Kitchen Renovation part 3: The installation and reveal

We finally made it! After 14 months in our home, we have completed our kitchen renovation*

*(full disclosure - there is still more to come! I haven't installed a backsplash behind the sink or shelves yet, but for the purposes of this post, let's call the kitchen DONE!)

And, if you missed the first two posts in this series, you can check them out here:

Part 1, The demo

Part 2, The prep

Or, if you are just here for the kitchen sources, no worries - scroll on down to find them all compiled at the end of this post, or click here!

Cabinet ordering and installation

Technically, cabinet ordering was part of the "prep" process of our kitchen reno, but I want to chat about it here, because it was SUCH a process after all. And, it gets it's own section because cabinets really are what MAKE a kitchen, right?!

Was selecting cabinet boxes based on my measurements, and ordering said cabinets, easy? Yes. Very. The team at Lowe's made this process very simple, and with installation, our cabinets cost $8,600 (about $1,500 of that was installation). But, this is about where the "easy" and fun and exciting ended when it comes to the cabinets, if I'm being honest with you.

Our cabinets came already painted and built, complete with soft-close hinges, so I felt the price was fair and a pretty good deal considering most custom cabinets end up being painted on site, which can be messy or a hassle in a home with furniture and fur babies already inside, or built upon delivery -- all of which can be costly.

Still, a few pieces came damaged (which Lowe's was great about replacing), but that meant shipping delays. I was also told by the Lowe's team that once the cabinets arrived, installation would happen in roughly two weeks. Unfortunately, our local stores use only one company to install all of the Lowe's kitchen projects, and while the cabinets were delivered April 12, we weren't on the schedule until June 3, which was not what was communicated to me.

I was so bummed. Luckily, I stayed in communication with the cabinet installation company and they were able to install a little early, and all of the cabinet boxes were installed by May 27. Still we needed to wait for our farmhouse sink to be installed into the sink base before countertop measurements could take place. The sink installation actually fell off our installer's calendar altogether, something no one realized until the original date of June 3 came and went. Not to mention, we were still waiting on a few replacements that were a little banged up, and our lazy Susan shelves.

Key takeaway on the cabinets: I do love them. The color is phenomenal for an in-stock color. My qualms: Luxxe is a new company and may still be figuring out proper shipping to prevent damages, and if you are ordering from your local Lowe's store and planning to use their installers, do so with caution. Ask the right questions, and if your project completion will be at the mercy of other teams working together, get timelines for install in writing and be sure the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. If your cabinets are able to be delivered in perfect condition and your local installer is running on time, you should be in good shape, and I'd ultimately recommend these cabinets.

Everything coming together

Before I go into the rest of the installation process (which was fairly seamless, thankfully!), here is what the order of operations for our installation actually looked like:

Lighting: Sometime in early April

Island: April 29

Refrigerator and range: May 2

Cabinets and hardware: May 27

Sink base, cabinet replacements: June 13

Countertops: July 25 (the delay here was totally on me - I was super indecisive about which cabinet company to go with!)

Pot filler and faucet: July 26

Shelves: July 26

Dishwasher (was on backorder): July 28

Hood: mid-September (I took my time ordering the perfect hood with Hoodsly!)

While the cabinets weren't completely installed until sometime in June, we actually chose to order our appliances for delivery before then, only because our stove was awful and the old fridge was leaking! Our appliances cost us about $5,600 (this includes the range, fridge and dishwasher).

Our electricians came back to trim out our lighting and outlets first, which included installing our pendants ($400), and sconces ($150).

We are so fortunate that many brands jumped in to support and partner with us during this renovation. Our island set was delivered next, which was gifted to us from Room & Board! Our Amherst Kitchen Island and Afton Barstools are some of my favorite parts about our kitchen.

I selected a local kitchen and bath company to cut and install our countertops and backsplash behind the range. I chose Misterio Quartz by Pompeii. On the countertops, I have ZERO regrets. They are my absolute favorite part of our kitchen and I could see myself choosing this specific stone in the future if I can. The countertops and quartz backsplash with installation cost $7,600.

The plumber then came out to install our sink faucet, and when I say I cried when he mounted our pot-filler onto our backsplash, I mean I bawled. It was such an out-of-body experience seeing my design and vision come to life. Both our faucets, along with our sink basin and cabinet knobs and pulls were gifted from Signature Hardware.

Matthew and I then installed our shelves, which are the white oak floating shelves from Ultra Shelf in natural stain.

Finally, we installed our raw wood hood and Zline insert from Hoodsly, which cost about $1,800 total with a 30% discount (they run sales often so check it out!), and the whole room came together. It felt magical. I limewashed the hood, and when I *eventually* install our brick backsplash on the wall adjacent to the hood, I'd love to use the same limewash treatment to tie the two elements together.

Jump to kitchen sources

And now, some of my favorite photos of our kitchen:

The total cost

If you are keeping track, our new kitchen, from demo to finished reno, cost us just under $36,000. I anticipate the backplash costing about $600 in materials, and I'll be doing the installation myself.

Because I want to be realistic with sharing costs here, the total we'd have spent including the items that were gifted to us is $46,200.

What do you think? Worth it to have this beautiful space? We honestly use this room so much. As you can probably tell from my blog, I love to cook. And, we've had so many small gatherings with friends and family since finishing this project.

One final before and after for you...

What would I do differently? I'd probably learn to install the cabinets ourselves, or would order countertops and cabinets from the same company (I've realized that a kitchen is far more usable when both are installed at the same time -- shocking, right?! -- and many cabinet builders and installers work closely/partner with local stone fabricators that can install your countertops as soon as the next day). It's all a learning process!

Otherwise, I am so happy with our kitchen and wouldn't change a thing! Any questions I haven't answered? Let me know in the comments!

Kitchen sources:

Cabinets: Luxxe Cabinets from Lowe's in Blended Cream

Countertops: Misterio Quartz by Pompeii

Appliances: Kitchenaid, from Best Buy

Kitchen island: Amherst Island from Room & Board, in walnut and light grey Quartz

Kitchen barstools: Afton barstools from Room & Board in Tatum Oatmeal

Pendant lights: West Elm and no longer sold, but I've sourced a similar option!

Sconces: Amazon

Hood: Hoodsly, raw wood, sloped with trim (psst. Use my code jessicalynsmith for 10% off if you are in the market for a hood!)

Shelves: Ultra Shelf, white oak shelves in natural stain

Cordless roman shades: Chicology, in Belgian Flax