The island is done, the countertops are in, and we feel like we have a whole new kitchen! When working with an existing blueprint it can be challenging. But sometimes that challenge is fun:) This kitchen didn’t have an island in it when we bought the house 10 years ago, but it always seemed a little naked in the middle. We started with a super small island, then moved up to one that had two stools by it, and then when we designed this island we went as big as we possibly could! Sure we don’t have the suggested 36″ clearance of walkways (ours are 30″ instead) but we didn’t let that stop us. And truth be told we are amazed at how adding a huge piece of furniture in the middle of the kitchen actually made the room appear bigger rather than smaller! 

We also worked with Erickson Home Design to design the island to have waterfall ends on both sides and an overhang that allowed stools to slide completely under it. This actually makes you not even realize that there is seating and keeps it clean by hiding the stools. And since it is 9′ long we were able to comfortably fit 5 stools and can actually fit 6 if we want, although leg room gets a little tight then:)

When picking stools I had a few things I had to keep in mind, one being they couldn't have a back since I wanted them to hide in the island, and two being I wanted to be able to fit at least 5 so they couldn't be too wide. I found THESE STOOLS from crate and barrel, and loved that they had some curves to them which softened up the waterfall ends, and I also loved that they were wood so that they aren't cold in the winter. We've done metal stools before and found out that the kids aren't fans in Minnesota winters;)

I also love how the vertical white oak wood looks against the black....I mean, you know how much I love black, wood, and white...such a pretty combo

And did I mention what a game changer it is to be able to have seating for all of the kiddos? The kitchen truly is the heart of the kitchen and I am so excited to do so much life around this new island.

These counters are so hard to photograph and a lot of the veining didn't show through, but I am so in love with them. They are quartz countertops called calcatta gold by the brand Silestone and we went through Granite-Tops out of Albertville, but they have many locations in the midwest area! They were awesome to work with and did an amazing job installing them!

This picture is a little more accurate of the color and veining in the countertops.

I kept debating whether to do with a dramatic countertop or play it safe. And in the end I'm glad I chose something more subtle, especially because you see a lot of the counters.

Adding this beautiful glazed pot from this amazing online shop called Anything Rustic. I love how the black pops on the countertops! And I paired it with my favorite candles from Flare. You can always use code PRVBS for 15% off your order!

The last big change to this space was new lighting! Ryan had to add a new light to keep them centered over the new size of the island. I knew I wanted something quite large to ground the island, and when looking I found lighting from all ranges of prices, but was ecstatic to find these gorgeous lights from Target for only $100!

There was a little controversy over these lights with Ryan, and all of you, thinking they were too big. Well, Ryan's exact words were, they are trashcans hanging from the ceiling! :) But, I hung them from some hooks temporarily to see if we liked them and he approved of how high they were so they didn't obstruct his view too much, so ironically he was the one that hung them:) He does love me!

We still need to patch the hole we took one of the lights out of, but I love how the heavy black helps to even out the black of the lowers on the cabinets! Call them trash cans all you want, I love them:) Here's a few more pictures of the kitchen...stay tuned for the next blog about the new sink we added and how much we love it!

We always get asked about our open shelving and we got them through Shelfology. They are rough cut, which gives them so much character, and I love how the wood pops on the subway tile.

Thanks for following along on this journey. The house and family have changed so much within the last 10 years that we've been here and I'm always amazed how God has blessed us with everything we have.