Design Concept
The basics of a No Demo Kitchen Reno includes new cabinet paint, new hardware, and new countertops. You will not believe how these updates will change your space. Like any home project you need to start with an inspiration board. I love creamy whites, polished brass and clean lines. My style is greatly inspirited by Studio McGee, I love her traditional yet modern look.
In addition to an inspiration board, you must start with a budget. A kitchen renovation can be a large investment, unless you choose the No Demo route! You may have to forgo some dream visions, but your pocket will greatly benefit.
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Painted Cabinets
Painted Cabinets are the number one way to save money and immediately update your kitchen. I knew I wanted a creamy white color that was darker than the pure white countertops. Creamy white is warm, cozy feel and perfect for a painted look. I choose the perfect creamy white, Benjamin Moore Feather Down.
To help make my decision I purchased the Benjamin Moore Samplize sheets in Feather Down and Ballet White and tapped them up in my kitchen. I checked the colors multiple times throughout the day to see in various light tones. Benjamin Moore Feather Down read the perfect color for the lighting in my kitchen. This color turned out dreamy and brought my inspiration boards to life.
When having your cabinets painted it is very important to do your research and make sure you trust the professional. You need to ask about the process used and the type of paint. There must be a multi step process of cleaning, sanding, priming, caulking, taping off the space and spray painting. If you are local to the St. Louis area, we highly recommend Vinson Painting for cabinet painting.
Hardware
I love the timeless look of shiny brass. I spent a lot of time researching lacquered versus unlacquered brass. Unlacquered means there is not a final sealant on the brass, so it will tarnish over time. You can polish unlacquered brass to make it appear shiny again. Unlacquered has become increasingly popular and I do love the look. However, I ultimately decided to go with lacquered, polished brass for one primary reason. I believe I would constantly be polishing the hardware to turn back to the original state. This can be easily done, but it requires time. I like clean lines, I am a bit of a minimalist and at the end of the day I feel the lacquered polished look spoke to me more. And I could not be more happy with my hardware decisions!
I choose to mix and match pulls, cups and knobs and I love this look. All are in a polished lacquered brass. The knobs and cups are made by Alno Creations. They are absolutely gorgeous! Additionally I added a modern pull from CB2. CB2 has a lot of pull sizes and is a great source if you are using existing hardware holes.
When doing a No Demo Kitchen Reno you need to consider hardware options based on the current hardware sizes. You can save cost by choosing an option using the existing hardware holes. Many cabinet painters can fill holes and redrill appropriate sizing for the hardware you choose. I choose to do this for the panel dishwasher and for the new pull out cabinet trash can. I purchased the Rev-A-Shelf pull out trash can and had my cabinet painter fill the old and redrill the new appropriate width holes before painting.
Countertops and Backsplash
I went with a beautiful white Calacatta Quartz countertop. I knew I wanted quartz because it is very durable, stain resistant and low maintenance. With small children in the house, the stain resistance, durability and ease of cleaning were top priorities. Additionally I wanted a white countertop because I wanted to creamy cabinet color to read slightly darker than the white countertops.
In a No Demo Kitchen Reno, backsplash is a way to make a beautiful change to your kitchen. I decided to run the countertop up the back of the dry bar area for a sleek look. For the rest of the kitchen I choose to keep my previous backsplash. The stone matched my homey inspiration boards and looked amazing with the other finishes. It also was a great way to save money!
Fixtures
I decided on a modern faucet in polished brass to match the other hardware. Polished brass faucets are a little tricky to find. I’d recommend visiting a local store to see various brands brass color in person. Some read more bronze or matte. I was able to find the perfect match with a Signature faucet and purchased the matching disposal flange.
Appliances
I previously had an electric cooktop in my kitchen and knew I wanted to swap out for gas with this project. I decided to use the GE Cafe cooktop to match other Cafe Appliances in our kitchen. It not only looks beautiful, but I love cooking on my gas top and am very happy I made the switch!
For more home design and decor inspiration, check out the Home section of our blog here!
