Renovation Diary: Dealing With Last-Minute Design Changes

I'm still reeling from all the renovation surprises this week. It took a day or two for it to settle in that, yes, I'm back to having a galley kitchen. But I'm surprising myself in that I'm feeling really okay with it. I count myself blessed that we can spread out the cooktop wall, get more pantry space, and place the fridge where everyone can easily get to it while we're cooking. That we can still open up the walls somewhat with a peninsula on the end is icing on the cake. And it's going to be beautiful... if I can just wrap my brain around what to do with this unexpected sink run wall. Please share your opinion  in the comments!

I noodled around with some designs. I'll need a backsplash behind the sink. And as I'm having a marble backsplash on the opposite wall, it makes sense to consider marble on the sink run too. I played with a curved slab behind the faucet, a look I've long admired in traditional kitchens:

But when I sketched it out, it looked a bit formal and fussy for my minimalist design.



So then I thought what if I simply mimic the slab on the opposite wall:

I like the simplicity of this. It's reminiscent of kitchen designer HenryBuilt, who if I won the lottery tomorrow I would definitely commission. I could even have some picture molding or a small shelf coming out above the backsplash, to rest artwork on.

But would the pendants I bought still look right with this slab? They look okay.

But if I'm going the HenryBuilt route, wouldn't wall sconces be more appropriate?

But once I add wall sconces, does my faucet and purifier look too modern? Wouldn't a wall-mounted bridge faucet be more the thing? But then I lose my pull down sprayer. I could add one of those too, but then I'm losing the simplicity. You see how these design change snowball.

The marble slab is growing on me. I also like the way it ties in with the other side:

But now that we're on the other side, I ask myself which looks better? The pendant lights I've already ordered? Or no visible lights at all?

Can I have both?

Hmmm... the two styles don't look very good together.

Would it work better if the wall mounts were more similar?

Now I'm not feeling the HenryBuilt simplicity anymore.

It's either this: 

Or this: 

What would you do? Please comment below.

Follow the Renovation Diary:

• Our Kitchen Was Featured on Sweeten! 

• Kitchen Renovation Hack: DIY Yoga Mat Cabinet & Drawer Liners 

• Jackson Heights Kitchen Renovation: Before and After

• This Spray Paint Is a Perfect Match for Delta Champagne 

• Trouble-Shooting the Fully Integrated and Paneled Liebherr Built-In Refrigerator 

• Why I Went With Drawers in All My Base Cabinets

• IKEA + Scherr's Pantries, Toe-Kicks, and Trim 

• The Scherr's Doors + IKEA Cabinets Are Live 

• Why Liebherr Is the Only Paneled Refrigerator for Me 

• Choosing My Paonazzo Slabs 

• The Sink Run Issue 

• Why Skim Coating Is Worth the Cost 

• IKEA's Delivery Service XPO Logistics Sucks 

• Obsessed With "Hidden" Outlets 

• Restoring the Floors 

• Design Elements 

• The Exhausting Mid-Point 

• Mixing Metal Finishes in Your Kitchen

• Marble Shopping

• The Case for Choosing Appliances First

• How to Create a Lighting Plan

• Rethinking All the Appliances

• Scary Electrical Panel Nightmare

• The Electrical Panel Saga Continues

• Dealing With Last-Minute Design Changes

• Kitchen Design, Take Two

• The Electrical Panel Problem

• The Wall Can't Come Down

• The Walls Come Tumbling Down!

• Demo Day!

• Preparation