Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes Together With Learning Lessons

Hello former friends!

It's been awhile. I announced the get-go of the renovation of our novel fixer upper inwards the in conclusion post, together with thus I disappeared for five months. I'm thus lamentable I left without warning. I was trying to continue also many plates spinning at once: running the blog, moving across town, gutting together with renovating the novel house, together with taking attention of a toddler all day.

I burned out, together with I needed to allow some plates fall.

I ignored my weblog together with instead focused on household unit of measurement together with spent my spare loose energy renovating the house. I've been posting almost daily on Instagram ever since that time, because it takes much less loose energy to post there, but I know non everyone follows me there, thus some of you lot had absolutely no thought what was going on.

I had a reader e-mail me together with inquire if I was dead.

I am not, but I appreciate the concern.

Anyway, after the solid renovation was finished (at to the lowest degree the large stuff...I'll last working on niggling projects forever), I started to experience excited virtually blogging again. I had been spending every unmarried eve every bit some sort of nighttime structure worker, thus in 1 trial I was done amongst that stage of life, I had loose energy for something else.

So, I'm back. With tons of pictures together with stories to part virtually everything that happened spell I was away.

And I'm going to start amongst the kitchen makeover. The kitchen is my favorite house inwards the house, together with the projection that gave me the most anxiety. I've screwed upward thus many things inwards the past times (namely, having to rip upward our floors, twice.), thus I was beyond anxious. Plus, when nosotros bought the house, the existing kitchen was simply totally non my mode together with I would sometimes stand upward at that spot together with stare at it together with sweat. I felt similar no 1 understood my vision for it. Not a unmarried soul told me that, but I projected it onto anyone who would create oculus contact. So, straight off that it's done, together with I experience similar my vision has come upward to life, I'm pretty excited. It was a difficult project. I've never had the mightiness to simply gut a kitchen together with start from scratch, thus it was also a lot of fun.

Like, gave me diarrhea together with also SO MUCH FUN!

So, this is what the kitchen looked similar the twenty-four hr catamenia nosotros moved in. I call upward beingness thus stressed virtually it. It felt similar a cabin. Which is cracking if you're inwards a cabin.

The persuasion from the other side:

Just thus much damn orange.

Remember how nosotros lived amongst a mini fridge? For months? I was putting off buying a fridge until I knew what nosotros needed, together with it took a lot longer than anticipated to larn everything moving on the reno.
The full general mood approximately this fourth dimension was 'just kill me now'.

Here's the persuasion from the living room looking into the former kitchen. I simply can't amongst the textured walls.

So, that's what where nosotros started.

Now, let's speak virtually the actual kitchen makeover. We hired a full general contractor (who had done a pair houses for my friend) together with he handled the kitchen reno, resurfacing all of our ceilings, edifice the missing doorways (refresh your retention here...the doorway number kills me), random electrical stuff, beam removals together with installation of a header, together with thus the hardwood on our FOUR sets of stairs. We loved the 2 guys who did our in conclusion laid of floors inwards our former house, thus nosotros hired them to practise the hardwood floors together with tile again. Our solid was completely gutted within a pair weeks together with the projects were completed within virtually half dozen weeks, thus everything happened really quick together with our solid felt similar a beehive amongst people darting approximately everywhere. We moved inwards amongst my mom spell all this was happening. Thank the Lord. I don't think I could receive got lived inwards the solid during all of that amongst Ava. You would sure as shooting last hearing virtually my remain inwards a mental establishment past times now.

Also, I decided to salvage coin past times redoing all of the bathrooms on my own, ikon every foursquare inch of the house, together with having Jesse install all the low-cal fixtures. So, I handled all of that after the contractors were done together with nosotros were moved dorsum in. And if you've been next me on Instagram, that's what you lot were witnessing....5 vicious months of me doing manual labor.

Not the best determination I've ever made.

Anyway, thus dorsum to the kitchen makeover. We met amongst a kitchen designer at Lowe's. She came out together with measured together with nosotros discussed my ideas. It was really brief together with to the point, to a greater extent than ofttimes than non because when she arrived, I was prepared amongst a really terrible drawing I had made. I genuinely wishing I would receive got taken a film of it. It did delight.

A pair weeks afterwards she emailed a few pattern renderings, showing what the kitchen would await similar inwards diverse designs. And thus nosotros simply went dorsum together with forth for virtually a week, every bit I narrowed downwards what I wanted. I think I went to the shop once. I was pretty assail what I wanted, together with also the kitchen designer simply did a really cracking task of interpreting what I asked for. Some of what I wanted was non sold at Lowe's, thus I sourced that elsewhere on my ain together with had our contractors install it.

Here are a few of the unlike pattern renderings I got earlier nosotros started the kitchen makeover. I loved having these to await at, every bit it position my vision on newspaper together with helped me narrow things down.

One of the things I was really going dorsum together with forth on was taking out the existing peninsula together with creating a galley kitchen instead. I thought it would really opened upward up the kitchen. And thus I saw the reality of it together with was like, I volition receive got iii tiny chunks of countertop space. Nope.

The other matter I was interested inwards was replacing the upper cabinets amongst shelves. Again, I saw the pic, together with was like, nope. I even thus beloved opened upward shelving, but I really wanted the oven together with hood centered on that wall, together with it simply couldn't last done because of all the materials nosotros had to fit. Plus, I really thought virtually what opened upward shelving would last similar for my niggling encephalon to alive with, together with the answer is torture. I larn stressed past times a bookshelf. I'm kinda minimalistic, purely for my ain self preservation, thus I don't think I would receive got fared well. I imagine that I would receive got iii bowls, 1 on each shelf, together with last like, straight off what?!?

This was the side persuasion of both galley mode options. I was simply curious. That's why these renderings are amazing. It really gives you lot a adept sense of what you lot would last getting. I had envisioned this really opened upward kitchen, together with instead it simply felt similar I would last standing approximately all the fourth dimension amongst no counter space.

So, nosotros decided to continue the peninsula, but to create it smaller, together with to rearrange some appliances, etc.

Here is the in conclusion pattern nosotros chose for our kitchen makeover. For reference, the things I told the designer that I wanted for the kitchen were white shaker cabinets (all the way upward to the ceiling amongst crown moulding at the top), marble or quartz countertops, a custom hood, a counter depth fridge, together with a stainless steel apron front end sink.

As for the changes to the peninsula....the existing 1 had the sink installed on an angle together with it drove me crazy. It took upward counter together with flooring infinite together with simply seemed awkward. So, nosotros moved the sink, moved the dishwasher, together with made the peninsula smaller thus that you lot receive got to a greater extent than room when you lot walk inwards the kitchen.

Here's the rendering that shows the kitchen from the other side. The solid came amongst a fairly novel oven together with dishwasher, thus nosotros kept those together with thus I bought the matching refrigerator, inwards a counter depth version, which I am SO pleased with. I'm never going dorsum to the large clunky version. It's a really dainty infinite saver, specially inwards a smaller kitchen, together with straight off that nosotros are using it, I can't fifty-fifty tell the divergence on the inside.

Once nosotros decided on a design, it was fourth dimension to gut the kitchen.

Here was Jesse's contribution to the kitchen makeover.

The residue was done past times a really dainty subcontractor who Jesse said looked similar muscular Joey from Friends. I never really saw the resemblance, but it entertained me to no end.

The doorway to the hallway was gutted thus that a bag door could last installed, which I'm thus glad I decided to receive got done. It lets us closed off Ava's 'wing' (as I refer to it....her bedroom, her bathroom, together with some other bedchamber are all over there).

It's thus dainty when nosotros receive got people over or during her naptime.

I know it's a funky layout. That's belike why this solid sat on the marketplace position for 4 years earlier nosotros bought it. Well, that together with the Tuscan eighties vibe. But, if I wanted to alive inwards this business office of town, inwards this really item area, I had to last willing to larn creative.

That's life. You create the best of it.

Here's the pic of the bag door getting framed dorsum in.

And thus drywalled.

Around this same time, nosotros had to supplant all of the subfloors throughout the primary level. Once nosotros ripped upward the existing flooring, the particle board was inwards really bad shape together with fifty-fifty rotting inwards some areas, together with I've already made the error of non replacing particle board subfloors once, thus replacing it was a must.

Here's a pic of Ava together with Jesse stopping past times the solid to cheque on the progress. We were living at my mom's solid nearby, together with nosotros tried to halt past times every other eve or so. We were thus excited to lookout things change.

After the kitchen was gutted together with the subfloors were done, the hardwood flooring went in. I'll practise a split upward post on the floors, but for now, if you're curious, nosotros used Provence Manor European White Oak inwards River Rock (in a 7.5 inch width plank). We constitute them at Heartland Hardwood Flooring hither inwards Knoxville (the same house our in conclusion floors came from). I spent thus much fourth dimension together with loose energy choosing the flooring, together with I really beloved how they turned out. Can't limited that enough.

Ava helped me pick them out.

This is the tile that was there, together with it was simply thus non for me.

After a few weeks, the flooring was done together with the cabinets were installed.

I felt similar I could breathe again.

It's difficult to explain.

I was simply thus nervous virtually everything together with I didn't trust myself 1 flake upward until this moment. It even thus had a long way to boot the bucket at this point, but in 1 trial I saw this, I knew it was gonna last what I had envisioned from twenty-four hr catamenia one.

Here's the contrary view.

And the niggling fridge hole, every bit I similar to telephone telephone it.

They hadn't position the crown moulding on yet, upward approximately the transcend of the cabinets, which freaked me out at first, similar who missed my memo?! But, it happened days later.

Apparently, a kitchen makeover doesn't direct house inwards a day.

I knew that I was going to last inwards accuse of ikon every inch of this solid past times myself after the contractors finished their part. And it was approximately this 2nd that I started wanting to slap myself for non ikon the orangish wall earlier the cabinets were installed.

We ended upward having to hold off a pair months for a backsplash, together with I was throwing a large Christmas Party, thus I definitely got to pass an entire eve squatting on the countertop amongst a paintbrush. I mean, it would receive got taken 10 minutes to coil that entire wall.

Here's a pic of when the fridge finally arrived together with I got to banish the mini fridge to the garage, a existent celebratory moment.
Ava's mattress is inwards the doorway, I don't know why.

The sink also got position in. There were no countertops, or water, but I kinda simply hovered over it for awhile.

The sink is from Moen (They provided it for our kitchen makeover, together with it absolutely made my life. I don't convey much costless materials on this blog, but you lot best believe, I was like, yes, please, fanciest sink you lot have. And it's hands down the star of the kitchen.)

The side past times side stair was choosing countertops. I wanted marble, I wanted it thus bad. Ava together with I went to a bunch of unlike stone places approximately town together with drooled over marble slabs. Honed Calacutta was what I was lusting over. I had the fever.

I lived amongst marble inwards our in conclusion kitchen (below), thus I knew what I was upward against. It was crappy pinkish marble together with cutting into tile, but it was marble, nonetheless. It would etch together with stain every fourth dimension I laid a loving cup of H2O on it, together with I was such a crazy soul (with way also much fourth dimension on my hands, dorsum then) that I literally used to buff the etches out every thus ofttimes amongst an orbital sander together with a automobile buffer pad. What was incorrect amongst me.

. And yet, somehow, I was sure I could practise it again. But, like, amongst create novel fancy marble.

Ultimately, I agonized over the determination long plenty that I realized that I wasn't listening to myself. I could pretty much envision myself rocking dorsum together with forth inwards a corner crying 'patina'.

I desire to last able to allow my guests to quaff cherry vino without next them around. I desire to last able to pour salsa on my countertops together with simply coil inwards it, if the mood strikes. I desire to last able to gear upward amongst Ava together with receive got her move out muddy handprints everywhere. I don't desire to constantly stress out over anything inwards my house. And btw, I know a lot of people state you lot tin sack seal it together with it's fine, but I simply had to trust my niggling anxiety-ridden gut on this one. I am non a soul meant for marble.

So, I went amongst Quartz countertops. And I've never looked back. I beloved it.

I couldn't honor whatever quartz I liked at Lowes, thus I went to a specialty stone house together with ordered Caesarstone Quartz countertops inwards Frosty Carrina. I am summarizing rapidly thus every bit non to create a 45 page post, but I did thus much enquiry together with looked at thus many unlike countertops, together with this was the 1 that spoke to me. I loved that the veining was thus subtle inwards this one.

And the primary argue I decided to larn quartz countertops is because they are super durable together with volition remain looking create novel amongst really niggling maintenance. And that has proven to last true. I basically simply wipe them downwards every thus ofttimes amongst water. Or some Method countertop cleaner. And if you lot practise move out anything on it overnight together with it happens to stain, you lot tin sack gear upward it. This has alone happened once, I think it was kid's coughing syrup, together with it came right upward amongst Softscrub amongst bleach. I constitute that solution on Caesarstone's actual website, together with lo together with behold, it was legit.

So, the quartz countertops are amazing, but the actual installation of the countertops was a full headache. Solely because nosotros had a bad contractor that was sent to us past times Lowe's. You tin sack purchase Caesarstone through Lowe's, but you lot receive got to boot the bucket through a specialty stone shop that they volition refer you lot to. The contractors installed them incorrect together with had to come upward dorsum several times to gear upward it. At 1 indicate the countertop was installed amongst virtually a 2 inch gap betwixt the countertop together with the wall. Like, um, what goes there, guys? Turbo caulk? And they had written letters on the unlike parts of the countertop inwards ink (I guess to assist amongst install, I dunno.) that nosotros couldn't larn off. And then, every bit a special cherry on top, they scratched upward the sink AND the dishwasher during the install.

Oh, together with I specified a squared countertop border on the quartz countertops, together with they shipping slabs amongst rounded edges, together with I ended upward simply caving on that one. Because they kept sending dorsum the SAME guys to gear upward the damage, iii split upward times, together with it was plenty to give me a see attack. In the end, everything was installed correctly. The ink was removed. The scratches on the sink together with dishwasher were able to last buffed out. And Lowe's gave us a partial shop credit. So, it worked out. But, it was a full headache. And that's simply honesty.

The below pic was towards the terminate of the install, where they said it was done, together with nosotros afterwards discovered that they left forest shims underneath the countertop. So, that manifestly resulted inwards an additional visit.

Can I simply reiterate the discussion 'hassle'?

Anyway, I tried to continue some perspective. Like, Virginia, you lot are installing a create novel kitchen. Get over it.

Moving on.

Here's a pic of when I started to pigment the novel bag door.

I had novel doors installed throughout the house. I chose the 2 Panel Carrara. Not sure where these were from, every bit nosotros ordered them through the contractor. But, I beloved them.

I painted all of the doors inwards the solid dark (specifically Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze).

The backsplash I had my see assail was this marble herringbone from the Tile Shop. I loved the look, but from what I call upward it was virtually $20 a foursquare foot. So, no.

And thus when nosotros got that Lowe's shop credit, I simply happened to honor something comparable there, for much less. So, dorsum to Lowe's I went to trust them amongst subbing out some other installer. This was months after our GC was done, together with nosotros had that shop credit to purpose towards the installation, thus I crossed my fingers together with went for it.

And fortunately, the contractors they sent us this fourth dimension did an impeccable job. They were inwards together with out inwards a day, together with it was meticulously done. So, you lot simply never know what you're going to get. These guys were super professional person from the 2nd they knocked on our door though, thus I had a adept feeling. The other guys (the quartz countertop guys), I genuinely had a weird feeling from the 2nd they started. Trust yo gut.

This was during the install.

So, hither are some of the finished pictures after the kitchen makeover, the best I could larn amongst my miserable photography skills, but you'll at to the lowest degree larn the idea. It's a infinite I genuinely adore. I pass one-half my life inwards here, I swear.

I don't know that I've ever been happier virtually a room inwards my house. In the words of Shania, Man, I experience similar a woman!

I really abhor having to larn all of the existent materials out together with endeavor to larn those really dainty pictures (at to the lowest degree once!) together with sometimes I notice something I forgot, similar a backpack or an ipad, together with simply say, screw it, together with thus it simply all goes downhill together with I start using my iphone for photos or terminate upward taking random candids at dark to present you lot what it really looks like. Pretty sure all of these things volition direct house here. I am non meant to receive got perfectly styled photos. I resist it amongst every fiber of my being. I mean, are nosotros pretending similar I could practise it if I really wanted to?

Maybe I should larn a swim instructor. I haven't figured my life out yet.

Here are a few pics earlier together with after the kitchen makeover, taken from the same angle.

Before:

After:

And from the other way...the before:

The after:

That niggling chalkboard is a thrift shop mirror I painted.

(This photograph should demonstrate simply how much I don't stress virtually these quartz countertops. But, like, don't practise this.)

I haven't installed whatever pendant lights over the peninsula yet. I haven't constitute what I'm looking for at that spot yet, together with I've been looking for a long time, together with business office of me simply wants to drywall over the holes. I'm even thus pondering.

The chairs I got from CB2. They are white leather amongst chrome legs, together with I really, really beloved them because they don't convey upward much infinite together with are pretty comfortable.

The carpet is my favorite matter inwards the kitchen. It was inwards my grandmother's solid for decades together with she gave it to me a few years back. I've been hoarding it for years, never having the right spot for it. And every bit the kitchen started to come upward together, I started looking online for niggling antique rugs, together with I realized I had this 1 rolled upward inwards the garage. It was a existent lightbulb moment. I'll never ever movement it.

I'm also really inwards beloved amongst the custom hood. It was 1 of my few splurges during the kitchen makeover, together with worth every penny. Not having to larn whatever appliances (except the fridge together with microwave) really helped me amongst the budget.

The faucet was also provided to us past times Moen. It's the Brantford spot resist stainless steel faucet together with it has a niggling push clit downwards handle, which I absolutely love. And manifestly that sink. The freaking sink. For specifics, it's the Moen 1800 serial stainless steel unmarried bowl sink.

I beloved the way the kitchen looks at night, too, amongst the lights on.

We installed undermount lighting nether all the cabinets, together with it's simply thus warm together with inviting.

My grandmother also gave me some of her china together with argent when nosotros got married, together with I never used it, thinking I would ruin it. When nosotros moved here, together with started unpacking, I decided to unpack the niggling beauties together with purpose them. I'm sure I volition terminate upward ruining them, but I'm never going to receive got whatever formal dinners or fancy parties where people purpose silver, thus what am I waiting for? I position my gilded Target pair of scissors inwards there, too, because they deserve it.

Here's a adept earlier together with after comparison.

I manifestly couldn't last bothered to convey downwards the infant gate.

And some other one.

So, that's the kitchen makeover.

Omg I did it together with it turned out okay.

To all of you lot who receive got interacted amongst me for months over on Instagram, give thank you lot you for sticking amongst me spell I wasn't writing weblog posts, thank you lot for cheering me on, together with thank you lot for beingness thus excited virtually me coming back. It really agency the globe to me, together with it was simply what I needed during a fourth dimension when I was my most insecure together with anxious. There's non plenty Lexapro inwards the globe to substitute for the mental boost you lot guys constantly gave me during the renovation.

For those of you lot who don't follow me on Instagram (where I've already shared these together with SO many more....like, musical note it down, Virg.), hither are a few snapshots of us living inwards the kitchen over the past times few months.

I strapped Ava's booster spot to the lucite chair. It does delight the mama.

This was virtually 10 minutes earlier our huge Christmas political party nosotros threw at the house. It was genuinely awesome together with made me experience thus happy. My bestie, Marg, was staying amongst us that weekend from out of town, together with she gave Ava her former Christmas overalls that she constitute at her mom's house. They were also small, together with Ava kept blowing the crotch snaps out. It was a existent hit.

I mean, simply a daughter inwards a tutu spaghetti strap wearing clothing inwards the dead of winter. You create it work, friends.

I think that was Christmas Eve. Jesse was making some Ohio peanut butter balls. Buckeyes, maybe? He made them way also big, together with he made way also many, together with nosotros ate them for a month. Who's complaining.

I was wining together with coloring, together with Ava was Scooby-Dooing together with snacking.

We're pretty happy hither inwards the novel house. My life is ever kinda messy. I receive got a rigid personality, together with I'm kinda ever flinging virtually together with trying to honor my way. I'm feeling softer lately, similar things create to a greater extent than sense. I tin sack simply last myself. I don't know if it's the house, the toddler, or a combination of the both. Or maybe the fact that I've persevered through both.

Thank you lot guys for beingness here. I'm thus happy to larn to part amongst you lot again. And I don't convey it for granted for a second. It's genuinely a approbation to larn to practise what I do, fifty-fifty if I receive got to convey a intermission in 1 trial inwards awhile.

I'm thinking my side past times side post volition last virtually the living room together with the dining room, maybe the pics from the renovation when the flooring was going in, etc. There's a lot to speak virtually inwards this area. So, I think I'm headed at that spot next.

I'm hoping to kinda operate through all the areas inwards the solid that are completed, flake past times bit, together with thus afterwards on, nosotros tin sack movement on to all the materials that is non done. I mean, similar I painted 2 of my 3 bath floors. I got to the terminate of the reno budget nosotros had laid aside for this house, together with was like, welp, I'll simply start ikon everything inwards sight that can't last gutted, together with we'll circle dorsum approximately later. And every bit a result, I accidentally created some fun (probably temporary) solutions that I really kinda love.

From limitations comes creativity, my friends.

I experience similar I simply accidentally Luanne De Lessep-ed that line.

Love you lot all.

Virginia