Kimberly Uy's Blog: Kitchen Tour : An Easy to Clean, Organized Family Kitchen

We did some cosmetic changes to our kitchen over 5 years ago – new counters, moved the island, and put in new cooktop and fan. I would still love to do some cupboard and drawer changes, we are leaving those as-is for now. We put in new hardwood floors this winter (in February) and right after that, our oven, microwave, and refrigerator stopped working. Timing was spring of 2020 and the quarantining and stay-at-home orders had just been issued so this in and of itself was stressful BUT because all of the appliances were beyond repair (14+ years old) and the refrigerator/freezer could be used as beverage and food overflow storage in the garage – very convenient for grocery shopping every 2-3 weeks. We didn’t really have much of a choice for replacing the appliances.

I’ve received a lot of questions on Instagram (follow me here) when you’ve spotted the new appliances and asked for specifics, so I thought I’d give you a little tour. It’s not a huge change but it feels like a big change for us.

AFTER

One of my favorite spots in the kitchen is this little cookbook nook – you can see across the kitchen I also have some cookbooks in a vintage French apple basket next to the refrigerator. In the previous set up we had a bookcase around the refrigerator – we removed that bookcase for the built-in refrigerator. Here’s a before pic for reference – you can also get a glimpse of the old floors:

BEFORE

APPLIANCES

For consistency, we slowly replaced our appliances to Kitchenaid Pro – we love them and have been really happy with them.

REFRIGERATOR

The kitchen had a space for a built-in refrigerator but it was never placed by the original owners. We found one that would fit the space perfectly and went for it. It’s a Kitchenaid 30.0 cu. ft 48-Inch Width Built-In Side by Side Refrigerator with PrintShield Finish. If you’re wondering about the “PrintShield Finish”, it’s amazing! I was skeptical but it doesn’t show prints or smudges at all and it looks like regular stainless steel.

If you’re curious what the inside layout is, here’s a factory image from Kitchenaid. I wasn’t sure if I could go back from a drawer freezer to a side-by-side, I love this layout. I love that there isn’t a water or ice dispenser in the door and and I love how much room there is in the refrigerator and freezer.

We also have a stand-up freezer and the old refrigerator in the garage. This has been a huge blessing when it comes to meal planning, grocery shopping, and having food in storage.

WALL OVEN / MICROWAVE / WARMING DRAWER

The built-in oven/microwave/warming drawer was originally a Kitchenaid so we went with that as the replacement this spring because we didn’t want to have to do any reconfiguring of anything or reworking cabinets during Covid. We are loving them and definitely see a huge improvement on the original ones from 2006.

You can find the wall oven and microwave combo here if you’re interested.

DISHWASHER

Here’s a how to clean a dishwasher post if you’re interested.

We have had this dishwasher for a few years – I love that it has a third top rack. It cleans well and is quiet. The model we have is no longer available but this is close.

Here’s my Nightly Sink Scrub Routine if you’re interested.

DETAILS

One of my favorite features in the kitchen is the backsplash – it’s simple and adds interest to the room and protects the walls and it’s super easy to wipe clean. I love that it’s a variation on subway tile.

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The subway tile backsplash is from Lowe’s – you can purchase at the store or online and there are a few color different variations of the same tile.

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The granite we chose was from a local countertop supplier – it’s a fairly common granite that you can probably find at just about any supplier – New Venetian Gold.

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The paint is Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter – my favorite go-with-everything neutral.

Hardwood Floors: Hallmark Floors | Monterey Hardwood – American Hickory. This is the easiest to clean floors I have ever had – they’re a matte finish with 3 different widths. The color is not too dark and not too light – with 3 kids and two big dogs, it’s super durable. We LOVE it!