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traci_from_seattle

Kitchen REVEAL

My small kitchen is (mostly) complete. I absolutely love how it turned out.


I found a local cabinetmaker (J. Bay Cabinets) and I cannot say enough good things about the quality of these cabinets and the entire ordering process. Because they are custom I could make the cabinets any width or depth I wanted, down to 1/4”. I have a couple angled walls so this flexibility was important.


Upper cabinets are painted white with mirror inserts and the lowers are beautiful flatsawn walnut.


The fridge surround (my “wall of tall” that Sophie would hate) is walnut and I designed all the drawers specifically to what I store in each, then lined one cabinet with the same countertop material just for fun and because I thought I’d put my coffeemaker in that cabinet.


The countertop is Fusion quartzite. It was a splurge but I love it so much!


Other details:

Kohler 27” Riverby sink

Kohler Artifacts faucet

Fisher and Paykel refrigerator

Fisher and Paykel dishwasher drawers

GE Cafe range (had this already)

Fireclay Fresh Cream 3x9 backsplash tiles

Schoolhouse Electric pulls and knobs

Pottery Barn Paxton sconce

Aayers Rocky Ridge Smoke French Oak engineered hardwood floors


The first few photos are my inspiration, followed by listing photos when I moved in.





After:














Comments (63)

  • shead
    4 years ago

    Love it!! You did a great job!

    traci_from_seattle thanked shead
  • Jazz Lover
    4 years ago

    traci_from_seattle JUST WOW!! You have done exactly what I have been mulling over. About to build and am so torn over white kitchen and beautiful natural wood. We just sold a custom home we built 16 years ago. It had beautiful but simple alder cabinets and they were a breeze to keep clean, never showed cracks and just needed a little oil or conditioning maybe twice. A year. Now here we are and I do live the bright white kitchens but hate losing the rich wood so I've been asking, can I do both? I've find a few pics for reference to take to the custom cabinet guy and your pics just showed up. Love love love!!! Thank you for breaking the rules. I want my cake and eat it too and I'd love to eat it in your kitchen!

    traci_from_seattle thanked Jazz Lover
  • Pam A
    4 years ago

    I love how the countertop movement works with the wood grain. Your kitchen is beautiful and also looks like a great place to cook!

    traci_from_seattle thanked Pam A
  • M Miller
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Beautiful! That walnut is so gorgeous!

    I noticed you mentioned that Sophie would hate your wall of tall. But she loved mirror inserts, so she would be proud!

    traci_from_seattle thanked M Miller
  • dunnjn
    4 years ago

    Cheers to that! It's lovely, I love the walnut!

    traci_from_seattle thanked dunnjn
  • AMS
    4 years ago

    Beautiful!

  • stillpitpat
    4 years ago

    Oh wow, Traci, it is perfect! You must be just delighted.

    traci_from_seattle thanked stillpitpat
  • cpartist
    4 years ago

    Fabulous. And of course I'm in love with your counters since they are so similar to mine! (Are yours more blue or green? Mine are greens)

    This is a kitchen that is so beautifully individualized with such warmth.

    traci_from_seattle thanked cpartist
  • Missi (4b IA)
    4 years ago

    gorgeous. *love* those lowers-they're fantastic!

    traci_from_seattle thanked Missi (4b IA)
  • cameopalms
    4 years ago

    Very pleasing to the eye.

    traci_from_seattle thanked cameopalms
  • SapphireStitch
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Wowza! I love those walnut cabinets and that quartzite! And gold knobs and pulls! The whole room feels warm and textured and interesting...beautiful!

    traci_from_seattle thanked SapphireStitch
  • beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
    4 years ago

    What a beautiful, amazing job. And the dining room is the cherry on top : ) .

    traci_from_seattle thanked beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
  • hollybar
    4 years ago

    Brava! You and your cab maker deserve many rounds of applause. & all the claps for that fabulous counter,too!

  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    cpartist, the counters are mostly green with blue/gray and cream swirls, along with some mustard yellow veins (which I think is iron?)

  • cat_mom
    4 years ago

    Love it! Bravo!!!

    traci_from_seattle thanked cat_mom
  • artemis_ma
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Lovely! You have found stunning countertops, and the wood lowers go well with the white upper cabinetry! You've surpassed the inspiration photos, and I love your dining set up! I wanna switch to your quartzite (no matter that I love my own countertops...) The gold pulls are great, too. There's such a level of thought to useful design here!

    traci_from_seattle thanked artemis_ma
  • zmith
    4 years ago

    Gorgeous kitchen, Traci! Your fusion countertops are just stunning. I saw a glimpse of it in one of your progress postings and was in love, much like I am with CPartist's quartzite. Truly gorgeous, like a piece of art. Thanks for sharing the finished space!

    traci_from_seattle thanked zmith
  • 2ManyDiversions
    4 years ago

    Utterly Fan-Tastic! Just gorgeous-ness! How happy you must be! When I read 'small kitchen' I expected a small kitchen. What you've accomplished made you kitchen huge in my eyes. And that dining room built-in? Be still my heart on the tile backsplash in it! Well done!

    traci_from_seattle thanked 2ManyDiversions
  • smhinnb
    4 years ago

    Lovely! That quartzite is definitely a WOW!

  • malabacat
    4 years ago

    Stunning!

  • cpartist
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    cpartist, the counters are mostly green with blue/gray and cream swirls, along with some mustard yellow veins (which I think is iron?)

    I think we have the same gorgeous quartzite. Mine was called Fascination. Here's a link to my Reveal which shows the quartzite. Same quartzite and a totally different looking kitchen.

    traci_from_seattle thanked cpartist
  • smalloldhouse_gw
    4 years ago

    This is so beautiful. Just amazing! Thanks so much for posting your photos for us all to drool over!!

    traci_from_seattle thanked smalloldhouse_gw
  • Mid America Mom
    4 years ago

    I love that subway installed vertically! Nice job on this space.

    traci_from_seattle thanked Mid America Mom
  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I think we have the same gorgeous quartzite. Mine was called Fascination. Here's a link to my Reveal which shows the quartzite. Same quartzite and a totally different looking kitchen.


    Your Fascination quartzite is beautiful! Really beautiful! I love all the details in your kitchen.

  • weezel
    4 years ago

    Oh my goodness it's beautiful!

    traci_from_seattle thanked weezel
  • j_leary
    4 years ago

    Beautiful! Do you mind sharing what your hood is and whether you like it?

  • daisychain Zn3b
    4 years ago

    Wow! I love two tone kitchens and yours is one of the best. I also really like how you continued the cabs into the dining area, but made it unique from the kitchen.

    traci_from_seattle thanked daisychain Zn3b
  • czarinalex
    4 years ago

    This is a beautiful kitchen! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    traci_from_seattle thanked czarinalex
  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    The hood is from Broan https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/QP436SS.html


    I do like it. It’s pretty quiet.

  • AboutToGetDusty
    4 years ago

    Gorgeous! Love the walnut and Fusion combo.

    traci_from_seattle thanked AboutToGetDusty
  • Martha F
    4 years ago

    I love it, no wonder you’re happy!

    traci_from_seattle thanked Martha F
  • stir_fryi SE Mich
    4 years ago

    Those counters are the star of the show! If I had them, it would inspire me to keep my counters clear and clean all the time...

    traci_from_seattle thanked stir_fryi SE Mich
  • Sammy
    4 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen and dining; really well-done. I have one question regarding what you said here:

    ...then lined one cabinet with the same countertop material just for fun and because I thought I’d put my coffeemaker in that cabinet.

    Will you be using your coffee maker in that (beautiful!) cabinet, or simply storing it there? Hopefully it’s the latter because I don’t think the steam generated by the coffee maker would be good for the wood. Your toaster, on the other hand, might be an okay thing to use there...as long as you don’t trade it in for a Dualit!

    Again, really great job on that whole space. It’s a knockout. :)



    traci_from_seattle thanked Sammy
  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    4 years ago

    Fabulous work, Traci! All the details are perfect, including the light over the sink. This goes onto the list of best reveals, I think!

    RE the coffee niche - perhaps your cabinet maker can create a pull-out there with the quartzite piece, for when you use the coffeemaker. Seems the recess would be awkward for actually using the maker in the niche -- but if not, alternately line the sides and top of it with something impervious to steam, like metal tile (you would still need to leave the door open until the maker has cooled.)

    traci_from_seattle thanked raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
  • barncatz
    4 years ago

    It's gorgeous! What a fabulous redo.

    I also have a two tone, tiny kitchen, so it's nice to see how much I love yours. (We have similar knobs too - love Schoolhouse. My fixtures are from there.)

    traci_from_seattle thanked barncatz
  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    To address the questions/comments regarding the coffee niche, my original plan was to store the coffee maker there, however there is electrical so I do occasionally toast there with leaving the door open. This was one of the mistakes I made with my design (had to be something, right?). The cabinet is actually too high for me, which I kind of thought might be the case, but really wanted those specific drawers so I chose not to lower it. And I can’t actually reach the outlet inside because I’m too short I still love having the quartzite inside.

  • Mrs Pete
    4 years ago

    Nice work, and it's not cookie cutter! Specific thoughts, mixed with a few questions:

    - Love that countertop. Definitely an appropriate place to splurge. Was it the first thing you chose? I ask because everything seems to be tied into it so well.

    - Have you been pleased with your microwave placement outside the kitchen?

    - Are those mirrors up top? I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been studying the pix so intensely. So practical!

    - I like a "wall of tall" just fine ... so long as it balances with the rest of the kitchen and is appropriately placed.

    traci_from_seattle thanked Mrs Pete
  • schoolhouse_gw
    4 years ago

    How refreshing, i.e. what Mrs. Pete said "not cookie cutter". Very warm and inviting.

    traci_from_seattle thanked schoolhouse_gw
  • jemimabean
    4 years ago

    Omg, this kitchen is absolutely stunning! We’re in the process of ordering our cabinets right now (wood lowers, white uppers), so this was exactly the thread that I needed to see today to reassure myself that we made the right choice. That countertop is gorgeous, and the drawer pulls tie everything together perfectly. Exceptional all the way around!

    traci_from_seattle thanked jemimabean
  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Mrs Pete, I have always been drawn to exotic stones but the countertop was one of the last things I chose. For a few years i had my heart set on Dolce Vita but when it came time to buy the available slabs had too much peach coloring. Then I went through a few months trying to find a more neutral stone I thought I “should” get but then the stone yard had these beautiful Fusion slabs that are very much my style and I’m so glad that’s how it worked out. For reference, this is Dolce Vita.



    I have always wanted walnut cabinets so that was was what I chose first.


    As for the microwave, I put it there temporarily but I ended up liking it so that’s where it’s staying. I don’t use it often so the extra steps aren’t a huge deal, and having the peninsula there makes it more convenient to set down food.


    and yes, those are mirrors. It was a cost savings measure initially because I didn’t want to pay to finish the insides of the cabinets but I think they ended up being better than glass because they reflect the light so well.

  • Beryl Santoso
    4 years ago

    Would you mind sharing the height of your stacked cabinets? Are they 36" + 15"? We have 9ft ceiling as well, and trying to decide what combination of stacked cabinets look best.

  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Technically the cabinets aren’t actually stacked. These cabinets were 100% custom so he built them as one unit with two doors. The door sizes are 32.5” and 17.5”. They were made that size to line up better with the hood I was originally going to purchase but then that hood wasn’t an option.

  • NewEnglandgal
    4 years ago

    traci_,from_seattle how did I miss your kitchen teveal?
    Your entite kitchen is just stunning and beautiful. The cabinets are fabulous and the counters are gorgeous. who doesnt like Fuaion quartzite??? Great job on putting together all your chouces! Love it.

    traci_from_seattle thanked NewEnglandgal
  • User
    4 years ago

    Everything looks so amazing. Can I ask where you purchased the wall art? The metal looking sculpture on the wall...

  • traci_from_seattle
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Stephanie it’s from Target. I bought it on a whim and I love how it looks on the wall. I wish my photos were better quality, but the coloring of that art ties in really well with both the faucet and the hardware.

  • mullde
    4 years ago

    Absolutely beautiful, well done!

    traci_from_seattle thanked mullde
  • Fsal
    4 years ago

    Wow. So gorgeous. Congrats. And this might be the first time in my life I’ve ever liked subway tile. So unique! Enjoy:)

  • Caroline H
    4 years ago

    love your kitchen

    traci_from_seattle thanked Caroline H
  • lucky998877
    4 years ago

    Congrats on your beautiful kitchen! I'm glad that people still commented on it, I somehow missed the reveal post. Enjoy!!

    traci_from_seattle thanked lucky998877
  • energyzer
    3 years ago

    This is beautiful! After a couple years now, how have your floors held up? Considering these same floors in a different color but can't find much feedback after some use. I would love to hear!