• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Tour Our Home
      • Bella Tucker Christmas Kitchen 2019
      • Bella Tucker featured on Apartment Therapy
      • Tour Our Home
      • Tucker House TV Features
      • Vintage Tucker Christmas
      • Christmas House Tour- Tucker Style
  • Portfolio
    • Kitchen Remodels Before and After
  • Kitchen Remodeling & Design
    • Design Services
  • Cabinet Painting
    • Paint Color Consultations
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Shop Favorites
  • Design Packages
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
bella tucker kitchen remodeling and kitchen cabinet painting

Bella Tucker

Kitchen Design-Cabinet Refinishing-Nashville TN

How I Would Design My Dream Kitchen on a Limited Budget

By Dana Tucker 6 Comments

I have had a lot of time to think about how I would design my dream kitchen. I am in kitchens all over the Nashville area almost every single day of the week. I also spend countless hours a week studying kitchen design and following the nation's top interior designers and taking note of the elements they are using in kitchen design. I have​ "pinned"" and taken screen shots, and made notes of all the things I would want to use in my kitchen re-design. So, here are some of the things I would love to see in my new kitchen. 

Cabinets:

If budget was not a factor and I could order all new cabinets, I would choose a shaker style cabinet. Since I am limited by budget and trying to creatively stretch my money I will be using cabinets from an existing kitchen. We have a client who is replacing everything in her kitchen and we are in negotiations to buy all her cabinets and possibly some of her appliances. Here is a photo of her current kitchen.

repurposed kitchen cabinets

We are going to repurpose these cabinets in our kitchen

She has raised panel doors, lots of decorative panels and tons of cabinets. Best of all- SHE HAS LOTS OF DRAWERS!!! My #1 tip to anyone designing a new kitchen is put in as many drawers as possible. They are so much more practical for storage and accessibility than doors.  We will deconstruct her layout, remove the countertops and reposition everything in our space. Here is a photo of our current kitchen. 

styrofoam ceiling tiles 5 years later

Tucker's current kitchen

ISLAND:

What I hate most about our current kitchen is our teeny tiny island. It's really hard to prep a meal or serve a meal in such a tiny spot.

Refrigerator built in with chalk board wall

Our teey tiny island

My daughter loves to help me cook and I would love for us to be able to work together at the same space on one big island instead of with our backs to each other. I am just starting to learn photoshop, so please excuse this rudimentary first attempt, but I mocked up a layout with a large island and just pasted it right on top of our current floor plan. I LOVE the way it opens up the kitchen. 

big kitchen island

I'd love a big island like this.

In my research on finding the perfect island, I read something that said if you plan on eating at the island with your whole family that you should consider making space for barstools on the side too so you aren't all lined up where you can't look at each other and have a conversation. I love that advice because that is exactly the way I feel with our current set up and we eat every meal at the bar stools. So, I'm considering something like this from Chelsea Construction :

Seating on back and sides. Kitchen by Chelsea Construction

I want to try to keep my island free of a sink or cooktop that would eat away from the usable surface space. I'm hoping to keep all those pieces in their current locations so I have a huge prep, serving and eating surface on the island. 

CABINET FINISHES:

We will be using our new kitchen as a showroom. I get customers asking me every week if they can see our work in actual kitchens. So, it will be nice to be able to handle those requests without having to reach out to previous customers and asking them to let me bring people through their homes. So, because 95% of the cabinets we paint are white or cream, I feel like I need to showcase one of those colors on the cabinets. We are going to get a little creative on the island and I am considering something like this finish I have admired for years by amazing Kitchen Designer, Heidi Piron.

blue kitchen by heidi piron

Kitchen designed by Heidi Piron

COUNTERTOPS:

Ideally, I would love to do a butcher block countertop on the island and marble on the perimeter counters.

The 2017 HGTV Urban Oasis House has almost everything on my wish list.

Another more budget friendly idea would be to install a leathered black granite that looks like soapstone like our client did in this kitchen. 

Black leathered granite was used in the kitchen update.

Black leathered granite was used in the kitchen update.

LIGHTING:

I love a lot of light in a kitchen. I would install two pendant lights over the new island at least 14" wide. I would love to do a woven shade if I could find a light that has at least two 60 watt bulbs. I don't think this light exists! If not I would really love to do a brass finish. Here are my two favorites. 

The Hicks Pendant designed by Thomas O Brien

The Lettie Pendant from Wayfair

In addition, I love the idea of using these library sconces in a couple of different places. 

Brass sconce

TILE:

Tile is a big investment and it is difficult and expensive to change. I preach to my clients all day long about the merits of simple subway tile in white or cream. It is timeless, clean, and beautiful. BUT.... If I'm being honest, I'm kind of really LOVING something like this from Devol Kitchens. 

This tile from Devol Kitchens is my dream!!!

HARDWARE:

I've written about my hardware favorites HERE. If I go with brass lighting, I will also go with brass hardware. Probably something like this from CB2. 

Brass Pulls from CB2

STOVE HOOD:

I love the idea of a stove hood over the range where a microwave sits now. Our customer has a stove hood that will be perfect.

Stove Hood in my client's house

Stove Hood in my client's house

We will either paint it the same color as the top cabinets or create a faux brass finish like the real brass finish on  my friend Colleen Locke's kitchen from Trot Home. Her kitchen is in my top 3 favorites of all time:

black and brass stove hood

This black and brass hood!!! This whole kitchen!!! I might just copy cat the whole thing!!!

SHOP MY FAVORITES BELOW (affiliate links)

[show_shopthepost_widget id="2835799"]


I know this is a long post but I've been dreaming of a new kitchen for so long-- I have a lot to say on the subject. I'll be sharing more ideas and progress as we move along this renovation journey. If you'd like more information on a stylish and affordable kitchen update starting with painting your existing cabinets, please click on the button below and we will be happy to provide a free estimate.

CLICK HERE FOR CABINET PAINTING INFORMATION
Tweet
Share
Pin17
Share69
86 Shares

Filed Under: Interior Design, Kitchen Updating, Tucker House

About Dana Tucker

By Dana Tucker | [email protected] | Google

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Tucker Kitchen Remodel Week 2 - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:21 am

    […] with lots of progress. If you want to start at the beginning of this remodel journey you can start HERE and […]

  2. Tucker Kitchen Remodel Week 3 - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    March 15, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    […] we had some great things happen this week. If you are just joining us you can catch up by starting HERE, HERE, and […]

  3. Tucker Kitchen Remodel- Week 4 - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    March 23, 2018 at 8:55 am

    […] just jumping in on our kitchen remodel journey and want to catch up you can start from the beginning HERE, then WEEK 1 HERE, WEEK 2 HERE, and WEEK THREE […]

  4. Tucker Kitchen Remodel- Week 5 - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    March 30, 2018 at 11:35 am

    […] just jumping in on our kitchen remodel journey and want to catch up you can start from the beginning HERE, then WEEK 1 HERE, WEEK 2 HERE, WEEK THREE HERE, and WEEK 4 […]

  5. Tucker Kitchen Remodel- Week 6 - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    April 12, 2018 at 7:05 am

    […] just jumping in on our kitchen remodel journey and want to catch up you can start from the beginning HERE, then WEEK 1 HERE, WEEK 2 HERE, WEEK THREE HERE, and WEEK 4 […]

  6. Bella Tucker Kitchen Remodel Reveal - Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes says:
    May 24, 2018 at 9:28 am

    […] just jumping in on our kitchen remodel journey and want to catch up you can start from the beginning HERE, then WEEK 1 HERE, WEEK 2 HERE, WEEK THREE HERE, WEEK 4 […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Looking For Something?

Let us handle your kitchen re-design. Call us today at 615-628-7373

Categories

Latest on Instagram

bellatucker

This kitchen! It all came together. ❤️❤️ This kitchen! It all came together. ❤️❤️ 

Design @bellatucker 

📸 @lesliebrownphotography 

GC: Jason Moore
My favorite part of kitchen design is finding a wa My favorite part of kitchen design is finding a way to grab space from underutilized rooms. In this kitchen we grabbed space from a guest bedroom. The door was in the kitchen. Come see where we moved it to. You might be surprised!
Want to see a kitchen we designed around a pink re Want to see a kitchen we designed around a pink retro fridge?
Every kitchen needs a dedicated coffee bar. Watch Every kitchen needs a dedicated coffee bar. Watch to see how we created a beautiful one in this kitchen. 

📷 @lesliebrownphotography
This kitchen! So proud of this work. Maybe my favo This kitchen! So proud of this work. Maybe my favorite yet. Dark and moody has my heart. 

Design by Bella Tucker
Photo by Leslie Brown Photography
Welcome to another edition of “you don’t need Welcome to another edition of “you don’t need to demo your kitchen to have a fabulous update”. 

Design by @bellatucker 

📷 @lesliebrownphotography
Never underestimate the power of the right tile. C Never underestimate the power of the right tile. Check out this total transformation with an amazing tile install around this window. 

Design @bellatucker 
 
📷 @lesliebrownphotography 

Amazing tile install by @oftileandartisanstudio
Want to see the other end of yesterdays moody kitc Want to see the other end of yesterdays moody kitchen? Our clients love to entertain and asked for a space where they could host their friends. We installed cabinetry with a built in beverage fridge and ice maker. A longe area to visit with a friend and a telescoping door to bring the outside in. ❤️❤️

Contractor- Jason Moore
Welcome to our moodiest kitchen yet. 💙 Welcome to our moodiest kitchen yet. 💙
This is probably the most life changing project we This is probably the most life changing project we have accomplished in our home. We call it the “dog park”. You are welcome.
Believe it or not, this was not a gut renovation. Believe it or not, this was not a gut renovation. We rebuilt the upper cabinets to go to the ceiling, refaced everything and painted.
Almost every house in our area built between 1980- Almost every house in our area built between 1980-2010 has one of these kitchen desks. They are pretty useless except for stacking mail and papers. We love to turn these kitchen wastelands into useful spaces. Who needs more functional space in their kitchen? 🙋‍♀️
We love designing powder baths. This makeover is e We love designing powder baths. This makeover is epic.
This was a super tricky remodel to design. We need This was a super tricky remodel to design. We needed to keep the support wall attached to the island. And we were pretty land locked with where appliances could go. Before, the focal point of this kitchen was the huge 60” refrigerator. We created a new focal point of the beautiful mirrored storage cabinet and it all came together from there.
Never underestimate the power of wall paper to tra Never underestimate the power of wall paper to transform a space.
Want to see my favorite room in our house? Adding Want to see my favorite room in our house? Adding this big landscape mural was just the thing to bring it all together.
Want to see what taking a wall out can do for your Want to see what taking a wall out can do for your home in a kitchen renovation? This is a good one!
This kitchen has a secret. Watch to see how we cre This kitchen has a secret. Watch to see how we created a walk in pantry by using the space over the stairs.
This is the most modern kitchen I’ve ever done a This is the most modern kitchen I’ve ever done and it was so fun to design. We totally flipped the layout and put the sink under the windows overlooking the beautiful backyard. We took down the wall between the kitchen and den and added a double sided fireplace. We added a huge island with seating. We removed the closet pantry and added full height pantry cabinets. The use of natural stone on the backsplash, shelves, stove hood, countertop, and fireplace makes it feel organic. So fun to revisit this modern beauty.
Want a little peak inside my process? During my fi Want a little peak inside my process? During my first consult I do a video walkthrough of the space and record all my thoughts and ideas. Surprisingly, a lot of my very first ideas on a space end up working out. Here’s a rounded peninsula concept that turned out so great!
Load More Follow on Instagram
Bella Tucker

Nashville TN Cabinet Painting| Kitchen Remodeling| Kitchen Design| Call 615-628-7373 All content Copyrighted by Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes 2020

By Dana Tucker | Bella Tucker | [email protected] | Real Estate Websites