It could not have turned out any better! I love it just as much today as when it was first completed. I love how much brighter it is. We added several can lights, the pendant lighting [you can find them here: Feiss P1261ORB Urban Renewal Glass Industrial Vintage Pendant Lighting, Bronze, 1-Light (6″Dia x 10″H) 100watts] over the island, and under cabinet lighting.

We wanted the bar stools to fit under the raised portion of the island. We found these at Pier1, but here are some similar ones: Winsome 94089 Satori Stool, 29″, Walnut
So happy we chose the contrasting island. We think it really ties the whole kitchen together.
We knew we did not want a stainless steel sink, so we chose a granite composite sink by Blanco in cafe brown. The faucet is Cassidy, by Delta in venetian bronze. My husband (yep, he’s the dish washer for what doesn’t go in the dishwasher) loves the soap dispenser which is also by Delta in venetian bronze. You can find both of those here: Delta Cassidy Single-Handle Pull-Down Bar-Prep Faucet with Magnetic Docking Spray Head, Venetian Bronze 9997-RB-DST, Delta Faucet RP71543RB Cassidy, Soap/Lotion Dispenser and Bottle, Venetian Bronze
Just a couple more features to point out. The appliance garage keeps the counter a little more tidy. Several of our drawers have pull outs which is super handy. The spice cabinet was a must. It keeps things so much more organized. We have an outlet above the cabinets just in case we want to decorate with anything that needs plugged in. Speaking of plugging things in, I am typing this at our island. Not only do we use it a lot when we’re preparing food, but it is usually where we do any work at home so we made sure to have plenty of outlets.

I know I said it in the first post, but it’s worth repeating….patience is key. We started planning the remodel in August, began the demo in February of the following year, and the project wrapped up at the beginning of May. It was so worth it though, take your time, hire a contractor with a good team, and go with the flow – there will be things that come up that weren’t expected. And have fun!!