Hello hello friends! Wow, it’s been almost a full year since we renovated our cozy coastal kitchen. Time flies when you’re having fun!! I figured now seemed like the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on the entire process. If you missed my first post sharing all about my cozy coastal kitchen reno, check it out here! Keep reading to find out my honest reflection on my coastal kitchen renovation!

Photo credit: Mindy Briar unless otherwise specified.

For those who are new around here, this was my first renovation and thankfully it turned out better than I could have ever imagined! No one prepares you for the countless decisions you’ll have to make along the way. Doing the kitchen and master bathroom renovations simultaneously was double the fun & double the stress!

As much as I love a good DIY, there was no way I would have been able to do these renovations without a licensed general contractor. I spent a lot of time researching and meeting with contractors until I finally found the right match! I’ve never been speed dating, but that’s kind of what this process felt like to me.

My biggest piece of advice for any first-timers here, don’t settle! The right contractor is out there for you, your project, and your budget.

Remember, this is YOUR home and you’re the one left living in it after the renovation is done. If for some reason your contractor and/or designers try to steer you in a direction that you aren’t feeling, say something!

What I would do differently…

Not much! I love this kitchen so much more than I could have ever imagined. Does that sound silly? Maybe! But this kitchen is wayyyy more than just a place to eat. It represents my success in designing a gorgeous space and making this house a home.

So here’s what I would do differently…If I could go back, I would move the cabinet with the trash bin closer to the sink. For the record, this is totally my fault. When I was handed the cabinet layout to approve, I didn’t take as close of a look as I should have. Honestly, I didn’t really know what to look for!! Lesson learned… If I had studied the layout closer I would have realized the trash bin was a bit far from the sink. Oops! [File under: Champagne Problems]

And that folks, is it! I really can’t think of anything else I would have done differently!

Choices I’m So Glad I Made

I wanted to make sure I highlighting some of the choices I was on the fence about, but am SO glad I made. Especially for any first-timers out there, I think this section will be really helpful for you! Take notes! (Kidding…well, kinda…) For instance, I dreamed of having gorgeous and dainty lucite/acrylic cabinet pulls, but instead went with much more affordable and durable gold cabinet pulls. This was a huge money-saver and I love how sturdy they are!

I opted not to spend the extra $$$ on under cabinet lighting. As much as I like the look of it, it didn’t seem worth the extra hefty price tag. I ended up finding stick-on under cabinet lighting and they’re great! The lights are battery operated and you turn them on and off with a remote.

I’m so glad I stuck with my gut on the Café Appliances. I was a little worried that as pretty as they were, they wouldn’t preform. Let me just say, that is NOT the case at all! These appliances are amazing! I can’t recommend them enough! Learn more about them & my experience picking them out at County TV & Appliance here!

The scallop tile backsplash. I’m SO happy I didn’t go with subway tile (as much as I love it!), this scallop tile was the perfect choice for this home. Chances I use it in a future renovation? Pretty dang high!

Subtle countertops… at first I picked out a marble-esque quartz countertop with really bold veining. At the last moment I changed my mind and swapped out the bold countertop for the quartz I’d picked for the master bathroom. Thank goodness! I think the bold veining in the other quartz countertop would have been a bit too busy for this cozy kitchen. The countertop we have instead has very subtle veining.

For a quick minute I considered putting real marble in this kitchen… well, it’s a good thing I didn’t. Not only would it have cost a bit more, but it also would have been harder to maintain. You can bet I’ll have real marble countertops in my forever home though, so stay tuned!

And that’s a wrap folks. This kitchen will be hard to one-up, but if you know me at all, you know I love a good challenge! Stay tuned because I have a feeling there may be another kitchen reno in my future… hint hint…