Why I’m Still Swooning Over My Award Winning California Kitchen
HELLO AGAIN, FRIENDS!
We are still here in Utah and we still love it. But one thing I really miss about moving away from California is my kitchen. I miss the cabinetry, the quartz counter tops, and of course, my appliances! For countless months, I’ve been day dreaming about its design, layout, function and finishes.
And as it was awarded the Best Small Kitchen by the NKBA So Cal Chapter 2017, I think you can understand why.
The funny thing is – you would think that after designing hundreds of kitchens for other people I would know exactly what to pick for myself without hesitation, right?! Quite the contrary.
I see so many products make their debut in the design industry day in and day out that it actually made my decision that much harder when it came time to remodeling my own kitchen. When you have so much to choose from, analysis paralysis is sure to ensue.
So, to give a nod to nostalgia, I thought it would be fun to walk you through my own kitchen renovation I completed in California {and discuss what I miss most about it.} There’s SO many details to cover, and I want to highlight what I think are the most interesting. But if you want even more details of how I got from point A to B, comment below and let me know! I’ll write another post to divulge even more
FIRST LET’S TAKE A PEEK AT THE BEFORE!
When we first bought the house, we inherited the original 1984 kitchen. {Not a good look.} It was almost impossible to cook in the kitchen, from the lack of counter space to the lack of storage — it was my least favorite room in the house.
The above picture was taken on the floor demo day before we moved in. At that time, me and my hubby were juggling the responsibility of taking care of our newborn, and I really didn’t want to live in the house with tile in the main room.
AWARD WINNING BEST SMALL KITCHEN REVEAL
Humble brag: My kitchen was also featured in the California Home and Design Magazine!
WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
1) My Appliances
Do you see that gorgeous range?! I was so sad when my husband said we had to leave some of the appliances when we moved….He thought it was the right thing to do so I made him promise me we would buy new ones as soon as we were able.
The range was a Kitchen Aid Slide in convection range with a steam feature. I will link the models that we had….let me start with the burners, It has five burners, which is rare for a standard 30” wide range. The center burner was perfect for boiling a small pot of water for tea, gravy, etc.
There was a griddle accessory that we purchased and I highly recommend, it fit nicely over two of the burners. We used it daily, for quesadillas, tortillas, grilled cheese sandwiches etc.
The self cleaning feature was awesome as well! Check it out the slide in range here.
2) The Microwave
I love the look of a traditional stainless steel hood, but when you are short on storage space as it is and you don’t want the microwave to take up valuable counter space, a micro hood is a viable option. This microwave not only heats up coffee and pops popcorn, it bakes, steams, and roasts as well. I have used it to bake cookies, and pizza when the oven is in use. Also, I used it religiously to cook bacon to a delicious crisp! There is also an accessory that we purchased that allows you to steam veggies. Totally worth the splurge and I bet the new homeowners are loving it!
Check out the micro hood here.
Just like Whirpool also makes Kitchen Aid, Delta makes Brizo, their higher end product.
3) My Touch Faucet
Thankfully we have a replacement Brizo touch faucet and the day we move into our new house you best believe that faucet is getting installed. Brizo has such beautiful, modern finishes and styles to choose from there is something for everyone. The faucet I picked had a transitional (traditional mixed with moden) feel to it, but bordering a little more on the traditional side with it’s details. I will also link the style I picked below.
This touch faucet was battery powered using AA batteries. Our busy family used it constantly so we had to change out the batteries twice a year. It was so convenient and easy to use that my children also loved it. If you are a busy cook in the kitchen I would highly recommend investing in this. Have chicken on your hands? No problem, just tap any part of the faucet and water will come out. I will do a video on this when we move into our new casa. =)
View the brizo faucet here.
4) My Cambria Torquay Countertops
I can do a whole blog post about counter tops, but I will keep this short and sweet. I lived with tile counters for about 6 years before we remodeled and having a solid surface to work on without having to worry about cleaning grout made me feel so spoiled. Now that we are renting and there is granite in this kitchen, I still believe 100% in quartz counter tops. Unlike granite, quartz is non porous and much easier to maintain.
