1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara Caldia quartz counters

by | May 31, 2023 | 1970 home renovation, Kitchen, My House | 28 comments

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If you’ve ever been through a kitchen renovation, you know that the day the counters are installed is a big day!  Last Wednesday around lunchtime, a truck pulled up carrying our counters.  I was called out to compare the sample and to make sure they were the right counters.  There was a very slight variation in the undertones, but it was hard to tell if it was just the particular sections we were comparing.  Either way, they were the counters I ordered and any variations were just a part of ordering quartz.

1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara caldia counters by MSI Surfaces | miss mustard seed

The good news is I love them.  They look perfect with the cabinets and everything else and I am over the moon.  After all of the angst over the counters, which was the hardest part of the entire renovation to nail down, we arrived at a happy ending.

1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara caldia counters by MSI Surfaces | miss mustard seed

There is a beautiful, subtle veining running throughout as well as some soft, blurry marbling of warm and cool grays.  It’s just perfect.  The counter I selected is Carrara Caldia from MSI Surfaces.  I initially didn’t even look at a sample of Carrara Caldia counters because the picture of the slab had a pinkish tone on the website.  But, it’s not pinkish in the slightest.  It’s a good lesson to look at as many samples in person as you can.  If you’re shopping for quartz counters and considering MSI Surfaces, you can order samples from their website for $5.00 S&H.  I was able to see a sample in the showroom, but it was nice to have one at my house to put in the physical space where it will live and to match up paint colors and other elements of the kitchen.

1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara caldia counters by MSI Surfaces | miss mustard seed

See that pretty vein?  I like that this one has a bit more movement in it than the quartz I had in our last kitchen, but it’s still very subtle and quiet.

I do plan on installing a backsplash, but I wanted to get everything in place before I decided on one.  Now that we have the cabinets and counters in place, I’ll order some tile samples.

1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara caldia counters by MSI Surfaces | miss mustard seed

It took a while to find the right counter because I had a clear idea of what I wanted (and sometimes it’s harder when you know just what you want) and I wanted to find the look I envisioned at a certain price point.  I received dramatically different quotes on different brands and “tiers” of quartz counters.  Last week, I shared on Instagram that the price difference between one brand and another was enough to pay for almost 2/3 of the Ilve range.  That is a substantial difference when I ended up with the same look and functionality.  When doing a renovation with a lot of high-ticket items, and with appliances, cabinets, counters, and flooring, a kitchen is definitely one of those, it really helps to shop around, compare, and review all of the options to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

1970 kitchen renovation | Carrara caldia counters by MSI Surfaces | miss mustard seed

By choosing counters and cabinets at a lower price point, I was able to splurge in other areas like moving the staircase, having hardwood floors installed, and getting a larger window.  I’ll share all about the cabinets in another post since so many people have asked!  The cool thing about the cabinets is even though they were at a lower price point than other cabinets I was considering, they were my top choice because the color is so perfect!

There is still work to be done, but I started moving into the kitchen and it’s even better than I planned…

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    28 Comments

    1. Teresa

      Your new quartz countertops are stunning, and the kitchen really is coming together nicely. We had quartz countertops installed in our master bathroom when we renovated. Mine has alot of veining which I love because they mimic marble so well. I wanted to see how I liked quartz before we redid our kitchen countertops and so far, I have found them pretty low maintenance.

      My one question for you is do you have any concerns about having real hardwoods in your kitchen with water, spills, etc?

      • Marian Parsons

        We have had hardwood floors in all of our kitchens except for one and have never had a major issue, although I know it can happen. My parents had to have some of the flooring in their kitchen replaced when a fridge line leaked. On the other hand, my Opa had hardwood floors in his kitchen for almost 30 years without issue. Wood floors are what I really wanted and I didn’t want to avoid getting them because something might happen. There are benefits and drawbacks to just about every type of flooring, so you have to pick what you love and what you’re comfortable with.

        • Addie

          mmm…just an idea…maybe you should go back to the floor installer and ask for some extra boards, just in case something happens. Since even with natural wood it can be different from different mills. Just an idea.
          Everything is coming along and looks GREAT!!

    2. Kim

      Wow, that is very realistic marble-look quartz. So glad everything is progressing so well!

      • JC

        The counters are gorgeous and look stunning! I’m finding that too….that what is installed can be slightly different than the samples….flooring, cabinets, counters, but everything works so well together in your space! Have fun!!

    3. Michelle johnson

      Beautiful countertops! I love the subtle veining and the marbling. Everything is coming together so nicely! Your selections are wonderful!

      • JC

        The counters are gorgeous and look stunning! I’m finding that too….that what is installed can be slightly different than the samples….flooring, cabinets, counters, but everything works so well together in your space! Have fun!!

    4. DianeH

      Lovely

    5. Laura L

      How did I miss that your stove is copper!?!?! I thought it was stainless. SO in love with the copper! The whole kitchen is lovely!

      • Betsy

        I believe she said it was stainless with gold accents.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yeah, it just looks a little copper-ish because the warmth of the wood floors reflecting off of it. It is actually stainless steel.

    6. Roberta

      I love your selections! Everything is coming together beautifully. I have a much smaller space to work with and I’ve been drooling over the 30 in Ilve range. At first I wanted it in white but, after seeing yours I’m leaning toward the brushed stainless. Do you have any concerns about the tiny gap between the counter top and the range? It’s not like you can move the stove out if you have a spill. My past 2 homes have had drop in stove tops so, I never thought about it before.

      I enjoy following you, I get so much inspiration from your posts.

      • Marian Parsons

        I always had a range that has a little gap like that, so I’m not worried about it. Every once in a while, I’ll just slide it out and wipe down the sides. When we installed the range, we put felt sliders under it so it could be pulled out easily when being serviced or cleaned.

        • Mary Koepfle

          I am on my second Wolf Range and they have some stainless finishing kits that fill that crack. Ask at any appliance store.

    7. Susan

      Everything is coming together beautifully.
      I am very happy for you!

    8. Joan Trusty

      Having gone through several kitchen renovations, my thought has always been to “get the room right first.” For us, that including getting rid of a staircase, moving doors, adding doors, adding windows, etc. By installing hardwood floors, moving the staircase, removing a wall, and enlarging a window you did indeed get the room right. You can always bring in other cabinets, counters, etc. if you want to a few years down the road, but spending the money on the room first is always a good decision! But, it also looks like you got exactly what you wanted with your cabinets and those beautiful countertops! Yeah!

    9. Cathy R

      I’ll never have a kitchen this fancy so I’m living vicariously through you! This is pure Marian.😉

      • Julie N

        Same here! So happy for Marian!! 🙂

    10. Betty Sparrow

      I hope you laid your face on the counter and said “I love you”.

      • Michele M.

        I know I sure would! What a dreamy kitchen this is turning out to be. And I feel so lucky to be along for the journey!
        “I love you, kitchen of Marian’s dreams!”

    11. Lisa K Bivona

      Just, gorgeous.

    12. Deb

      I had quartz counters from MSI installed almost 6 years ago and have had no problems with them at all. The look exactly like they did the day they were installed. I know you have always wanted to do a kitchen from “scratch” so the fact that your dream kitchen is coming true is wonderful. You have worked hard these past years and you deserve to reap those rewards with this “dream” kitchen. I remember way back when you and your Dad tiled the backsplash in the PA house and you installed butcher block counters and painted your cabinets. Can that have been ten years ago? You have worn so many hats over the years but you truly could be a kitchen designer as so many people are remodeling these days but just don’t know where to start when it comes to remodeling a kitchen. We know yours will be all over the Internet when you give us the final tour. How many sage kitchens will be popping up in the future?

    13. Jewels

      I’m living vicariously through you right now, since we are just starting into our whole house “refresh”. I call it that because we are not moving any walls or adding any square footage. Other than that, everything is changing. We’ll be where you are now by the end of September (if all goes well!)

    14. IreneL

      Everything is coming along so beautifully. And your GC is doing a really nice job! Bravo!

    15. Karen Burns

      Beautiful Kitchen you have created! I just had my new limestone island installed and sealed with a dry-look sealant. As you know, a moment like that just makes you want to dance in the kitchen!!

    16. Gabrielle

      Absolutely beautiful. I love the oven, floors, cabinets, in fact, everything. And it will never go out of style! As for the cats, we have two. If we ever have anything new, they are all over it. I am sure they are convinced we do everything for them!

    17. Cheryl

      Marion, the new kitchen looks so good! I love the countertops!

    18. Laurie Mo

      Ohhh it’s coming together so beautifully for you and it is just perfect for the look you are achieving in the rest of your home as well. I am so happy for you. It’s all beautiful and it’s only going to become more beautiful as it is finished and all the workmen are done and you are able to completely move in and finish it up with your decorating touches and are able to see the total of your vision is complete. Well done, you!

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    Marian Parsons - Miss Mustard Seed

    I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer.  READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…

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