When the kitchen cabinetry arrived this week I about cried! It’s beautiful. I knew deep down that it was the right color but there’s always that nagging, “maybe I should have played it safe and gone with white.” When it came time to pull the color trigger I just wasn’t feeling white. I loved so many light grey kitchen’s I saw on my Pinterest boards and loved Jillian Harris’ subtle grey kitchen (hers is painted Nimbus). I bought a ton of samples of grey and my heart immediately loved SW Repose Grey–it was a clear winner. It’s a beautiful warm grey/taupe and I couldn’t be happier. I brought the sample board of Repose Grey to the stone yard with me so I could coordinate the slab. The cabinetry is combination of modified shaker style and some flat front drawers. All these pictures were taken on a drab rainy day so I can’t wait to show you pictures when its actually bright and sunny.
The hardware is a beautiful warm brass from School House Electric, the Edgecliff collection. They are made in the USA and have a rounded interior so the grip is comfortable. I knew from our previous kitchen that I wanted closed pulls, ie not the sticky outty T shape ones. See picture below. With those T shape ones, I actually tore a few shirts getting stuck on them.
The counters were installed yesterday and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We went with Neolith, a compressed natural stone surface that is nearly indestructible. And with little boys/husband, I knew my heart would ache with the destruction of a beautiful Calacutta slab of marble, which is really what I wanted. But here’s the thing, you can’t tell that this is not calacutta marble and you can literally pour bleach on it and nothing happens. It can be used inside or outside yet gives me that awe-inspiring look of a “break the bank” marble slab. Really why go with anything else? And friends, no one is paying me to say this…this is not a sponsored ad but my own humble opinion.
Now not all fabricating companies can do Neolith well. It’s tricky to prepare. We used KB Surfaces in Rhode Island and they are wonderful! They have the right machines to cut it perfectly. We bought the Neolith slabs from Marble and Granite, Inc in Westwood if you are local in the Boston area. Not all stone yards are friendly or welcoming, believe it or not, they give you such attitude about pulling slabs. Marble and Granite, Inc was delightful to work with. You will not regret going with Neolith. It gives you the look of marble without the up keep and worry.
On Monday the tile backsplash and island tile goes up and once the tile is up on the back wall, the range hood can be installed. It’s a bit like the most complicated jigsaw puzzle of all time. Thankfully our contractors are amazing and pulling long, hard hours to reach the finish line.
There’s still so much to reveal, from appliances to lighting fixtures. The fun is just starting. Stay tuned! We’re so close!
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[…] Sooo, with my newfound knowledge, I researched the heck out of Neolith, started seeing it in upscale homes online and when looking at stones at Marble and Granite Inc in Westwood, found a slab of the Calacatta color in a far corner and was sold. Ours is the matte finish Calacatta color with a 2″ overhang so it looks like a 2″ thick slab of marble. I think it isn’t as popular as it could be because a) people simply don’t know about the awesomeness that is Neolith and b) you need a good fabricator because it’s only about 1/4″ thick and apparently not easy to work with. But what you gain is a surface, either shiny or matte, that looks exactly like marble, never fades, is super resilient to scratching or staining and is practically indestructible. I’ve walked on it, we’ve finger painted on it. It’s amazing and my number one asked question when people see my kitchen. Unlike quartz that is composed of 90% ground stone and 10% resin and dye Neolith is 100% stone, finely ground and compressed under high heat. Some people have referred to it as a porcelain but the company never uses that word so I’ve never referred to it as that. I never liked that I could see a speckled look to the quartz products out there so this was the perfect choice for me. We couldn’t be happier. Do your research and go with what you love. You can see it being installed in this kitchen post. […]
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I love it!!
Thank you Susan!
Please share more on sources if you’re willing! Local girl eyeing a kitchen renovation next year and this is so helpful – where did you do cabinets from? Thank you!
Absolutely! There’s more to come and I’ll have everything linked. It’s so helpful to be able to visualize some of these features in a home. The cabinetry was done by JD Millwork in Ashland. Can’t recommend them enough.
I saw your beautiful home on the house tour today. I absolutely loved how you finished the fridge. Could you please share photos of the finished product. It is such a gorgeous kitchen!
Absolutely Kristen! As soon as we get the right hardware on it I’ll be getting the reveal pictures out. Thank you for coming!
Gorgeous! The Neolith is fabulous. The cabinet color is sublime. You have exquisite taste!
Thank you Linda! I’m so loving watching all the details come together! Thank you for following along.
Love, love, love your kitchen! I love calacatta marble too – and your neolith looks amazing! I have a busy family and am looking into options.
Is it the calacatta neolith? I went on their site and am checking it out. Thanks for your help!
Hi Ellen, yes it is the Calacatta. We love it so much. It’s wonderful to have the marble look without any upkeep or concerns. My kiddos can live in their home without a paranoid momma. 🙂
Thanks so much for your reply! I went to look at the slabs of Neolith today and loved the Calacatta. What finish did you go with? Silk or polished? They told me that they did not recommend the polished finish. Yours look so good – I was wondering which finish you used. Thanks so much!
Hi Ellen! We did use the silk or matte finish. I didn’t want to see a reflection and I’m really happy with it. Highly recommended!
Hi there! I am wondering if you have done a reveal of this kitchen on the blog yet? I can’t seem to find it, but I have seen this space on your Instagram. I am wanting sources for this room, especially your paint color selections. I am currently designing a kitchen for a client, and am particularly interested in your wall color that you chose to go with the repose gray cabinets.
Hi there Nicki! We’ve been so meaning to do a kitchen reveal post but by the time it was actually finished and the counter stools arrived, it was nearing the holidays and then it got “themey” in the kitchen. So come January I’ll have one up. The walls are BM Chantilly Lace. It’s a beautiful white with the Repose Grey on the cabinetry. Thank you! We’ll be sharing every last detail soon!
Hi there!
I saw your kitchen in the Juniors’ home tour last Spring and am now doing my own kitchen. I have been trying to remember what you used on your counter. I just figured out it was Neolith and then discovered this amazing blog! How have they held up? Would you still recommend this material?
Hi Cara! Yes I’d still absolutely recommend it. In the last year, the extent of the wear is one tiny chip off the edge in our Butler’s pantry. I dropped a heavy saucepan right on the edge and was surprise there was so little damage. Very pleased. All marks have come off and there is zero staining. Perfect for this season in our lives with crazy little kiddos.