Flip House Kitchen Remodel

By Kate Riley March 1, 2018

Hello! Today I’m excited to share with you my latest kitchen remodel. This is the kitchen at the flip house in Las Vegas and it’s finally finished! For this space I chose a medley of taupe and white cabinets, white appliances and brushed brass fixtures. Mixed wood tones exist in the dark floors, the variegated tones in the bamboo shades, the ceiling fan, and decorative accents.

 

 

Here’s a fuzzy iphone picture of what I started with in late 2016, this space had dated 30 year old oak cabinets and dingy flooring. I kept most of the kitchen’s footprint in place, the sink and range and refrigerator all remained in the same spot but I modernized the space with new cabinetry and the addition of an island, also some floating shelves next to the sink.

 

 

I was going for modern yet timeless. Classic and fresh. Light and bright, but also warm with layered neutral tones.

 

I love smooth white walls, so they were retextured and painted White on White by Glidden. I’ve been crushing on taupe kitchen cabinets for so long, so that’s what I chose for this kitchen. I like that warmer grays are available now, they are a beautiful complement to brass and natural wood tones.

I chose white appliances because they look so clean to me, and paired them with white quartz countertops. Luxury vinyl plank floors in a dark wood tone add depth and grounds the very light and bright space

 

 

 

Because this home was purchased solely for resale, I chose a more traditional white tile backsplash.

 

They aren’t the typical 3×6” size, I chose an elongated glazed version in a 3 x 12” size, it has some rippling curves in it that catch the light because of their uneven surface. They’re imperfect up close and look handmade which was the reason I chose them. I’ll share more up close shots in a DIY tile installation tutorial.

I love how the upper cabinets and tile seamlessly blend with the white hood. You’ll recall I designed this galley kitchen with the same idea, a white hood above the range and tile surrounding the chimney. I also chose a slide in range instead of a freestanding one, because the back follows the line of the countertops and shows off more of the tile.

 

I didn’t install a microwave over the range, I’m not a big fan of micro hoods. I could have fit a microwave in the island, I thought about it, but opted for more storage instead. The new owner can hide a microwave in the pantry or set it on the counter next to the pantry if they desire.

 

 

I chose a lot of drawers for the lower cabinetry, in both the island and next to the dishwasher and range.

 

 

I love the two floating shelves next to the window above the dishwasher, much better than the cabinet that lived there before. Remember this debate about closed cabinets versus open shelves? I admit I do love these in this kitchen, they provide the perfect spot for a few decorative dishes. Since I added so much storage elsewhere, I like that this little spot is a focal point for pretty things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s another peek at the old kitchen. You can see here how the island is a better solution and provides more flow. The new refrigerator is counter depth and framed in with cabinetry above. The appliances were purchased at a discount during a Black Friday sale (sources below).

 

 

I love a single handle sink faucet and this champagne bronze faucet is so gorgeous! It complements the golden tones also found in the honey bronze pulls and knobs. The sink is a granite composite double basin.

 

 

 

I’m really pleased with how the pantry wall turned out. On that side of the kitchen there was just an awkward single oak pantry cabinet sitting on dingy carpet. Here’s how it looked before the demo:

 

I saw this wall as an opportunity to add a ton more storage and utility so I brought in two tall pantry cabinets in white and a row of the cabinets below in the contrasting oat color in addition to white open storage above to tie it all together.

 

The oat colored cabinets are topped with the same quartz surface as on the other side of the kitchen, the hardware is also the same honey bronze pulls and knobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This angle shows the original footprint of the kitchen. You can see I kept the appliances in the same spot with the exception of moving the dishwasher next to the sink instead of where it sat inside the peninsula. I liked the idea of creating more flow, so I added an island instead of recreating the peninsula. It has a lot more storage and also room for people to sit at counter stools.

 

 

 

 

Next to the island I left space for a breakfast nook, and since this is a desert climate, installed a beautiful koa wood ceiling fan that adds beautiful contrast against the white walls.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I share sources below, feel free to ask any questions if I missed something!

 

sources: cabinets: oat & white by Thomasville / hardware: honey bronze pulls & knobs

windows: Simonton Daylight Max  /  faucet: Delta Trinsic / sink: Blanco granite

slide in range: Whirlpool / dishwasher: Whirlpool / refrigerator: Samsung counter depth

flooring: Armstrong Vivero  /  hood: AKDY 30” in white / ceiling fan: Minka koa wood

backsplash: artisan frost  /  quartz countertop: cashmere carrara

More remodel projects from this home:

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94 comments

  1. wow, incredible. i would’ve never seen these changes, you have quite an eye and creative talent. I love it.

  2. That is absolutely fabulous!!! Love, love, love. I especially love the wall of built-ins on the pantry wall. The space looks so much bigger and has a better flow. Great job!!!

    • I love that wall too! One of my favorite things about this kitchen is that pantry wall, wish I had that in my house!

  3. Kate, this is beautiful!

    I love that you used white appliances – I think stainless steel would have detracted from the honey bronze pulls and the oat color on the cabinets and the white just fades into the background – love it!

    I also LOVE the new pantry wall of cabinets – what a great idea! It’s stylish and so practical!

    And I now wish I’d looked at vinyl plank flooring for our house when we redid the floors in 2016! Our main living area is on the second floor(reverse ranch style home) and so it’s on a wood subfloor, and it’s not as flat as a concrete subfloor and I think a slightly more flexible product like vinyl plank might work better for us than the engineered hardwood we chose.
    Next time!

    Really though, it’s beautiful, you should be really proud of yourself!

    • I agree, the stainless would have competed with the brass and honey bronze choices :) I also love that pantry wall, really proud of its design. Luxury vinyl plank products are SO GOOD these days and waterproof! Perfect for a kitchen and especially so in this house since that sliding door next to the breakfast nook leads right to the pool!

  4. Wow, that looks amazing! I have all new white appliances as well, I like them for the crisp look as well. I am considering Ikea cabinets, but due to the limited color selection am looking at the gray option, but prefer this oat color you selected. Can you comment on price difference between the two? We have a small galley style kitchen so we would only need about eight bottom cabinets total. Any advice would be appreciated!
    Thank you!

    • Hi Katie, I sourced these through Home Depot, and they offer free cabinet design and quotes. Head down to your local HD and ask them for a quote! Thomasville has different sales and specials throughout the year, that’s how I ended up with a discount.

  5. It looks fabulous!

    Can I ask for the source of the backsplash tile? I didn’t see it listed in the post.

  6. Curious about the lighting. The before picture shows a (hideous) fluorescent overhead unit, but besides the light over the sink, I don’t see other lighting sources in the remodel.

    • Got rid of the florescent and added six recessed lights. As I mentioned in my comment to Ana, this space has so much natural light I didn’t add pendants. There’s a light in the ceiling fan too and a task light over the sink.

  7. I really enjoy how you laid out the pantry. Sophisticated and modern that with the open plan it doesn’t scream kitchen. Very very nice. It is this nuance in design that brings me to your blog. Keep up the great work!

    • Very kind Marion thanks! I wanted it to feel less “kitchen” too!

  8. Amazing transformation!! You did a great job with this kitchen. If there is only one thing I might have added is a couple of pendant lights over the island, but all in all GREAT WORK!

    • Hi Ana, funny you bring that up! I had a whole paragraph in the post about that issue, and somehow must have deleted it on accident. Anyway, I went through that debate in my head over and over. I thought this island needs pendants! But then as I walked around the space and saw how much natural light it got, I thought, no the island doesn’t NEED pendants for anything other than a decorative look. Then I analyzed that. The ceiling is quite high, about 17 feet and in that spot the length of the pendant chain would be over 10 feet and it just felt awkward to me. Also it felt like visual block in the space, it really feels so open and airy, I decided against pendant lights to keep that feeling. I also thought they’d compete with the fan since they’d be really close so no pendants. But that was a GREAT observation!!

  9. Another beautiful transformation Kate! This might be my favourite. Love the new layout and how you’ve added so much storage without crowding the space. Bravo!

  10. Beautifully done as always. Love the pantry wall; clever use of space and so pretty. I am a Greige and taupe fan myself, not gray, so I am a fan of this color choice. I, too, have had white appliances for a quite a while after we had SS at the last house which I was never a fan of, plus a slide-in range. ??

    • Forgot to say that we also have vinyl plank flooring and love it. Question, would you please share source of adorable rug?

  11. Would like to know what the quartz countertops name is. Beautiful remodel!

  12. Well done! It’s so beautiful AND practical! I’m wondering where the tile came from, it’s just gorgeous!
    Thanks and congrats on a job well done!

    • Great question Amanda! They are on the wall, just cleverly hidden by the styling with the cutting board and paper towel holder. You’ll see them in the DIY tutorial when I post that soon. I covered the land line outlet, I’ll have more information about that reasoning when I post the tile tutorial. :)

  13. Wow! I have not seen such an amazing transformation in a while. I love that it’s different from other kitchens I have seen. While I certainly love a white kitchen this is so fresh and different but still classic. Love the tile! Can’t wait to get more info on those as I will be remodeling my kitchen this spring.

  14. Well done! The space is totally transformed. I love the chairs in the breakfast nook. Where did you find them????

    • Those are awesome aren’t they? I’ve had them for years, found them in a vintage/second hand shop in Vegas, quite a steal at $25 each, I saw the pair listed on Chairish for TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. What? Seriously, I have the screenshot to prove it!!!!

  15. Elegant and warm. Love it! What blinds did you use? We are in the market for what you used! Thanks.

    • Hi Annie, those are Levolor available at Lowes, see my comment reply to Rhonda :)

  16. Beautifully done! I also would like to know the name of the quartz countertops. Perhaps I missed it?

    • Beautiful remodel! It’s so airy! I’m looking to change up my kitchen — make it lighter. What specific paint color did you use for the lower cabinets? I’m looking for a light, warm beige, and this is perfect!

      Andréa

    • Those are Levolor blinds from Lowe’s I’ve used them in a lot of spaces, I love them. They’re so affordable and cut to fit your window (inside or outside mount) in the store.

  17. I seldom comment on blog posts, but today I feel absolutely impelled to say: Bravo! Well, done. Love this. So many improvements – much more storage, lighter, brighter, updated. Kitchen feels twice as big. Color me impressed!

    • Exactly Jude, it DOES feel twice as big inside, that’s exactly right! I’m going to miss this house when it’s sold.

  18. This is beautifully done. I read that you often remove texture from the walls. I, too, much prefer a smooth wall but we have “knock-down” texturing on our walls. I’ve talked with several professionals about removing it, or re-texturing it, but it’s shockingly expensive (as in, it would be cheaper to remove the drywall and start over). Do you have a standard approach to getting smooth walls that isn’t costly? Thanks.

  19. That storage wall is absolutely fabulous, I love how you married function and beauty in the whole kitchen and particularly on that wall!

  20. I love, love, LOVE that you’re sharing one of your before and after design projects. Yay! This space is amazing. Your talent for making a space more usable, and beautifully redesigning it at the same time is without question. Truly! And, you make it seem so easy. I would be beyond impressed if I were a potential buyer walking through this house. You correct all the silly, and head-scratching awkward spaces of a builder. Just beautiful. Might I ask why you chose not to skin the dish washer? Thank you again for such an inspiring post.

  21. This is an amazing transformation. You should be proud!!! That pantry wall is the best- now I think every kitchen should have a pantry wall, not just a pantry :) Can you please tell me where the desk under the window is from? It’s perfect. Thanks Kate (CG to me!)

  22. Kate, it’s just stunning. So lovely–thanks for sharing these great ideas! Lots of favorites here, but the pantry wall–wow!

  23. Absolutely gorgeous and functional! Thanks for spreading the love for white appliances – we’ve had to replace ours over the last few years and have been so frustrated by the lack of options in white. We like them because they blend in with our cabinets so we’ll, so I don’t understand why more people don’t want white appliances!

  24. Did you have Thomasville paint these cabinets in one of their finish options or did you paint them? If so, what color are they? Love the kitchen, it is nice to see something a little different :)

  25. Sorry I didn’t catch the cabinet color selection last night before I asked you the question.
    It is amazing that color is Oat, it reads orange to me on the Thomasville link page!

    Beautiful kitchen, you must be so over the moon with it!

    • Ha yes Debra it’s NOT representative on the website, it really is a true taupe/greige a cross between true gray and tan/khaki.

      • if I wanted to buy a paint color for my cabinets, what color would I call it. I have been looking for the ‘right’ color and this is it but it has no name or where to purchase. please help me.
        love this kitchen.
        I live in Vegas and see this fitting right in
        Thanks
        Denise

        • Hi Denise, I don’t have a cabinet sample paint match, so here’s what I’d do. Go to Home Depot and grab the Thomasville Oat cabinet sample, then go to the paint aisle and match it there. I’d also look at a few Ben Moore samples too because their Advance paint is my favorite for painting cabinets or furniture.

  26. Absolutely gorgeous! Been waiting for flip house reveals and this didn’t disappoint. Well done Kate!

  27. *Gulp!*

    Wow what a transformation – you are soooooo good at this!

    Please come talk my husband into letting me bring my kitchen to the 2018s!

    Keep up the good work! Love love love this kitchen!

  28. You did a beautiful job Kate. I love the color scheme and finishes that you chose. The only thing I would have considered is adding a banquet under the window at the end of the counter run to increase the flow between the table and the island. From the photo it looks like a tight squeeze to access the sliding doors.

    • Haha Robin I thought of that too!!! I decided against it, I wanted the new owner to decide how to use that breakfast nook space. It will require a more petite table. :)

  29. What an incredible transformation. I love how you have used white for the top cupboards allowing them to blend into the space – such a simple, but effective tip that I never would have thought of. Adore the taupe colour too, oh and the open shelves – basically everything! Amazing job, thanks so much for sharing.

    Holly from The Art of Being Holly xo

  30. Absolutely stunning! I love the beautiful relaxing west coast vibes.
    I ordered a couple of your designs on spoonflower (wallpaper & fabric) this weekend to continue my quest of making our new home feel more edgy & personalized. Im super excited! Have you installed the wallpaper? Any tips? I ordered the kind that is moveable since we have flat walls.

    • So excited you bought one of my designs, thanks so much!
      More designs coming in April, I’m very excited about the new Summer 2018 patterns. The wallpaper is super easy to install, it comes with great instructions. :)

  31. This kitchen is gorgeous! I love the oak color cabinets with the white quartz countertops. I love how you always use the white appliances and make them look great! I just love a white and bright kitchen and really miss white appliances. All of your kitchens are gorgeous and this one is no exception!

  32. Kate, it’s been awhile since I commented. You are beyond talented. Even if the floor plan is awful you have the eye and aesthetic to make it look like it was always the way you change it to. It’s just so beautiful and feels like this is how it was always meant to be. What I wouldn’t do to have you redo my whole second floor floor plan. How can I hire you?
    I understand about Thomasville cabinets but do not think paint colors look the same in the lighting they provide as they do when you remove to other lighting. Do you think you’ll be able to give us the name of that oat color? It’s just fantastic. And I love the white refrigerator etc. it looks fresh, clean, elegant and NEW again. You are still the best rockstar. Your aesthetic is very clean, very practical use of space, very detail oriented and so classy.
    Been my fave for over 8 years. You’ve always had that eye.
    Ps. Do you still have your vineyard?
    Please let me know how to hire you. I’ll troll the site.
    Thanks so much
    Karen

    • Such a great comment Karen, thanks so much!!
      The paint color on the Thomasville site is not very representative.
      It’s a true taupe color, you can find it at Home Depot since they carry that line of cabinets, the color sample is hanging there.
      Yes I still have a vineyard! You can hire me for design consultation if you wish just email me at [email protected]
      :)

  33. Hi! Love the remodel! Looks so good! Could you please give a link for the hood vent?
    Thank you

    • Hi Kris, I listed the brand but I can’t find a link to it anywhere. It was purchased at Home Depot but they don’t carry it anymore. Perhaps a Google search? last I checked I could only track it down in stainless, not in white. :(

  34. My husband and I own a real estate company and I photograph homes for sale in Vegas. I know how bright it is; my kitchen doesn’t even have windows in it (center of the house) but gets plenty of natural light from other rooms. I agree with your decision to not do pendant lighting. I rarely need to turn on the lights in the kitchen except in winter while making dinner. Most of the time the lights are turned off.

    I have never, EVER seen something this beautiful here in town in any house, and especially not in a flip.

    I absolutely love your staging. It’s perfect.

    This is my first time to your site and I will definitely be checking out the other posts on this house!

  35. Wow what a beautiful remodel. I like the subtle calmness of the kitchen. Also you don’t see many white appliances these days but looks better than SS in here!

  36. What a gorgeous turn out! It really does feel like Vegas (desert). I love the addition of the island, I can only imagine what a chore that must have been! You inspire me to consider doing this in my own home. Thanks for sharing!

  37. HI Kate, I had to come back to this post, on of my very favorite transformations ever!!! We are FINALLY ‘refreshing’ our kitchen. It just never suited our beautiful home…. the previous owners put this large custom kitchen in 2000’s Tuscan style… mustard colored cabinets, matching Italian square tile, and dark busy granite. Four years of looking at it every day (and cursing the choices these people made, including a tiny corner main sink)…. my husband finally started painting the kitchen cabinets last week. We are using the Advance paint in White Dove… after sampling two other whites this one did not turn yellow and wasn’t to bright white next to the granite, which unfortunately we are not changing. The placement of the sink bothers us more than the granite, and to change to sink would mean an enormous amount of changes to follow…… not happening!
    Now I am looking at backsplash (subway tile – too many to chose from) and new hardware. I think I will go for the Honey Bronze as it will compliment the Darlana lantern I have in the adjoining sunroom. I love the knobs you chose here and in fact selected the Kingsbridge for major master bathroom renovation after reading this post. Thank you for that tip.
    Anyway…. in all the hundreds of gorgeous kitchens and images I see, of course I never see this ugly and dated granite with all the nice selections I am about to make. (But of course… it’s not exactly Instagram worthy!) It’s hard to visualize what type of backsplash to do… I will take a good look through your old posts on the chance you have already covered this issue.
    Thank you Kate – good luck with your new office space.

  38. So gorgeous. I’m dying over the color of those cabinets! What color did you choose for those?

  39. It’s incredible the difference you can make to a kitchen without ripping all the kitchen units out.
    A good lick of paint and some new handles often totally change the look and feel of the kitchen.
    You can literally save thousands by doing this.
    Of course, there is the prep work to do first like sanding the wood smooth if needed.
    https://toolinspector.com

  40. This is THE kitchen!! I LOVE everything about it!! I am planning a kitchen remodel to this exact kitchen! What color did you use on the cabinets?

  41. Hello! This kitchen is absolutely amazing. It truly is our dream kitchen. Question, is there a link for the cabinets and handles?

    Also if we are designing our kitchen but the space is small.. how do u recommend choosing cabinets verse drawers and so on?

  42. Beautiful transformation!!! We are remodeling our bathroom and using oat colored cabinets. I love the hardware you chose with the oat cabinets, can you please share the specific brand and style of the hardware?

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