Last summer my friend Carrie invited us in for a tour of her 1850’s farmhouse just up the road from me. Her family has lived in the house 2 1/2 years now and since the last time you saw it, they’ve updated the kitchen to suit their style and needs, and honor the house. I’ve helped her a little bit along the way with some of the choices, but Carrie and her husband, Chris, are DIY savvy and did most of the work on this space themselves. Today, we’re revisiting their home for the Harmony Hill Farmhouse gray kitchen tour- and the best part is that this kitchen was done with loads of budget ideas for you!
There’s a little peek, but before we get to the rest, let me refresh your memory with where they started.
This space has come a long way! Check out what it looks like today.
Carrie and Chris liked the cabinets the kitchen had, but they weren’t in great shape, and one of the doors eventually broke in half. Carrie came across a set of cabinets at our local Habitat Restore and brought them home for her kitchen. Once they were installed, she got to work priming and painting them with General Finishes Seagull Gray milk paint.
Carrie knew she wanted an enamel farmhouse sink, and found one for a steal also at the Restore, $100 still in the box! Being a thrifty shopper, she sourced out this fantastic bronze kitchen faucet that has highlights in copper for less than $90 on Amazon!
Once the sink was selected, I helped her to find the perfect hardware to complement her kitchen. We turned to my favorite source, D. Lawless Hardware; they always have great hardware for incredible prices, and offer free shipping on orders over $50. Long before I even knew what a blog was, they were the company I used to order all of my furniture hardware. I remember the day they first asked me if I’d be interested in collaborating, and I was like…. “Well, seeing as I have been a customer for the last couple of years, heck yeah!”
To suit the farmhouse style, complement the faucet, and pair well with the gray paint, we chose these gorgeous bin pulls for the drawers. They are even more gorgeous in person. I actually have a little bin pull envy going on over here.
We found knobs that complemented them perfectly and are less than a dollar each.
As you can see, Chris and Carrie replaced the countertops as well, which was the most expensive element in the kitchen makeover. They chose leather finish granite which is stunning. I’d never seen it before and love how it looks. I’ve never been a fan of shiny granite, but this I love!
On the wall adjacent to the countertops, they added a new subway tile backsplash with gray grout which looks great with the colors in the granite.
The original wood floors were in structurally good shape, but had been a really light color that wasn’t jiving with Carrie’s design plan. Chris sanded and refinished them himself and now they’re a gorgeous rich tone.
As you may have spied earlier, they added an island and just wait until you hear about this piece!
Do any of you recognize this piece? It started out life as a black Ikea Hemnes dresser the couple no longer needed, so they’ve turned it into a temporary island. Carrie painted it with the same paint as the cabinets and gave it the same hardware. To give it a larger top, she repurposed a table top from an old table she bought at Target years ago. I personally think it looks great and could stay permanently!
I am sure some of you recognize those stools. I sold them to Carrie at the price I had originally paid, which was a steal at $125 for all 4. They’re authentic vintage industrial adjustable stools but I was ready to replace them. (You can see my new ones here.) Carrie’s favorite color is aqua and she has other accents in her kitchen in that color, so they’re truly perfect here.
Above the island, Chris hung a great light fixture that blends the rustic and industrial style. Carrie was lucky to find it at Costco of all places. (If you’re interested, I found it on Amazon for $142.) It works perfectly in their kitchen.
Now let’s turn around and check out what’s on the wall opposite the main cabinet wall and on the other side of the island.
Chris used industrial piping and reclaimed wood (floor boards from their old attic) to create rustic shelving. It’s a great way for them to sneak in storage and for Carrie to express her style and bring in some color.
On one side, Chris fabricated a reclaimed wood planked piece for Carrie to hang their family calendar and art; above that hangs one shelf bringing in some of that aqua.
And on the other side, there’s a little nook perfect for a vintage table and chair set.
A second reclaimed shelf hangs over that, and Carrie’s able to display special art and some vintage pieces. Aren’t those under the shelf baskets so handy, too They are a great way to sneak in extra storage and work perfectly for fruit, as you can see.
They’ve put so much work and love into their kitchen and it shows. It’s come together beautifully, suits their home’s original character and exhibits their personal style well. What is your favorite element?
If you want to see more of their home, you can visit the original tour here. Have a great day!
*Thank you to D.Lawless for providing the hardware for this post. I was not otherwise compensated. I have also included a few Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.
