That's sooo nice!

I didn't see the befores, but the after looks great!

What a great space - lots of counter space - open and airy. Love the butcher block.

Almost forgot...a before picture

Thanks guys! :) :) :)

It's beautiful! It really made a huge difference. I like the fact that is it updated but not trendy.

Thank You! I should note that the before picture was a listing picture - We also updated light fixture and paint, and added an over the range microwave before these last updates. I THOUGHT I wanted granite, but honesty this is a much better fit for us - not just financially, but with the style of the house. The scalloped trim above the window kind of fits now, where I really disliked it before. Plus we could do a lot of the work ourselves which is something I enjoy.

The butcher block really warms it up. Looks like the new microwave give you lots more counter top space and I love the look of your little lamp. Well done!

It looks great. Where did you get the butcher block? It is just the right look for your kitchen. I like my granite, but in my next kitchen, I'm going with something easier and cheaper, but I still want an undermount sink. I hope you report back in a year or so and tell how your counters are doing, especially around the sink and next to the stove.

Oh my gosh Joanie, It is so lovely. I like the scalloped edge over the window. It makes for a different look in a very nice way.

I think that some of the loveliest kitchens are updated ones as opposed to totally renovated. My DD painted her pretty cupboards white and it brightened her whole space. I am really hoping she will agree to butcher block for her counters. I wanted to buy them for her but my DSIL put a tiled counter on for her about 5 years ago and he wants them to stay. He did a great job but I do think bb would be more practical.

Thank you all! You can't see it but I am smiling :) We don't live near an Ikea, so we had to go with the only butcher block available locally which was birch counters from Menards. I had originally wanted a darker counter like some that I saw in a blog. However, the birch is so tightly grained that it wasn't accepting the stain on my practice piece evenly. I didn't want it blotchy so we just Waterloxed it. Waterlox is the key to having butcher block sealed and finished, yet not shiny like a restaurant table - yet food safe. Had to order it online but it was worth it. I did so much research on countertop finishes that my head was swimming. I learned a lot.

I love it, I am glad you kept the scalloped valance.

Is Menards a lumberyard?

Thank you again. Menards is like a Lowe's. It is a big box home-improvement store. We have a Lowe's also, but they do not carry butcher block counters.

It's absolutely lovely! Very, very pretty! I remember your conundrum with the faucet and sink.
We just replaced a faucet and my DH couldn't loosen the corroded screws, so predicted that the sink needed to be replaced, which would mean that the counter needed to be replaced, which meant that the sink cabinet needed to be replaced ....all while we had no water in the kitchen.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, now that I see your counters, he somehow drilled the screws out ,and we only ended up with the new faucet.

Yeah it was rough for a while. I ordered a sink from Overstock and it was one inch deeper than the old one. That meant that our plumbing didn't line up. So my son, the one that had so much fun tearing out the faucet and sink for us, was not able to put it all back together. After multiple trips to the hardware store for different plumbing pieces, we got it to work correctly. I ended up needing to use the bathroom sink for cleaning dishes for about a month. So I'm REALLY happy to have this finished.

I love it, Joanie! The subway tile works great with your white cabs and so does the new hardware you've used. Love the sink and faucet, too. I think the style of the faucet works really well with everything else now. To me, your new kitchen seems to have taken on a wonderful, cozy cottage or country look . . . which I love . . . along with white kitchens. And that scalloped edge over the window makes it even more special. It's not a cutesy or kitschy kitchen, just fresh and very pretty. Nice job!
Lynn

I love it! It's gorgeous! I almost didn't open the thread because I thought "oh, no another kitchen with granite and SS appliances" that looks like every other kitchen redo that posts.
Yours is wonderful. White appliances look so clean and the butcher block makes it look so warm. Dark knobs just set it all off. Great job!!!

I agree. Your kitchen has a special charm because it is being allowed to age nicely. Whoop, that doesn't sound as wonderful as I mean it to. Aging has become such a pejorative, but it is a means of developing a different, special depth, a history, an additional dimension that new simply can't provide. In any case, I like what you've done a lot.

Thank you!~ Thank you!~ Thank you!~

I LOVE your kitchen!! Understated & so tasteful & timeless. We are considering new countertops & I love the look of the wood....great job Joanie!!

Very charming. I love that it's not like every other recently updated kitchen. The butcher block and scalloped window trim are just right!

Just wonderful! Love the butcher block countertop! You must be absolutely thrilled.

Wow! Thanks again guys!

There's a key element in both the before and after picture - your great kitchen-aid mixer. Just wanted to point out that your before kitchen wasn't so bad, because I'm sure you were using that regularly too :) .... actually, I thought the before looked quite nice, which is always a sign that the new kitchen will really be something special. Congrats, especially love your butcher block!

What I love about your kitchen is that it has a timeless look. The choice of butcher block was spot on, it's what give the room warmth. You must have a cheery smile every morning when you walk in to it. Nothing like a successful redo to give us such satisfaction. Well done!!!

I love it, too! Butcher block is my dream, and your tiles are clean and timeless looking. Bravo!

Nice job

Beautiful counters and the subway tile looks very nice with your white cabinets!

Very pretty, indeed! ENJOY!

Now I remember the faucet challenge, it all turned out so lovely !!!

Lovely job!!

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughtful comments!

Oh! That is just lovely! Really, really nicely done. I agree with what the others have said that the countertop was the perfect choice.

I'll hopefully be starting two (gulp) kichen renos in a few months, and your kitchen has given me inspiration.

Franksmom, I am so glad to hear that. Good luck with your renovations. I cannot imagine redoing 2 kitchens. Make sure you keep us all posted on your progress.

Love the butcher block counters - kudos to you for not doing granite. Very homey looking kitchen that I wouldn't mind hanging out in. I will be replacing my countertops in the future and I have always had a soft spot for butcher block - you can't ruin it - just sand and restain! And, bonus, it's not COLD to touch.

Your kitchen look great...I'm sure you will enjoy!

It all looks great-
I especially love the butcher block, and the lamp is just right sitting there!

Great counters!

I love it. So bright and cheery.

Did you put in the counter tops or did you hire someone?

I love it! It looks so fresh and an enjoyable space to cook in.

Thank you again. We removed the old counters, sink, and faucet and purchased the counters and hauled them home. I did the research on how I wanted them installed and how I wanted the undermount sink cut and installed. A carpenter friend cut the counters and attached them and cut out the sink hole. We are paying this friend for his work. Then we did the plumbing and faucet install and the backsplash. We also sanded and finished the counters with Waterlox.
It is different using wood for my counters. I'm totally not used to it yet but I DO like it and I think it is a good fit for my kitchen. I would do it again, just in a more planned way. Doing it under the duress of a suddenly broken faucet was not the way to go.

Your kitchen is warm and beautiful. I love its vintage qualities, and the countertops are wonderful as others have commented. I would be so happy to be in your space as a guest. Great job!

One more question, if you don't mind? How did the cost of DIY butcherblock compare to formica? All of my planned renovations will be on a low, low budget, and they'll be lots of DIY projects. I can finish wood, and at least one of the kitchens could use butcherblock, so I wonder if it's more budget friendly than a laminate?

You know, we didn't price laminate because I was removing it, and had ALWAYS had it everywhere I ever lived. I wanted something different. I can tell you that our best granite quote was $5,000, and solid surface from Lowe's would have been a little over $2,000. We wanted an undermount sink and I didn't like how they looked with the laminate displays at Lowes, plus I really didn't want laminate at this time. However, with laminate you can purchase it, install it and you're done. With butcher block, you have to put on multiple coats of your finish. Allowing drying time and completing each coat is time consuming. We were able to purchase our butcher block for right around $600. Ikea sells great butcher block as well however, it would have cost an additional $350 to have it shipped to our home and I would have had to buy it sight unseen, something I wasn't comfortable with.
Another low cost option to consider could be concrete. I have a friend who installed it in her brand new home and it is lovely. I saw a blog at one time of someone doing their own concrete counters right over their laminate and it really turned out nice. It was very low cost. You also could always do a countertop treatment of some sort or install sheets of laminate over your current counter. These options weren't a possibility for us because our sink hole had been cut out by our previous owner way too big, and we had some water damage from our leaky faucet. We had to completely replace our counters.
A friend of ours that just completely renovated their kitchen installed tile counters. They are beautiful, I just wouldn't have wanted to deal with the grout. I will look for the concrete counter blog and post it if I can find it.

I just found a blog that instructs how to pour concrete counters over something existing. They make it seem pretty easy.
http://www.remodelaholic.com/2011/08/quick-install-of-concrete-countertops-kitchen-remodel/

Hm, they make it sound too easy. I can already envision what might happen if my DH starts pouring concrete in the kitchen....

Thanks!

Unfortunately/fortunately, there isn't any counter at all, or any cabinet under it, so we'll mostly be starting from scratch. The good news is that we can pick whatever we want, and we don't have to haul anything away. The bad news is that we're starting from scratch...

You have a very cozy and charming kitchen! The subway tile and butcher block countertops look really nice in the space. I know you are loving it!

It really turned out great! I remember the sink/faucet saga, and I love the butcherblock. The mixer and lamp really add charm to the space, too.

I think at one point our kitchen had the scalloped valance and I really wish we still had it.