Cookie Cutter to Custom With Quartz {Kitchen Makeover!}

April 10, 2017

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Hello Lovely Studio - Arizona Kitchen Makeover

I love cookies.
Cookies are totes the GOAT.
But cookie cutter?
Uh-uh...nope.

Our Arizona kitchen was one of those
functional, cookie cutter kitchens like
every other boring kitchen on the block...

Generic, style-challenged, and just no GOAT.


 We started with:
-Builder-special maple cabinets,
-Beige laminate countertops,
-Black appliances, and
-Porcelain tile flooring.

 I felt like blowing it up,
but cash and explosives
on hand were limited.

While plenty of folks may have demo'd the
cabinets immediately and slapped on a faux
marble laminate, experience has taught me
countertops set the tone in a kitchen, and
new cabinets are a much spendier prospect.

 So here's the beauty of this DIY Kitchen Makeover...
we skipped the demo and instead:
>painted the cabinets
>added hardware and crown molding
>changed out the appliances, and
>added quartz counters & a tile statement wall

 See the short video I made right here.

Upgrading to goat-sy quartz? A no-brainer.


 I partnered with LG Hausys
(Viatera quartz color is SOPRANO),
determined to create a serene, Nordic French,
custom-on-a-budget DIY kitchen.
Viatera was my first choice given
how much we are digging the quartz in our 
Chicagoland modern farmhouse kitchen.
Viatera quartz Soprano on Hello Lovely
LG Viatera quartz countertop and backsplash in SOPRANO

Why Viatera in Soprano?
It's a brand new color, and I was given
the opportunity
to introduce it to internetland!

 The look I was going for was European inspired...
a Swedish farmhouse meets Paris apartment meets
Malibu beach house sort of thing.

 Soprano is a warm, creamy off-white
with warm grey veining and pairs well with the
Scandinavian feel of blue-grey painted cabinetry
(Behr: Classic Silver), pewter toned farmhouse-style
hardware, and chic Calacatta Gold honed
marble hex mosaic statement wall.

 Why quartz?

 So glad you asked!
Let's dish.
And let's be thorough.

 Here are 10 reasons to spring for quartz
and cure cookie cutter syndrome.


Serene chic simple European inspired kitchen with grey cabinets and Viatera Soprano quartz
Serene, chic, and simple lovely Nordic French kitchen makeover

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Quartz color: Viatera/Soprano

1.
Quartz imparts a custom, clean, tranquil look.

 Quartz transformed this builder's special
cookie cutter kitchen by turning up the serenity
and bouncing around the light with its reflective voodoo.

 When it's continued on the backsplash as we did,
you end up with effortless, no-grout, minimal
chic...it has this restful, simple lovely vibe.

But can't you achieve this look with marble?
Oui. But since stone is porous,
mama's marinara sauce splashed
on the 'splash may mar the marble
(and in this household, mama's
marinara is mosdef a-splashin').

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
The sink was like new so we kept it, but that faucet will probably be upgraded soon.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
YAY for thrifted wood stools and beadboard on the breakfast bar!
2.
It's easy to keep clean and resists stains.

If I tried realllllly hard to stain my quartz, there's
maybe a teeny chance I could succeed, but what I can
tell you is our quartz countertops never stained
despite violent collisions with red wine, lemons,
strawberries, and tomato sauce.

But aren't solid surface and laminate stain resistant too?
I have lived with both, and they are not nearly
as stain resistant as quartz.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Quartz: Vitatera/Soprano

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Serene, chic, and simple lovely Nordic French kitchen makeover
3.
Quartz stands up to daily life.

 What makes quartz so gangsta strong is that it's
primarily...um...QUARTZ...one of the hardest
natural occurring minerals on planet earth.

 There's resin in there, but 93% of the material is quartz.

 I love knowing that this quartz is gonna
serve our kitchen well for many years.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
The home backs to a private desert wash

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Continuing the quartz on the backsplash was a huge design coup.

4.
If you scratch it, it's not the end of the world.

 Accidents happen and deep scratches or damage
to the surface are possible, but they can be
remedied by a professional so you don't
have to sweat bullets.

 I'll appreciate it if you don't drop heavy power tools
on my custom quartz counters or use the surface
as a sawhorse, but should you go Loco Lord
of the Dance in cleats on my breakfast
bar, my counters can be resurfaced.

 But don't do that. My nerves...

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Serene, chic, and simple lovely Nordic French kitchen with modern farmhouse style

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
These cabinets had no hardware, and the addition of quality pulls was an easy DIY.

5.
Holy hygiene.

 My quartz countertops don't just appear clean,
they are free of bacteria and yuck because
unlike stone, the non-porous lovely won't harbor germs.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
DIY Serene, chic, and simple lovely kitchen with modern farmhouse style

Serene chic simple European inspired kitchen with grey cabinets and Viatera Soprano quartz
Quartz: Viatera/Soprano

6.
No-maintenance beats low-maintenance.

I love the ability to be lazy with quartz.

 I have owned kitchen counters made of granite
where I babied and sealed them myself, and
I have lived with tiled kitchen counters
with crevices and grout lines provoking
curses and tears.

There's less trucker mouth with no-maintenance,
so this girl's willing to eat Ramen noodles
for months to score quartz over tile.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
On the window wall of the kitchen, we tiled the whole expanse with Calacatta Gold honed marble hex mosaic

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Simple, chic, serene Nordic French kitchen makeover

7.
Veining patterns are like a forgiving friend.

 Living with pattern and prints is a subjective design
matter, and some folks like mixing a bunch
together, while others shun them.

 I'm minimalist-y, but after living with
solid color kitchen counters in the past,
give me m'pattern, s'il vous plait!

 The pattern isn't just aesthetically pleasing;
dining and work surfaces become
more visually forgiving so unless
you feel like it, you won't have
to constantly dust-bust.

 (Think golden toast crumbs or dust upon a sea of
matte black granite...if the sight doesn't disturb
your senses, have at it.
But me and my OCD appreciate how a subtle
or dramatic pattern becomes our friend.)

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Quartz: Viatera/Soprano

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
This is the frig wall, and to the left of the frig is a pantry.

8.
The price is right.

 Shopped for quartz lately?
The cost has come down since last
we incorporated it into a kitchen
design and is an excellent value
considering you can't go grab it
off the store shelf.

 Quartz is one of the smartest ways I know to give
a cookie cutter kitchen a custom makeover
without breaking the bank. 

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
This is one of my vintage dining chairs newly upholstered in a Shabby Chic Couture fabric.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Such a clean look when you continue the quartz up the backsplash! No grout!
9.
Stand out when it's time to sell.

 Like I mentioned earlier, our home's kitchen
looked like the kitchens in every listing
our realtor showed us...yawnfest.

 We feel confident about adding value with quartz.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
The raised breakfast bar is nice for hiding dirty dishes with an open concept floorplan.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Quartz: Viatera/Soprano
10.
A PONED finish.

 I think it's interesting that the finish of our quartz
seems neither truly polished nor truly honed,
and I would have to refer to it as PONED
(or PWNED if you're a certain age).

 It's somewhere in the lovely middle.

 (As I recall, our old granite counters were as
glossy and reflective as mirror and that I
never acclimated to dining and food prep
on mirror!)

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
We chose a plain edge rather than an embellished edge detail for a simple, clean look.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Quartz: Viatera/Soprano

I'm giving you lots of images and close-ups
in case you decide to take SOPRANO
for a spin.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
I love how the stainless complements the veining in Soprano.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
A slide-in gas range has a masculine feel amid all the feminine.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Soprano is a warm creamy white that works well with Calacatta Gold marble.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Here you can see where the Calacatta Gold marble mosaic meets the quartz backsplash.

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Serene, chic, and simple lovely Nordic French kitchen makeover

Serene chic simple Nordic French kitchen with grey cabinets and Soprano quartz countertop and backsplash
Serene, chic, and simple lovely Nordic French kitchen makeover

Have any questions about our kitchen makeover?
Get in touch!
See the video of the makeover here!

 Care to see all the colors in this quartz collection?
Visit here.

 Visit this post with more info about
our Arizona kitchen makeover,
and find all the Arizona fixer upper
stories right here.



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Thank you kindly, Viatera, for partnering with me on
this kitchen makeover and providing such a lovely,
sustainable product for our project.

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20 comments

  1. Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and AcornsApril 10, 2017 at 6:55 PM

    This looks fabulous! WE are looking for a counter for our mater bathroom vanities and unfortunately we picked out marble that was 12,000.00. Not really what I want to spend for 2 vanities. I am headed over to ooh at this quart. Thanks for the tip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleApril 10, 2017 at 7:42 PM

      ha! i hope you find some winning options. xox

      Delete
  2. JoanMarieApril 10, 2017 at 8:27 PM

    I am in love with the entire color and texture theme in your kitchen. All blend so seamlessly and yet the granite, stainless, and cabinets are each given their own voice for the ideal symphony of design. You are a master of color and pattern selections!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleApril 11, 2017 at 8:40 AM

      thanks, joanmarie. it's a very simple plan with tranquil factor. :)

      Delete
  3. cindy hattersley designApril 11, 2017 at 5:58 PM

    Beautiful! I am not familiar with this particular one. It has a little more movement than some. Thanks for sharing...I must check it out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleApril 11, 2017 at 8:23 PM

      that's because i'm one of the first to use it! it's a gorgeous color. :)

      Delete
  4. cheriApril 12, 2017 at 9:20 AM

    Hi Michele,
    Your kitchen came out marvelous. I just may duplicate it in our beach fixer. What appliance brands did you use? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleApril 13, 2017 at 3:46 PM

      thanks so much, Cheri! they are smudgeproof stainless Frigidaire. best to you in your beach fixer (oh my does that sound lovely!). :)

      Delete
  5. notthatboringaccountantJune 28, 2017 at 6:14 PM

    woww i love the renovation!! good choice :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. NicoleJune 28, 2017 at 6:14 PM

    Wow, that's gorgeous! I love the look - it really reminds me of marble!

    ReplyDelete
  7. BrooklynREProJune 28, 2017 at 8:04 PM

    Loving the color choices for your kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleJune 28, 2017 at 10:52 PM

      Thanks--it's now opposite of where it began!

      Delete
  8. Bailey SuzioJune 29, 2017 at 1:32 AM

    This is so beautiful and simple!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unintended DomesticityJune 29, 2017 at 7:01 PM

    We recently redid our kitchen in a very similar way. Went with the Silestone quartz, in the marble-esque pattern as well, though ours tends more towards grey than brown inclusions. Either way, it looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  10. George LockJune 29, 2017 at 9:21 PM

    Loving this quartz kitchen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. micheleJune 30, 2017 at 3:10 PM

      Thanks, George. It completely transformed this space! :)

      Delete

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