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Before and AfterRenovating my Housewhite kitchens

Maria’s Festive White Kitchen: Before & After

By 12/09/2012July 22nd, 201749 Comments

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Okay, okay, everyone is asking when I’m posting more pictures of my kitchen. Well I was waiting for my custom made bench and roman shades but the window coverings are delayed so you can thank the holidays for this glimpse.

The other day I found this image on Pinterest (above) so on the weekend I went out and picked up some garland for my kitchen window.

Here’s what our kitchen looked like when we took possession. The owners took out the uppers because at the time I wasn’t planning a full renovation but the upper cabinets definitely had to go. Check out the angled corners on the right hand doorway. Those I couldn’t live with for even two seconds.

Here is the empty room, you can see what the first colour was before the kitchen was painted yellow.

And here’s the same angle with my 3″ shaker style cabinets by Quality Cabinets in North Vancouver and my counter to ceiling off-white subway tile from Olympia Tile.  The Caesarstone countertop was fabricated by Spectrum Stone.

I love the little trees, it feels so festive in here now!

 My espresso maker didn’t make the cut in this image because I need a new one. I have my sugar, cream and the pot that I use to boil water on a tray. Anything on a tray always looks more organized and less like clutter. Love my upper shelving.

Photos by Maria Killam

Can you tell that the cherries are fake? Can’t get cherries this time of year!

I finished decorating my house this weekend so this week I’ll take more pictures to show you!

Have a wonderful week my lovelies! xo Maria

Related posts:

Quality Cabinets: Maria’s New White Kitchen

Maria’s Kitchen Details

Maria’s Kitchen Banquette Design

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49 Comments

  • Dana says:

    It’s beautiful, Maria. Love your selections!

  • Carol Anne says:

    so, so nice… I love the shelves over the tiles !

  • Joni Webb says:

    just beautiful! Maria = to take the yellow out – use saturation in your photoshop – either picasa or whatever you use. just lower the saturation and the yellow disappears. i do it with all my photos. email me if you need more help!

  • Elena says:

    Hi Maria! Just began following you and bought your new book! I am in the middle of building and struggling with design. It is hard to design and plan when I can not physically stand in the space. I love the white shelving and plan on doing something very similar in my kitchen. Where is the shelving from? Also, I read your post about knob finishes. Something I can not decide on. Does a certain finish go with a particular style? Should it match other finishes in the house? Thanks!!!

    • Maria Killam says:

      I would do chrome with a white kitchen because it’s sparkly. I will add your suggestion to my list of posts to write. Also the shelves and brackets were built by the cabinet manufacturer. Maria

  • Susan Seale says:

    What a happy, beautiful kitchen! Love it:)

  • Donna Frasca says:

    Don’t leave the eggs out too long! LoL, looks beautiful Maria XO

  • cathy Z says:

    Maria – it’s beautiful, so clean and fresh! Thanks for sharing. Was finally able to open the resend of the book, phew. Can you tell us a little more about those shelves? First where did you source them and second, I’m always curious how those get installed as it relates to the subway tile behind them. Thanks!

    • Maria Killam says:

      They are installed with screws right through the subway tile, the shelves were built by Quality Cabinets along with my cabinets. Maria

  • Mary says:

    Very pretty! Bet you love being in your new kitchen.
    Adore the little trees too. 🙂
    (and thank you for the book revision/upate!)
    Mary

  • Beth says:

    Beautiful kitchen Maria I was wondering what kind of countertop you have? I love marble but Im afraid I would worry about it too much and I don’t care for granite.

  • Simply elegant. Love the look of this timeless kitchen. I am also looking at the white tiles from Olympia tile what colour did you use? I am looking at several shades right now. I am looking at one called warm white, is yours called off white?. I am looking at putting the cambria Torqua counter or the cambria Waverton counters these are both a marble look counter and I am looking for the back splash. Thank you for the update on your book can’t wait to read it again. Enjoy your holidays with your family Maria.

  • Sharon says:

    What brand hood did you use? Looks great and I am looking for one.

  • Congratulatins Maria!!! You did a great job. Designing a kitchen is an art…you accomplished it by not filling every square inch of the walls with cabinets. Your focal point of the hood with the classic tiles is lovely…. Maria, thank you for the updated book. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  • Linda @ House of Chandler says:

    Maria,

    Your kitchen took my breath away. It’s so pretty and “fun”ctional. I would cook and bake like crazy in your kitchen. Merry Christmas to you and your family, and Blessings in the New Year.

    Linda

  • Beth Sears says:

    So beautiful Maria!!
    Enjoy your first Christmas in your new kitchen and thank you for continuing to share your talent with us!

  • What an amazing transformation, Maria. You should be so proud of yourself! What was someone thinking on that doorway?!

  • Love your new kitchen, Maria! So fresh and timeless, just like you 🙂

  • Lisa Sontag Kissee says:

    Like the way you reinvented the Pinterest pic to suit your style. Love the ceramic pots instead of the burlap
    wrapped trees. Ho Ho Ho

  • GaBi says:

    This is an example how talent and eye for detail can change something cold / this angled doorway like coming out from the box / for a very beautiful.
    Maria you definitely have a big talent. Enjoy your new kitchen

  • Love your decorating style Maria – organic, colourful and elegant. Thanks for sharing!

  • liz says:

    Beautiful…do you cook delicious things now?
    Did they make the shelves from wood?

  • Maria, it looks just lovely. The open concept shelving is perfect. I am so happy for you! Your first Christmas in your new home!
    Best to you and Merry, Merry!
    Ellen

  • LOVE IT! What a happy space! I know you will enjoy your new kitchen because it is so YOU! I received a Nespresso machine for my birthday last month and its fabulous. Easy to use with very little clean-up. The only downside it that you have to order their coffee, but it is terrific coffee. Maybe a Xmas gift to self???

  • Elara says:

    Looks lovely!!

  • Lisa says:

    Love the counter to ceiling tile with the shelves!

  • M says:

    Fantastic!!! More! More! When will we see more, from EVERY angle? Its so crisp and clean and I love how just a little bit of color from fruit or a kitchen towel really pops.
    I know my new kitchen will have white shaker cabs, subway tile and wood floors and figured a light color granite or quartzite, but after seeing this Caesarstone is certainly up for consideration.

  • Paula Van Hoogen says:

    I love those shelves and the way they frame the window! Everything’s so wonderful, clean & curvy…who would want to mess it up by cooking??
    haha…. Call the caterer—I’m on my way!

  • mrsben says:

    Wonderful transformation, Maria! Doesn’t remotely even look like the original kitchen.
    Agree with others, the little trees are adorable.
    Very festive! -Brenda-
    Footnote: Thank you again for the revised edition of your Ebook. Your generosity is sincerely appreciated. Shall definitely burn a copy in event my computer decides to crash some day. Also, did you receive my email regarding the composition of the first one? ie: Number of pages it took, printed format that I used, etc.

  • Janice says:

    Love the cupcake tower, can you tell me where I can get one?? Thanks!!

  • Fantastic job Maria! Congratulation!

  • Firoozeh says:

    Beautiful kitchen. Enjoy!

  • Kelly says:

    When we built our home almost a year ago, one of the things I debated about was if I should do a divided double sink or do a single deep one. I went with the 1 big one and have not been sorry! Especially this Christmas when I was able to soak the Turkey pan flat in there! It is great to soak casserole dishes etc.without having to prop them up against the side of the sink and scratching it. If I have some dishes on the counter and someone last minute comes over, you can hide them in that deep sink and nobody sees them! I believe you put one in Maria. Would you recommend it to people?

  • mairi says:

    Maria-can you please post the length and width of your kitchen? It looks very similar to ours and it would help to ‘see’ what will fit our space (14’x16′).
    Looking forward to the final kitchen reveal!

  • Erin says:

    It looks so great. I can’t wait to see more of the kitchen but I know you’re waiting until it’s all prettied up. I’ve seen you mention 3-inch Shaker cabinets a few times now. Can you tell me what the 3 inches refers to? Is it that the width of the outer rim (I don’t know what to call it … I don’t know my cabinet parts, but the Shaker part) is 3 inches?

  • Laura says:

    Hi Maria — It’s beautiful. So happy for you. Where did you buy the shelves?

  • Paula says:

    Love your white kitchen, Maria. Am in the process of redoing my kitchen, and wonder if your cabinets are about the same shade as your subway tile? It appears to be in the photo. I have white subway tile, and still need to choose paint color for cabinets and walls. Thanks!

  • Jen says:

    Love your kitchen! What color did you do your surrounding walls?

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