for you.
    Everything is so Lovely! You and your husband are very talented! Thanks for showing us your kitchen!

  23. Oh . My . Goodness!!!!! WOW! Your kitchen is amazing! I wish! You have done an amazing job! I wish I had a house of my own to rip apart and create something amazing like this. For now I have to make our rental (which is beautiful) all pretty with accessories and furniture. You’ve gone straight into my favourite blogs list. Gorgeous, gorgeous work. I’m pinning this and sharing on my Facebook page for my followers to enjoy 🙂

    1. I absolutely love this! Really great work that both you and your husband did together.

      I have the SAME corbels from Home Depot that I’m putting in the big opening between my living room and dining room but I have NO idea on how to mount them. I put the screws in and then hang them and there’s a big gap. Any tips?!

  24. Do you have any idea at all just how LUCKY you are to have all those AWESOME pieces Kevin has built for your home!?! He is a truly talented furniture builder, not just a DIYer!!!
    Wonderful kitchen, wonderful home … love the blur … and can’t wait to see the few remaining rooms, Cami!

    1. What a sweet comment! Thank you! I thank my Father in Heaven every night for blessing me with such a man. I’m not always the best wife, but I try to always remember to tell him how amazing he is. He just finished our French inspired mantel headboard for our bedroom (coming soon) and I am speechless at how beautiful it turned out. I hope to be able to grow this business to where it can support us if he wanted to venture into a woodworking business. That’s the dream any way. Whoa. Sorry for all that – but yes – I know how lucky I am! Thank you!

  25. Thank you so much for your inspiration to use blue in the kitchen I myself m in the middle of a kitchen remodel and have been looking for a way to use blue in my kitchen. Instead of an all white kitchen I will be having a wood kitchen with a Blue Island thank you for having the guts to go blue in your kitchen.

    1. Just paint right? I imagine I might change it up once in awhile, but I was surprised how going that bold made me very happy. Best of luck to you and thanks for coming by!

  26. Do you really like your white sink?? I am redoing my kitchen and love the look of this sink but really don’t want to be fussing with it or have it staining . Your opinion would be appreciated! ☺️

    1. I would love to share my opinion. I really do love this sink. Whenever it appears to be discoloring or staining, I simply add some bleach and dilute it a bit with water and rub it around. It becomes perfectly white again. I’ll admit, I hate to use bleach but it is the only thing that works as good. The only thing I wish they would have done differently is the groves at the top of the sink. They get gross pretty quick and you have to scrub them regularly. The best thing about the sink is the size. I love that I can fit so much inside of it and wash big dishes without a problem. I’ve even bathed kids in there. Overall, I would highly recommend the sink due to the lovely style it adds and its ability to look new with a bit of bleach. Hope that helps!

  27. What a fantastically beautiful kitchen! You guys did not miss one detail! I would love to share one photo on my cottage kitchen page with a link back to you, if you were okay with that. I especially loved the corbels up against the painted cabinet! Bravo!

  28. Here in the UK we live in a small bungalow which cried out for very light cool colours. Although in our sixties we like to think our home is modern and bright. All the rooms are white and pale blue for a cohesive look and your kitchen is my idea of the perfect dream kitchen! Now clever you have been with the little touches. Thank you for inspiring us!

  29. Here in the UK we live in a small bungalow which cried out for very light cool colours. Although in our sixties we like to think our home is modern and bright. All the rooms are white and pale blue for a cohesive look and your kitchen is my idea of the perfect dream kitchen! Now clever you have been with the little touches. Thank you for inspiring us!

  30. Oh my CUTE! Love your cottage kitchen, it is so bright and cheery. The island color is just gorgeous!! We’ll be featuring it at our weekend link party tomorrow, yay! XO

  31. Absolutely beautiful, every single detail from the chunky corbels on the peninsula to the two different type of shelves is perfect! How exciting that you did everything yourself and on a budget, that’s my favorite kind of remodel! Love the white and adore the blue, you have the perfect balance of each color as well as the warm wood tones. Congratulations!

    1. My goodness! What sweet comments you left for me. We DIY because we have to on our budget, but also because we really enjoy it (for the most part). Thank you for stopping by!

  32. Wow, what an amazing transformation! My husband and I are saving for the next year and planning a kitchen remodel that I didn’t think would ever happen. We have a peninsula as well and I love the idea of painting it a different color and the outlet on the end (great idea!). I studied each picture and gleaned so many great ideas from your gorgeous kitchen. Light, bright, and clean!

    1. Oh, that makes me so happy that you could take some ideas away from our kitchen. That is exactly why I share! Thank you for commenting for me and making me smile!

  33. Your kitchen in beautiful and I too love the wood and white with pops of blue (my personal favourite scheme as well.) Great choice with the blue on the pennisula. I have been trying to go turquoise/blue on our pennisula as well but keep wimping out (mostly due to the pinkish ceramic tile that I can’t change right now.) The difference in your before and after is stunning. You guys did an awesome job.

  34. Thank you for your kindness! I do love white, blue and wood, if you couldn’t tell 😉 Glad I could inspire!

  35. Thank you so much Jamie! I’m completely blushing over your sweet comments . . . because I pretty much adore everything you do.

  36. This came out fantastic !!!! Quick question… Which counters are these? Friends of ours ordered from the same company and the corian came and it was pretty thin in comparison. I would absolutely tell them these Are the way to go. I just love the thickness of the white!!! Also the open shelves are lovely !!!!

    1. Our corian was also very thin, and a total shocker when it came, for me. It is only 1/4 inch thick, or you can order 1/2 inch. You just build your edging to whatever thickness you want and it gives the appearance of super thick tops. The seam is pretty much invisible so it looks great. Thanks for coming by!

  37. I love, love, LOVE your kitchen! I can’t wait for the blog on how you did the counter tops, I love them and need our kitchen remodeled with counter tops, which we will need to do ourselves.

  38. I can see why you are proud of yourselves-I would be too! LOVE your kitchen and I might be in love!

  39. It is beautiful. Kitchens and bathrooms are the hardest to update and take the longest. There are just so many projects in the one room! Congrats on finishing. We did ours (complete DIY overhaul) 18 months ago and the feeling of being finished is priceless. Good job!

  40. Thank you Margie! You and your hubs do some great stuff as well. Kitchens are super hard to work with. They are major money and time suckers – but I do hope you get to it someday. You’ll rock it!

  41. Thank you! I’m glad others are liking the color. It made me nervous to slap on, but such a small space I dared to be bold. Thank heavens it worked out. Appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment.

  42. Love love LOVE it!!! And that blue is amazing. It looks so good! Good choice! Tell Kevin he did great too.

    If you ever find yourself with any spare time (haha), feel free to come do my kitchen…. 🙂

    1. I will definitely tell him! Thank you so much for always being so sweet Sheri. I’ll work on finding that spare time and we’ll hit your kitchen next. Ha!

  43. You rocked it, girl! The blue paint is absolutely perfect and really adds dimension and interest to a great design. Pat yourself (and your brave hubby) on the back. Job WELL done.

    1. Well, thank you! I’ve given the hubs plenty of back pats 😉 My requests were certainly time consuming. You should see our poor neglected yard 😉

  44. Your kitchen looks amazing…you and Kevin have done such a great job…what a difference from before to after…and I love the blue on the island…..it looks perfect…..=]

  45. I have had several pothos over the years. They are somewhat hard to kill. I would forget to water mine all the time. Do that too often, and yes you can kill them. Another plant that is a hard to kill/forget to water one, that looks great is a spider plant. They come in some great varietys.
    I love what your husband did to your kitchen. How lucky are you? You will have a lovely space for years to come because he is handy. And you did a fabulous job decorating it!

    1. This was all so good to know! I haven’t read about house plants or anything and trying my hardest to keep them alive. I’m glad you mentioned not to water them too much – which is what I worry about sometimes. Definitely going to look into spider plants because I have a sudden desire to add them to every room. My hubs told me I have to keep these alive for 3 months before I can buy more. Ha! Thanks for taking the time to comment for me! Makes my day!

  46. Beautiful! And I would check it as complete as well cause it is perfect! Who wouldn’t love to cook, or do dishes, in your kitchen. Truly a happy place.

    1. I have a hard time loving to cook or do dishes, but a pretty kitchen helps! Thanks for your sweet comments!

  47. Absolutely stunning, what a great transformation! Your kitchen looks so bright and inviting and I love the touches of blue throughout, simply gorgeous!!!

  48. Best kitchen I have ever seen. You must have a talented husband. Great pictures as well so you must be just as talented.