Kitchen Inspiration Board
HHello, friends! I hope your week is off to a great start. As I mentioned in my last post about my new kitchen wall sconces, I’ve been finalizing decisions and waiting for one final cabinet to arrive. When that piece comes, the real transformation of my kitchen can begin. I’m not usually patient, but it will be worth the wait.
Clearly, other people are eager, too. I’ve received emails like this:
“Please let us see what you are planning for your kitchen…..this is taking too long!” –anxious reader
Totally understandable. I try to keep you updated on decisions so you can follow along. If you’re new here or missed previous posts, check the kitchen project category for the full series. To help you visualize where things are headed, here’s my inspiration board—making a design board is a great way to gather ideas when you’re planning a room makeover. This one was created in Polyvore.
One important constraint: I’m keeping the existing hickory floors, which you can see reflected on the inspiration board. Because I’m not changing the floors, their color and grain are a non-negotiable starting point for the rest of the design.
Do you ever think of your floors as one of the room’s patterns?
Floor grain and countertop veining are often called “movement” in design. My hickory has a prominent grain, which helps guide the palette and textures I choose. The light wood with deeper brown grain is a major factor in choosing cabinet colors, tile, and accents.
In my previous house I used wood counters to balance tile floors. Here, most of the natural wood will remain on the floor, though I may consider a wood-topped island if the budget allows. I’ll share more about how the floors influenced the rest of the design in a future post.
I decided on white subway tile for the walls. Subway tile is economical and timeless, so it feels like a safe long-term choice. I could have chosen glass or a colored or heavily patterned tile, but simple white subway tile feels fresh and unlikely to date quickly. The subway tile will run as a backsplash and continue around the kitchen walls.
My cabinets will be two-toned. The upper cabinets above the baking counter and refrigerator will be white, and the lower cabinets—the majority—will be a medium brownish-gray (you can see a sample on the inspiration board). That hue may still change slightly, but the two-tone plan will create contrast and keep the kitchen feeling light and grounded.
The subway tile will extend up the wall, and I’m considering open shelving near the sink to display colorful dishes. The upper white cabinets and the tile will help the space feel bright, while the darker lower cabinets will add depth.
I’ve chosen a traditional apron-front sink with a slightly modern edge and a matching faucet. It’s similar in style to the sink and faucet I had in my previous kitchen—classic with a contemporary touch. Those fixtures will keep the look cohesive and functional.
The ventilation hood will resemble the one from my old kitchen, just a bit smaller in scale. I’ll provide more specifics on the exact hood in a later update.
For appliances, the hood is the only new one I’m planning to install; the existing dishwasher and stove will stay for now. I would love to replace the stove and fridge, but the budget won’t allow it at this time.
On the styling front, the inspiration board includes colorful dishes and a compact coffee brewer. I hope to incorporate an open shelf to the right of the sink for those dishes and create a coffee station on the counter to free up space in the baking area.
What about countertops?
I won’t reveal the full details just yet—more on that in my next kitchen update. I will say the countertops are in shades of white, and I’m very excited about how they’ll look. I’ll share materials and photos once everything is installed.
So can you picture it so far?
Thanks for following along. I’ll post another update as soon as the cabinet arrives and more pieces fall into place. In the meantime, I’d love to hear which elements you’re most excited to see come together.