Kitchen Before/After

We are still finalizing our kitchen reno so this is just for marking progress.  I gathered a ton of information and inspiration from younghouselove.com, housetweaking.com, pinterest (my kitchen board), and others places for months while we saved money.

I knew:

• I wanted to paint our golden oak cabinets white
• I wanted a light countertop (white Corian like my grandmother has or marble)
• I wanted wood floors to continue throughout the house (including kitchen)
• Our scratch and dent refrigerator would be painted with chalkboard paint
• Appliances wouldn't be changing anytime soon so we'd make do with what we had

Details to follow later but here is the before with tan tile floor, tan tile countertop, tan tile backsplash and golden tan oak cabinets:

The after (in progress):

My Entry/Hallway

I'm back! Re-energized to start journaling our progress again. It's been crazy the last year and a half. Future posts to include:

-Kitchen before and after DIY
-Hardwood floor install DIY
-Various upgrades
-Planning for our Master Bathroom Reno

For today, my entryway and hallway (still in progress). No baseboards yet and I'm still deciding on a Dash and Albert runner for the space. Ikea Trones shoe bins, we used 8 to line the wall. They are $39.99 for a 3 pack, we purchased 9 and have one leftover. My son has the bottom left 'cubby', Mike and I share the rest. This has been a huge timesaver in the mornings before school everyone knows where their shoes are.

The cheap Ikea runner we purchased has been just okay. I want to add more color and I love Dash and Albert rugs. I'm considering the following in the 2.5' x 8' runner.

Any suggestions on colors for the space or runners you like?

which way to the restroom...

I've been wanting to do something for the bathroom door forever. A cute vintage restroom sign, unisex restroom sign from hardware store, stenciling, vinyl letters but I couldn't decide on anything. Finally got around to doing this:

Materials:

-Already had can of oops paint in grey (free)

-Little man/woman wood cutouts from Michael's $1.99 each plus 15% total coupon (~3.50)

-Frame I already had, took off glass/backing (free)

- Leftover white spraypaint I already had (free)

-3M command strips x8 (~$6.00 with Michael's coupon)

My steps

-Eyeballed center and positioning

-Had my man hold up

-Outlined inner rim of frame with pencil

-Handed painted with the grey

-Stick em all up with the 3M command strips. Super easy

-NOTE: Technically supposed to let paint dry for several days before hanging 3M strips which I also recommend at least a day as the strips will fall off.

liquor cabinet redo: before/after

I purchased a dry sink at the Habitat for Humanity store in Norfolk, VA at 40% off for ~$40. Solid wood, not sure of the age but definitely several decades old. I knew I wanted to use this a liquor cabinet/bar for the hallway opening into the family room. No garage = living room workshop! Three coats of oil based primer, and several coats of satin white. New Martha Stewart pulls which I love and have already used on the bathroom vanity...

I also cut target wrapping paper into the exactly shape of the dry sink basin and had plexiglass cut to the exact measurement from Lowe's to set on top. Now it's interchangeable into any design or color scheme...



glider before/after

a friend asked me to help her find a porch glider...lo and behold this is what i found her on craiglist (love craigslist!) for 20 bones!! she got a sandblast treatment and powdercoating (~$200) from these folks. it actually ended up being a vintage JR Bunting; worth ~$700-800; the company closed in the 1940's.