Vintage European bistro chairs found on Craigslist, kitchen table passed down to my husband from his grandmother.
We’ve been living in our home for fifteen years now and up until this fall, we had never put a hammer or paintbrush to anything in the house except for Paloma’s baby room, right before she was born. We inherited some classic 90s Florida detailing from the previous owners – dust-attracting, shaggy red and white carpeting, stucco walls, green laminate countertops and a low-hanging ceiling in the kitchen. Just like many other families I know, we are quite food-oriented and tend to crowd in the kitchen, since that’s where most of the action happens. It’s also where I work, where I come up with recipes for this site and for my cookbooks, so it’s fair to say that I spend most of my life in this space. We recently completed a long, laborious kitchen renovation that spilled out into the living room, and I cannot describe how much my heart sings when I come downstairs every morning and see this kitchen that finally feels so entirely mine. It took us a decade and a half to gather up the courage and the funds to do this, and these past few months have brought some of the most trying times for us as a family, but it finally feels like it was worth it and I’m so excited to share some snaps of Golubka Kitchen HQ with you.
We took a documentary approach to these photos, and instead of shooting everything in one day, the photos were taken over a week, on cloudy days and on sunny days, in the morning and in the evening. There are different aspects of the kitchen that shine on different days, and we really wanted to capture that.
‘Farmhouse’ kitchen sink from Ikea, faucet from Ebay.
Our house has three stories – garage on the first floor, open kitchen and living room on the second, and bedrooms on the third. We renovated the kitchen, the living room floor, ceiling, and fireplace (yes, we have a fireplace in Florida and we use it, too), and both staircases leading up and down to the kitchen and living room. The most expensive part of the whole renovation was the removal of the old hanging ceiling in the kitchen, together with all the electrical work involved. We decided on the cabinets and countertops quickly, but the easy decisions ended there. It took me so incredibly long to settle on a cohesive look for the kitchen. As a notoriously undecisive Libra, I endlessly kept changing my mind about the wall treatment, the tile, the light fixtures, the shelves, the faucet, cabinet pulls, etc. I do love those clean, white kitchens with minimal everything, but in the end I decided that in order to stay true to my heart, I had to go with something a little more feminine and detail-oriented, with a hint of the Downton Abbey kitchen.
The old kitchen had endless cabinets on the walls, some of which always ended up a mess, while others weren’t utilized at all, so I knew I wanted exposed shelves. I’m super happy with that decision – I love having my dishes and jars within arm’s reach and at eye level, since it allows me to be more organized and minimal. Many people wonder whether dust is an issue with open shelves, and I’ve found that it’s not any more of an issue than anywhere else in the house. I also use all the objects on the shelves quite frequently, which doesn’t allow too much dust to accumulate. The shelves are made of very beautiful and sturdy wood reclaimed from an old barn in Kentucky, which we found at Barn Works. I finished the wood myself without the use of a wood stain. The floating shelf arrangement was made possible with the heavy duty brackets from Shelfology, which secure the shelves to the wall very safely and seamlessly.
Tadelakt Moroccan Plaster with Benjamin Moore ‘White Stone’ color pigment
Industrial brass rod with copper hooks from Etsy, vintage Brazilian copper utensils with wooden handles found on Craigslist.
During the initial planning stage, I was certain that I wanted a subway tile backsplash, but was simultaneously seeing and liking backsplashes made with Moroccan, Spanish and Mexican patterned tiles. I agonized over my choice between the two until I discovered Tadelakt, the Moroccan plaster, and there was no turning back. I knew I wanted grey shaker kitchen cabinets, but the plaster treatment also presented the possibility of grey walls. I’ve always been attracted to grey rooms, to me they just speak of serenity, so I was pretty happy with this opportunity. Finding someone who would apply the plaster masterfully but for a fair price, and getting the job completed was probably one of the most nerve-racking parts of the renovation. We did find someone brilliant, and it ended up worth the stress, because I am completely in love with my new walls. The material is so warm, textural and interesting, and it totally ties the whole kitchen together.
As much as I loved the idea of a patterned tile floor, I was still torn between its beauty/practicality and the homey feel of hardwood floors, which I wanted to have in the living room. I finally settled on the idea of combining the two, and as a result, the tile follows the line of the kitchen cabinets in the shape of an inverted ‘Z,’ while we can still enjoy the warmth of the hardwood floors in the sitting area and into the living room. The tile is from the Cement Tile Shop, which offers an overwhelming array of the most beautiful, authentic patterns. Of course I found settling on one to be a near impossible task. I went from multicolored to black and white, to pastel, to monochrome tiles dozens of times before landing on the Fountaine Antique pattern with a custom border. As for the hardwood floor, I’d always dreamt of an old-fashioned herringbone pattern in real wood, which proved to be really difficult to find within the United States. The one company that carried thick oak planks in a herringbone pattern didn’t have enough to cover our floor at first, but they later ended up finding one extra box tucked away in a different warehouse. I’m so glad that they did because I’m completely over the moon about how the floors turned out. It’s worth mentioning that the old kitchen floor was white tile that showed off every spec of dust that landed on it, and the living room floors had white plush carpeting, and I am so happy to finally be rid of both.
We found the best contractor, Don, who left us endlessly impressed, together with his talented and considerate team. He truly cared about every step of the process and saved us so many times with his expert advice and creative input. The most standout showcase of the team’s work is the spacious drawer pantry they built out of vintage fruit crates from Schiller’s Salvage. My idea was realized even better than I had envisioned – the crates were originally too long and the crew manually disassembled, shortened and rebuilt them, then positioned them on smoothly sliding tracks. The countertop over the crates is made of old barn oak and finished by me in the same way as the floating shelves. The whole piece, on top of being unique and beautiful, is the most functional and spacious storage space in the whole kitchen.
Quartz countertops from the Home Depot in ‘Snowy Ibiza’
Antique Spanish hutch from the 1800s, a lucky Craigslist find, brought to the U.S. from Madrid
Vintage ceramic and brass cabinet pulls from Ebay and Etsy
Vintage ceramic door knob from eBay, ‘Pink Shadow’ Sherwin Williams paint on the door. Custom built computer shelf made by Algis from old barn wood.
My favorite thing about the vintage French chandelier that I found on Etsy are the rainbows it sends onto the walls in the evenings.
Fireplace brick wall made with 100 year old sliced brick from Craigslist, arranged beautifully by Algis.
Stairs leading up to the third floor with the bedrooms.
Since both of the staircases connect to the kitchen and living room, we realized that we had to redo them as well, so that they wouldn’t be an eyesore within the new renovation. My husband and I set out to do the whole thing ourselves to save some cash, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t wish this type of adventure upon my worst enemy. All the stairs were covered with red carpeting, and the railings were painted an ugly orange-ish brown. The original plan was to remove the old carpet and to cover the existing stairs with new wood planks. To our surprise, however, we discovered a beautiful pine under the carpeting and decided to restore the original stairs along with stripping and re-finishing the railing. It took me two and a half months to complete this part of the project alone.
Stairs leading up to the kitchen/living room from the garage. Ceramic tile from Spain with weathered grey hues, uneven borders, satin finish.
This kitchen renovation wouldn’t have been possible without the help and generosity of Cement Tile Shop, Shelfology, Barn Works, Schiller’s Salvage, and Floor and Decor. My eternal gratitude goes out to Don and the team for your incredible care and craftsmanship in everything you do, Algis for the amazing job with the tile, plaster, fireplace and shelf, Vadim for the impeccable hardwood installation, and Dale for the immense help with the tile and stairs.
Resources
Contractor – Don Violette at V & P Construction and Maintenance
Kitchen Tile – Cement Tile Shop
Shelves – Shelfology for the floating shelf brackets, Barn Works for the reclaimed lumber
Vintage Fruit Crates – Schiller’s Architectural and Design Salvage
Hardwood Floors – Floor and Decor
Kitchen Cabinets – Floor and Decor
Countertops – Home Depot, quartz in ‘Snowy Ibiza’
Accessory Resources – in photo captions
If you happen to be looking for some incredibly talented craftsmen for your renovation in the Tampa Bay area, please reach out to me and I will be happy to connect you.
Heather says
Wow wow wow wow. I Absolutely love it all. I love the tile choice and the mix of tile and wood floor in the kitchen. And the brickwork for the fire place. So cozy.
Anya says
Thank you Heather :)
thefolia says
Renovations especially the kitchen and bathrooms are so invasive—strangers know you intimately, I have a hard time with it as well but it looks like it was well worth it…beautiful! I love the colors and the Moroccan plaster is incredible…we may try it for a floor we have been struggling with a decision for materials. Happy Nesting!
Anya says
It’s definitely a very trying time in all kinds of ways :) Thank you for the kind words!
Jesse Gabriel says
Hey!
Die Küche sieht genial aus, darf ich bei ihnen einzieht!?!
Liebe Grüße sendet Jesse Gabriel aus Berlin
Anya says
Danke :)
Valentina | The Blue Bride says
Omg, everything looks so beautiful!! You make me dream <3
( Living in a rented apartment sucks :P )
Anya says
Thank you so much Valentina!
Natalia says
Everything looks so neat and beautiful, Anya! Thanks for sharing with us this and letting us enter your lovely world! Paloma is so beautiful! <3
Anya says
Thank you so much Natalia :)
Luda Goodrich says
If ever you tire of the cooking profession…heheh…I think you will become entirely successful in design and renovation. Love every aspect of your renovations and the thoughts behind it. HGTV and HOUZZ have nothing on you!
Anya says
Thank you so much for your kind words! My indecisiveness would get the best of me :)
Debbie D says
Fabulous! Congrats on your beautiful home!
Anya says
Thank you Debbie!
Angie says
Absolutely gorgeous! I am in love with the tile.
Anya says
Thank you so much Angie!
Rebecca says
It is absolutely beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing. It’s amazing what a good remodel can do to create an entirely different space!
Anya says
Thank you so much Rebecca! It truly does feel like a different house.
Елена Плаксина Бержерон says
so increadibly beautiful as you are
thank you for sharing – what a great pleasure to read your posts!! ?❤
Anya says
Thank you so much Elena!!!
Aleksandra says
What a wonderful renovation. Every Detail is beautiful and exquisite. I love your style. The tiles, the floor and those ingenious crate drawers, so homey and beautiful at the same time. I really feel inspired to Keep dreaming about having my own dream kitchen some day. Dreams do come true! I look forward to seeing what inspired creations come out of your kitchen now that you have such a kitchen to work from. Best wishes, Aleksandra
Anya says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Aleksandra!
Anna Korysheva says
Congratulations, Anya, for the beautiful kitchen renovation! OMG, the chairs,,,,,, is has been my dream for many years…. Where did you get the chairs? The new design looks so cozy and european. Thanks for sharing.
Anna K.
Anya says
Hi Anna, thanks so much! The chairs were a lucky Craigslist find.
Kitchen Renovations Perth says
Wonderful renovation, I am really happy to see “The kitchen renovation”, everything looking very nice. I really like your kitchen, appreciable keep sharing
Elizabeth says
LOve the remodel~ congratulations on having the kitchen of your dreams.
Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration too! ypa!
Ed Kassoff says
As a former home re modeler, I have to say you did a very impressive job. I also like your little helper.
Sonja says
Oh My Gosh…
I WANT this Kitchen !!!
kitchen Door says
Amazing design.. Its really a revolution…
Melissa Caron says
This is honestly my dream kitchen! It’s so beautiful and airy, I can’t get enough!
Caden Dahl says
The way you guys have done the kitchen up is amazing and I would only hope to replicate it when I do mine next year. I’m going to try and do something similar to what you have where there is tile along the outside and hardwood over where the dining area is. I find that to be really interesting as far as design goes and I would love to have something like that in mine.
Finch Kitchen Renovations says
Your kitchen is absolutely mesmerizing in all honesty! You mentioned you spend a decade perfecting it, I think it’s worth it. I love the hardwood floor and the wood shelves. I’m glad you didn’t use tiles on your walls and went for the one you have now. It was amazingly done, it’s warm and natural in the eye. Thanks for sharing your lovely kitchen!
Jen says
Hi. My husband and I are renovating our kitchen and he wants to do crate drawers and wood counter tops throughout our kitchen. So I got on Pinterest and come a cross your post. You said your contractor had to cut them down to size. I know this post was from 2 years ago but if you can remember, can you tell me the size they were before and what that are now? The way my husband is talking and how he wants it we would have to disassemble 2 and make it 1..that just seems like a lot of work.
Anya says
Hi Jen,
I don’t remember the measurements and currently traveling away from the kitchen for the next month. I’ll try to get back to you here or on your email when I get home and have a chance to measure the drawers!
Nicholas says
Wow what a charming and elegant home! I love the simplicity to it, i love the drawers for veggies, I really like how the tile butts up to the wooden planks and also the brick work by the chimney. Very cool set up!
Anya says
Thank you :)
April says
I just discovered you last spring (2020) through a copy of “The Vibrant Table” at my library! I’ve checked it out for the max time (12 weeks) at least twice now. Then I bought “Simply Vibrant” on Amazon since the library doesn’t have it, lol. I’ve also been drooling over your kitchen this entire time and only now found this post. Just like everyone else, I’m in love. I would say it’s the kitchen of my dreams but it’s so much better than anything I could dream up!
My tea kettle needs to be replaced and—because I love your aesthetic so much—I was looking through your pics for inspiration. I don’t see a water kettle, per se, but I do see a small white pot with a handle, like a small milk pot. Is that enameled cast iron? Can you tell me where you got it? I love the way it looks & the versatility of that over just a hot water kettle. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes, as well as your delicious kitchen reno!!!
Anya says
Hi April,
Your comment put the biggest smile on my face! So glad you’ve been enjoying the books.
I’m not sure if you’re asking about the little white teapot or the white saucer with the handle, but I found both of them secondhand, so I can’t point you in the direction of where to buy something similar. So sorry! The little white teapot is ceramic, and the saucer is enameled. Thank you so much for leaving this note!
April says
I was asking about the saucepan, yes. But the fact that you buy things second-hand only makes me admire you more. Thank you, again, for sharing your joy & inspiration of all kinds. You are such a shining light in this world.