Modern Minimalist Kitchen 2.0: The Budget Friendly Lighting, Tile, and Accessories We Used For Our Renovation

By Amanda Paa – Updated April 23, 2023

Budget Friendly Kitchen Lighting, Tile, and Accessories

I shared all the designs plans and before/after photos of our modern minimalist kitchen renovation here. And how we picked out our appliances, here.

Finally, I wanted to create an easy reference guide for you that details out all the essentials for our final layout, from tile to lighting to the accessories that just seemed to make everything come together.

Let’s get started with the nuts and bolts of the remodel!

White Subway Tile: 

One of the first things I knew I wanted in this kitchen was white subway tile as backsplash throughout. I love how clean it looks, and it’s a timeless style to work around. We found the tile on Amazon, which one box will cover 10 square feet.

Designed in Italy, the quality is amazing for the price.

White Subway Tile - Modern Kitchen Renovation

Vintage Style Wall Sconces:

Lighting was a huge part of this minimalist kitchen design. In addition to the canned lighting we installed per Melissa’s recommendation, we installed wall sconces above the sink to balance the wall. The original ones we had picked out were $300 each. The black vintage sconces we ending up going with  — $38 each on Amazon. !! And I might be a bit biased, but I think they fit the space just right and look much more expensive that they really are.

Swing Arm Wall Sconce for Kitchen

Schoolhouse Glass Cone Pendant Lights:

Pendant lights can either look really cool, or look like showroom. The schoolhouse style was our favorite, and the price was great: $70 each at Wayfair. (Plus free shipping on all of their products!). Instead of using a regular light bulbs, I recommend Edison light bulbs to go along with the vintage feel.

schoolhouse pendant lights

Essential Pull Down Single Handle Kitchen Faucet

A funky faucet is one of the easiest ways to add a little flare to a kitchen. We were really drawn to the coils that wrap around the neck of this chrome faucet, and the pull down feature makes it incredibly easy to maneuver.

The faucet even reached the stove so that I could fill a pot with water without having to lift it.

Kitchen Shelf, Subway tile

Shelf Brackets: Believe it or not, I MADE THAT SHELF! It was a case of “we can’t find the right shelf and everything needs to be finished tomorrow”. So we found a long piece of pine at Menard’s, and I watched a YouTube video on how to stain and poly it. 24 hours later, viola. We snagged the brackets via Amazon, less than $30 for the pair!

IKEA Bodbyn Grey Cabinets

We originally had Semihandmade Shaker Light Grey Cabinets picked out, but when we needed to switch gears because we were selling, we decided to go with IKEA cabinets for a budget friendly option. We picked the Bodbyn style, as we felt it fit the look best. And in the end, we were really happy with how they looked, especially up against the butcher block countertops!

Cabinet Knob Pulls

I had no idea how expensive cabinet hardware can be! Certainly there is something to be said about quality and durability, but what we found on Wayfair looked almost exactly like what we were looking at on our retailers, for 75% less. These cadet mushroom pulls were a steal, with a matte black finish and comfortable size.

Cabinet Drawer Pulls

We also ordered the matte black pulls from Wayfair, as they were just over a $1 A PIECE. What?! Yes, they come in a pack of 10 for less than $18. I recommend the 3 3/4 inch wide if you have medium sized width cabinets like most of ours were.

IKEA Bodbyn Grey Cabinets for Kitchenikea cabinets with butcherblock countertops

Rejuvenation Counter Stools

Sometimes you fall in love with a piece and just can’t let it go. That’s how we felt about these white and oak, industrial-inspired stools. Their cross-base detail and foot rest for functionality was exactly what we were looking for in addition to their appearance.

Plus, built-in holes make it easy to detach and reattach the back rest. Rejuvenation kindly sent them to us for the kitchen renovation.

Rejuvenation industrial stoolsRejuvenation Kitchen Stools, White Industrial Stool, White Kitchen Stool

Minimalist Kitchen Accessories

As we finished the kitchen renovation, I found the styling and accessorizing to be almost as impactful as the layout overhaul. These 9 items are certainly not must-haves, but they really brought the room together, fully completing the modern minimalist look. Everything is functional too, not just for looks!

Modern Minimalist Kitchen Accessories

1. Pink Baking Tools: I love these for their sturdy wooden handles, silicone heads, and pastel pink color that adds a pop of color.

2. Pistachio Green Stand Mixer: My KitchenAid stand mixer is a baking and sourdough bread essential. I’ve had this one for years, and the quality just can’t be beat. The vintage mint green really stands out too!

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer in Pistachio (mint green)Coffee Carafe, Matte WhiteAnthropologie Pitcher, Anthropology Vase

3. Matte Coffee/Tea Carafe: This matte white carafe not only keeps your beverage incredibly warm for when you are entertaining, but it also has a built in strainer for making tea. It also comes in matte black or grey, which also look very classy.

4. Vintage Patterned Pitcher: Whether you use it for water, or as a vase, this pitcher with blue and gold tint quickly became one of my favorite accessories.

5. Marble Pastry Slab: A beautiful surface for working with dough, rolling out pie crusts, or tempering chocolate.

Kitchen Coffee Nook

6. Cutting Board: Cutting boards that are both functional and beautiful can add so much to a kitchen. I used both darker and lighter wood choices to bring warmth to the room. They’re from American Heirloom, small Brooklyn company that does incredible work.

7. Pottery: And we sent our college style dinnerware to Goodwill and replaced it with pretty pottery from Jered’s, my favorite ceramist. The blue bowls are used daily in our house!

8. Slim Drinking Glasses: We finally got rid of all our mismatched drinking ware and replaced them with basics. These are heavy and well made.

9. Pour Over Kettle: Can’t live without it. Because I can’t live without coffee. And it’s such a statement piece with its steel finish!

*This post contains affiliate links, which I may make a commission from should you decide to purchase.

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January 10, 2019

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2 comments

  1. Paul

    Excellent remodeling, Amanda! I especially like the elegant contrast between the door/drawer knobs/ pulls and the light grey Shaker doors/drawers. Plus, the pedant lighting makes a gorgeous addition. Needless to mention, some great clicks as well. Thanks for sharing your project and I look forward to seeing the next one. Have a great year ahead!

    • amandapaa

      it was tough to find pendant lighting that didn’t look cheap, but we were so happy with these!