My Kitchen – Part 6 (The Details)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my kitchen tour. I wanted to share some final details and thoughts that I hope you find useful.

One small but impactful design element of my cabinets is that I had the cabinets made without any toekicks at the base. I find this to be both old-fashioned and modern at the same time. It’s also an element that no-one notices directly, yet adds depth to the design. I did the same thing in our last kitchen and really love the look. However, it does take some getting used to if you’re clutzy like me.

It also takes A LOT of coordination with the sub-contractors (like the floor installer, electrician, etc) to make sure the materials are installed with that in mind. I made sure to remind Craig about this several times throughout the building process because I knew it was a really foreign concept and didn’t want anything to be installed improperly.

The tile grout on the walls and floors was one of my biggest stresses and I really agonized over the choices. It’s amazing how much slight variations in grout can change the look entirely. On both accounts, I went with grout that I found to be closest in color to the material, as I didn’t want to call out each tile.

I’m a big believer in saving money whenever possible. The lights over the sink were really inexpensive, readily available from Lowe’s, and fit my style perfectly.

Sometimes you have to be creative with sources. Much of the the drawer hardware used throughout my kitchen aren’t cabinet hardware. They’re actually window sash pulls.

A good contractor is KEY. Although we had a great design, it could have easily gone bad in the wrong hands. It was important for us to have a builder who didnt have many projects going on at once, so that ours would be getting his attention every day. We interviewed many builders before beginning this process, had them bid our project, and did lots of calling around as well. Although each builder gave us a list of references, I researched building permits for the builder we were leaning towards (Craig Powell) and called a few of the homeowners he hadn’t listed as references. Not only did they all give him their highest praise, they had the same to say of his subcontractors.

Subcontractors are a big deal. Not only do they hold the future of your home in their hands, you’re also stuck with them for future call backs, touch-ups, and repairs. It’s important that you not only like their work, but like them as well because you’ll be seeing them a lot. This is all in your builder’s control, as he hires the subs. Luckily for us, we chose Craig and he was great.

In case you missed it, here is my kitchen tour:

Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

You can read all the details about our farmhouse building process here.

Additional Information:

My cabinets were custom made by a local cabinet maker.

The ceiling is made of beadboard planks, also known as wainscotting. I talked a lot about it here.

The lights over the island were made from salvaged old schoolhouse globes and new arms. I obtained all of the materials from Revival Lighting in Spokane and they built the lighting as well.

The lights over the sink are from Lowe’s.

The flooring is tile that looks like wood. I talked about it here and here.

My countertops are quartz. I talked about it here and here.

The wall tile is all from Dirk Elliot Tile. The best in the world and made right here in Spokane, by our good friends, Dirk and Christina. I talk more about it here and here.

The windows are made by our friends, Burke and Muriel, at VPI windows. They are also manufactured here in Spokane and are the BEST! I talked all about the windows here and here.

The cabinet hardware is from Spokane Hardware, who also have an amazing website (The Hardware Hut) where you can order just about anything your heart desires.

The pantry door (and all the doors in our home) came from Harry at River City Glass in Spokane.

My large glass pantry jars with the glass lids can be found at Target and Wal-Mart in many different sizes.

My small glass pantry jars with the white lids can be found at Wal-Mart. (Better Homes and Gardens canning jars). The plastic lids were purchased separately and are widely available at most grocery stores in the canning section.

My appliances are all Thermador, with the exception of the freezer column which is Bosch, and the microwave which is G.E.

The antique FOODS sign was purchased from Marketplace Antiques in Sandpoint, Idaho and was spotted for me by the amazing and wonderful MaryAnn Duarte, who has a space there and is also a vendor at The Farm Chicks Show.

The clock was a gift. (Source unknown).

The stools are from Pottery Barn.

The dining room table was built by Antico.

The dining room chairs are from Cost Plus World Market.

The dining room grasscloth bamboo wallpaper came from Wallflowers in Spokane. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the brand.

Our home was designed by Nancy McKennon.

Our builder was Craig Powell of Powell Custom Homes. (509) 994-2831 (He doesn’t have a website).

A note about my sources: I try and identify my sources as often as possible and love promoting other businesses. My policy is that if I love something or have had a good experience with a product or service, I try to promote it, when possible. Sometimes, I’m disappointed with a product or service and won’t provide that source. I understand that thousands of readers visit my blog every day and I realize that if I were to say something negative about a product or source, my opinion could have a negative impact on a business, and that’s not what I want. If I don’t list a source, it’s not because I’m stingy, I just choose to keep it positive here. Thank you for understanding.