Gorgeous! Having seen little glimpses of other areas of your house from your pics (like your breakfast nook and the mirror wall), I wanted to say I think you have such great overall style. Can you come help me decorate? LOL!

WOW, you're so lucky for two reasons: it's beautiful and YOU'RE DONE! CONGRATULATIONS. And don't we love our crema bordeaux granite!!!! ;-)

And I love your tile back splash, PRETTY. Well done.
rose

All that questioning on your backsplash and it came out so creative and beautiful. Congratulations!

Beautiful kitchen! Love it!

Beautiful! And I love your wall of mirrors.

Looks a lovely home overall, and a spectacular kitchen.

I love how the backsplash turned out. Those tiles really complement your cabinets and your amazing granite. Well done. Enjoy.

Contratulations!! Much respect to the lady with the wet saw!

you are awesome and your kitchen looks great! i can't believe how good of a job you did on that tile backsplash. i am a DIY'er, but i guess i am just getting too old and tired to have taken that on myself.

Great Job.

Congratulations! I particularly like how the backsplash behind your sink turned out and the gorgeous wood counter. Enjoy, enjoy, ENJOY!

Wow! That really all came together well! Great job!!

Your red electric tea kettle is eye-catching, and my 13 year old daughter who loves tea has been wanting one. Where would I find one like that?

Beautiful! I love it. You did a fantastic job. I would be very pleased to call that kitchen my own. I love the granite behind the range and your backsplash is gorgeous!

Love, love, love the sink area with the graceful faucet, white sink, wood counter top, dark cabinets, granite ledge, and awesome backsplash!! Artistic flair everywhere.

Very very pretty. And I do love chocolate! The granite is beautiful....I either want to go light granite like yours of dark soapstone......

Yummm.. ..
It all looks great together-very warm, dramatic and sophisticated. I think the wood on your counter is especially pretty..walnut?
Congratulations!

Love the rich dark colors combined with your wood countertop. Beautiful kitchen. Enjoy!

Fantastic. I'll confess, I had doubts about the darker backsplash tile, but it came out great!!! Very sophisticated.

Now start cooking!!! :-)

Well that turned out really nice! I was afraid your chocolate backsplash would be too dark, but you had a good vision and it looks fantastic. I really like the granite behind the stove too. Its a show stopper!

Enjoy your new kitchen!

That stone countertop, the backsplash and the wood countertop are all show stopping!!

love it...

BEAUTIFUL kitchen! I especially love your backsplash! I can't believe you did that yourself! You are woman hear you ROAR!

Your kitchen looks wonderful! All of the different elements work together so well and I'll bet the pictures don't even begin to the real thing justice. Enjoy!
Jeannie

Wow, that is so pretty! I can't believe you tackled that backsplash yourself! I have enjoyed your progress reports and I wish I had the guts to tackle my own.... but I will continue to be in awe of the DIY work and smile at your success. Congrats!!

Really nice job!! Can't believe you bought a wet saw and tackled that backsplash yourself. Love the backsplash design. One of the nicest I have seen. The white switchplates are nice too : > ) -- this from a woman who loves her white appliances -- no kidding!

Looks awesome, you must be very proud! But we need details - who makes those backsplash tiles and what are they called?

Way to go!! I love how the backsplash turned out, love the wood counter, nice big sink and the little glimpses of the rest of your home. Enjoy!

What a hip, zen, and totally personal space. The earthtones you've used create a really stunning kitchen that is both unique and beautiful. I love that backsplash and I'm a white kitchen girl at heart, but I can really appreciate all the elements you've used in your lovely kitchen.

Kat :)

That is so lovely! And anyone who knows me knows how much I love my CHOCOLATE!;^) Just yummy! How good you must feel--what a great feeling of accomplishment! Brava!

Major kudos from a sister DIYer (and her hubby)!

Knock me out gorgeous. You have a natural talent for
putting this beautiful place together.
I love your granite, the backsplash, the tiny tiles,
the wood counter piece, chocolate cabs and the tile floors.

from your kitchen friend,
~Boxerpups

Wow! What intricate tile work. Very beautiful. The sink looks so pristine against the gorgeous counter. Enjoy!

It looks awesome! I love your vertical mosaic accents. Adds a really nice zing. You definitely needed to showcase that granite behind the range :). Very well done!

Congrats!

Love that sink & wood counter~well done!

Thanks again everyone - such kind words! This kitchen was a real departure from my last kitchens - I'm a cottage-y, cream coloured cabinets kinda gal. But it all started with my awful black fridge and my attempts at choosing cabinets to camouflage it....the fridge was then sold with my last house, and I was on a new, chocolate-y path!

Part 1 of the thanks (typing while caring for a sick baby):

Daki - your granite backsplash was my backsplash inspiration! I just knew that I had to find a way to get a slap up behind the stove.

Mom2reese - your kitchen is so beautiful - makes me want to knock down a few walls and start over

Rose - looking forward to see pics of your new granite!

Remodelfla - thanks for all of your backsplash advice - much appreciated you taking the time

Neokothecat, Jeannie, Chachashea, Donka, Owls4me, Pluckymama - thanks!

Pllog - I'm looking forward to reading about your awesome and creative creation! And I taped up some red poppies in my diningroom (wall stickers) and thought of you!

Teppy - too kind....but you might not have read an earlier post re the geckos - they cover a pre-wet saw problem :)

Rhome - thanks! Now I need to find things to keep me busy (ier) so that I don't entertain ideas of moving anytime soon

Timber.j - the kettle is made by Black and Decker - I LOVE it!

Alforfun - if I could find somewhere to put soapstone, I would! I'm now casting my eyes towards the bbq outside.....

Blakey - thanks! Plain old oak for the countertop, but I love how the oiling has made it dark and rich - wish that it was walnut - that's my plan for when the cab doors need to be replaced - walnut slab doors with a horizontal grain.

Charlikin - thanks! I'm glad that I went dark too - but did have 'oh no!' moments part way thru tiling. Get cooking? You must mean, get burning! (My first time with a gas stove). And as Dodge/Gary said, I run the risk of burning dinner, staring at the beautiful granite :)

Downsy - thanks! I think that I was able to get away with the dark chocolate theme bec it is such a small kitchen, and open to the livingroom and kitchen nook.

Wow! Congratulations - it looks so beautiful! You must be thrilled with the final result. I loved seeing the backsplash in progress and the whole space is really warm and welcoming. I also love those mirrors - they add such personality to your home.

Hope your baby is feeling better soon and happy cooking! :-)

Eliz

Okay, baby is napping:

Pharoh, Twoscoops, Katie, and Mairin - thanks so much!

Maria - I agonized over the switch plates, then decided, why spend over $300 (that was the quote) for a colour that isn't even a good-enough match??

Marybeth - hear me COUGH, is more like it these days - darn cold viruses - hahahaha!

Sandsonik - I mixed in expensive porcelaine tiles (made by daltile, bought at Home Depot, colour is 'chocolate') with expensive glass/stone mosaic tiles (hmm, name on the bill seems to be MegaGlass GMB-8S02 Glass and Stone Mix)

Kat, I'm a off-white kitchen girl at heart, so I know where you're coming from. One of my friends said, gee, each of you houses has looked so different for each other. Maybe I've discovered that I'm more flexible (design wise, that is) than even I thought?

Shelayne - what's not to love about chocolate, eh? And to think, my eldest, Chloe Rose, isn't a big fan of chocolate. DH was also impressed by my backsplash efforts - and the speed and determination (once enough courage was built up to use that new saw). I'm impressed that he doesn't notice (doesn't care?) about the boo boos in my tiling efforts!

Boxerpups - you're so kind! And I'm super excited with the progress in your kitchen. Honed jet mist, eh? It's going to be awesome!

Ilovetn, Katieob - thanks!

Elizpiz - ah, my mirror gallery. People must think that I'm vain. Wanted to bring light into my home, and find a solution for a whack load of big mirrors, brought along from previous homes. Unfortunately, thanks to the mirrors, I'm no longer operating under the illusion that I'm able to juggle a variety of tasks and still look put together - hahahaha! On a more serious note re your stunning kitchen - soapstone from an Ontario company, right?

I love your kitchen! It is unique, rich looking, gorgeous, and sophisticated. I love the counters and the backsplash and even the floors that go so perfectly with your beautiful cabinets. Thanks for sharing.

Love the chocolate cabinets - I went back and forth MANY times between really dark cabinets and white. Our cabinet maker probably thinks I'm completely crazy since I was going with chocolate stained perimeter cabinets and white painted island, then after debating forever, told him that I wanted to completely reverse it - luckily he hadn't gotten to the point of staining/painting - haha! So...now that I'm stuck with my choice of white cabinets, I still have doubts every time I see a gorgeous one with that chocolate color :)

Anyway, enjoy the kitchen - you did a great job with it!

Awww - I will bet you look more together than you think...and I'm betting Chloe Rose thinks so too :-)

Are you in Ontario? Yes, our soapstone counters and sink were fabricated and installed by N+G Soapstone in Stouffville (link below for other browsers who may be interested).

Cheers,
Eliz

Here is a link that might be useful: N+G

What a beauty you concocted! You deserve all of this praise...it is memorable and different from what we usually see here on the kitchen forum.

And it sure has been fun watching your progress. Congratulations!

Sandy

Elizpiz - yes, in Ottawa. So you have Brazilian soapstone? Thanks for the info!

Sandy - thanks! I do worry, sometimes, about the fact that it doesn't look like everyone else's - but then I look at my kitchen and smile. Isn't that what it is all about?

Traci - thanks! I'm sure that you've made the right choice - looking forward to seeing photos!

Lynn - thanks - since it is open concept, I think that I've been able to keep the main floor tied together in colours, decorations etc. With the exception of the kids' toy explosion on my livingroom floor.....

Your kitchen is just plain drop dead beautiful!! Wow. Great job! Love every single detail, especially your switch plates. Sheesh! Who else would even think to remember the paper towels. :+) Not one single detail was overlooked, obviously. Great job!

I want to turn your backsplash into my shower! I'm going to show your photos to DH when he wakes up.

Golddust - you know what would be great? A band of the glass tiles running up the floor of the shower too, then up the wall. I'm keen on redo'ing our bathrooms, when budget allows

Ok, you are on! Will you help me design it? The challenge will be to replicate the same look on the cheap because it is a monster shower and I'm singing Bob Marley (totally out of tune) ... Times' tuff. Times' tuff. Evveerything is getting harder and harder...

Hopefully your monster shower will have better tile backing that (what is allowed by code) in mine! The bulk of my b/splash tiles were porcelain tiles from Home Depot - really cost-effective (compaired to the glass tiles). I was shocked at how little glass tile I needed - I bought 5 sheets of it, and ended up with 1 full, maybe 3/4 of another left over. And a couple of loose tiles. There must be savings to be had, though?? Friends of mine put in a *monster* shower (two person shower) and were able to get a great deal on the slate - from Home Depot, open skid or something like that.
Next time I'm at the tile store, I'll take some photos of their displays - they had some awesome vertical ideas. And then we can both dream (I'm having sweet dreams every night, thinking about taking a hammer to my master ensuite tub deck) :)

I spent all day vacuuming, dusting, cleaning and mopping my bedroom that lives next to my DIY new bathroom and it looks much better but I'm living inside a sawmill. My marmoleum floor is slippery from dust so now that my BIL left, I'm running up to damp mop the stuff my vacuum doesn't seem to like.

Our shower is 7'8" x 4' and we're intimidated by it so it's sitting there doubling as a tool shed right now but it's time to get over it because it's the elephant in the room.