Painting & a mail station

Here are some photos of our mail/message station in the kitchen. We mounted a plain cork board and I also create a magnetic chalk board which we hung on the side of our refrigerator. My mother-in-law had an old frame that she wasn't using so I took it off her hands. I first painted it with some left over paint then I removed the backing, replaced that with a thin aluminum sheet which I had painted with chalk board paint. 

 

On the other side of the kitchen I saw some great prints off etsy and thought to myself, "I could do that!" I used watercolor paint, I changed up the color some of my inspiration but I think they turned out great! Purchased some cheap-o frames from target, and then done. It only took a day. Pretty crafty!

 

Kitchen Reno: Chapter six-Holding On

Last week we put all 23 door knobs and 10 draw handles. In the end the brushed nickel won out over the rubbed oil bronze because it matched the stainless appliances better and we also have a silver light fixture from Ikea hanging in the kitchen. I think it looks pretty good. We also finished a small project this week in the kitchen, more pictures soon!

Things we still have to do:

1. Install countertop lighting

2. Find a good reliable tile installer, we don't want to do it ourselves because I'm not comfortable using a wet saw, don't think Dave is either. I've ordered the tile for the backsplash (picture coming soon) but we have yet to find anyone that will return our phone calls. Contact me if you want my do-not-call list or have a good contact. Don't want to announce it over the WWW if others have had good experiences with these local contractors (marble & tile people in particular...)

3. minor decor decisions, watercolor art in the kitchen. Maybe a project tonight? Fun Friday,huh?

4. Paint the door in the entryway (never got around to that!)

5. FLOORS.....

Happy Weekend!

What a Load of Garbage

Staying with the trend of our kitchen updates, we needed to get some upgrades. After the under-mount sink was put in, we needed to replace the garbage disposal. It was loud and half the time it didn't work, granted we only used it just a few times. Most of all this thing was nasty, plus it hadn't been used in a while because David disconnected the old dishwasher back in November and its just been sitting there festering. Ew. David ended up going with the InSinkErator. Its the mid-grade of our choices of food/garbage disposal. Isn't it pretty, as David does his best Vanna White and/or Price Is Right girl. Wasn't sure what he was channeling.

Although it came with directions and David said it wasn't difficult to install. It did look quite complicated. You have all these pipes and things to connect to it. He said the hardest part was disconnecting the old one only due to the vile smell that was coming from it. He replaced all of the pipes under the sink and everything runs very smoothly. My only request was that he take a shower before doing anything else after that. Didn't have to tell him twice. I am pretty proud of my plumber, electrician, semi-carpenter, painter of a husband. Not to mention, that this is the most quiet food disposal I've ever heard! If you are looking for a new disposal, I definitely recommend this one.

Kitchen Reno: Chapter Five

Ok, I know its been over a week since we showed any progress in the kitchen but David and I are about 95. 9% done! We have finished painting, granite has been set, done with electricity & gas, installed the appliances, etc. etc. Take a look at our almost-grand kitchen!

Isn't it nice? We have a few more things to do however. As you can see from the photos, we still have our backsplash to tend to. I had thought that I wanted to do that project myself, but I really would like to just get it done. We rather pay someone to do it right in a day than it take us a week or so to do an OK job. We need to purchase cabinet hardware. I think I am now gonna go with a brushed nickel as oppose to the bronze, it will coordinate with the over head light in the kitchen. David will need to center the kitchen table light over the table because the refrigerator extends into the eat-in-kitchen area a little so we had to adjust the placement of the table so walkways could be accessible. Hang curtains and blinds. Install countertop lighting above the sink and above the work prep area. And then the big elephant in the room...the floors. We haven't decided on what to do about the floors yet. We want to install hardwood but I think we are only gonna have a little over $2,000 in our budget when its all said-and-done. We'll have to crunch some numbers. 


Things to do in the kitchen before we can take a break:
1. Install Backsplash-spoke with tile dude and getting estimates today
2. Purchase hardware-look at Lowe's to find something we like, find it on-line for cheap!
3. Install countertop lighting-no biggy, Dave's job.
4. DIY project: entryway (cork board, chalk board, & magnet station) on fridge cabinet. 
5. Move and hang kitchen table light
6. Hang blinds and curtains
7. Prime & paint entry door from the garage/basement-done today!
8. decide on floors...


I think that is almost everything though I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Here are some detail photos of the kitchen for you too. Look a real dishwasher!

Kitchen Reno: Chapter Four *Sneak Peak!

Good morning! Although I'm a little under the weather and I'm afraid its gonna turn into bronchitis, I'm very excited because our kitchen is slowly but surely coming together plus its getting a little warmer outside. Our carpenter came on Monday and installed new doors, drawers, and extra cabinets. We went ahead and had him put up crown-molding in the common areas of the house too. David and I have lots of painting to do now! The gas company came by as well to move our gas line for the new gas range which is still in its box since November! David is at the house this very second waiting on our granite countertops to be installed. We're just gonna have to ignore the floors for a bit unless we stumble into a pot of gold in the next day or so. Seen any leprechauns around? But it is gonna be nice to cook something and not have to put it back in its box. Can you imagine that we have gone without a dishwasher since October! Yup, our dishwasher has been in its box as well. I think we were starting to forget what our appliances looked like. Well, enough chit-chat. I know you want to see some pictures. REMEMBER-these cabinets haven't been painted and don't have the top molding on yet. Here's your sneak peak!

So theres the new layout. We have 23 doors (amount of knobs I'm gonna need to purchase) and 10 drawers (number of pulls I'll need). Below is a photo of the kitchen faucet that we went with, Moen. If you don't remember the kitchen we had before, let me refresh your memory! More updates will be coming soon!

Kitchen Envy

Good morning! Since David and I are in the middle of our long kitchen renovation, I decided to post a few kitchen inspirational photos to jump start the weekend. Yes, I've already spoken about my possible kitchen design plan and on Monday it will come to life! Usually I'm ecstatic about the weekend, but I'm excited about our Monday morning, thats a first in a really long time, maybe ever! Anyways, our house is gonna see some big changes in the next week and we can't wait to see how it all turns out, but in the mean time we can only show our kitchen envy! 

Enjoy your weekend, hope its sunny!

I've Got a Crush

In a pervious post I said that I was in love with the light pendant that I saw while watching ABC's Cougar Town. I spent a while looking for it and come to find out that it was right under my nose. I'll occasionally go virtual shopping (window-shopping on-line) sometimes and I was checking out Ballard Designs and I couldn't believe it but I found my light! One problem...its $200.00 Not sure if I want to pay $199 for a kitchen light pendant?! I think I'm sure gonna have to cyber stalk this light to see if it goes on sale. Then I have to decide what color do I choose? Amber with Bronze trim and black cord or Celadon with silver trim and white cord? Would you go ahead a buy it, wait for the sale or find another light entirely or something similar? 

 

Kitchen Reno: Chapter Three

So last time I believe filled you guys in about the kitchen was the destruction of wall in between the kitchen and the living room. David was able to finish the wall and put in a new door frame between the two rooms. I'm so lucky I married a 'handy' man, or a guy that isn't afraid to get his hands dirty! Take a look at my guy at work!

After that we removed all of the cabinet doors. We were thinking that we would just re-face the doors with some fresh paint and maybe a glaze but after much thought and consideration, we decided to scrap 'em. After all that sanding, I called Dykes Cabinets. Mr. Dykes is going to create a new kitchen for us! We'll be getting all new doors with interior hinges, more cabinets that will go on right side of the new gas range, plus he will be building a 'refrigerator wall/cabinet'. I'm not sure what you call the thing that wraps around your fridge and it has cabinets above it? What can I say, I'm a blonde. We also plan to add top molding to the existing cabinets and the new ones. Once its all said and done its gonna be great! But for now this is the kitchen, beware...hazardous viewing...

 

Since we have been waiting to get our kitchen cabinets, I've been able to really brainstorm on how I want the kitchen. As I said before the cabinet color will be Woodrow Wilson Linen by Valspar and the kitchen walls will be the Churchill Hotel Wheat, a light goldish-tan. The countertops will be a brown/tan granite from Marble and Granite Works in Opelika. They will install an under-mount sink too when they cut the granite. So in the mean time, I went window shopping. Here is what the granite will kind of look like, for the backsplash, I'm thinking a field tile like you see in the photo or maybe subway tile, we will just have to see once its all together.

Possible kitchen faucet, I think I'm leaning toward option #2:

 

Cabinet Hardware, rubbed bronze knobs and pull handles for the drawers:

  

Kitchen Lighting: I've already purchased a track light for the kitchen from Ikea. Its stainless and it will match the stainless appliances. I wanted to go with track lighting to obtain the best lighting for a narrow space and our ceilings are only 8 feet tall so I didn't want a pendant that might hang too low. I would like to add under-the-cabinet lighting, we'll see if Dave will let me have that! Cross your fingers! For the kitchen dining area, our friend Alex gave us a old pedestal table that he wasn't using. We sanded and painted it a slightly different cream color. Here is the pedestal table, I haven't put a top coat on it yet so it still might look a little rough. And the table will actually go in the kitchen area, not the den of course, if you can even call it a den yet!

Here is my shopping list for the eat-in kitchen: 4 chairs from Pottery Barn but I would like to some something with a pottery barn look but a flee market price. I'm not sure if I go with the woven wicker look or the modern metal look?

The lighting is a big issue! Does anyone watch ABC's Cougar Town? I like the show but I love, love, love the set design. If I find this light pendant that Jules (The cougar) has in her kitchen I am buying it! One problem, I can't seem to find it! Anywhere! A little help? If I can't find it, Pottery Barn never lets me down, that will be an option 2. But seriously, where might I find this amber light pendant?!