As soon as we bought the house, we knew we wanted to renovate the kitchen; it was our first major renovation project. We wanted a single, open-plan space for the kitchen, living, and dining room.
We started by defining our needs, the style of kitchen we wanted—which was a mix of minimalistic-pure, all while maintaining a certain balance with the house’s already existing country-chic, farmhouse vibe—and budget. Like I said, we knew we wanted to renovate the kitchen so we had set aside a budget just for that. Our maximum budget was $15,000 but we were hoping it would cost less.
OUR KITCHEN DESIGN AND 3D PLANS
We turned to Mathilde, an interior designer located in Trois-Rivières, but who also takes on clients in the Quebec and Montreal regions. We discovered her amazing work through Instagram.
On October 1, one week after moving into our new home, Mathilde came to meet us to discuss our tastes and desires, and take the measurements of our kitchen. Prior to this meeting, I had forwarded her inspo images of the style we were going for. During our initial meeting, she presented us with a document of how she imagined our future kitchen to look, based on our needs and preferences. She was very attentive to our demands and took the time to answer all our questions before coming up with our technical and 3D plans. I was adamant about having 3D plans drawn up so that we could really see what the final result would look like. Plus, it’s the best way to see if all the selected materials fit well together.
OUR KITCHEN BEFORE
THE 3D PLANS CREATED BY MATHILDE, OUR INTERIOR DESIGNER
Load-bearing wall, electricity, and window expansion
Any renovation project comes with its fair share of challenges and surprises. To remove the wall separating the living room from the kitchen, we needed to hire an engineer due to the fact that it was a load-bearing wall through which a major electric circuit passed. Because of that, we had to rewire all the electricity and add power to the new kitchen island. We also wanted a bigger window, therefore we expanded it by six inches—an added expense, as it had to be custom made, then installed.
THE MATERIALS
Renovating a kitchen requires you to choose materials for various elements, all while keeping your budget in mind. Such materials include: plumbing, electricity, cabinets (as well as organizational systems to help maximize your storage space), countertops, sinks, faucets, heated flooring, ceramic tiles, appliances, furniture (table and chairs), decorations, and accessories. When choosing your materials, always keep your finished look in mind. Even if you don’t plan on staying in your home more than 4 or 5 years, opt for high-quality materials; the kitchen is the most-used room in any home, so it’s definitely worth investing a little bit more.
THE CABINETS
We decided to opt for an IKEA kitchen because they offered the style of cabinets and handles we were looking for. Plus, their prices are affordable and we bought our kitchen during a promotion in which we received 20% cash back. We opted for white cabinets, very minimalistic, with a delicate trim. Made from wood fibres, with a plastic coating (minimum 90% recycled), and sheets of melamine, they’re classic and very easy to clean.
We wanted a contemporary, yet refined, kitchen with an overall inviting look. With the help of an IKEA kitchen designer, we were able to build our kitchen on their platform, all while basing ourselves off of Mathilde’s technical plans. We have ample storage thanks to the island, which we enlarged significantly, as well as our many drawers. The drawers are organized, hold lots of items, and are easy to manoeuvre. We also added a sliding system with soft-close hinges, which is super practical, especially if you plan on having kids!
Installation
When our order arrived, we counted 56 boxes in all! There was a lot of work to be done. My boyfriend called one of his friends to help; clearly I would not have had the patience to do what they did in the short amount of time it took them to do it! From assembling the cabinets, to installing the wall tracks, everything was done in less than a week.
THE COUNTERTOPS
At first, we wanted a wood-top island, but after consulting several people and seeing what the material looks like in the long run, we quickly changed our minds. We opted for quartz countertops. Quartz is a material that’s easy to maintain, is resistant to scratches, and doesn’t require a sealer seeing as it is not a porous material (like, say marble). It’s also antibacterial, extremely durable, and hard to stain. Our countertops are ivory with subtle light grey marbling, which makes for a very discreet, yet impactful visual.
THE BACKSPLASH
According to me, the backsplash is one of the most important elements in any kitchen. It was pretty much written in the stars that we were going to choose a rectangular subway tile to tie in with the overall look of our kitchen. A ceramic backsplash is a classic. We really fell for this simple, modern and slightly hammered tile.
THE FLOORING
We hesitated a long time between wood and ceramic flooring. Aesthetically, we really preferred the look of wood flooring in the kitchen, but knowing that we want to have kids (which translates into food being dumped on the floor, toys and other objects being thrown about, etc.), we instead opted for something durable, easy-to-clean, and comfy (hello heated flooring!). Ceramic is versatile and resistant, everyone knows that. And it passes the test of time. We spent hours looking at different colours and styles. We finally opted for a timeless classic: a porcelain tile that imitates natural stone. And we love the finish and texture.
Lighting and electricity
First off, it’s important to note that when we bought the house, there was no recessed lighting and very few light fixtures in the kitchen. With everything that goes on in a kitchen, we knew we wanted proper lighting. We, therefore, installed 9 recessed fixtures over the main work area, as well as three pendants for a touch of ambience.
OUR RENOVATION EXPERIENCE
Starting a renovation project can be exciting . . . but also very stressful! And I would say that renovating during the winter adds its fair share of complications, because we couldn’t keep our windows open to air the house out during demolition. And remember: our entire first floor was affected.
Also, because we both work full-time, it was doubly hard to have to live in a house filled with clutter and dust. We created a coffee and breakfast nook in the second-floor office just so we could function a little better in the morning. For dinner we alternated for 2 or 3 weeks between take-out, restaurants, and eating at the in-laws. Finally, on December 24, the kitchen was (mostly!) finished and functional—the perfect Christmas gift (even if we had no plans of hosting!).
BUDGET & TOTAL COST OF KITCHEN
In all, renovating our kitchen cost us $13,000.
We saved quite a bit on labour costs seeing as my boyfriend Nicolas was able to do most of the major work himself, with the help of his father and a few friends.
