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Guest Cottage Kitchen Renovation


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    Cottage Kitchen Renovation – Cottage kitchen featuring gray cabinets, soapstone like quartz, white tile backsplash and brass accents.

    Today I am finally spilling the beans about the Guest Cottage Kitchen Renovaiton. I showed you the kitchen accessories in my previous post. But today, let’s take a step back to see the entire picture.

    As usual, let’s check out what we started with…

    BEFORE –

    wooden cottage kitchen

    AFTER –

    A kitchen with wooden cabinets and a dining room table

    Disclaimer: The post may contain affiliate links. This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a commission on purchases you make through the link. Click on the BOLD links.

    What should be your first step in a Cottage Kitchen Renovation project?

    The first thing that we did when we began this renovation was to demolish the area.

    kitchen reno progress

    The goal was to see the room without all the cabinets in disrepair and the gross counters. It allowed us to more accurately measure the space to make our initial plans. It was time to figure out the new cabinet layout.

    kitchen window with gray cabinets and black countertops

    To maximize my view, I knew that I would also want to remove the upper cabinets and replace them with a bigger window. New windows and doors made an enormous difference.

    gray cabinets, soapstone looking quartz, white backsplash tile and brass accents

    In place of a cupboard, I used a shelf that was inexpensive from Target. This shelf was perfect for this location. It was a good decision to first hang the tile and then to wrap it in tiles to add extra stability.

    Find kitchen cabinets in your locality

    Ikea cabinets are hard to come by at the moment. In order to save money, we began looking for places with in-stock cabinetry.

    Cottage Kitchen Renovation gray cabinets, soapstone looking quartz, white backsplash tile and brass accents

    Following a date spent in Lowe’s, Home Depot and Lowe’s we chose to go with the Wintucket Line. As I planned to paint the entire house white, I decided that a contrast between the cabinets and the panels would look nice. The cabinets also gave off a cottage-like vibe.

    white paneled walls, black countertops, gray cabinets in kitchen with black table and wood chairs

    The cabinets were ordered and delivered within a week. They are great so far. It’s not as good quality as the cabinets we use in our house, but they are perfect for this space.

    What type of countertop did you use?

    This cottage kitchen remodel saved us a lot of money by using cabinets that were already in stock. It was obvious that I wanted to spend more on my countertops. I was looking for something classic and durable that could withstand guests, children, or future renters. The idea of soapstone was appealing, but I didn’t want to deal with its maintenance.

    black soapstone countertops with gray cottage style cabinets and black kitchen faucet.

    The quartz countertops I bought look like soapstone. Silestone makes the counters in Charcoal, Soapstone with a Suede Finish. This isn’t a matte finish but it’s also not completely glossy. They are amazing.

    soapstone counter top with brass hardware and white tile sample

    Backsplash tile

    After the counters had been installed, it was my turn to tile. It’s a hobby of mine to tile, so I was eager to take on this project. Any day I would prefer a tiling or wet saw project to installing wallpaper. The look I chose was classic and cottage-like. The Cloe tile in white from Bedrosian was cut into a 4-inch square.

    guest cottage kitchen renovation gray cabinets, soapstone looking quartz, white backsplash tile and brass accents

    It was a great idea to use an offset pattern. The way the design turned out is amazing. It still needs a top trim piece. This is on my long list of things to do for the renovation.

    For a vintage look, add brass accents

    Brass accents and a touch of black were added to my cottage vintage look. Signature Hardware antique brass knobs really added to the appeal of this cabinet.

    gray kitchen cabinets with black countertops and brass hardware with walnut floating shelf

    Task lighting can be achieved by installing brass sconces on the top of the window.

    Cottage Kitchen Renovation Gray and White Kitchen with soapstone counters and brass sconces and hardware

    What about the appliances?

    We didn’t really need to buy a complete kitchen package since this space is mostly a guest room/my office. Since the very beginning, I imagined this vintage-looking fridge.

    White paneled walls, vintage look fridge, dark walnut floors, gray trim

    The perfect size to fit in a small kitchen. In my previous post, I also mentioned that we chose to use a small oven instead of the full-size one.

    Cottage Kitchen Renovation gray cabinets, soapstone quartz counter tops, white Cloe tile backsplash

    It is possible to add an oven if you feel the need. Also, we skipped the dishwasher. This kitchen cupboard will be used to house the toaster and microwave. That’s another thing on the punch list. You don’t need to finish the trim when you can hang art on your walls and make a statement. 🙂

    Island vs. Eat-in Kitchen

    We re-planned the space several times before deciding to try to fit a small kitchen island. We decided that an eating area in the kitchen with a small table would be best.

    White paneled walls, vintage look fridge, dark walnut floors, gray trim

    The flexible seating allows for 3 seats instead of 2.

    white paneled walls, black countertops, gray cabinets in kitchen with black table and wood chairs

    Kitchen Storage

    Although 80% of my cabinets were still empty, I thought that it would be great to have another storage option. Target had this beautiful black cabinet. It balances the dark counters perfectly. This also matches all of my black accents throughout the cottage.

    Cottage Kitchen Renovation Gray and White Kitchen with soapstone counters and brass sconces and hardware black glass cabinet

    There you have it, our complete Cottage Kitchen Renovation! It’s 95% done.

    BEFORE –

    old dark paneled kitchen with fall apart cabinets from the 1950's

    DEMO –

    cottage renovation progress demoed kitchen

    DESIGN BOARD –

    Cottage Kitchen Design Board

    AFTER –

    Cottage Kitchen Renovation Gray and White Kitchen with soapstone counters and brass sconces and hardware

    It’s one of the most fulfilling projects I’ve worked on. I  doubted myself a bit that we would pull this off, but it really is the sweetest kitchen space now. It’s such a great project to go from dark and gross, to bright and light!

    Gray and White Kitchen with soapstone counters and brass sconces and hardware


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