Breakfast Nook Luxury

This 1977 Dining Room took a bit to transform it to this new luxurious breakfast parlor. The new floor, quartz countertops, diamond backsplash, and painted cabinets brightened it and brought it into the 21st century.

This renovation started with the floor. We moved into our 1977 Bungalow in Flagstaff, AZ admiring how well it was cared for and preserved knowing it would require a transformation. The house is traditional 70's architecture with its harkening to mid-century design so changing its design was not an option for us. We consider ourselves stewards of this house. We didn't want to tear down its walls and completely change its personality, so we decided on simple cosmetic changes. Simple updates to bring it forward.

If you are not familiar with Flagstaff, AZ, it is nestled in the pine forest covered mountains surrounded by the San Francisco Peaks. We couldn't just add some cherry engineered glossy hardwood. The floor represents the spirit of the house so it had to be something rugged, able to live up to high desert living, yet evoke a rich, timeless warmth.

We went with a wide 7 1/2" plank with a natural aged look with knots and grooves.

This floor runs through the main parts of the house - foyer, hallways, great room, breakfast nook, and kitchen. This feat required a bit of foundation chewing and floor leveler to get a level surface. We opted to float as well as glue the floor. What that means, is the planks float on the pad but are glued together to keep from natural spreading. People typically glue the wood to the floor, but I just have a problem with this. I feel it's necessary to easily replace some or all flooring without major effort and expense. I'd rather budget the extra time expense up front than later, when I may not have the budget to go the extra mile to repair.

Anyway, we were extremely pleased with how the floor turned out. It was then time to focus on countertops and backsplash. This took a lot more time and deliberation and samples. We ended up with MSI Highland Park Dove Gray Diamond for the backsplash and Atlantic Salt quartz for the countertops. This completely transformed the space but didn't lighten it up as much as we though it would.

For so long, we were against painting the cabinets. We believed them to be Walnut wood and felt that we should preserve that as much as possible. While they were custom made, they were merely stained in a walnut finish. So we felt justified in painting them once and for all. We lived with them for a couple of years before we finally bit the bullet and did the deed. I've never been so nervous about a project. I've painted kitchen cabinets before but never custom cabinets and saw dollar signs to replace if anything went wrong.

I took on the project one room at a time. I started with the mudroom, then the kitchen, and ended with the breakfast nook. So, I was feeling very confident by then. I was amazed at the transformation and kicked myself for not having done it before! I finished it off with 3" nickel hardware and a flush mount ceiling fan with light.

The furnishings were chosen with comfort in mind. The grey wingbacks flanking the window are from Wayfair. The butcherblock table is a family heirloom, and the antique library chair is from an antique store in Grand Rapids, Ohio (a great small town with a ton of charm). When the room was done, I was tempted to head out for accessories but I was challenged to find and reuse things we already have. So, above the cabinets are soda bottles and Ball jars, a cake plate, and old bird feeder with some plastic plants. "The Nook" sign I created from an old shelf board, a printout of the design, and a Sharpee marker. (I'll write a brief post on how that came together). Our family vacation pictures or artwork from local artists serve as souvenirs and then become wall decor around the house.

The breakfast nook is now my favorite room in the house and I spend as much time there as possible.