Kim's Kitchen before the remodel. "There was not one thing in the kitchen I wanted to keep. The cabinets, island, the floor, the appliances, door and window all had to go."

The final remodel. View photos of the final kitchen as well as a cost breakdown of the entire remodel.
Price of cabinetry: $10,590.

Welcome to Part 3 of our interview with Kim Johnson, co-author of the blog Desire to Inspire. In Fall 2008 Kim remodeled her kitchen using Greentea Mizuya Cabinets, and covered the entire process on her blog.

Part 3 covers the final kitchen, and is meant to help potential kitchen remodelers. Part 1 covered the design and planning process and Part 2 covers the actual installation and demolition process.

Greentea Design:Did you find that the storage space suited your needs?

Kim: I am amazed at the storage space in these cabinets. I was initially a bit concerned that there were too many drawers and not enough space for large items but that turned out to be not the case at all.

I have plenty of room in the base cabinets to fit everything. And I am having so much fun with the amount of drawers I have (27 to be precise). I have never had a kitchen with adequate drawer space, and this one is overflowing with them! I even have one I converted into a spice rack!

The drawers are what keep me so organized. It was a blast filling them all up.

GT:What finishing touches do you think best brought the space together?

Kim:I think the lighting played a big part in making the room come together.

I found the most amazing pendants at a local interior design shop that look incredible over my dining table, and I really love the lights I purchased and had mounted on either side of the range. They are a great feature on that wall.

The chairs are an unexpected touch that added a bit of retro modern to the space, to mix up the overall look. And to warm up the whole space, I found an antique kilim rug that had gorgeous warm tones that work so well with the cabinet color.

GT:Looking back on the project what advice would you give to people thinking of a Greentea Design kitchen?

Kim:The best advice I can give someone considering Greentea cabinets is GO FOR IT! Really, I think that's the best advice I can give. I think a lot of people prefer to select cabinets from big-box stores because they assume it's easy and that is so uninteresting. These cabinets are gorgeous, and stand out so much compared to any other cabinets I've seen.

Greentea has many options for stains and sizes and door fronts and hardware that you can customize to your heart's content and I guarantee you will be thrilled. I am. And the Greentea guys are so accommodating and helpful and it's nice to have such great contact with people who know so much about the product.

GT:Were your initial goals met with this kitchen remodel?

Kim:My initial goals were certainly met. I have more than enough storage space and I have plenty of counter space. I have a kitchen that is bright and open to the living room and I now spend most of my time working on my laptop at the dining table.

It's hard not to spend time in the kitchen - it's the prettiest and most comfortable room in the house. I adore every single part of my new kitchen and every time I set foot in it, I can't help but smile.

Total Project Cost Breakdown:

Countertop and backsplash	$2400
Contractor's labour and materials	$9000
Electrician labour and materials	$1700
Appliances	$5500
Lighting	$1050
Faucet	$350
Sink	$820
Materials, 3 chairs and rug	$700
Cabinetry	$10590
Total	$32110

East West Fusion Interview Pages:

Page 1: Design and Planning Page 2: Installation & Demolition Page 3: The Finished Kitchen