Hi Friends! I’m Natalie Mason. I live in Charleston, SC and I am mom to Sterling 12 , Frances Moon 8 and our mini golden doodle Dolly.

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Kitchen Remodel + Dining Room Plans

Aug 7, 2015

Several of you asked to see pictures of our kitchen since we did some updates.  I realized I never showed all the full after pics.  I am so pleased with how it turned out.  I went into the updates thinking I wanted to replace our black granite counter tops as well.  I thought I wanted all white everything,  but once we painted the cabinets white, I really came to love the black counters.   I love dark/light contrast.  I still have plans to eventually replace the tile with hardwoods in the kitchen at some point. 

BEFORE

As I was writing this post, I realized I have no real before pictures of our kitchen. Why did I not photograph everything before all the work started???   Here is one picture I found to give you an idea.  This was after a row of cabinets was taken down that separated our kitchen from our dining room.  Removing the cabinets really opened everything up. 

 The cabinets were a funky dated wood color and the fridge was just floating.  

We had placed a random cabinet beside it for extra storage and a wine rack on top.  The space clearly needed some built-ins!  

Not pictured also is that we had recess lighting installed.  There was a square florescent light fixture before.

That is my little batman breaking it down.  We like to have kitchen dance parties.

AFTER

I love how bright and open the kitchen feels now. It is great for entertaining since it opens right into our dining room.  After knocking down the cabinet in the middle I was able to buy bar stools and use the counter tops as an island.

I love having one glass cabinet for some of my nicer glasses. The glass door and cabinet was re-purposed from the middle cabinets we ripped out.

 I always knew I wanted white subway tile with dark grout.  At the last minute I decided to have it laid in this herringbone pattern and love it.

In addition to painting the cabinets we also switched out the knobs for more modern pulls.

We had no pantry before, so the built-in has been amazing for storage purposes.  The other side houses a pull out trashcan and brooms.  Of course I needed a place to store all our wine too:)

The fridge was also a new purchase.  I can’t tell you how much I love having more fridge space and the snack drawer!

The view from our kitchen into our dining room that we are getting ready to re-do.  Next week we are taking down the bead board and putting up sheet rock and repainting.  Also the bar and cabinet in the far right corner will be ripped out.  The bar is so close to the kitchen and serves no real purpose.  I think it will really open up the room and make it seem larger.

KITCHEN INFO

Wall Color- Aloof Gray halved

Cabinet Color- Decorators White

Lucite Stools- One Kings Lane

Desk Chair– Lulu and Georgia

As I mentioned before I am working with Alex Kaehler on the design for the dining room.  She is a design genius and amazing to work with.  I am just thrilled with what she came up with for the space.  Below are two mood boards she created for me.

I measured the space and took photographs of everything and let her know pieces I wanted to work with and pieces I wanted to get rid.  I also sent her several inspiration pictures of dining rooms I loved.  Then she compiled two boards for me.  I could choose one or mix and match or say I dodn’t love either.  Honestly I liked both designs alot.  She nailed my taste and what I was looking for in the space. I changed a few things and came up with a final design plan below.

Here is the final board we came up.  I am so excited to start implimenting the design.  Once I finalized the design Alex sent a full source list with links for shopping to make things easier.  This way you can shop and update at your pace

Stay tuned because I will document everything as we go.

Thru the end of September Alex is offering 15% off her design services- just mention my blog if you contact her | molly@alexandrakaehler.com

I am so excited to see it all come together!

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  1. Annie Reeves says:

    I am obsessed with your kitchen and so jealous!! It's beautiful!

    Annie Reeves

  2. Who did you hire to repaint your cabinets?

  3. Jen says:

    Beautiful kitchen! I agree with you on keeping the countertops as they are. I love that it's a modern, trendy look but not cookie cutter. Love your taste in decor 🙂

  4. caycee says:

    Kitchen looks amaze!! It really is crazy how much it opened the space up!! And I can't wait to see your dining room when it's finished!!

  5. Monica T. says:

    I love what you did,so fresh and clean and livable!

  6. Corbin Page says:

    Looks great!! We are about to start a kitchen renovation so love the inspiration.

    Corbin
    Blue Door Living

  7. Renee says:

    I'd also like to know who did the painting on your cabinets and approximate cost. I'm dying to paint ours white, but we have SO many and I know I would screw it up if I attempted to do it myself. I think the counter and the floor look great and really all work together. So nice!

  8. melinda says:

    Looks great! I agree with new flooring in the kitchen. Looks like linoleum not tile so you can lay hardwood flooring right over the top. There is ceramic tile that looks like wood,which would be cost friendly as well .

  9. Such a gorgeous makeover! The built-ins around your fridge completely changed the space!

  10. The kitchen looks amazing! And I cannot wait to see what Alex comes up with for your space!! Will be so fabi!!

  11. Your kitchen look absolutely beautiful and we have had so so much fun working with you!!! Can't wait to see the final product.

  12. Tobe | BIA says:

    Alex is a genius and you have great taste, so I know this is going to be goooo-od! The kitchen looks fabulous!

  13. Natalie! I love your kitchen so much! It is so modern and bright. So exciting to see the rest of your updates.

  14. Meg Noe says:

    Wow your kitchen looks awesome…and so much bigger!!! I love the built-ins around the fridge, looks really sleek and modern. I'm excited for your dining room!! Love Alex and her designs!

  15. Love when you do home design posts! Currently, home design is my obsession. 🙂 Your kitchen looks super. Those few changes you made had a great impact. Love the built-in for your wine collection. E-design is such a cool concept. I like that you have the link to sources at your disposal, but can go at your own pace.

  16. Taylor says:

    the kitchen looks incredible natalie!!! and I know with you and alex the dining room will too!

    http://itsthelittlethingsblog.blogspot.com

  17. Dana Jones says:

    That kitchen looks amazing! I just redid my kitchen and Mr. Cabinet Care did a great job. I love my new kitchen

  18. This really is a great looking kitchen. My wife has been looking for some additional inspiration to ensure that we are able to get the best looking kitchen in our minds. Something that really stood out was that you showed how the cabinets were able to be doubled with glass to show some of the more important pieces. Hopefully this will be inspiration for others who are looking for these kind of remodeling options. Thank you for sharing. http://www.sierraremodeling.com/cabinets-bathroom-kitchen-remodeling-cochise-county-az/

  19. I'm laughing at the before picture. Why is it that we don't realize our lack of pictures until we need them? LOL. I love the cabinets' change of colors, the light color really works here and looks really luxurious. Also, I am kind of obsessed with those clear chairs and stools! I have never seen any like this, really unique!

    Lynn Williamson @ DAL Builders

  20. Thank you for posting these pictures. My wife and I are about to remodel and she wants an all-white kitchen. The contrast with the counters really makes a difference. She said it gives depth and distinction. Our counters are currently green, but we will be changing them to black. I hope ours comes out as well as yours did.

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