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Nuccia's kitchen is DONE! See my pictures!!!

nuccia
16 years ago

I can't believe my kitchen is finally done! We moved into our new home late September, and finally finished installing the range & hood backsplash in January.

I designed the basic layout of the kitchen over 2 years ago and gave it to our architect so he could design the rest of the house around it. As we all like to cook in my family, the kitchen needed to be able to function well for multiple cooks. It needed to be separate from the rest of the house, but also be a part of it. My goals for the kitchen design were: symmetry, strong focal points, long views, simple rectilinear lines, modern yet timeless, negative/positive space, bold but classic colors.

A HUGE thank you to GW members. From you, I learned about many really wonderful things including: BlueStar range, soapstone, runnels, quartzite, LED lighting, plugmold. Other features that GWers convinced me would be a good thing include a warming drawer and a potfiller. My only regret is that I hadn't found you guys sooner. I will reciprocate as much as I can--you guys are the best!

Here are most of the specs:

-Natural maple shaker style perimeter cabinetry with soapstone countertops.

-Black stained island with White America quartzite countertop.

-Brazilian cherry floors.

-Runnel drainboard in soapstone at left of sink.

-Elkay D bowl stainless sink.

-Grohe K4 stainless faucets.

-Danze stainless potfiller faucet.

-Blanco soap dispensers

-Glass House mosaic navy and stainless tile.

-Kichler pendant lights.

-Glass front lighted upper cabinets.

-Best by Broan 1200 cfm 48" range hood.

-BlueStar 36" gas range.

-Bosch dishwasher.

-Electrolux Icon all-refrigerator and all-freezer.

-Monogram convection oven.

-Monogram warming drawer.

-GE Profile convection/microwave oven.

-Great Room side of peninsulas feature glass display upper cabinet (lighted) and china storage lower cabinet

-Undercabinet low voltage, soft white LED strip lights.

-Stainless plugmold.

-Outside wood fired brick pizza oven.

Kitchen from Great Room

Navy glass and stainless mosaic tile backsplash

Kitchen toward Breakfast Room

Breakfast Room from kitchen island

Kitchen toward porch

Kitchen from Breakfast Room

Kitchen toward Great Room

Kitchen -Baking Center

Undercabinet soft-white LED strip lighting, stainless plugmold

Who Wants Pizza?

Comments (58)

  • cleo07
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It looks beautiful and functional too! I love the pizza oven too. I just showed it to my husband for when I do my patio. Love the tile, soapstone and layout.

  • cat_mom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    AWESOME job! Love the splash, all that lovely storage you have (I'm jealous!), and that pizza oven--wow!

  • rgillman
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I LOVE your gorgeous kitchen, Nuccia. I'm fighting with the electrician now about stainless plugmold (or rather, anodized aluminum). He put ivory at the end of the island and it is so ugly - he refused to get aluminum for me and I am having to buy it myself somewhere (try finding it!!) and have him replace the ugly stuff at the ends of the island. GRRRRRR.

    Your soapstone looks great and the tile behind the range is gorgeous - what is that tile? I am having the worst time finding tile that will work with the soapstone.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    raynag: I had to fight over the plugmold as well. I called the manufacturer after getting the runaround from electricians and the electrical supply house.Last year, stainless became a "standard" color, so it should theoretically be easily available. In reality, last summer,no one was stocking it, so it had to be ordered from the factory, but then it shipped quickly because it had just become a stock item.

    I actually bought the tile behind the range hood from Costco.com. It is a mosaic blend of navy shiny and matte glass tiles and accented with stainless. It is definitely a focal point, and I will not use it for the backsplashes.

    Check out sharon_s and alku05's backsplashes at the searching for white granite posting

    Here is a link that might be useful: Searching for White Granite

  • judydel
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nuccia,

    Beautiful kitchen! I love the way it flows into your other rooms also.

    Can you tell me more about your island countertop? I googled white america quartzite and didn't see anything like your countertop. Yours looks like marble in the photos. Just beautiful.

  • kitchenkelly
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your kitchen is fabulous!!!!!

    One thing that drives me crazy is when people on this forum try to talk people out of small tiles for the backsplash because it is too busy. Well, you have proved them all wrong. That is one of the best backsplashes I have ever seen! Those accents are perfect. You have wonderful taste.

    Gotta go. Need to stare at the pics some more.

    Congrats!

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Matching the tile and the paint color is a stroke of genius...makes it all feel very modern but still colorful. The navy is just lovely. I thought I loved cobalt in the kitchen, but now...I think I've completely converted to navy.

    And that's just the most obvious - your careful space planning has give you a perfect layout, you clearly have cabinet space for days, the finishes are practical...

    You must be so proud!!! It's really the perfect kitchen.

    Deb

  • mrs_tlc
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nuccia, Thank you so much. We are just getting ready to finish our backsplash and I went outside and grabbed DH to bring him in and show him that. We had been trying to figure how to lay out the granite dots around the outlets and now.....problem solved! He is such a sweetie, he is going to HD today to check out the plug strips. We can hardwire them because he ran extra wire when he put in the undercabinet lighting. I love my man... :)

  • amcofar
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Your kitchen reminds me of a famous painting, which brings to mind a beloved song. Although I am not a poet, I was inspired to express my thoughts in verse (my sincere apologies to Don Mclean).

    Starry, starry night
    Paint your palette blue and soapstone grey
    Swirling clouds in sapphire haze
    Colors changing hue

    Cobalt tiles splashed with twinkling stainless stars--
    An incredible canvas just like art.
    Warming fields of maple grain
    Quartzite surfaced-island with ebony stain
    Grounded beneath the richness of crimson terrain.

    Now I think I knowÂ
    What an artful space says to me;
    And how you planned your grand and ultimate dream--
    And how your design evolved brilliantly.
    All Garden Webbers are now viewing; and theyÂll be viewing ÂtillÂ
    Perhaps they always will.

    Nuccia, I know you and your family will enjoy your magnificent kitchen and that amazing outdoor oven. Thanks so much for sharing. (I told you I am not a poet, but I love your kitchen!)

  • hollylh
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW!!!

    Great job all around! you do have fabulous taste--everything works together so well, even/especially the unexpected touches--

    I think your layout is perfect. Would you mind posting it? There is no way I can achieve it in this house but I'd like to save it for the future! Thanks, and again congrats!

    Holly

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    judydel, search the kitchen forum for "white granite" and "quartzite," also follow the link above your posting (searching for white granite).

    mrs tlc: Home Depot has a VERY limited selection. It comes in several lengths and finishes. You will probably have to order it through an electrical supply place, but don't let them tell you it only comes in 3 ft lengths in beige and black!

  • sharon_s
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nuccia,

    Your kitchen and home are beautiful! May you have many joys there!

    Sharon

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    amcofar, What a beautiful poem! I'm actually tongue-tied--no one ever wrote me a poem before!

    I'm going to frame it and hang it in my kitchen. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

  • boxiebabe
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LOVE IT! WOW!
    Your backsplash reminds me of starry nights :)
    Love the black island and the pendants are PERFECT!

    GOOD JOB! You deserve a high 5 for that!

    Boxie

  • nanapeg
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nuccia...
    WOW!!! What a beautiful job of planning and execution. Our addition is almost complete and they begin demo of the old kitchen in just a week or two. Here's hoping that my kitchen turns out half as sharp as yours! We have many similar elements so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your undercounter lights and plug mold. I'm doing dark soapstone counters (M. Tex Python) and have been worried about what lights to choose that won't create a glare when the counters are oiled. Would you mind sharing the manufacturer and point of purchase???
    THANKS for being such an inspiration. Enjoy that pizza!

  • pecanpie
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, I would love pizza- thank you!

    Aren't you just the cutest thing? Congrats on your labor of love. May you make many fond memories in your gorgeous kitchen and at your family table.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "Yes, I would love pizza- thank you! Aren't you just the cutest thing?"

    Actually, that's my daughter (an opera singer in NYC) in the picture. It's been a long time since I looked like that!

  • chefkev
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow - It's gorgeous! Wish I could have hired you for my project as a "Good Taste" consultant.

  • louisianapurchase
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Brilliant!! Love the natural light in your kitchen as well as everything else mentioned here!!

  • cooperbailey
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love your kitchen. The tile backsplash is simply wonderful. And the pizza oven is a wow factor too. And now I want pizza for lunch.
    Sue

  • rhome410
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the layout and how your kitchen relates to your other rooms, and your island is fantastic! You're also making me wish I'd spent the money for the trim kits for our Electrolux units...

  • malhgold
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the way the kitchen looks and how it flows with the rest of the house. Great job!! An appliance salesman receommend the Best by Broan rangehood. How is it working out for you? Is it very noisy? Did you consider any other brand? Thanks

  • raehelen
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm speechless!

    Well, not really... cuz I have to tell you that I love your kitchen/breakfast room/ great room!

    Often, natural maple cabinets leave me cold, just not enough colour in them, but yours look wonderful- must be that blue is a complementary colour to the yellow in the maple. Just shows how important the right colour really is!

    I have a question, I notice (or it appears) that the white molding in your great room matches the maple crown in your kitchen- does it? My real question is what did you do in the breakfast room? White or maple crown molding?

    Also have to say, your use of cabinets over the door opening into the BR is inspired! I'm assuming you have 9 foot tall ceilings?

  • pdxgal
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love it! Your hood and backsplash are a great focal point. Everything flows and looks so good together. This is my favorite part about this website, is seeing everyone's finished kitchens. They always turn out so nice. Beautiful!

  • pdxgal
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, and I would love some pizza. Looks delicious, yum!

  • igloochic
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You've done a great job (as you can tell from all the praise) but I have one problem with the kitchen....

    I have refridgerator envy! :oP

    I'm going to go water my 36" sz and see if it will grow...

  • amck2
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm on way out, but just had to chime in and tell you how much I love your kitchen! You have every right to be proud and pleased with what you've created!

  • miaolinwei
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    beautiful kitchen and a big nice pizza. Congratz

  • bellsrus
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Could you tell me what brand your pizza oven is? We have been looking into outdoor pizza ovens and are seriously considering putting one in our patio/pool area.

    Patti

  • alku05
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nuccia, well done! I really love the way you used coordinating paint to set off the tile behind the range. The tile is awesome as the accent, but if you had used it everywhere it would have been too much. Good eye!

  • bluekitobsessed
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A thoroughly excellent kitchen -- backsplash and wall color especially. "There are only two colors in the world, blue and not-blue. Blue is superior to not-blue." A wonderful combination of modern and classic, functional and gorgeous, blue and not-blue. Enjoy!

  • debo_2006
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice job. You did an incredible job of incorporating that gorgeous blue into the kitchen in such a way that you won't tire from it. Well done.

    I'll have a piece with mushrooms, please.

  • jerseygirl_1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OMG that is just gorgeous. The blue tile BS is stricking.

  • thankurnmo
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not sure what I can add but I have to tell you, you got it right!!!
    ENJOY!!

  • mommycooks
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a gorgeous, thoughtful space! You have such fabulous flow from room to room, and the views of each from each are terrific.

    Yes, can I have pizza too? (teehee). And (slightly OT) where did you get the peel your dd is using?

    My favorite bits are the pendants and the cookbook storage. I love the color splashes you have everywhere!

    Nicely done, and thanks so much for sharing your beautiful space!

  • redroze
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous! Love the quartzite countertops.

    Just curious why you decided to go with Blanco soap dispensers? Anything particularly special about them?

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gosh guys, I'm on such a high right now! Thank you so much for the kind words.

    I'll try to answer some of your questions now

    hollylh: I'll post the kitchen layout after I get a chance to look for it.

    nanapeg: I sent you info on the undercounter led lights in response to your email. Did you get it? If anyone else needs specifics, I can post it also.

    malhgold: My Best by Broan rangehood has been working well. I looked at most of the major brands, but I got an incredible deal on this unit and did not really look further. I listened to a lot of units for noise level, but there is no real way of making a good comparison because so many factors enter into the equation. A remote blower would move a lot of the noise away from the kitchen, but the outside component is huge and would have looked terrible in our location. For what it's worth, all the large (over 600cfm) fans I've heard are noisy. That said, my 1200cfm Best is still much more quiet than the Kenmore recirculating hood over the range in the house we rented while building,

    raehelen: The crown molding in the great room, breakfast room, and the rest of the first floor is 7 1/2" in a modified cove painted white. The kitchen molding is the same maple as the cabinetry, but about 5" , and a cove design. The cabinet guys blended their crown around the white crown. Yes, the ceilings are 9 feet tall. Bringing the cabinets to the ceiling changes the visual proportions of the room and provides a more intimate feeling.

    bellsrus: The mason used the 36 inch pizza oven from Superior Clay in Pennsylvania. It's an igloo shape, as are all the other Italian style wood burning ovens. Mugnaini makes a wonderful oven, but it is more expensive and needs to be shipped from Italy via California. Check out their website though, and request their DVD. Also, 36" is really a minimum size because your pizza cooks next to the fire.

    I hope I answered all your questions so far.

  • imrainey
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lovely! And it looks like you have a ton of storage space there. Lucky girl!

    Don't you LOVE having a baking area with lower counters. Mine has saved me soooo much back pain and made baking fun again.

  • bellsrus
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Nuccia, for the info on the pizza oven!

    I just realized that I was so focused on the pizza oven that I forgot to tell you how much I LOVE your kitchen! It's just beautiful! :-D

    Patti

  • friedajune
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I really am a fan of symmetry (to the point of making myself and others crazy). I just love how you've done your kitchen. Wow!

    Also, I really like your crown molding. It's a detail often overlooked, or "thrown in" with the cabinetry. Yours perfectly balances the cabinetry, and is the cherry on the sundae.

  • yoyoma
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is gorgeous. Everything goes so well together, congrats!

  • mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a beautiful kitchen! Congrats! I would love the info on the lighting and strip plugs. My GC hasn't really done those before--he likes halogen. I am looking at LCD and xenon today and both my KD and I will try to make him a convert. How is the light under the cabs? Good for working?

    Now your daughter can sing your poem! What a creative website this is. Your creativity of your beautiful kitchen add to that.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    imrainey: The countertop on my baking center is actually at the regular 36" height, not lower. I get a backache when I work at lower counters. I'm 5'6".

    mustbnuts: I use my undercabinet LED lighting mainly for accent lighting because I have very good lighting otherwise. If you need strong task lighting, make sure you have enough light output.

    A lot of GWers have used Ledtronics (ledtronics.com); they have a good website. I actually wound up buying my lights from a vender I found on ebay, Acolyte Industries (http://acolyteled.com/ ). I called them to get some technical details, and wound up purchasing through them directly. In addition to the lights, you will need a transformer for each switched group of lights. I have all my glass display lights on one transformer and all my undercabinet lights on another. I had also thought of having the left and right sides of my kitchen switched separately, but decided against it. We placed the transformers in our basement, under the kitchen. Some people place the transformers in the back of an upper cabinet. Do your homework before you commit to them or make any purchases. Use the search function at the bottom of the page to look up led undercabinet lightingthere have been several threads in the past year that have been very helpful. Also, make sure you buy "soft white" leds. The regular white ones are way too harsh.

  • minnt
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lovely! I kind of wanted a pizza oven in my kitchen, but couldn't justify it. I never thought of putting it out on the patio. It looks great out there. Now I can't wait to get going on my landscaping and patio areas. Congratulations on your beautiful kitchen and house!

  • alywa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just wanted to add my Congrats! Your kitchen is absolutely incredible. My wife and I poured over the pictures. The striking thing to us was how many similarities our spaces share. (Totally different colors / layout... but the overall "feel" is so similar). We actually considered every appliance you chose (though we ended up just sharing the WD!). We would have loved the Electrolux twins, but we just didn't have the space since we went with a 48" range. Do you like them so far?

    Along with just loving the kitchen and outdoor pizza oven, we were drawn to the fireplace in your great room. Can you post a more detailed picture of that?

    We renovated our 1978 house, but have left the brick fireplace until we decide what to do with it. It isn't that bad as is, but we'd love to modernize it a bit. We really like the look of yours.

    Anyway, great job! Your kitchen is my favorite I've seen so far on GW. I'm sure you'll be thrilled with it for years to come.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mustbnuts: I forgot to answer your question about plugmold. Plugmold has actually been around a long time, but used mainly in commercial applications. It comes in standard lengths that can be cut to length. Home Depot and many electrical supply places stock the 3 ft length in ivory (plastic/rubber) and in both plug-in and hard-wired style. It actually comes in many colors, but just last year, the manufacturer (wiremold.com) added stainless as a stock color, however, most places haven't figured that out yet and you may have to argue in order to get it. It is fabulous because you don't have ugly outlets interrupting gorgeous backsplashes. My builder had the cabinet guys cut strips of maple at a 45 degree angle for the rear cabinet so bulky plugs could go in without difficulty.

    mommycooks, I bought long handled peels (both wood and metal) from a local restaurant supply house. You assemble the pizza and put it in the oven with the wooden peel, then use the metal one to move it around and take it out of the oven.

    redroze: I bought Blanco soap dispensers because they were half the price of Grohe, but they are a POS and pump very poorly. I diluted the dish soap as recommended, and Blanco replaced the internal pump mechanism, but they still function poorly. I think the problem may be poor design--the nozzle slopes upward, and I think that causes the soap to flow back.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    alywa Here is a picture of our fireplace. Thank you, we love it too. Since we only have a 9' ceiling (because we wanted our MBR on the 2nd floor to have the same view), I felt we needed to do something to give it more presence. I believe I was able to do this with the large granite blocks surrounding the hearth. Someone visiting referred to it as a "Stonehenge" fireplace. I did a lot of research, looking in lots of design books, poring over google images, and speaking with the manager at the local stone yard, before I came up with the final design.

    Your timing was just right in requesting this picture--the leather furniture arrived last Tuesday, after a 5 month wait!

    I just saw pictures of your kitchen and it's gorgeous! I agree that it has a similar "feel." I have a few questions for you as well, but I'll ask them over on your posting.

    View from foyer

  • lulundave
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    nuccia,
    You have a beautiful home. It looks so inviting.
    I love your leather furniture. We have leather furniture arriving this week that we have been waiting a while for. I've never had leather - do you like yours?

    Thanks and enjoy your new space.

  • wisrose
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amcofar...nice job on the poem, but I think you need to let your audience know (copyright issue) there is a song from 1971 By Don McLean Called "Vincent" where credit is due.

  • nuccia
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    wizrose: Perhaps you missed amcofar's note

    "Although I am not a poet, I was inspired to express my thoughts in verse (my sincere apologies to Don Mclean)."

    It's interesting that you bring up copyright issues--are you in the music business or an attorney? Just curious.