Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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A White Kitchen With Green Glass Mosaic Backsplash Tile

We loved Stacy’s kitchen makeover, not only because it’s beautiful (and a huuuuuuge improvement over the original) but also because we thought it was a great example of balance. Stacy found out where she could eke out the most savings and took her time figuring out what she could do herself (and where she needed a little help). And the fact that her new kitchen appraised for… well, we’ll just let her tell you the story:

Hi John and Sherry, I waited about a year after I bought this house before I started re-doing the kitchen. It gave me time to save up, live with the space to see what it needed, and figure out what I wanted. I quickly realized that the original kitchen was majorly lacking in counter space. It was hard to find a place to cut vegetables. I basically ended up using the kitchen table to prep food!

Stacy Before Full

Also, the corner cabinets were placed so that the doors didn’t fully open and you couldn’t see what was inside. The fan didn’t work very well, so a lot of times the second floor of the house smelled like what we ate for dinner. Let’s not even talk about the gross linoleum floors. The one good thing is that the appliances were all in decent shape.

Stacy Before Fails

I work full time and also am getting my MBA part time, so spare time is very limited. I went through a contractor for the demo and installation (took about three weeks for everything), but I did the designing of the floor plan and picked all the finishes myself. I took a risk and changed the floor plan completely. I moved the refrigerator over into the dining area and created a pantry area. This let me extend the countertops into a U shape. What a difference!! Three people can now work in the kitchen at once.

Stacy After Full

I saved a lot of money by re-using the existing appliances. Although I really wanted stainless appliances, these white ones still worked well and have a few years left in them. I also saved money by finding deals on a lot of the finishes. The vent hood, hardware, and cabinets are from Ikea. I assembled them and the contractor hung them. The backsplash was a really reasonable find as well (from Home Depot).

Stacy After Shelves

You inspired me to include open shelving, so I re-used the open shelves I had in the previous bar area. This also saved money that I would’ve spent on additional cabinets. The sink was also a major online bargain as well as the faucet and soap pump. I really love how the kitchen turned out. I had an appraisal done for my refinance and I recouped 100% of my costs of the reno in added value to the house. Really added a cherry on top to the whole project! Hope you enjoy! – Stacy

Stacy After Sink

Can I just say one of my favorite decisions in the whole kitchen is not just the backsplash, but the direction of the backsplash? The vertical orientation is such a nice touch. Makes that Home Depot tile look so much more custom! Nice choice Stacy. Thanks so much for sharing! We love all the cost-saving details and that you took a chance and moved the whole layout around to make it a lot more functional (and recoup all of the money you spent). What about you guys. What’s your favorite part?

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner, so click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

  1. Carla says

    Lovely design. Very sweet and simple. I adore the YHL website, but feel their kitchen is too blocky and choppy with their gorgeous hidden and lots of protruding corners. Yours is very fresh and welcoming, and I especially love the contrast of the wood element for balance. Nicely done.

    Reply

  2. Jill says

    Good job! It looks beautiful!

    We remodeled our kitchen last fall and bought white appliances. They were the same price as the stainless, but I like the white better! To me, stainless looks heavy in an all white kitchen.

    Reply

  3. Tiffany S. says

    I could totally live with white appliances. I have stainless now because they came with the house, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me to not have them. This is beautiful. I love the grey counters with the white cabinets.

    Reply

  4. Tatyana says

    Amazing! What a difference.
    We are in the middle of a kitchen reno and living with the empty space for so long is a bit a downer. Seeing kitchens like this gets me excited and motivated to get it all finished.

    Reply

  7. Suzanne says

    I turned plain subway tile that direction in my shower, and turned the accent strip that way as well. Very modern fun touch that I love – like her backsplash. Good Job!

    These Reader Redesigns are fun (although IMO a bit too many lately) but is there some way for better coordination with the people so they know when you are posting and to come answer questions?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We usually hear from folks on the day we post – although sometimes not within the first few hours since they’re at work. Maybe just check back tomorrow morning? As for our schedule, we share Reader Redesigns once a week (every 8-9 posts) since they’re back by popular demand (last year we stopped for a while and really missed them along with a lot of readers who requested them back). Last week we actually didn’t share one and got sad folks who were looking for it, so once a week is just a pace that works for us. Plus one project a week by someone else (often with great budget/source tips, a different style, & new finishes like this backsplash) allows us to share something big every week that might take us months to pull off ourselves AND gives us time to do our own projects to share throughout the week. So if we did fewer RRs we’d probably share fewer of our own projects too, since we’d have less time to tackle ’em. Hope that makes sense :)

      xo,
      s

    • Wendy says

      Love the frequency of the RR.

      I was one who now-not-so secretly missed the RR last week. I appreciate your balancing the posts and allowing us all to learn, while giving yourselves the time you need to do what you do (be it DIY, Clara, book, other..).

      Living with a husband who is a writer/grad student, I’m gently prodding him to take “Scott time” when he needs it.

      Sometimes the creative work is just intense! Time away is
      a good thing and much needed depending on the project! Perspective, one might call it. :-)

      Thank you for listening to your readers and yourselves!

      Keep up what works! We support you! :-)

  9. Stephanie N says

    Love the kitchen makeover! Love white cabinets, they look so clean!!

    Sherry, I just looked and you are #2 on the Amazon top 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Whaaaaa? We look and it says 8. That’s so funny. Maybe it’s a caching thing. Either way its TOTALLY CRAZY AND WE DON”T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH OURSELVES!

      xo,
      s

  11. Tahlia says

    STUNNING! So clean and bright! And you’re right, the direction of those tiles is awesome.
    Well done Stacy!

    Reply

  14. Nicole says

    This might just be my favorite RR ever… Nice work, Stacy!

    Also, I am SO EXCITED for you guys and your book success!! I just checked the Amazon Top 100 list and sure enough, you two are #8- CONGRATULATIONS! Seriously, I’m squirming in my seat doing a mini happy dance for you!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Nicole! It’s so crazy! We pretty much blacked out when we saw that Hunger Games was under us. Hahaha. We took screen grabs because we’re sure it’ll be fleeting but we’ll never forget it! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  15. Jenny says

    Amazing job and major snaps for managing it while working and going to school. Looks so light and pretty!

    Reply

    • Stacy says

      Thanks Jenny! It’s definitely rewarding to come home from the chaos to a nicely organized kitchen.

  17. Joanna says

    Stacy gets an A+! The before and after contrast is jaw dropping! I would love to see a photo from the other end of the kitchen to see how she fit the fridge in there.

    Reply

  21. Chad Raynes says

    We just redid our kitchen with these exact same ikea cabinets and backsplash! We used it horizontal, but I love the vertical layout too! We did go with stainless appliances and a tad darker countertop, but it’s basically the exact same thing! Without knowing exactly what she used, I am 99% sure those are akurum cabinets with “arctic ice” backsplash. Don’t know about the countertop though.

    Reply

  25. Kelsey says

    OH man! I clicked over to the giveaway post and when I saw “Kelsey” my heart skipped a beat! And then I realized it wasn’t me. No one else should be allowed to have my name! :) By the way, do you all notify the winner in a way other than posting it on the giveaway? I assume if someone wins, you email them or something, too. My almost-win today made me wonder. :)

    Reply

  26. Ann says

    I agree, please ask her to give more details about the fridge placement and general floor plan before and after. Love that tile!

    Reply

  28. Jen says

    We have the same faucet in our kitchen!! It is so sleek and I searched forever for it!

    Great idea turning he tile backsplash!

    Reply

  29. Ashlee says

    I love the white, gray, and teal color palette! This is off topic, but I had to mention that I saw the “pre order” book link on your blog! So excited! Can’t wait to order them for Christmas gifts for all the ladies in my family. We all love your blog and DIY!

    Reply

  30. Lynn says

    Great kitchen. Love the backsplash! Perfect timing for my kitchen redo…I’m using this vertical tile idea for sure!!

    Reply

  31. Heidi (hi-d) says

    Gorgeous!!! I love the added counter space and a spot for the microwave, up above. We have our microwave on a cart in our dining room, due to the limited counter space in our kitchen…

    Reply

  32. Meike says

    Wow, so beautiful! That backsplash tile is exactly what I have been looking for.
    Stacy, if you read this, could you pleeease let us know the brand and the name/number of the tile? Maybe I am lucky and I can get that brand here in Germany ; ) Thanx!

    Reply

  33. Anke says

    Wow, this is an amazing redesign that required a real vision! I find it hard to believe this is actually the same room. Well done!

    Reply

  34. Morag says

    Stainless has been starting to look dated for a few years already, so you are ahead of the game by keeping the white.

    Reply

  35. Jennifer says

    So refreshing to see someone hang on to their white appliances rather than automatically “upgrade” for ss. We did a budget kitchen reno three years ago and had to replace all the original (to 1968!!) appliances. I chose ss and really regret it. My appliances show every imperfection.

    I would love to see more pictures of Stacy’s layout, learn about the floors and countertops as well as get a budget breakdown. Love this kitchen.

    Reply

  36. Peggy McKee says

    Like many others, I’d love to see old vs. new floor plan. If featured renovator supplies it, could you please put it in a new post–not just have it as part of the comments where I’ll never find it? Many thanks.

    Reply

  37. Shannon says

    Would love to see the design layout for this kitchen. I’ve been messing around with the kitchen designer on ikea and just can’t get a good layout. Love this kitchen.

    Reply

  38. Lindsey says

    Any idea what the total cost was on this change up? Seems like a great example of an affordable kitchen re-do that I might be able to tackle in my house!

    Reply

  39. Kitty says

    Wow, it looks gorgeous. Stacy has an amazing vision for transforming that space. It looks so bright and clean.

    Personally I like the white appliances (there’s a reason we call them White Goods in the UK!) it contributes to the bright and crisp look.

    Definitely one of my favourite Reader Redesigns to date.

    Reply

  41. ani says

    In love with the countertops and backsplash… I wish she had told you the material/color/brand of the countertops!!

    Reply

  42. Amy R. says

    This kitchen looks great! I love the backsplash and bought the same tile to use in a client’s bathroom. Can you tell me what color of grout she used? I like how it’s not stark white and the color flows with the tile.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Amy, I didn’t even think about the grout! I just asked about the tile color/name but the grout type is important too! Good call. :)

    • Stacy says

      Hi Amy – I can’t remember the color of the grout :-(. I think it’s a pale grey…but can’t be certain. I was lucky to have a contractor that helped me pick!

  43. Amy says

    Hi there! I really love this kitchen- it was brave to change the layout but it ended up perfect! I’m just hoping that Stacy comes back and tells us the name of the backsplash tiles!! I’m a little obsessed with that color and the size? Perfect!! Thanks for such a great blog…I’m really looking forward to your book coming out!

    Reply

  45. Jen says

    She did a fantastic job! The renovated kitchen is so much more calm, serene and I breathe easier just looking at it compared to the original. Kudos to her for keeping her appliances a little longer to keep the cost down.

    That backsplash tile is gorgeous and really makes the room. I would love to see more pictures and here about the flooring and countertops.

    Congratulations, Stacy, great job!

    Reply

  50. Ashley says

    Wow, this is amazing! I totally thought her reno was the inspiration picture at first glance too. It’s always so refreshing to see a room go from dark and dreary to light and airy! & I love that countertop. Wondering what kind of stone that is?

    Reply

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