Our Kitchen Renovation Cost Breakdown
A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a kitchen was revealed, and a subsequent post featuring the cost breakdown was to follow…. Oops. This post is long overdue, seeing as I showed you our kitchen back in January, almost 4 months ago. A lot has happened since then, you know, like a global pandemic, but I promise I didn’t forget about getting this important information out to you. To be perfectly honest, I was waiting on the cost of one key piece of the puzzle that I didn’t have. Well, last week, I finally got that information, and today I am so excited to dive right into the nitty gritty of the cost of this big renovation project. As you might recall, I was very fortunate to work with so many generous sponsors on our kitchen project, but everything I am going to share with you today is what the actual cost is right now to the consumer. I also want to talk about the splurges that we made on this kitchen balanced with the budget friendly items. For all intents and purposes, I am going to round some numbers up a little simply because I can’t recall the exact amounts we paid for a couple of items. Anyhow, let’s jump on in! (This post contains affiliate links through which I earn a small commission- thank you for supporting my blog!)
As you may remember, this kitchen was a total gut job. We were able to salvage appliances and cabinetry to give away to people we knew who could use them, but everything had to go. Here’s a look back on where it started.
I am going to take you through each item individually, and then give you a total break down at the very end of this post, adding it all up for you. We are going to start with the more cost-friendly items.
Labor: $10,000
First of all, the actual labor and work was one of the most expensive elements. To be 100% honest, we did not have a great contractor for our job and I should have done my homework in researching, but he seemed really nice and like he understood us. I guess you get what you pay for. Our contractor gutted our kitchen, ripped out flooring, removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, put together and installed our cabinets and flooring, installed appliances (crooked and off balance so we need to fix that still!), installed lighting, plumbing, etc., installed the shelving, affixed hardware, patched walls and ceiling. Really, the only work that was not done by our contractor was painting and countertop installation. There are so many things I wish they’d done a better job with, but this was definitely a learning experience for me. In the end, we ended up paying our contractor $10,000 for all of the labor and parts he brought to the job.
Cabinetry: $8,620
We worked with Cabinets To Go and they provided all of the cabinetry, but I was able to get a cost breakdown from them. We used stock cabinets, and a large portion of the cost, $2420 to be exact, is our double wide pantry. I have zero regrets on that pantry as it has been such a rockstar of a piece offering so much storage.
In addition to the pantry, we had some other special pieces like the lazy Susan corner cabinet, and I opted for a couple of 3-drawer sets which are pricier than cabinets. I also want to point out that our kitchen is a pretty decent size, we needed a lot of cabintry.
Flooring: $1,600
The flooring was also provided by Cabinets To Go and is a beautiful oak which is responsibly sourced. Our contractor did the installation, but this is the cost of the flooring without installation. This flooring is cost effective, easier to install than tile, and sustainable. We keep a rug by the sink to protect it, and so far so good!
Countertops and Backsplash PLUS Installation: $11,800
Our terrazzo countertops and backsplash were one of the bigger design risks that I took in this space as they aren’t super common. However, I knew that I wanted a slab backsplash that was the same material as my countertops, and when I looked at quartz for this, it was going to cost over $17,000, which was NOT going to happen. With terrazzo, I was able to get the slab backsplash at much less of a cost, and I love the uniqueness it offers. With terrazzo, you can even create a custom color mix that suits your style.
These countertops have proven to be pretty easy to maintain, and I still love them as much as I did the day they were installed! Speaking of installation, our contractor could not find anyone to install, but I was able to find a local guy who did an incredible job and charged us just $800. We were thrilled with his work and his fantastic attitude.
Lighting: $817
For the lighting, we selected black matte sconces plus one milk glass and gold ceiling fixture. I chose this mix to complement the finishes on our appliances, sink, faucet, and hardware, as well as the lighting that was already in our entry and dining nook. You can read more about the lighting choices here.
Cabinet Hardware: $156
I found some super inexpensive drawer pulls on Amazon, for just $50 for more than enough! For our pantry, I wanted something a little more unique and spent $106 for the semicircle cabinet pulls. All in all, the hardware was a total steal considering how many pieces I needed!
Open Shelving: $790
For the shelving, our wood cost less than $200 (I can’t recall the exact amount). My contractor placed the order, and we paid for it. He used 2″ thick spruce, and most of it was in great condition, but some ended up a tiny but curved which is a pain, but that being said, it was much less expensive than if we had used something like walnut. We ordered brackets from Shelfology to mount the floating shelves, and they were around $600 for all of them. To finish them, I used a minwax stain and sealer in one because lazy… 😉 The spruce has some knots as you can see, but I like the natural look that adds.
Paint: $75
We only needed one gallon of paint for the walls, a pint of custom mix paint for the microwave cabinet. Now, that being said, we still need to paint the ceiling, so I suppose maybe you could add another $50 here. 🙂
OK, let’s talk about the splurges in the room now…
There are a few items in here that I would consider on the more expensive side of things, but these three things contribute to making this kitchen what it is, and I think they were completely worth it!
Brass Sink: $1191.75
It was LOVE at first sight when I saw this brass apron sink from Thompson Traders. I had never seen anything like it and knew it was the one for my kitchen! It might be my absolute favorite piece in the entire room! It’s also easy to clean.
Faucet: $748.80
The last time we redid our kitchen in Maryland and bought a new faucet, I literally went to Home Depot and selected one of the cheapest ones I could find… It was probably around $150. However, with a sink like the one I selected, it would be a sin to put a faucet like our old one in place. This time around, I selected this $750 bad boy that I fell in love with when I first laid eyes on it. The black and gold and modern shape were made for my kitchen and go hand in hand with the sink.
Appliance Suite: $8500
These appliances were a total splurge but totally worth it. While we have several nice elements in place, these are the ones that I think totally make our kitchen look a lot more expensive than it is. We bought the range, hood, refrigerator, dishwasher, and then Cafe gifted us the microwave as a way to say thank you, which was a really nice surprise. (I’ve included it in the total cost for you.) We absolutely love each piece, but we especially love our double oven and hood! Chris and I already enjoyed cooking, but we love it even more now, and we’re so grateful we’ve had these appliances throughout quarantine. I’ve especially loved baking all of the things. 😉
Now, let me total everything up for you…
- Contractor/Labor: $10,000
- Cabinetry: $8,620
- Flooring: $1,600
- Countertops, backsplash, installation: $11,800
- Lighting: $817
- Cabinet Hardware: $156
- Shelving: $790
- Paint: $75
- Brass Sink: $1,191.75
- Faucet: $748.80
- Appliance Suite: $8,500
GRAND TOTAL: $44,298.55
Obviously, our kitchen renovation was not a total “budget job” because we splurged on a few items, but all in all, I am thrilled with the final reveal, and I think it looks like a cost a lot more. 🙂
Finally, once again, here is a list of sources for you as well.
- Cabinetry– Malibu White Shaker from Cabinets To Go
- Flooring– sustainable wood from Cabinets To Go
- Brass sink– Thompson Traders (purchase here)
- Countertops & backsplash– Terrazzco
- Faucet– Quality Bath
- Cookware– Cuisinart
- Knives– Cuisinart
- Sconces– Sazerac Stitches
- Overhead fixture– My Mitzi
- Paint colors- Pure White & Comical Coral (door) by Sherwin Williams
- Cafe appliances- range, hood, refrigerator, dishwasher
- Semi-circle cabinet hardware
- Modern black bar cabinet hardware
- Calendar download
- Wood letterboard
- Dang floor mat
- Pine soap & lotion
- Our everyday dishes
- Dinosaur art
- Entry rug
- My Mother dish towel
- Dot mug
- Pink & copper measuring cups and spoons- similar
- Dining area sources- all here
