I am so excited to finally show you our kitchen renovation that we have been working on for the last couple of months. Even when we first bought our townhome, we always knew we were going to do some renovations to the kitchen.
Before The Renovation
![Chicago townhome renovation before photo](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/10543630_6_0-1024x683.jpg)
![Chicago townhome renovation before photo](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/10543630_8_0.jpg)
The kitchen is located in the back of our townhome next to the door that leads to our back patio. It’s a tight space and we knew right away we’d need to maximize the space for more storage. We also didn’t love the style of the kitchen (cherry wood cabinets, granite countertops, wall color, stainless steel sink). It just felt a little outdated and didn’t fit our aesthetic.
What We Kept
![Chicago townhome kitchen renovation. Showing stove, new cabinets and new brezzo sink](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-2-731x1024.jpg)
![Chicago townhome kitchen renovation. The kitchen sink, marble herringbone marble backsplash, brezzo faucet and quartz counters decorated with baked goods and fruits.](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-7-2-819x1024.jpg)
We worked with the small space and kept pretty much the same layout. We extended the kitchen area to the other side of the back door as well (will talk about that below).
The cabinetry itself was in great shape, so in the name of sustainability, we took the existing cherry wood cabinets (shaker I believe) and sanded them down. We painted them with Sherman Williams “Sea Salt”. It’s this really beautiful grey / white color with a hint of blue / green in it. Depending on where you stand and where the sun is shining, it pulls a different color – I love it! This paint color is in the Emerald Paint Family, which is the highest quality category. We wanted a high-quality paint because the kitchen is a very active area. It needs to hold up to touching and steam and oils, etc from the kitchen.
We changed the hardware to something more unique and feminine that complimented the grey cabinets. You won’t believe where we got these from… Home Depot! Such a good, price-friendly find! You can shop them below.
We also kept our existing appliances. We really wanted the GE Cafe line, but due to backorder issues, we decided to skip it.
The Kitchen Renovation
![Kitchen renovation coffee and liquor bar with new cabinetry and custom floating sleeves](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-12-819x1024.jpg)
![Custom floating shelves with lower cabinets and quartz countertops. Coffee and liquor bar](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-13-684x1024.jpg)
We really wanted to maximize the space, so we extended the kitchen area to the other wall by adding custom floating shelves and more lower cabinetry. The floating shelves extend into the living room, which really helps tie the two rooms together. This is one of my favorite parts of the kitchen renovation because we get so much use out of it. We store our Nespresso machine and Soda Stream over there, as well as our coffee mugs. We also store cocktail supplies, like glasses and bottle openers, and liquor and wine. This add-on really helped us declutter the original kitchen area because it added so much more storage.
![Brizo Gold Faucet in renovated kitchen](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-6-1024x1024.jpg)
![chicago townhome kitchen renovation showcasing Brizo faucet](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-11-1024x1024.jpg)
The faucet is the star of the kitchen. We went with Brizo, a luxury faucet and fittings brand known for distinctive design and fell in love with the Litze SmartTouch Pull-Down Faucet in Luxe Gold. Not only is it aesthetically beautiful, but it’s also really innovative. It can turn on and off with a simple touch to the faucet body, spout or handle.
![Beautiful chicago townhome kitchen renovation. Featuring newly painted cabinets, quartz countertops and high end brizo faucet](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-10-1024x684.jpg)
![Beautiful renovated kitchen with natural stone herringbone porcelain tile. Quartz countertop decorated with woven basket and fruit](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-3-731x1024.jpg)
![Kitchen Reno Showcasing quartz counter tops, gold metal stools and Brizo faucet](https://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gallery-8-1-684x1024.jpg)
We replaced the original granite countertops with a simple, yet classic quartz. Quartz is super durable, less expensive than marble, and is much easier to keep stain-free.
We also removed the existing backsplash, which ended up being a pain, but we’re glad we did it. It looked like the previous owners didn’t properly apply the backsplash, so removing it wasn’t pretty. The backsplash we chose to replace it was a beautiful herringbone porcelain. Because it was a natural stone (with individual tiles), it required a lot of hands-on work. We decided to install them counter to ceiling, which I think makes the space looker taller!
We changed out the kitchen sink from a stainless steel one to a white Kohler sink. Simple, tasteful, and timeless.
Finally, we repainted the walls from a beige/brown to a grey/white. The color we chose was “Cool Grey” by Valspar Signature Collection!
Replacing the countertops and changing the paint colors on the cabinets and walls really brightened up the entire space. I feel like it looks bigger, more inviting, and much more our style.
Let me know in the comments what you think!
If you like this renovation, make sure to check out our Nursery Reveal – here.
![signature signature](http://andreeabolbea.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/andreea-signature.png)
What do you think?