Kitchen // Shopping Guide

So you have likely seen our Kitchen Reveal and tips and tricks for buying Ikea Kitchens.  This particular post is going to tell you where we got everything else - the essential elements in making our Ikea Kitchen look custom. Things like what hardware, countertops, sink, faucet etc.... This is a long post so all the info is after the jump. Cheers! - Lindsay

MAIN KITCHEN 


CABINETRY
Purchased all cabinetry from Ikea.
Door profile, Adel.
Blog Posts of Interest: Here and how to make an Ikea Kitchen Look custom (aka. Hacking an Ikea Kitchen)

HARDWARE
Made by: Hickory Hardware Studio Line, in Polished Nickle
Relevant Posts: Here
Comments: This hardware is GORGEOUS. It sets the tone for the whole kitchen. I adore the polished nickle and it matches the same finish as our faucet. I'm not really a fan of "knobs" so these pulls/handles are substantial and are really a major part of the design of the kitchen. Small handles (4") were for the majority of the doors, and, smaller drawers. I used the larger handles that are 5.5" approximately for the bigger drawers and as well on the larger pantry door in the Eat in Kitchen.
*Hardware was gifted to us.

  

FAUCET
Made by: Aquitaine Single Lever faucet made by Perrin and Rowe
Relevant Blog Post: Picking our Kitchen Faucet
Comments: This is probably my favourite part of the kitchen. It's the most beautiful faucet I've ever laid eyes on, and I knew it was going to be the focal point of the kitchen - and the main part that was going to dictate the "traditional" vibe to the area. This faucet gets comments from ever single person that walks through the kitchen. It's really beautiful.

*Faucet was gifted to us.

APPLIANCES (Fridge, Dishwasher, Microwave, Oven)Manufactured by: GE Cafe Line - Stove, Microwave, Counter Depth Fridge, Dishwasher
Details: Growing up, Aubrey's family owned a restaurant in Toronto. Because he grew up around chefs and  industrial appliances, we were looking for something that would give us a chef kitchen look - and also the quality. We fell in love with the GE Cafe look as it looks slightly industrial. I have nothing but amazing things to say about these appliances. LOVE.
Blog Posts of Interest: Appliances that we picked
Coming soon: Full details on each appliance, when posted I will update this page.
*We received a discount on our appliance purchase as a result of our blog

SINK
Purchased at: TAPS. Manufacturer by Julien.
Comments: Our contact at Taps is fantastic. If you're looking for someone that really knows their stuff, make an appointment to see Daniel Scheffel at TAPS. We LOVE having a single sink. 

Blog Posts of Interest: Buying a Sink, The debate about how many basins (comments are worthwhile to read)
This sink fit in our 30" Ikea Cabinet

COUNTER TOP
Type of Countertop: Caesarstone in Misty Carrara
Who we hired: MG Stone Craft
Comments: I loved the look of carrara marble but I didn't want the hassle of the upkeep.  I cannot express how much I love the Caesarstone. It doesn't stain, the veining in it is subtle and is slightly gray so it's not a "super-white" kitchen. Everyday when I see drips from the strawberries, coffee, or juice  - I am SO thankful I went with a quartz. Love, love it. It is more expensive than other counters, but it is something I really, really recommend spending that money on.
Blog Posts of Interest: See some blog posts on the countertop debate here,and here. See the Countertop Reveal and tips. See this page of the breakdown of counter-top costs.

BACKSPLASH - Tile and Grout
Purchased: Home Depot, Aubrey installed
Comments on the Tile: If you've ever decided to paint your house "white" you'll know how many whites are out there. Paper white, cloud white, oxford white etc. etc. As with paint, the same is true with white subway tiles. No two are identical. Although they don't have different names, different manufacturers have different tones. I found the Home Depot white subway tile worked best with the Ikea Adel doors. It is worth noting that with these particular tiles we didn't use spacers.
Comments on the Grout: Grout for the back-splash was purchased at Home Depot. Although we are very happy with how it turned out, it is worth directing you to this post showing you that the labeling on the packaging is somewhat deceiving. 
Blog Posts of Interest: Choosing the right tile, installing the tile.

HARDWOOD FLOORS
Purchased and Installed: We had our hardwood floor installer come and install the wood floor and they sanded and stained it on site. The wood was stained Antique Brown (the stain manufacturer was DURASEAL) and it was stained to match the rest of our house. (We had installed new hardwood when we purchased the house)

CROWN MOLDING and VALANCE
We purchased the wood at Central Fairlank Lumber, installed by Aubrey.
Painted it Benjamin Moore Paper Mache, in Semi Gloss which is a great match for the Ikea Adel doors.

UNDER CABINET LIGHTS
Xenon Lighting via Home Depot
Blog Post of Interest: Three under cabinet lighting options via Home Depot
Comments: They do heat up a lot, so sometimes it makes the cabinet kind of warm. I love the light that this collection gives off. Highly recommend.



TRADES


CABINETRY INSTALLATION
Who we hired: Eureka Assembly & Installations
Comments: Ah-ma-zing. We really appreciated the help from these guys. Aubrey built the cabinets himself, but hired this company to come in and help install. Although you can hire them to biuld your cabinets as well. I really recommend them, we were super happy with the service.
Relevant Blog Post: Here

DRYWALL and PLASTER
Aubrey and my brother tore down old plaster ceiling, hired Joe to do the drywall. We have used Joe for all the drywall in our house and we are always happy with his work.



EAT IN KITCHEN
The eat in kitchen was primarily renovated when we first bought the house, 3.5 years ago. But it is worthwhile to still provide the resources for this room, as it really is quite beautiful. 

KITCHEN BENCH
BENCH: We made our kitchen bench using Ikea Upper Cabinets.
Relevant Blog Post: You can read the post on our DIY Bench here. 
PILLOWS ON BENCH: Pillows on the bench are various fabrics, all purchased from Designer Fabrics. (I'm sorry - I don't know the manufacturers.)

KITCHEN TABLE
Our Kitchen table is vintage. Unknown origins.

KITCHEN LIGHT
Home Depot


OTHER: PAINT 
Manufacturer:  Benjamin Moore
Walls: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore
Crown Molding: Paper Mache, Benjamin Moore (Matches perfectly the Ikea Adele doors)
Trim elsewhere: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore


OTHER
Purple Hydrangeas in first photo and kitchen reveal photos: Kingston Road Flower Market, Victoria Park and Scarborough Road, Cutting Board; HomeSense


Ps., All of the posts related to the Kitchen all have Tags of KITCHEN in them. You can see all posts by visiting this link.