And here it is now:

{{!gwi}}

We kept the existing cabinet boxes (Schrock), but replaced the doors. Fridge, dishwasher and floors are also the existing (but floors had to be patched in the space where the peninsula became an island).

Range - Bluestar (which I had never heard of before this forum)
Hood - Whatever our appliance store had, I forget the name
Counters: Virginia Mist honed granite
Backsplash: Fireclay tile "nautical", 2x4
Sink: Kraus (from amazon)
wine fridge: edge star (from overstock)
faucet: Blanco (from amazon), direct gardenweb rec.
hardware: restoration hardware "aubrey"

Another angle:

And another:

That pantry/desk area was expanded and redesigned with the sliding doors. There was a lot of wasted space - originally intended by the builder to be an eat-in area, but only would have held the smallest of tables. There's a larger dining area in another part of the space, so the area was much better used for storage and organization.

I like your blue backsplash :)

Remarkable change considering you were able to reuse your cabinets! I bet you love the prep space and storage in your island. It's so fresh and lovely!

Wow, what a big difference those few changes made. It looks great! I'm swooning over your counters. Love Virginia Mist!

I like your pendant lights, too. Details, please!

Thanks! The island was such a good call. I know everyone loves to mock the whole "I NEED an island" thing, but in our space it truly made sense. Especially since we were also able to increase the overhang, making it far more comfortable for meals (we're a family of three, so we eat there for most casual meals). It also totally opened up what was basically a dead corner to the left of the stove, and just created a better flow.

I'm so glad we were able to re-use the cabinet boxes as well. They're not the world's highest end cabinets (if we had started from the ground up we would have gone custom, I bet), but they're perfectly fine. The other thing we did was get new drawer hardware, so all of the drawers are now full extend/soft close, which they weren't before.

Since I took this picture, we have also added strips of trim to the bottom of the upper cabinets, so the doors are no longer hanging lower than the boxes. We could have ripped out the crown and mounted the doors higher (since they were stock doors we didn't have the option of just ordering them in the exact size to begin with), but I wanted to keep it.

Oops, forgot the pendants - they're from Pottery Barn - I forget the name.

The other nice thing was that while the project as a whole took ages because a lot of it was piecemeal, we were almost never without a functioning kitchen.

What a great change! I really like the blue tile with your floors and then the darker stools really add some impact to the area.

And getting rid of the MW over the range and putting it in the island was a great idea.

Pretty, pretty blue tile. I really like the white cabinets too. I missed the fact in the "before" picture that it was a peninsula until I read others' comments. I'm sure an island helps traffic flow so much since you no longer have a "Dead End"! Enjoy!

I'm so glad you guys like the blue. Blue is a color that I've never ever gotten sick of, so I felt confident in the choice, but part of me hemmed and hawed over it not being totally "neutral". But in the end I decided that this kitchen is for ME, not for the mythical "future buyer". (I suspect we'll ultimately wind up living in this house for while, but not "forever").

Really nice! You made some of the same choices we did - BlueStar, micro under cab in island. Looks like your hood is the same VentAHood that we have (laying on floor under a moving blanket currently... hoping to be on wall soon!). And I also love the blue tile. Nice!

When I saw your first picture, I thought - that could be a reveal picture. (Your old kitchen was very nice).

Lovely to see the transformation. I particularly like the color combinations in your 'another angle' picture. Great to see Fireclay in action!! (Huge fan, here).

Have you considered / are you considering UCL (under cabinet lighting)? I'm just saying that your lovely backsplash would be even lovelier ... Congratulations!!

Really great transformation. I love the blue too. Can you tell me about how you clean the honed Va. Mist? Any problems with upkeep?

I love your range...and your virginia mist counters were my second choice in counter tops over soapstone, they look really nice with your cabinets and backsplash.

I love the new cabinet doors that really brighten up your kitchen that was already so mice. I love the backsplash over the Bluestar Range. I love the hardware chosen for the doors. I love the counters. The overall look is a wow! Enjoy!

"Have you considered / are you considering UCL (under cabinet lighting)?"

We actually do have it - I just hadn't thought to turn it on for the pictures. It does highlight the tile, you're right.

No issues on cleaning the counters so far - to be honest, I mostly just wipe them down with warm water/mild dishsoap. They clean up beautifully. They were sealed by the fabricator prior to install.

Wow!! Very pretty transformation!! :-) I love that you went bold on the backsplash- it is very pretty! Also I really like the honed granite- it is definitely a different look than regular granite. Have you noticed yet how easy it is to clean? Enjoy your new kitchen!!

Beautiful transformation! The before looked really nice, but I love the combination of the Virginia Mist, white cabinets and blue tile. Congratulations on your new, more functional space!

One thing to keep in mind about the "before" kitchen is that that photo was taken from the best possible angle/conditions. You can't see close up how the finish was worn off the cabinets in a lot of places and how the counters were pitted around the sink and absolutely hideous. They were a marble pattern called "rainforest gold", and since our house was built as a spec house by a developer, our theory was that he got a good deal on them from his stone guy, probably because someone had ordered them and not liked them in the end. Way uglier close up than they look in the picture I posted here.

That said, I do still have all of the cabinet doors, and can't seem to find anywhere to donate them. It's a shame, because they definitely still have use in them. But both habitat and a local building resource center won't take cabinet doors without the cabinets.

Lovely kitche, that jet mist is great!

When I posted cabinet doors for free on craigslist I had about 20 offers for pickup in 2 hours. They are very easy to give away!

Oh, CL is a great idea - thanks!

going from the dark kitchen to the light kitchen really shows how much I prefer light kitchens! Really nice!

"going from the dark kitchen to the light kitchen really shows how much I prefer light kitchens! "

That was really what it came down to for me too. As I said in the OP, I initially thought that we would replace the counters and be done with it. But as I looked at design sites, Houzz, etc, to get ideas of what counters I would like better than what was there, I realized that I just didn't care for darker cabinets, period. That, coupled with my desire to make the space itself flow better, brought us to the decision to just do it all now.

It isn't that there aren't nice kitchens out there that have darker cabinetry - I can think of many. But it's just never going to be my top choice for my own kitchen.

Love it! The blue tile looks great!

Congratulations! Before GW, I wouldn't have considered re-doing your before kitchen, but I much prefer your update! Love the backsplash, counters, lights, island, and hardware.

Really love the blue Fireclay backsplash & the Virginia Mist. I also thought your first pic was your new kitchen. Your new kitchen put a smile on my face.
So pretty!

More blue tile love here.

And for an eating area you use, I'm sure that overhang on the island makes a huge difference. And the storage area. Sweet!

Fireclay nautical is one of my fav's of theirs. It's perfect for your kitchen. You made the perfect changes making it so much lighter. Thanks for sharing.