Out With the Old, in With the New... Countertops, Sink, & Faucet!

We are getting ready to kick off the new year with a BIG new project.  BOY, we are pumped, amped, geeked, gee... I am practically peeing my pants (not really though, ick!).  Why?  Because we are going to be changing the look of our kitchen with new countertops, sink and faucet!!!

We are so, so, so ready to say goodbye to the old laminate countertops, scratched/stained/damaged fiberglass sink (this photo spares you from the icky-ness), and wiggly leaky faucet....

And HELLO!  To these new friends!  A single handle pull-down sprayer faucet, oak wood countertops,and a gorgeous oh-so-dreamy ceramic double bowl apron sink!

Ugh, wood countertops, apron sink, ahhh it's so exciting!  I might pee my pants now, ha!  Yep, we decided it was time to finally make this change since we've been talking about it since we first bought our house.  Aren't these inspiration photos just gorgeous?!?


Images via Country Living

The story behind all this begins with the nice but minimal update to the kitchen just before Thanksgiving in 2009 (which was before our blog even existed).  Once I started the blog in May of 2010, "Our Kitchen Cabinet Redo" was the 7th blog post we wrote (crazy and fun to look a fact up, and sorry our older posts are so wordy/junky, ha!).

I included details about painting the walls, cabinets, replacing the hardware and light fixtures in the post, but we also mentioned what else we would like to do in the future. So, to quote myself- which is kind of funny- I said...   "Next on our wish list for when we really redo the kitchen is a new sink, new countertops, wood floors and of course getting the matching stainless steel dishwasher and fridge... but all in time! Patience and saving some moolah is key!"

Well, after looking at that list we realized it's been almost 3 years time, we've saved moolah for the project, and did additional product and budget research.  Patience? Check.  Moolah? Check.  Research? Bonus gold stars :) just because I like extra gold stars.


Anyway, back in 2009/2010 when we started blogging and did our 1st redo on the kitchen,  I read This & That's post about their newly finished butcher block countertops and haven't forgot about it since. 
I loved the way their new wood countertops looked in the house! I also loved that they detailed all the DIY steps to complete the project, so I knew when it came time it would be something Alex and I could tackle.

We also read a few articles like this one from other bloggers talking about pros & cons of wood countertops.

Image via The Inspired Room

Both helped us to understand challenges, maintenance, installation, and wear over time when it comes to wood countertops.  We will cover some of those topics in the future posts about the project as well (so stay tuned).


In weighing our own pros & cons regarding the cost for the project, we knew that adding expensive stone countertops (granite, soapstone, quartz, etc.) wouldn't be ideal for us given the inve$tment and although I like soapstone, I've never been crazy about other stone countertops. BUT  I can honestly say I have been CRAZY about butcher block countertops ever since I feel in love with the house from the Father of the Bride movies....

Adding these wood countertops just furthers my quest in making our little Dutch Colonial look a wee bit more George & Nina Banks fictitious home:) at least on the inside- the outside is still a ways off, that George Banks had some mad skills when it came to landscaping right?!?

Whoops, okay a bit off subject but you get the idea right?  We area really excited to make this change in our house!  I know we aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but if we ever did want to sell our house any buyer (or guests/friends) would think the same thing we thought if we left the laminate as is, "hmmm, those countertops need to be replaced."  Although practical, nobody ever 'oohs' and 'awws' over laminate right? I know I haven't!

I feel it's time for me to finally 'ooh' and 'aww' in our kitchen! I can't wait to kick 2013 off with this update!  Hope you will join us too!