@nbadawi Everyone’s comments were sooooo helpful, even the brutally honest ones! There were 2 commenters that made me question my choice and put me in a bit of panic mode since I cannot back out of my decision. as of now, I’m not interested in painting my cabinets...but would love to see your countertops as they are now so I know what to avoid. I feel that a lighter color in my kitchen would work best although as others have stated, that granite on the island is soooo pretty too! I wont be able to make a decision until I have a cabinet in hand with me! Btw, I dont think it’s a fruit bowl....just an ornate tuscan design! 🤷🏻‍♀️ even if I kept it...I don’t think it will be end of the world!!! excited to work on this project and see what will come of it! Good luck with yours too

@Aglitter that makes so much sense. I guess I never thought about it in a pop-of-color sense. I’ve gotten very used to seeing this look now in drop dead gorgeous kitchens. But to me, when this look started, it just looked mismatched! Before I purchased these cabinets and was stuck on white inset, I kept wondering what the next “trend” in kitchen cabinetry would be because truthfully, how can so many kitchens look identical. I know what I want and the look I am going for...hopefully it can be achieved!

@bry911 😂 thank you!!! 10k for solid wood custom cabinets and appliances is definitely a deal! I didn’t settle for the cabinets I simply compromised on color because...kids!!! for example, yesterday my daughter flushed the “r” from her name stool down the toilet and now we need a new toilet! Pic attached 😉 when you have kids, sometimes you just have to “settle” to make life a little easier! And for the record, my daughter’s name is Paris because my husband and I got engaged there. I have always loved France, which is why I am drawn to the French Country look. Much of the furniture in my house is from Pierre Deux which was a beautiful french country furniture store sadly no longer in business. But this may help explain my style....subtle French country!

I’m sorry she broke your toilet but that story just cracked me up. Ignore those who don’t like your new kitchen. I think it’s a practical, economical and a pretty choice. And it sounds like it will work with your other furniture choices.

@RedRyder technically she put ALL the letters in the potty...the r is the only one that got down!!!!! 🤣 she is lucky she’s cute!!!

They’re made cute at that age so we don’t kill them. I’m glad you rescued the rest of her letters. Great story to tell her when she’s older! And don’t forget to add you told EVERYONE ON HOUZZ, TOO!!

As you can see, my countertop, back splash and cabinets are all in the yellow and brown family. My island base is dark wood and my wall color is stone grey. My cabinets are actually more yellow in person than in the picture. Because this area does not get a ton of natural light, all the yellow and brown tones display. For these reason, I do plan on changing the counter top to a much lighter color and most likely will paint the cabinets.

Most who see my kitchen think I am crazy to change it, but I need things to appear lighter and airy.

I am just watching on NBC today show. Sandra Lee is debuting her new kitchen series on the Peacock channel. Guess what; her kitchen is almost identical to the one you are buying, possibly with more scroll work! So if it's good enough for a top cooking star and to be featured on a cooking show, then it can't be as bad as all the nay sayers are postulating. Enjoy it for many years to come.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-domaindev-st_emea&hsimp=yhs-st_emea&hspart=domaindev&p=sandra+lee+cooking+show#id=2&vid=ac9d404e6f9d75610a1cadbfcf0fe29a&action=click

@waverly6 that is so funny! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I question her judgement in men 😂 but her kitchen is beautiful! Now I need a cocktail......but will settle for her smoothie recipe. My kids have been asking all morning for one!!

@nbadawi your kitchen is so pretty! thanks for sending. When did u have this done? I could see how the cabinets pick up the gold from the stone. I also have a dark kitchen :( I’m going to stick With the off white (not cream) subway for backaplash.

@waverly6 Lol Sandra Lee a top cooking star? Her show was about using prepared stuff to make garbage food. All her kitchen needs is a can opener, anything else goes to waste.

@jaxkats Thanks for your subtle political nod. You might be advised to keep your opinions on non-kitchen related topics to yourself.

Wow! I cannot believe I posted this 7 months ago! Just wanted to share my kitchen update...the cabinets after sitting wrapped up in my garage since October are finally installed! My contractor and his team have been great and this has been the fastest remodel EVER! They started last Thursday and will be finishing up this week. I can’t wait to post the finished job and finally start cooking again! Thank you all for your help!! I truly listened to ALL the comments. I’m a little stuck on backsplash but will hopefully get that resolved today or tomorrow with by 10000th trip to floor & decor!!!

Looking forward to seeing your kitchen installed! As for your 10000th trip to Floor and Decor? Don't overthink it and stick to your budget is my advice.

We did our kitchen 15 years ago and I promised myself that in my next kitchen (if we're lucky enough for that opportunity), I wouldn't overthink the backsplash for two reasons: 1) tile "dates" quickly and the backsplash is usually noticed first in a kitchen 2) in my daily kitchen reality with "stuff" on the counters and minimal messes, a tile backsplash offers me a poor value to cost ratio.

In my next kitchen, that perfect-backsplash-hunting time, energy and money will be spent on lighting instead.

Your kitchen is going to be gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it. Bravo for your vision and expediting it in a very thrifty way!

Looking forward to seeing the updates!!!

Hi Jaxkats! Checking in to see how the project is going?

the only thing I personally don't like is the countertops because they are dark. I enjoy completely white kitchens or all white with one pop of grey or color. just my opinion though. I know many people with kids prefer darker colors because it looks less dirty. I dont have/dont want kids so I chose to have a completely bright white kitchen. if you like it, that's all that matters!

Any updates?

Hi all! I have tried posting this twice and am not sure why it isn’t working! Apologies if there is a duplicate post. Going to post pictures after the comment. YES, our kitchen is complete, and better than I ever could’ve imagined! The process was a lot of fun, with a few slightly stressful days due to a very fast working contractor! The layout I designed truly fit like a glove in our kitchen and the cabinets are in perfect condition. We used every cabinet and all appliances with exception of cooktop...I splurged on my Wolf rangetop and am so happy I did...it is amazing to cook on! The Miele dishwasher did need a repair, but it was due to poor installation by my contractor. It was not level and leaked water in the front...it has been fixed and working fine since. Luckily, the kitchen also came with a bench and 2 bookshelves. We used the bench for a refrigerator panel in place where the columns were, and the bookshelves were used for build ups above the cabinet. For trim that needed painting, we color matched at Sherman Williams with their cabinet paint. I want to give a special THANK YOU to all who suggested Taj Mahal quartzite. I cannot put into words how beautiful it looks in my kitchen! We found such beautiful slabs and they look absolutely perfect!! This is my 2nd favorite part of kitchen, after the rangetop...so, THANK YOU!! I had a different post on Houzz asking for backsplash advice and was told to keep it simple...straight subway above rangetop and not to do the arabesque. I thought about it, but felt I would regret my decision, so arabesque it was and I love how it came out. We decided last minute to do the porcelain wood-look tile, rather than real wood. With kids, toys, water spills, and DOG, the floor definitely would’ve been destroyed already, so we are very happy with our decision! We are loving the kitchen and I truly appreciated and listened to all the comments, advice, criticism, and expertise and hope you enjoyed following this little journey my crazy brain thought of! This was such a fun project for me and I may be adding designer to my resume 😉 the collage pics are the original kitchen and singles are my kitchen.

Original kitchen cabinets were in:

My kitchen:

looks awesome!

Very nice--enjoy your new kitchen!!

It looks better than imagined. Beautiful counter and tile choices. That said, it looks like you have missing cabinet trim under half your cabinets, or maybe it’s the trick of photos. i don’t see how this is easier to keep clean, but it’s pretty.

Turned out beautifully!

@Steph not sure what trim you’re talking about. Toe kick under base, or the trim on the upper cabinets by the under cabinet lighting? Either way, both have trim. Unless you are seeing something I am not

Wow, so beautiful. I love those warm tones and taj mahal. Sigh

Looks great!! Your counter and backsplash were great choices as well. You must be so happy with the result (and the savings!!).

Oh my gosh, it came out gorgeous! Congratulations, your choices are perfect. Dream kitchen

One spot is the dishwasher maybe, and the other I’m not sure.

If you are asking about the kitchen in the photos you posted I would say it's not with the current aesthetic. That being said It's a very nice kitchen and if you like it then live with it and make it your own.

I really love how it looks. Very elegant!

@Steph There is trim by dishwasher. Miele had to remove it when they needed to make an adjustment and my husband has not caul it back in place yet. My kids were playing with their remote control cars yesterday and were banging them all over so that is what probably set the trim back a bit in the picture. The other area is a vent that was redirected to under the cabinet. Sorry for confusion!

Thank you @Norwood Architects...I agree with you! My concern was the pictures of the first kitchen at the beginning of the thread. I purchased the cabinets used, and was trying to figure out how to update it. The last pictures with the lighter counter are of my finished kitchen. I updated it and made adjustments to my liking and needs. I do agree that this is not what people are shopping for today...but then again, that’s not what I was shopping for either!

You updated the cabinets nicely with the lighter counter top and backsplash. Enjoy your new kitchen and the good quality of cabinets.

Even now, most people asking for help with kitchens, 2021, are asking about white on white with gray counters/backsplashes etc. However, that is a TREND. Trends come and go. What you have done by upcycling beautiful cabinets, adding a complementary, gorgeous, functional, showpiece countertop, and sticking to a warm color palette that is easy on the eyes and NOT what everyone else is doing..... is just... a really great job and probably saved some money, too.

I love the window over the sink, the glass uppers, the matching paneled frig/dishwasher... all upscale, classy touches. That kitchen seems huge! It must be a joy to cook in. I would MUCH rather have your kitchen than some trendy thing where an island is smooshed into a too-small space, and I understand some people love their gray tones, but I love your creams much better.

You pulled it off beautifully! Very impressive. What was the final cost?

Looks wonderful. We also used salvaged custom cabinets to redo our kitchen ourselves. It took 2 years (refinishing cabinets) and I swear we enjoy our kitchen so much more because of the care and work we put into it. Love your bunny.

Your kitchen has a warm, inviting, yet elegant appearance. It’s beautiful!

Got it! I would suggest painting the vent to match.

Also, if the paneling under the cabinets is not flat, looks like actual baseboards, I would switch them out for cabinet paneling and paint to match cabinets before install.

This is one of those kitchens I'd never have thought to choose on my own, but seeing what you've done with it I would be THRILLED to call that my kitchen - well done. And I like your little buddy chilling on the range hood, too!

@Mrs. S thank you for such a thoughtful comment! I have a definitive style and do appreciate finer things. With 3 kids and 1 more coming in a few months, I’ve had to make adjustments In our home and my style for the comfort and safety of the kids. Scratches on leather, fingerprints on walls, and toys everywhere is just a part of our world right now. I try not to get mad because I know I will miss it one day! purchasing this kitchen was impulsive as I wanted high-end but we have been talking about moving so I didn’t want to spend 80k+ on my dream kitchen, but at the same time didnt want to sacrifice quality for cost. Now that we have this, I don’t want to leave...yet! The kids love eating they breakfast at the peninsula and it is so cute to see them lined up there! it just worked out!!! Hoping to help my mom redo her kitchen using Renovation Angel too...we’ll see!!

@taliaferro my contractor of course took up most of the budget, but he also painted other rooms for me and redid a half bath. That being said, I never sat down and tallied up the entire cost, although I should!! I will say it was under 40k and I have no complaints! They did an amazing job. We were going to change windows but my contractor convinced us to nix the idea since the Anderson windows we had already were fine. I would’ve changed the style of them, but we also saved 10k by keeping what we had! So I can live with them :)

@Kat M @Rebekah L the bunny is for Easter! Ours is May 2nd ;) There are a lot more bunnies in the kitchen now keeping her company...shes not alone anymore! 🐰

Congrats on a beautiful kitchen based on good taste, common sense, & reality - no small feat!

Forgive me if this has already been discussed but what it the paint color on your cabinets? It’s beautiful!

Your kitchen turned out beautifully! I didn't expect the wow factor I got when I looked at your completed kitchen. The Taj Mahal really pulls it together. I hope you and your family have many happy moments there.

@jaxkats I hope you see this comment on your old thread. I’ve just purchased a kitchen from Renovation Angel as well; like your yours, it has a lot of custom millwork details; but unlike your project, mine is going into a 125 year old church-turned home that was mostly stripped of it’s architectural detail, so I am looking forward to all the fancy bobs and bits dressing up the place. I’m writing to ask you about the contractor, and although I know your project was in New York, mine is in PA. I need someone who can deal with all of the fancy trimwork that I am hoping to find a way to reuse, who can also cut down one cabinet and make some end panels, and I am having trouble finding someone willing to take on this project. Like you, I got a super deal on the cabinets, countertops, and appliances, but I can’t have this project sitting and taking up the entire garage forever…it snows a lot there and I need my car to be under a roof! I am afraid of how much it will cost, but have the money for the project anyway. Property values are low where this is going to go in, so buying a brand new kitchen just didn’t make sense. Who would put a $70,000.00 kitchen in a house only worth twice that! Besides, I need all new windows, siding, roof, etc. too. Anyway, I would appreciate any advice about the process. Your kitchen came out great!!! Hope to hear from you, and @taliaferro too!

hey there! 😊 first off, congrats on the new cabinets! sounds like you scored a sweet deal with Renovation Angel. okay, so cream instead of white with little kiddos running around? totally get you, way easier to keep looking clean. 🧼 now about those custom millwork and scrolls, they’ve got a classic vibe, for sure. it really depends on what kinda look you're going for. if you're vibing with a more modern feel, the scrolls might feel a bit out of place. but if you’re cool with a traditional touch, they could add some unique character to your space. 🍽 with new counters, backsplash, and all that jazz on the way, it could be a good chance to mix the old with the new. think transitional style. 🎨 and that 36” Wolf range top is gonna be a stunner, no doubt! maybe try to visualize the whole setup together, or hey, even use some design app to mock it up before you decide. sometimes seeing it can make a huge difference. 👀 if you end up thinking the scrolls are too much, you can always keep it sleek and simple. but remember, your kitchen, your rules! if you love 'em, rock 'em. at the end of the day, you want a space that makes you happy every time you walk in. 😌 don’t stress too much, follow your gut, and enjoy your kitchen reno adventure! 🛠️ looking forward to seeing what you decide. cheers! 🥂

Diane, when I was doing research for my own kitchen renovation in 2018, I remember being impressed by how many cabinetry companies and individual cabinet makers were located in Pennsylvania. A number of people here at Houzz recommend checking with the large Amish community in Pennsylvania for custom cabinetry work. Surely someone in Pennsylvania, given the large cabinetry commerce that takes place there, would be willing to take on your installation project if you continue to search locally. New York would be quite far to travel for a worker for as many days as you will need help, so I would definitely focus on trying to find someone in your hometown.