Beautiful, subtle, elegant, welcoming! You must be so proud. And you finished it off in two weeks!

I love the island counter, and the lighting, and especially the light behind the frosted pantry door. (I never knew there was such a thing as frosting in a can for glass!)

How do you like your new appliances? That new cooktop looks like it has some oomph.

Many happy years of meals!

Hi az....

It looks great! I love the honed island counter. Never knew about honed granite until finding this forum. At first I thought, why would someone want grantite honed? Now I see why. I really have developed an appreciation for it. Enjoy!

KA:)

Oh I love, love, love it! Great job!

I followed along the entire time, read every post and comment, I am completely amazed by you and all your hard work!

It is just beautiful! As well as your "in-between" when you painted.

Now get some rest!!!!!

OH Man... I absolutely LOVE the Superwhite honed. That is perfect!

Love those counters! What a transformation! You must be doing a happy skip each time you walk in there!

Now you seriously need to lie down and take it easy. At our advanced age, this much work can really take its toll. Rub some Ben Gay into them aching joints!

;-PPPPPP

(I'm maybe considering that same hood. Can you please spend this weekend doing heavy frying--be sure to include fish and bacon. Burn some food as well, and get a good drift of black smoke moving through the space. Then report back on Monday with hood performance results. Thanks in advance!)

f

Soooo pretty! I love it! I especially love your island! That island top has me drooling! Gorgeous!

Your whole space looks to fresh and airy, and at the same time very warm.

Congrats on a great job!

I love the changes that you made especially your super white honed granite counters, the color choice of paint on your cabinets, the hardware, etc. I have the same towel holder that I love.

What is the paint color on the walls?

It's so beautiful! I love all your choices, the monogram backsplash, the lighting and the counters are gorgeous! Most importantly, your cabinet painter did a phenomenal job!!!!!!!!!!!

It looks gorgeous! Hope you had a great birthday and that you're enjoying the new space. This was my favorite remodel to watch, amazing how fast it all went.

Looks fantastic AZ a lot of hard work but a wonderful outcome. I love both of the granites. The Black Ocean is very similar to one I had that they called Via Lactea. Mine was not honed but yours looks great honed. If I had know then what I know now but we have since remodeled our kitchen. So you did a great job and I wish you many happy days in your new kitchen.

you go girl!

Looks fantastic, great job! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Wow! It looks fantastic and I'm beyond impressed that you did it yourselfand got it done so quickly! Congratulations and enjoy!

Thanks everyone!!! Your opinions mean the world to me because I know you all know what goes into the research and hard work.

p.s. the wall color is Benjamin Moore Berkshire Beige and the range hood is a Pro Line 1000 cfm.

p.s.s. We were just out in the yard building a retaining wall! No rest for the wicked!

Beauuuuuutiful job! We also painted our honey oak cabinets and have not regretted it one day. Some people gave us a hard time about painting oak,but ya know if you don't love it you shouldn't have to live with it. I really love your countertops, also. I had not seen the honed granite in those colors. Looks like marble and soapstone. Congrats and enjoy!!

Awesome!!!!!!! This is so cool to see. I hate to even ask this because I know it is rude, but what was your budget if you don't mind sharing? This is pretty much EXACTLY what I'm doing to update my kitchen, some granites, painting my existing cabinets.... I have no idea what budget to expect. I so want to do two granites in those colors, but i don't have an island so I will have to stick to one!

Thanks for letting me know the paint color. Your kitchen is an inspiration to me since I want to pain my kitchen cabinets but unlike yours, I don't have those great drawers or that island.

On the paint chip, the BM Dove White had a lot of gray but on your kitchen cabinets it appears to be a very warm white that looks great!

Thanks for sharing.

Oh AZ, it looks great! I can't believe you finished so quickly!

Congrats and hope you have many many happy times in there!

Great job! Really love your granite choices and the bottom on your island cabinets. Excellent job painting your cabinets. Even though it's essentially the same floor plan/layout, it looks so different-in a good way. Enjoy.

Really beautiful kitchen azwildcats, wow. Congratulations. That honed super white it drop dead gorgeous. I'm swooning.

How wide are the drawers on your island? And how deep? Do you have separate drawers on each side?

Enjoy your kitchen and congratulations again.

Awesome! Did you paint the cabs yourself? How did you do it? Also, you list Willbond deglosser.... What's that? I am just about to paint so I am curious to know how you got such a great finish.

I have been wondering about you....did you get the cabs hung before your party?

It all looks GORGEOUS!

I am getting ready to paint White Dove in Cabinet Coat paint. Can you tell me all the steps you did for painting? Thanks

Darn nice, as everyone has already noted in detail, but I kind of miss the special cabinet door handle that was designed for height-challenged elves . . .

rc

Wow, looks great! Love the island granite and that you kept that awesome paver floor and brick fireplace.

Wow-it's so beautiful! You did an amazing job.
Congratulations!

It really came out lovely and you deserve all the credit! I bet it feels even better knowing you did it yourself.
This is another renovation that you can't tell that much of the original kitchen is hiding somewhere underneath.

Wow, what a beautiful kitchen. It's crisp and fresh, and warm and homey. I love it!!

What a wonderful transformation! I'm drooling over both of your granites--both are beautiful! I can't believe you made this transformation happen in 2 weeks!!! Your cabs look amazing! Here's wishing you many years of happy times in your new kitchen!

i LOVE your space and your kitchen is wonderful! beautiful slabs, i think they're so PERFECT! you did such a lovely job az! many congratulations. enjoy your new kitchen!

Honey Oak cabinets painted: $300 in supplies
BM Fresh Start Primer
BM Satin Impervo Waterbourne in White Dove
Willbond Deglosser

Granite: $2500 including installation (we found remnants)
Island Honed Super White or Vermont White (which ever you want to call it)
Perimeter Honed Black Ocean

Hardware: $363
Laurey Nantucket 3" cup pulls
Laurey Nantucket 3" spiral handle

Lighting
Over sink: Nantucket Ceiling light in nickel $99
Over Island: Norwell 5142 Broadway Island Light in Polished Nickel $170
Hearth room lights: Glass Lantern Chandelier x2 in Antique Copper $180 x 2
4" recessed lights in kitchen ceiling and two of them in pantry (7 total) $210
Pantry doors:
French doors, frosted glass with a can of spray frost $265 + $3 can of frost

Back splash:
6"x3" Subway tile gloss white $75 worth of tile
12"x12" carved marble monogram tile $75

Faucet
8" spread bridge faucet by La Toscana $180 (ebay)

Sink
27"x15" 16 gauge stainless steel - Free with granite
Sink grid $80 sink grid
Insinkerator - $250 (ebay)

Appliances:
Jenn Air Dishwasher - had from previous house ($1900)
Jenn Air Refrigerator - had from previous house ($2200)
Kenmore Double Wall Oven - paid for by Home Warranty ($1600)
Kenmore Pro 6 burner range top - paid for by Home Warranty ($1700)
Pro Line Range Hood - paid for by Home Warranty ($699 on ebay)

Labor charges:
$1100 Electrician
$650 Tile Install
$400 Plumbing
$690 Appliance install
$260 Range hood install

Total out of pocket $7950 (Does not include appliances)

Here are my paint tidbits:
-Paint the back of the cabinet doors first. If they get nicked, it's not as bad as the front.
-Wear headphones - distractions make you mess up
-Get organized. Have paper towels and small garbage can near your paint station.
-I put an unfolded but flat garbage bag under my paint station. Paint sometimes leaks through drop cloths.
-Paint barefoot. It's easier to feel when you step in paint.
Here's what I did for mine:
Day 1
1. Create cabinet door map with numbers so you remember which went where.
2. Remove doors (hint: remove bottom hinge first to prevent cabinet from being top heavy and ripping out)
3. Using masking tape, tear of a square, put it on the front of the cabinet door and number it in relation to your map.
4. Remove all hardware, I'm reusing hinges so I put those in Ziplock bags for spray painting later with Rust-o-leum Matte Black paint
5. Clean with Dawn dish washing liquid - takes grease out of the way
6. Sand with medium grit paper - wipe with microfiber towel to remove dust
7. Apply deglosser (Use a cotton rag, I used a torn t-shirt because a microfiber cloth was too absorbent. Wear gloves)
6. Apply BM Fresh Start Primer (light coat) - I do them in numerical order so I can remember when ones have how many coats. :D
a. I use a small sponge brush and 1" paint brush to get in the nooks and crannies and then go over it with a super fine mat roller and a light hand)
b. I had 23 doors to prime, so by the time I was finished priming the last one, the first one was ready for a second coat.
7. Sand w/ fine grit paper - wipe with microfiber towel to remove dust
8. Prime
Wait over night
Day 2
On the front
1. Repeat steps 1-8 on the fronts
Wait over night (in my case it will be next weekend)
Day 3
On the back
1. Sand with fine grit paper - wipe with microfiber towel to remove dust
2. Apply first coat of paint
3. Sand with fine grit paper - wipe with microfiber towel to remove dust
4. Apply second coat of paint
Day 4
On the front
1. Repeat Day 3 Steps 1-4
Wait 72 hours before applying hardware and putting doors back on. User rubber bumper dots so paint doesnt stick to paint
Hope this helps! It's time to pay back all that I have learned from this site.

Sochi - they are 12" wide and 20" deep. The drawers on the fire place side of the island are faux.

Francy - Our range hood vents outside and when you have it on low - you can go outside and feel it pulling the air conditioning outside. :D

Beautiful transformation! I love your island granite, lighting choice and the W behind the range. Enjoy!

OK, I'm even MORE impressed since you posted your cost breakdown. I think you have the biggest bang for your buck I've ever seen.

So, I guess you took your appliances with you when you sold your last home?

I wish you lived near me and I would pay you to paint my cabinets to look that great! I really love the changes to your kitchen as I already said and after hearing how little it cost you to make the kitchen look that awesome, I am impressed!

Thanks for the tips! How much paint did you use? I am not doing the backs, so I am wondering if one gallon will be enough for 2 coats on the front. I have 20 doors.

Well, that turned out well!

Very very well!

BaileyandBella - I bought 3 gallons of paint and 3 gallons of primer and have about a gallon of each left. Since you don't plan on painting the backs, I think you should be OK with only a gallon of each.

Stalking your pictures again.... Where'd you get the perfect kitchen table?

Looks GREAT!! Congrats on being finished AND having a beautiful new kitchen! Be sure to post your other DIY projects in your house! Good luck with everything else!

Only two weeks! Did you ever sleep? The kitchen looks wonderful. Love the granite.

I love it! The white granite is gorgeous and I really love the paint color in the eating area.

Can I ask what your new coffeemaker is, and how you like it? I want a shiny new one now that we're almost done with our own remodel (after two years!), and yours is lovely looking.

Great job...the cabinets look fantastic!!! What a wonderful improvement and the hardware is perfect.

What a lovely kitchen! Your house obviously had good "bones", but you made it absolutely stunning. Congratulations--I am green with envy that people are actually capable of doing such incredible work themselves.

Thanks all! Sorry for being away a while. Been concentrating on Landscaping. Sowing new turf (20yds of tops soil, grass seed, micro clover), planting shrubs (Weigela, boxwoods, barbary, wisteria), Irish moss, creeping thyme, mums, etc.

Answers to questions above:
The table in the hearth room is from Walmart.com. I think it was under $400 and had 5 stars in customer reviews.

The coffee pot is Hamilton Beach 48465 SA HB 12 Cup Coffee Maker.

You did an incredible job with your kitchen. It is beautiful by any standard but the fact that you did it yourself & worked within such a reasonable budget is all the more amazing! I live in Tucson, AZ & am struggling with granite. I love your choices of color & finish. Could you share where you purchased your remnants? I have been unable to locate your color choices & perhaps made the wrong assumption from your user name that you are from AZ as well. Thanks much for any advice you can provide.

I know this thread is old, but we actually live in NJ. :D