Bettijo’s New Kitchen Inspiration

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t have a dream kitchen board on Pinterest, so I figured you could relate to the years of anticipation and giddy-as-a-child-on-Christmas-morning feeling I’ve got going on as we’re remodeling my kitchen now. We actually tore into the kitchen back in July. We are doing all the work ourselves, and it’s really put our DIY skills to the test. I’ve been posting glimpses on Instagram (check out the tag #SeventiesKitchenRehab), but today I wanted to share my inspiration board for the kitchen remodel.

Love the bright pops of colors in this clean and modern kitchen inspiration via @PagingSupermom
1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10

It’s going to be so light and airy — a HUGE contrast to what it was when I moved into my house six years ago, see below. Clearly the kitchen needed to be gutted. It was a Seventies time warp and not the fun, dance party kind.

Bettijo's Seventies Kitchen Really Needed a Remodel #SeventiesKitchenRehab

Yikes! Right? Literally the day we got the keys to the house we ripped out that silly upper cabinet over the peninsula that was chopping the room in half. We also tore into that wallpaper; although, it took much more than a day to remove. In a few months we were living with this…

Bettijo's Seventies Kitchen Really Needed a Remodel #SeventiesKitchenRehab

An improvement, but I was definitely dreaming of something brighter and whiter. I wasn’t sure when we’d finally be able to tackle such a big project, but I’ve been planning and saving and things finally all came together this year. To say that I’m excited is a total understatement.

Now to my kitchen picks…

(1) SINK & FAUCET. I’ve been smitten with classic, white farmhouse sinks since I don’t know when. I did quite a bit of research online into the best material and finishes for farmhouse sinks (also called apron-front sinks), and because I was STILL confused about which material was best, I went to the experts at Kohler, the company that practically invented apron-front sinks in America. I’m planning to share all that insight with you in a couple weeks (read it here). Kohler also just released this gorgeous Artifacts faucet — my dream pick is a classic bridge faucets, but I just couldn’t give up the convenience of a one-handled faucet. Luckily this Artifacts one has the same feel but with the single-handle practicality.

(2) BOLD LIGHTING. I’m sticking with a palette of white, gray and stainless steel for almost everything in the kitchen, but I want a few pops of this bright, lemon yellow to liven things up. I loved the idea of these industrial-looking, yellow barn lights for the kitchen. We ended up finding some different wall sconces at a local antique store, but they have the same industrial feel, and once I spray paint them yellow I think they’ll be fabulous.

(3) WHITE, SHAKER-STYLE CABINETS. I can sometimes be indecisive, but I knew from the beginning that I must have white cabinets. It’s not just the fact that I adore white, but also the layout of our kitchen tends to feel small, and I knew the white cabinets would really open things up. I was so excited that Kraftmaid agreed to partner with us on my kitchen project. After doing considerable research, Kraftmaid really was my first choice. I picked a square, recessed-panel door style called Hayward in Dove White. I’ve already been living with the cabinets for about a month as we’ve been tiling, etc. I honestly love them — I am so impressed with the quality. When it comes to white cabinets, I was obviously nervous about the upkeep, but the Dove White finish is so hard, durable and easy to clean. We got a little spray paint on a door just today, (There was some paint on my husband’s fingertips and he didn’t realize it was still tacky) and it wiped right off with a rag and water… phew!

(4) SIMPLE SILVER HARDWARE. The Hayward door style is what is called full overlay, which means there isn’t space between the drawers and doors. This design gives the cabinets a nice, modern look, but you need to install hardware in order to easily open up the doors and drawers. We chose these Amerock Allison knobs for the upper cabinets, and used these simple, Liberty Straight Line pulls for most of the lower drawers.

(5) MILK GLASS SOAP PUMP. This soap dispenser reminds me of vintage milk bottles, and I knew it was the perfect container for my dish soap. It’s such a nice piece and a total steal — just $9 at IKEA!

(6) WINDOW SEAT PILLOWS. We added a built-in window seat where our old dining nook used to be, and it’s quickly becoming my favorite spot in the new kitchen! Not sure why I love it so much… maybe it’s because the kids sit there and read, friends can be comfy as they chat with me while I’m cooking, or maybe it’s because I get to pick out really fun throw pillows like this mod Aqua Circle or Bright H pillows both from The Land of Nod. They have the best curated collection of fun and unique throw pillows… I always check their website first.

(7) TRACTOR STOOLS. I love tractor stools. We are making our own out of some antique tractor seats I had, and they’re going to be yellow!

(8) MARBLE COUNTERTOPS. I’ve been dreaming of Carrara marble countertops… right up until I heard that they stain, etch and are otherwise super hard to maintain. Ultimately I decided to go with manufactured quartz because it’s effortless, and I found a pattern that looked pretty darn close to Carrara marble. Now that they’re in, I’ve had a few friends ask if they’re marble, so if you love marble too, you’ll be pleased to know that Lagoon quartz is a good marble substitute for kitchen countertops.

(9) GLASS TILE BACKSPLASH. We’re using this gorgeous glass tile from Jeffrey Court’s Home Depot collection. I first picked this Coastal Skies tile pattern because I have this pesky beige window in the middle of my all-white kitchen, and I needed to tie it in somehow. I wanted to replace the window, and had a guy out for an estimate, but he told me the existing window was energy efficient (there goes that excuse!) and a new, white window would be $800. Painting seemed like a bad idea so I had to say goodbye to my white subway tile backsplash. In the end though, I’m so glad because this tile is SO gorgeous. The sample tile sheet I bought looked nice, but when I got it up on the wall I was blown away by how amazing it looks. Sure it’s more busy than a simple, white tile backsplash, but it’s also a thousand times easier to keep clean (since I get to have beige grout to match the window — SCORE!). Also It really added a layer of dimension that totally makes the room sing. You guys, I didn’t realize how much a backsplash can make a space.

(10) COLORFUL DISH TOWELS. I believe in adding color where it’s easy to change and that certainly means I need some bright kitchen towels. I’m picky though… while I want things to be pretty, I can’t stand a kitchen towel that doesn’t soak up water. Indigo Traders sent me cotton dish towels to try, and they are PERFECT! The colors are bright and they soak wonderfully.

So there is my plan for a bright and cheerful, urban farmhouse kitchen. Above is the photo I posted on Instagram a few weeks ago of how the kitchen is shaping up… a nice clean slate just waiting to be decked out!

Our friends from Classy Clutter are going to help us photograph the final space, hopefully next week. I can’t wait to share more. Be sure to follow us @PagingSupermom so you won’t miss a thing.

UPDATE: It’s posted… go see the kitchen reveal!

This post contains affiliate links and several of the brands contributed product or discounts to our #SeventiesKitchenRehab project. We freely chose only our favorite products and no company had any influence over our opinions.

Bettijo Bridges

Administrator at Paging Supermom
Bettijo is the founder and designer of Paging Supermom where she shares creative ideas for family fun. Known for practical and kid-friendly activities, free printables and holiday entertainment. Bettijo was a guest on the Martha Stewart Show and has frequently appeared on local TV. Her work has also been featured in national magazines including Real Simple, O, Redbook, Parents, Family Circle, and Health. She enjoys art, retro-modern design, photography and making new things. Mom of 4 kids.

2 thoughts on “Bettijo’s New Kitchen Inspiration”

  1. Thanks for the interesting article! I really like the stylish designs of the kitchen and the interior of the house! I really liked these windws and doors https://thwindowsdoors.com/ ! Recently I was renovating my house and asked this service to make new windows and doors for me! they made the doors and windows on time and very nice and high quality!

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  2. You know, I fully comprehend what you mean because I also like to change and repair some parts of the house. Anyway, repair and renovation projects often aim to improve functionality and comfort, as well as organize kitchen drawers to simplify everyday tasks. Have you found any specific tips or tricks during your kitchen renovation that have greatly facilitated your home routine? For example, one day I decided to get acquainted with some services from here https://APPLIANCE-REPAIR-CHARLOTTE.COM/SERVICES/WASHERS-REPAIRS/ and I absolutely needed it. In general, I think it is reasonable to use something like that.

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