A Finished Kitchen

In all honesty, I have yet to take some professional quality photos of the finished kitchen, but here is a little sneak peek anyway...

 

More to come soon once the little details are all finished.

#StapKitchenReno - Update #5

Phew! What a busy few weeks it's been around here! Apologies for going dark around here, but we had a pretty big party to prepare for so it has been all eyes on the prize with this kitchen!

It's actually starting to be a functional space, which couldn't have happened fast enough!  Our party went off without a hitch and made us realize even more what a great entertaining space we have created!

We still have some small details left to do, like texture the ceiling from our drywall repair, and build small custom wine storage... as well as one or two bigger details, like getting rid of that archway over the entrance to the kitchen and the big back splash tiling job... but at least we have a usable kitchen again at long last!

Here's how our list is looking at the moment... (look at all of those items crossed off!!)

• Remove partition wall between dining room and kitchen
• Dismantle existing kitchen cabinets & island  
• Remove dishwasher, range and microwave (and sell!)
• Remove tile flooring in dining room 
• Remove and/or reroute electrical from partition wall   (we still have some electrical to finish up, as well as some lighting design to decide on.)
• Assemble new kitchen cabinets 
• Have wood floors extended and refinished (hired out) 
• Repair drywall on ceiling and wall from wall removal
• Install new cabinets, hardware, drawers and doors  
• Have new countertops installed  
• Install new sink & cooktop
• Install hood over new cooktop 
• Tile wall above sink & cooktop 
• Put toe kicks, moulding, and other finishing touches on the space 
• Demo archway on dining room entrance, and replace with beautiful custom moulding!

Now, you'll have to excuse me while I go stare at my kitchen...

Kitchen Evolution

Last summer during a particularly creative spell, I found myself daydreaming about expanding our kitchen. I had no idea that one year later we would be doing just that.  

While the overall design has evolved, the concept remains the same: knock out a wall, move the formal dining room to the front room and make an enormous kitchen.  It has been just a few short weeks (7, to be exact) and our kitchen is coming along quite nicely.  

Just for fun, here is a little look at it before, after a cabinet paint job, and a few progress photos of our current renovation.  Enjoy!

#StapKitchenReno - Update #4

Well, it certainly took longer than I thought it would, but we officially have a kitchen island! I will save you the story of all the roadblocks we encountered while trying to place that island, and just tell you that we did it. :) You have no idea how proud we are of that beauty!

We are still without a sink, cooktop and oven but are starting to see real progress which helps keep us motivated for the time being.  We are hoping by late next week that we have a working kitchen again, which is - of course - dependent on the electrician coming through for us.Who knew electricians were so popular?!

Here's how our list is looking at the moment...

• Remove partition wall between dining room and kitchen
• Dismantle existing kitchen cabinets & island  
• Remove dishwasher, range and microwave (and sell!)
• Remove tile flooring in dining room 
• Remove and/or reroute electrical from partition wall (hired out) 
• Assemble new kitchen cabinets 
• Have wood floors extended and refinished (hired out) 
• Repair drywall on ceiling and wall from wall removal (after the electrical + inspection)
• Install new cabinets, hardware, drawers and doors  (the island is done, hoping to get the rest done in the next few days!)
• Have new countertops installed (hired out) - measuring this week, hopefully install next week!
• Install new sink & cooktop (once countertops are in)
• Install hood over new cooktop (once countertops are in)
• Tile wall above sink & cooktop (this one will be delayed until we live with the space a bit and decide which type and color of tile to go with here.)
• Put toe kicks, moulding, and other finishing touches on the space 

It is all starting to come together now, which is a huge relief!  When you convince your husband that demolishing a wall is a good idea, and you have measured and designed the kitchen without seeing the space opened up first, you cross your fingers and hope it all turns out okay!  I am happy to say that we are both very pleased with how it is turning out so far!

#StapKitchenReno - Update #3

Thought I would pop in and share a bit more progress that has been made on the kitchen.  What a transformation having these new floors in and having the existing ones refinished.  We love how the finish turned out!

#StapKitchenReno - Update #2

Well, it might not mean checking several items off the list, but we (Chris) did knock a pretty big one off the list!  We said adios to the partition wall between the kitchen and dining room and it is amazing how much bigger the space feels now!  It is also a lot brighter now that the big dining room window is a part of the new kitchen space.  Since the kitchen is on the East side of the house, any additional natural light come the afternoon is much appreciated!

#StapKitchenReno

As you may have gathered from the title of this post, our kitchen renovation is off and running!  We have a lot to do in a relatively short amount of time because we made the silly decision to finish it in time for a big veggie potluck group dinner we are hosting at the end of August!  Crazy?!  Probably, but it will also push us to get as much done as we possibly can before then!  Fingers crossed that our dinner guests don't have to wear hard hats when entering our house come August!

Since we all know renovation updates are not my forte (understatement of the year!), feel free to click on the Latest Adventures tab above for quick photo updates as we go through this renovation. #stapkitchenreno

Here's a little sneak peek into what we need to accomplish in this space...

• Remove partition wall between dining room and kitchen
• Dismantle existing kitchen cabinets & island
• Remove dishwasher, range and microwave (and sell!)
• Remove tile flooring in dining room
• Remove and/or reroute electrical from partition wall
• Assemble new kitchen cabinets (yay, one down!)
• Have wood floors extended and refinished
• Repair drywall on ceiling and wall from wall removal
• Install new cabinets, hardware, drawers and doors
• Have new countertops installed
• Install new sink & appliances
• Install hood over new cooktop
• Tile wall above sink & cooktop
• Put toe kicks, moulding, and other finishing touches on the space.

I love how simple it all sounds!  Ha!  I am sure we are in for some surprises on this renovation.  But I am so excited to see how it turns out!

Master Bathroom

Okay, so the bathroom hit a bit of a snag with finishing up, which is to be expected with any renovation of this size, I suppose.  There is an issue with the tub faucet (it leaks out of one of the posts where the manufacturer attached it to the top part of the faucet - ugh..) and the store was closed this weekend so we couldn't swap out our shower doors for the smaller ones that we need. 

We did, however, get the tub, toilet and baseboard installed, along with a few smaller details for the shower.  Baby steps, baby steps.  Here's a little sneak peek. 

I promise to use an actual camera for shooting the reveal photos, the iphone just isn't cutting it these days...

Here's hoping the universe is on our side for finishing this bathroom renovation before Chris' parents arrive next week!

Tiling Adventures, part two

Well, we are making progress... slowly but surely.  And by 'we,' I definitely mean Chris.  He has been working hard on this bathroom remodel and it is looking so good!  It's fun to see all of the finishes put into place, which is also a huge relief to see that everything coordinates well together!  My design skills aren't failing me on this big remodel, thank goodness!

Tiling Adventures, part one

Well, we finally jumped into the tiling phase in our bathroom, and were pleasantly surprised with how it is turning out!  It definitely takes longer than we expected to complete a small space, but having the shower done (not pictured!) feels like a huge accomplishment!  It is really nice to see the finishes being installed... makes it feel a bit more real!

Here's the wall that I did...

New Season, Fresh Look

Makes sense, right? I don't know about you, but anytime I am feeling restless and unfulfilled in some way, changing things up visually tends to give me the jump start I am looking for.  It can be anything from a freshly painted room, colorful new pillows on the sofa, or in this case, giving the blog a little face lift.  Doesn't it just make you happy?  Well, maybe it's just me then.  

Master Bathroom Progress

Well, we have made a bit more progress, though the photos don't really show much change since the progress was all under the floor boards with the plumbing!  Chris has been working hard to make sure all is watertight and meets all of the drainage requirements, etc., along with meeting my needs of where I want the fixtures placed!  It can't be easy, but he is doing a great job and both the shower and the tub have passed the leak test!  This is a major relief for us!

Demo Has Officially Begun!

Phew, it's been quite the blogging break, if I do say so myself.  I blame travel, birthdays and two very long spells of sickness.  But I'm back with a very small (but exciting!) sneak peek at the demolition that has finally begun in our bathroom!

Kitchen Makeover

Okay, so I am aware that my master bathroom reveal is long overdue (trust me, it will be good when it finally comes!), but in the meantime, I have started another project: our kitchen!  At long last!  We are not doing the major overhaul that I had originally wanted to do, but what we did decide on is painting the cabinets to brighten up the space and get rid of that builder-grade look, as well as new countertops, sink and backsplash!  

The cabinets are not completely finished, but here is a little sneak peek anyway...

Pop of Color!

Every time Chris and I start a painting project, throwing around color ideas, he always asks 'what about yellow?'  And I have to admit, that I usually cringe a bit on the inside.  Not because it's a bad color, it's just not one that I think I can incorporate into a space and design around all that well (sort of a home decor "it's not you, it's me" if you will...).  But the final color choice is always up to Chris.  I go through this process of research, testing colors, and narrowing it down, and then he chooses the color we go with.  Seems fair, right?  Right.

Well, I have been wanting to find a way to incorporate yellow somehow, without it looking like spongebob exploded in our house (he's yellow, right?), and I am happy to report that I finally found a great solution!

While choosing the paint colors for the outside of our house, we really wanted a bright, fun color for the front door.  But none of them seemed to match very well with the red brick that we have covering majority of the front entrance.  In the end, we decided on black and absolutely love it, but the desire for a fresh, fun pop of color has not left us.  

So while Chris was in England last week, I decided to do a little surprise for him.  Check it out... I literally smile every time I walk towards the door.  There is something about yellow that just makes you happy, am I right?

It looks slightly brighter in the photo (I'll blame it on bad lighting.  No way is it my poor photography skills...)

And just for good measure, I threw a little on the back door, too!  Swoon...

I love it, and it is definitely growing on Chris!  My job here is done. #canwestoptalkingaboutyellownow? ;) #thankyouverymuch

Laundry Room Reveal - Pt. 1

I  mentioned last week that I would be spending a lot of my time making over the laundry room, and I did not lie.  I spent my Labor Day weekend doing some pretty serious DIY labor!  And look at the difference so far!  Alright, I recognize that a lot of the change was just organizing and cleaning up the room, but you have to admit it looks a million times better, right?  The paint color is brighter in person than it appears in the after photo, so in my final reveal I will take photos in daylight for a more accurate view of the color I chose.  

Who knew that a little color on the walls, brightening up the trim, adding a bench, rug and some storage could make such a difference?!  Oh, and although you can't even see the hooks in the before photos, those hooks were silver before.  Nothing a little spray paint couldn't handle!  I love the contrast of the black on white.

Oh, and that yellow basket hanging among all the black ones?  Target was out of black, so I plan to spray paint it to match the rest! In the meantime, I think it adds to the character!  I love that the room now has a bit of personality.  I don't know about you, but colorful walls makes me happy!

Once Chris gets home and is able to help me with some heavy lifting on the other side of the room, I will post the after photos of the other half.  The bright white cabinets are already making such a difference, I can't wait to see what how the rest turns out!

And in case I haven't mentioned it before, I much prefer projects I can finish in a day (or a weekend, at most!).  After that I just get bored and want to move onto another project!  Doing a small space like the laundry room was juuuuuust the right amount.

Stay tuned for the rest of the reveal next week!  What do you think so far?

Laundry Room Project Time!

Remember when I said a laundry room makeover was brewing?  Well, I dove in over the weekend!  I don't have a lot to reveal just yet, but first here is a little sneak peek at the before.  Am I an organized genius or what?  (sarcasm noted.)  

{ side note: the clothing rack is new, I was just testing it out... }

You see, the problem (excuse?) is... when you buy your first place you gradually accrue more and more. More hand tools, more gardening tools (I have no idea why those are in the laundry room!), just more.  And as you do that, your orderly system gets thrown to bits.  So, I am making it my mission on this project to have a proper place for everything.  And that includes tossing things out into the garage that have no business taking up residence in our laundry room.  Hey, the garage will be another project, another post.  I'm allowed to toss.

I don't have much to reveal just yet, but here is my first step into painting the cabinets a beautiful bright white! (have I mentioned previously that I LOVE chalk paint?  It is seriously a breeze!)

These little guys will be getting a quick spray with some black paint (I know they look black, but sadly they are brown) once I finish painting all of the cabinet doors for a fresh update and a way to tie in the rest of the black hardware in the room.

We'll see what I can come up with for the rest of it, but fingers crossed it brightens and organizes this useful space so that we stop using it as a dumping ground when guests come over!  And to think, Chris suggested we could even leave the doors off the cabinets!  A girl can dream, but we are never going to be the perfectly put together, organized sort.  A little hiding is allowed.

If you are looking for me over the next week, this is likely where I'll be.  Oh, and taking after photos of the exterior makeover I promised ages ago.  I'll do it tonight.  I hope swear. 

When I Get Bored: Part 1

I don't know about you, but I don't do so well with idle time.  I can only watch TV for so long before losing interest and brainstorming what fun creative project I can pour myself into.  

Well, last night I found myself extremely bored and with no other options appealing to me, I busted open our little stock of chalk paint and began my latest project.  Full before and after photos to come once I finish, but here's a little sneak peak of what I got up to last night... (apologies for the poor lighting.)  If you squint, it almost looks finished. :)

Ahhhh the joy of painting while listening to Chris YouTube videos of people playing the harmonica and the Native American flute. (Two things.  One, can YouTube be used as a verb? And two, I'm not kidding.  This painting was done to some seriously relaxing, meditation-worthy tunes.)

On a completely separate (and WAY in the future, if ever) note, I also found myself daydreaming about a major renovation with our kitchen/dining room area.  What do you think of my vision? (what?  I did warn you that I was bored out of my mind last night...)

It involves combining our kitchen and formal dining room, and moving the dining room to the front room (which is a totally awkward space that we never use).  I'm kind of in love with this space.  Not so much, however, with the price tag of such renovation.  But hey, a girl can dream.  Just look at that gorgeous island...

Happy Wednesday!

Summer Has Arrived

Wow, I can't believe I have been MIA for almost a month!  I have a good reason for that.  A few good reasons, actually.  First, I had knee surgery.  Which isn't an excuse at all.  What better things did I have to do while laid up recovering?!  Nothing.  I just wasn't feeling very inspired to write a post about how bored out of my mind I was.  Once I was on the mend from surgery, we began some outdoor projects (before and after photos to come over the next few weeks), which have been keeping us pretty busy.  

And all the while, Summer has arrived.  In full force, might I add.  Hello 90 degree weather, which also brings with it the Colorado thunderstorms that are so famous around these parts.  In between recovering from surgery and house projects, we managed to have a night away at a cute little town called Manitou Springs (separate post coming soon, once I sort through all my photos!), have been luck enough to spend some time with friends, and even went to see Hillary Clinton speak.  Never a dull moment around here!

In reminiscing about this time last year, we realized that this will only be our second Summer here in Colorado.  It feels like so much longer that we have lived here.

Our outdoor projects for this Summer involve quite a major transformation.  We are staining our deck (and possibly removing the hot tub!), having some trees removed, installing sod in the back yard, creating a little fire pit area, building a wood "step" pathway through our gravel, and last but certainly not least... we are having our house painted!  Phew!  By the end of the summer, it will surely look like a different house!  

I love being able to enjoy meals outdoors in the warmer months, and Chris is eager to make good use of our grill!

Here are a few in-progress photos of the back deck.  The railing has already been painted white, and we love it!  The rest of the deck is going to be a medium gray.  We are about 90% done at this point, just doing the edges and touching up some places we missed.  After photos coming hopefully by the end of the week, because we are booked to go camping this weekend!  

Lots more before and after photos to come over the next few months, so stay tuned!  I don't know about you, but I am super excited to see the back yard transformed.

The silly thing that I am the most excited about?  We got a bright, colorful outdoor rug to put under our patio set, and I can't wait to see what it looks like on the newly stained deck!  

Happy Monday!