We are beyond touched by the interest and kind comments regarding our new home. Thanks so much for sharing in our exciting journey! We feel truly blessed to be able to build our dream home, it’s been a long time coming! This post will cover the details of our kitchen countertops and tile details of our modern farmhouse. Please excuse the pictures… They are quick shots with our iPhones of the daily progress. Once we move in and decorate, the quality will be much better. :) 
Our kitchen countertops are made of Quartz with veins of gray and taupe. The overall color is a soft cream that works nicely with our kitchen cabinets, which are painted in SW Snowbound. I’m a sentimental gal, so when I heard the name was the same as my late grandma, Virginia, I loved them even more. They are a 2 cm thickness and are used on all the surfaces in the kitchen, including the island. There was enough left over to use in our half bath, which I was very happy about! The brand is called Santa Margherita.
Our kitchen backsplash was a last minute switch from the original. You may have seen a swatch of choices I made in late July on my Instagram account. Well, fast forward to two weeks ago when I saw my choice in another kitchen… Minor panic attack! It was not at all what I had envisioned… It was too dark and the texture of the tile would’ve thrown off the whole look. My gut was telling me I wouldn’t like it and without hesitation, I asked to switch it! They quickly put a hold on my order and I was there the next morning to make the change. 
My sweet hubby even offered to let me upgrade, knowing it was going to affect the look and flow of the kitchen; he wanted me to be sure! Our biggest concern was, would this set us back? I spoke with the showroom designer over the phone and told her what I wanted… A classic and timeless look. A soft gray to give it a nice contrast with our counters and cabinets. Luckily, she came to my rescue when she presented me with this beautiful gray ceramic subway tile. It was in stock and within our budget… Making us happy and on schedule! We matched it up with the counters and selected a grout… It was the perfect match! The color is called Pumice by H-Line. I love the subtle shading around the edges and the trim around the herringbone completes the look beautifully! Our grout is called bleached wood and is a similar shade to our countertops. 
Moving on to our master bathroom… We used a 3 cm granite called Verona White. This went in our master bathroom, guest bathroom, kids bathroom and laundry room. It’s a great blend of color with subtle flecks of cranberry throughout. It wasn’t my first choice, but once I saw it with the tiling and cabinet color, I loved it! 
Our flooring in the master bathroom is a 1 foot by 2 foot tile by Interceramic. The color is a light gray called Grigio Belfiore. It gives the look of wood grain and has a nice texture, making it less slip resistant. It’s laid in a herringbone pattern and carried into our master closet to keep the flow of the room consistent. The grout color used with this tile is called Driftwood. I’m envisioning a beautiful soft runner down the center of our walk-in closet! 
The tile that seems to be getting the most attention is the Merola Tile from Home Depot. This was a personal purchase that I made, because let’s face it… I had to have this gorgeous tile in our home! It’s described as a Twenties Classic in 7 3/4 in by 7 3/4 in size. With the half bath being rather deep, I chose this space, knowing we would see a lot of it. I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome! 
I wanted the cabinet in our half bath to resemble a piece of furniture, so I designed it with feet and requested it to be wall to wall. The remaining Virginia Quartz and hardware completes the look!
I’ll be doing a separate blog post on the wood floors and upstairs flooring, once we have everything installed and cleaned. The floors are just too dusty at this stage and wouldn’t be represented well. Thank you for your interest in our home. I hope you find these kitchen countertops and tile details of our modern farmhouse helpful when deciding to design your own home.
Blessings,
Your house looks great! Who makes the Virginia Quartz? I am dying to use marble but know Quartz is safer choice. From what I can tell the Quartz you chose looks very nice!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for the question… I just edited my post to give you the link. :) Quartz is safer in high traffic areas… However, we were told if doesn’t tolerate direct heat, so use hot pads!
Thanks!! Congrats on the beautiful new house.
My pleasure! :)
I love the kitchen and I recently picked that same backsplashmay I ask which grout color you chose?
How fun… Don’t you just love it? We chose bleached wood for our grout… I’ll add that to the post! :) Thanks for your interest!
I love it!!! I chose the fantasy brown for my counters and I am very happy so far! I asked
About the grout because I chose a gray , however it has not dried correctly in all the areas and they will need to re do it. Just considering another color possibly.
Is the grout you used the Polyblend #545 Bleached Wood from Home Depot? Or Fusion Pro #545?
Hi Dion… No, ours didn’t come from HomeDepot. I’m not sure on the brand, but the name of our grout is called Driftwood. Hope that helps!
Hi there! Your home is beautiful! I was eagerly anticipating this post for the details on your choices. Would you mind sharing the grout color you chose for the gray herringbone tile you did in the master bath and closet? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! Absolutely… The grout color for those areas is called Driftwood! Thanks for your interest and following our journey! Glad it’s been helpful for you! :) I just edited the post with that info too… thanks!
GORGEOUS!!!! I loved reading the updates. I sent you a comment on IG earlier today :)
Have a fantastic weekend!
Thanks, Marilyn… I will look for your comment on IG! Thanks for visiting me here and following our journey! Have a great weekend!
So beautiful! I have had my eye on this exact backsplash but don’t have a local retailer and was scared to purchase sight unseen online but after seeing yours I’m sold!!! I just cannot for the life of me find that beautiful trim you used!? Thanks!!!
Hi Colleen! Oh no… I hope you find it! I would try going to a local design center or calling a local builder and asking them where they get their interior tiles and flooring. If you have the info on the tile, they should be able to give you access to the trim pieces! Good luck!
I love everything abt your house. Thank you for sharing. Could you tell me the color of your kitchen walls?
Hi Debra! Thanks so much! I have a blog post (before this one) on all our interior wall colors. You should find your request listed there. Thanks for your interest!
Are you happy you chose 2cm thickness for your countertops? I am in the process of choosing quartz countertops and it is more expensive to go with 3 cm than 2 cm but I don’t want to sacrifice quality. Is the thickness just personal choice? Are people starting to lean towards thinner countertops? I know very thick was popular but is that trend fading?
Hi Vicki… In the case of our countertops, the 3cm was on backorder and we didn’t want to wait. Also, since our kitchen cabinets are white, it didn’t make a huge difference to us and it didn’t look as obvious. However, had we gone with stained cabinets, the 2cm would not have looked as good. I’ve seen both and honestly, I didn’t really have a preference since I knew we were going with white! Hope that helps!
Hi Alicia,
My husband and I just LOVE your style. We are hoping to begin our home renovation soon and have taken some pointers from your posts. One of the features we really like is your kitchen backsplash. Would you mind sharing what size you used for the tiles. Thank you!
Hi Jackie! Thanks so much for following along! Makes me happy to know our building journey has helped you! The kitchen backslash tiles we used are a 3×6 size. Best wishes to you and your husband! It’s a fun process!
Hi! I love your cabinetry! We are fixing to start our kitchen remodel and would love to know the brand 😊 Thank you!
Hi Anisa… The cabinetry is custom, designed by myself and the carpenter. He’s a local millworker that works for our builder.
Hi Alicia! I must say, you have a gorgeous home and I adore all your design choices! I do have a question, for your cabinets did you use a semi- gloss or satin?
Thanks so much for your sweet words! We used a satin finish! :)
I am a new blog reader and I just LOVE this kitchen. My husband and I are also building and I was just wondering if you would share the size of your kitchen and the your island?? I love how big your island is!! Thank you!
Hi Vivian… Our kitchen island is 4.5 feet deep by 9 feet wide. I’ll have to take a look at the plans and get back to you on the dimensions. Thanks for your interest!
Hi,
Your kitchen is wonderful! Could you please share the color that you painted your island cabinets?
Thanks! I’d love for you to check the September 2016 archives for my paint colors post!
Thank you! I have those details mentioned in the September 2016 archives
Hi Irma… I’d love for you to check out the September 2016 archives on my blog. I’ve shared all our interior paint colors there. Thanks for your interest!
Alicia! Everything is so pretty and I’m so excited for you!! Your choices are so on point and I love the way you’ve pulled everything together. Can’t wait to see more once you get moved in and get to decorating!!!
Hi Bree! Thanks so much! My apologies for my delayed response! It’s been a crazy few weeks settling in. Hope you’re doing well!
I love your design!! My husband and I are getting ready to build a new home and I’m taking some notes because I love some of your color schemes…..what is the color and material used for your floors in the kitchen/main living area?
Hi Amy… The floors in the main rooms and hallways are an engineered hardwood. They are hand-scraped and distressed in a warm tobacco finish. Hope that helps!
Thank you!
Where did you purchase your cabinets and what is the style/name?
Hi Neida… The cabinets are custom, I designed them myself with the carpenter that works for our builder. They are an inset cabinet in a modern style. Hope that helps!
Can you tell us where your cabinets are from?
Hi… They were custom built by a local cabinet maker that works for our builder.
Is your trim Snowbound as well? What is the finish and source of your pulls? Thanks for sharing your beautiful home!
Yes, all trims and doors are also SW Snowbound. The pulls are a brushed nickel finish and the source in BHP (Better Home Products)… Thanks for your interest!
Hi. Love your kitchen. I’m starting to re do mine similar to yours! I have chosen SW Snowbound too! What is the color of your island? SW Gauntlet gray ?
Yes, that’s correct. My “Design Details Of Our New Home” blog post has all that information. Thanks for your interest!
Hi Alicia,
I love your design style! I am looking for cabinet pulls like yours that are a nice mix of traditional and modern. I was wondering if you would ever share where you found yours? Thanks!
Hi… My hardware pulls are from BHP (Better Home Products)… Not sure of the name, but they are from a local showroom in my area.
Hi there,
I love the cabinet vanity in your half bath. Where did you purchase it and have the feet added? I want the exact same thing in mine!!
Erin
Hi Erin… Thank you! The cabinet vanity in our half bath is a custom design that the cabinet builder and I created. The feet were ones I hand selected.
I happened to pick the Pumice subway tile for my newly renovated kitchen, too. Yours looks gorgeous! Can you confirm which brand of grout you used for the ‘bleached wood’ color? I also have creamy white quarter countertops and would love to purchase the same grout. Also, what is the grout line spacing between the subway tile?
Thank you so much!
Hi Stephanie… My apologies for the late reply. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the answers to your questions. What I can tell you is that the grout color is in fact called bleached wood, I don’t know brand. Not sure of the spacing, but your tile installer should know if you show him this picture. Thanks for your interest!
Hi Alicia, would you mind sharing- what color did you paint the base of your kitchen island? (Sorry if you shared somewhere else, I didn’t see it anywhere else.)
Hi Katie… That information can be found under the Design Details and Paint Colors blog post.
I just came across your post since I noticed your kitchen. We used the same tile, color, and similar herringbone pattern for our kitchen when we built it a year and half ago. Like yourself, I wanted a clean, classic timeless look that was budget friendly. Small world.
So wonderful! Hope you are enjoying your kitchen space as much as we are! Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful home!! Thank you for sharing your journey with us!!
Thank you, Sabreena! Appreciate you following along! Blessings!
Love your kitchen!! Do you mind sharing the details on your sink? Brand/dimensions?
Thank you!
Sure… You’ll find that info on my blog post titled, ‘design details of our new home and paint colors’.
Hi what colour is your island? Beautiful kitchen!
That information is on my blog under the September archives. Thanks for your interest!
What size of lanterns did you use above your island? We are in the process of building ourselves & I fell in love with the Circa Lighting lanterns. I wasn’t sure if the Small size would work, I like that pricing better than the Medium. We are using the exact same paint scheme on our cabinetry also.
Hi Kiersten… We have the small Darlana lanterns… Hope that helps!
Love your kitchen and I especially love your lanterns over the island. If you do not mind me asking, what company sells your lanterns and what is the brand?
Hi Joan… I have a detailed blog post for all our interior lighting with sources and links. Brands and website are included in those details. Hope that helps!
Hi. Beautiful kitchen. What is the dimension of your kitchen? Thank you, I just discovered your blog. I’m hooked.
Hi Karen… Thanks so much for following along! It’s hard to give you an accurate measurement of our kitchen, since it is an open concept floor plan, looking into the living room and breakfast. I can tell you that our kitchen island measures 9 feet by 4 feet. Hope that helps!
Very helpful, thank you.
you’re welcome! thanks!
I forgot to ask about the distance between your ovens and the kitchen island. It looks pretty close. Are you able to open your oven without it bumping into the island? I am designing my new kitchen, also in an open concept layout. Your kitchen is my inspiration. Thanks again.
Hi Karen… Yes, there is plenty of room to open the oven… Plenty of clearance. Hope that helps and thanks for following along!
Thanks again. Your responsive is much appreciated.
I would love to know the type of wood used on your cabinets and island . My husband and I are going to be building and I love the look of your kitchen!
Hi Corrinne… All the cabinets were made with maple. Hope that helps! Thanks for your interest!
Thanks for sharing pictures of your beautiful home! I found them on Pinterest when searching for pictures of Santa Margharita Virginia Quartz. After seeing your pictures, I know it will look great in my kitchen. Since it looks like you have had it for a while now, I am wondering if you are happy with how your quartz is wearing. Have you experienced any chipping or staining? Are you happy with the 2cm? I love your grey toned backsplash tile, I need to use beige tones and am curious if you think a beige tone tile in the shade you used would look good as well.
Hi Annie… We absolutely love our quartz; it’s holding up well and there are no stains or chips. Quartz is actually more durable and more resistant to stains and chipping than granite. We would have preferred the 3cm, but could only get 2cm at the time of install. We recently pulled out of the granite in our master and put in the same quartz in our kitchen and were able to get 3cm. Love it so much! Hope that helps! 🌿
Thank you for your reply! We just had ours installed in 3cm yesterday and love it! I was also able to find a greige tile for the backsplash, similar to yours, that works with the warmer tones in my house. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hello! I was looking through old posts to try to find where you got your hardware for your cabinets, but couldn’t find it. Do you mind sharing? Thanks so much!!!
I just found it, sorry!!!
No worries… Glad you found it!
Glad you found it! :)
May I ask what color your kitchen island is? Is it Perle Noir by any chance?
Hi Ashley… I have a dedicated blog post in the September 2016 archives. All paint colors are shared there. Thank you for your interest! 🌿
Can you share a photo of the left wall of your kitchen? Mine is similar and we currently don’t have cabinets there but are trying to get new ideas for our redo. Our contractor didn’t think cabinets would work there but I do! Thanks!
Hi Jodi… You’ll see I have many angles of my kitchen on IG… The left side cabinets are shared several times. Thank you for your interest.
Can you tell me what color of island this is? Thank you
Hi Tina… I have a dedicated blog post of all our interior paint colors in the September 2016 archives. Thanks for your interest!
Can you pleas tell me what color paint is the island? Love it.
Please check the September 2016 archives for details on our wall and cabinet colors. Thanks!
I used your kitchen backsplash as inspiriration for our kitchen and am replicating it exactly! Just beautiful! You mention the grout color is Bleached Wood but not purchased from Home Depot. That is the only place that pops up when searching that color. Any thoughts?
Hi Alicia, I’ve been reading through your blog trying to find that beautiful coral rug you have in your kitchen. It’s gorgeous! Is it something you remember where you purchased?
Hi Kim… the vintage coral kilim rug is a one of a kind from the 1970s. I know that’s not the answer you were hoping for. Thanks for your interest.
Hi Alicia, I was trying to search your blog for your kitchen island color. Do you mind sharing what color you used on your island.
Hi Kim… It’s under paint colors from my September 2016 post. Hope that helps!
Hello! Your kitchen is beautiful ! I noticed people above asked your paint choices and that they could be found in archives of 2016 since there is no search option on your blog I don’t know how to get to them ? I’m wondering what colors your walls are in the kitchen ?
Thank you
Victoria
Hi Victoria… You’ll find a search option at the bottom of my website, also a monthly archive list on the right sidebar. Hope that helps!
Beautiful kitchen! What size is your cooktop and hood?
Hi Amanda… Thank you! I honestly have no idea. It’s all based on the width of the kitchen wall, upper/lower cabinets, etc. The hood was built based on the width of the cooktop. Hope that helps!