Dexter Kitchen Renovation Part 2: the Reveal
THE DEXTER HOUSE This is part 2 of a series on the Dexter House kitchen renovation. Part 1 (the Renovation Process) can be found here.
After months of hard work, it's finally time to share the renovated Dexter House kitchen with you. And let me just say that no one is more excited about the finished space than me! I love this kitchen - it is simple, elegant, efficient, and totally approachable. And best of all, it's 100% done! Well 95%, but who's counting...
I already told you guys about the renovation process in part 1, so lets get down to the main attraction. The 'after' photos of the Dexter kitchen...
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel north
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel south
Early in the design process, I decided to go with a 'decidedly-not-white' approach for this space, opting instead for a tuxedo plan that called for black lower cabinets. The look is quite a bit different then our previous all-white kitchens (like the kitchens at the Ravenna and Bryant houses), but one that we really like. In fact, this is both Garrett and my favorite kitchen renovation to date.
It took us a good 5 months to complete this room in tandem with the rest of the Dexter House renovation. We did all of the work ourselves with some help from family and friends. And by 'family' I mean mostly Papa, my father-in-law, and by 'some' I mean all of his nights and all of his weekends for the better part of half a year. I know, you're wondering where to get yourself a Papa right about now...what can I say, you've got to marry in ;)
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel open shelves
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen AfterThe Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen After Sink Big
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Renovation Details Collage 2
There's a lot that I love about this kitchen. I love the warmth of the wood, the sleekness of the stove, and vintage-feel of the sink. I love that we can fit two adults plus a sweet baby and a toddler nicknamed "the tornado" in here and still manage to cook dinner. I love that the kitchen is open enough to the dining room that you can sit and have a conversation with the chef (aka Garrett) but it's not open so much that it feels like your whole house is a mess if there's a bowl left out on the counter. There's also something not too precious about this space (as opposed to the Ravenna kitchen, which always felt a bit on the precious side), like you could render a duck in here and that'd be cool. But what I love the most is that the kitchen feels cohesive with the rest of our 1905 Spanish-style house, which was my number one goal.
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel All
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Renovation Shelf Details Collage
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel mudroom
At the end of every renovation, I like to take a look at the before and afters. It really puts into perspective just how much work we've done. So without further ado, here's a look back to the Dexter House in May 2015 compared with how it looks today.
The Grit and Polish - Before and After Collage East
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Before and After South
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Before and After North Wall
Back in June, I wrote this description of what I wanted this kitchen renovation to turn out like:
"...I’m going for something a bit more cozy and rustic and old world. A space that may look a bit more chaotic, but always feels like the heart of our family. Basically I want the Dexter kitchen to feel like the kitchen of a 50-year-old Italian/Spanish/French mother of six, where you roll out biscuits right on the countertop, stir boiling pots of homemade marinara with your kids (your great grandmother’s recipe, obviously), and wear a cotton apron all day long. Or perhaps an efficient, newer version of that. Do you feel me?"
I summed it up as a "warm European feel" in August. And while I think we achieved that generally, along the way, we also drifted off the mark a bit (like painting the lowers in high-gloss and installing an pro-style range). But ultimately, we ended up with what we wanted. Something efficient, welcoming, and 'decidedly not-white'. And most importantly, we ended up with a kitchen that we love!
The Grit and Polish - Dexter Kitchen Remodel W and Mama
And in case you're wondering why I said we're only 95% done, well there's still some paint touchup and caulking left to do. But if you didn't notice, I'm not going to point it out! ;)
Here's a recap of all the Dexter kitchen posts... Campaign hardware | Butcher Block Countertops | Tuxedo Kitchen Progress | Cement Tile Backsplash | Tuxedo kitchen plan | Drywall and Cabinets | Rough In | Dexter Kitchen Plan | Framing and Final Demo | and all about the Mudroom
Next up is the budget and resources for this renovation. But in the meantime, lay it on me. What do you guys think about our tuxedo kitchen renovation? I'd love to hear it...the good, the bad, and the I-would-never-ever-EVER-do-that!
xoxo
-Cathy
p.s. I've been pretty obsessed with "I'll Have What Phil's Having" lately. Not that obsession is a bad thing. Have you seen it? In another life, I think I might have married Phil and weighed 300 pounds and laughed so hard every day that I had a wrinkly face and killer abs. ps It's on Netflix!
p.p.s. Need a home tour fix? Here's another great Amber Interiors project, and check out how these newlyweds redid Grandpa's Hollywood home. And for something a little more sophisticated, check out this Brooklyn townhouse!
p.p.p.s. Planet 9. The never seen, newly discovered planet in our solar system. And shucks, they want to name it after one of my favorite nephews! ;)
p.p.p.p.s. I'm going on 30 days of clean eating and I'm loving it! Actually the whole family has been loving it...our 2-year-old included! Have any meal suggestions or tips for sticking with it? I've got a small collection on Pinterest but would love more recipies!