Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes in addition to Learning Lessons

Hello one-time friends!

It's been awhile. I announced the start of the renovation of our novel fixer upper inwards the lastly post, too and then I disappeared for five months. I'm thus sad I left without warning. I was trying to continue also many plates spinning at once: running the blog, moving across town, gutting too renovating the novel house, too taking attention of a toddler all day. 

I burned out, too I needed to allow some plates fall. 

I ignored my spider web log too instead focused on household unit of measurement too spent my spare let on energy renovating the house. I've been posting almost daily on Instagram ever since that time, because it takes much less let on 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 too 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 live working on piddling projects forever), I started to experience excited nigh blogging again. I had been spending every unmarried even every bit some sort of nighttime structure worker, thus 1 time I was done alongside that stage of life, I had let on energy for something else.

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

And I'm going to start alongside the kitchen makeover. The kitchen is my favorite house inwards the house, too 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 only totally non my mode too I would sometimes stand upward at that topographic point too stare at it too sweat. I felt similar no 1 understood my vision for it. Not a unmarried someone told me that, but I projected it onto anyone who would create oculus contact. So, instantly that it's done, too 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 only gut a kitchen too start from scratch, thus it was also a lot of fun. 

Like, gave me diarrhea too also SO MUCH FUN! 

. 

So, this is what the kitchen looked similar the 24-hour interval nosotros moved in. I retrieve beingness thus stressed nigh it. It felt similar a cabin. Which is bully if you're inwards a cabin.

The thought from the other side:

Just thus much damn orange.

Remember how nosotros lived alongside a mini fridge? For months? I was putting off buying a fridge until I knew what nosotros needed, too it took a lot longer than anticipated to teach everything moving on the reno.
The full general mood to a greater extent than or less this fourth dimension was 'just kill me now'.

Here's the thought from the living room looking into the one-time kitchen. I only can't alongside the textured walls.

So, that's what where nosotros started.

Now, let's beak nigh the actual kitchen makeover. We hired a full general contractor (who had done a couplet houses for my friend) too 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 too installation of a header, too and then the hardwood on our FOUR sets of stairs. We loved the ii guys who did our lastly laid of floors inwards our one-time house, thus nosotros hired them to practice the hardwood floors too tile again. Our solid was completely gutted within a couplet weeks too the projects were completed within nigh half dozen weeks, thus everything happened really quick too our solid felt similar a beehive alongside people darting to a greater extent than or less everywhere. We moved inwards alongside 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 alongside Ava. You would for sure live hearing nigh my rest inwards a mental establishment past times now. 

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

Not the best determination I've ever made. 

Anyway, thus dorsum to the kitchen makeover. We met alongside a kitchen designer at Lowe's. She came out too measured too nosotros discussed my ideas. It was really brief too to the point, generally because when she arrived, I was prepared alongside a real terrible drawing I had made. I genuinely want I would receive got taken a moving-picture demo of it. It did delight.

 A couplet weeks after she emailed a few blueprint renderings, showing what the kitchen would await similar inwards diverse designs. And too then nosotros only went dorsum too forth for nigh a week, every bit I narrowed downwards what I wanted. I think I went to the shop once. I was pretty assault what I wanted, too also the kitchen designer only did a really bully 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 too had our contractors install it. 

Here are a few of the dissimilar blueprint renderings I got earlier nosotros started the kitchen makeover. I loved having these to await at, every bit it pose my vision on newspaper too helped me narrow things down.

One of the things I was really going dorsum too forth on was taking out the existing peninsula too creating a galley kitchen instead. I thought it would really opened upward up the kitchen. And too then I saw the reality of it too was like, I volition receive got 3 tiny chunks of countertop space. Nope.

The other matter I was interested inwards was replacing the upper cabinets alongside shelves. Again, I saw the pic, too was like, nope. I nevertheless honey opened upward shelving, but I really wanted the oven too hood centered on that wall, too it only couldn't live done because of all the materials nosotros had to fit. Plus, I really thought nigh what opened upward shelving would live similar for my piddling encephalon to alive with, too the response is torture. I teach 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 3 bowls, 1 on each shelf, too live like, instantly what?!?

This was the side thought of both galley mode options. I was only curious. That's why these renderings are amazing. It really gives you lot a skillful sense of what you lot would live getting. I had envisioned this really opened upward kitchen, too instead it only felt similar I would live standing to a greater extent than or less all the fourth dimension alongside no counter space.

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

Here is the lastly blueprint 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 alongside crown moulding at the top), marble or quartz countertops, a custom hood, a counter depth fridge, too a stainless steel apron forepart sink.

As for the changes to the peninsula....the existing 1 had the sink installed on an angle too it drove me crazy. It took upward counter too flooring infinite too only seemed awkward. So, nosotros moved the sink, moved the dishwasher, too 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 alongside a fairly novel oven too dishwasher, thus nosotros kept those too and then 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 prissy infinite saver, peculiarly inwards a smaller kitchen, too instantly that nosotros are using it, I can't fifty-fifty tell the deviation 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 balance was done past times a real prissy 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 live 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, too some other sleeping accommodation are all over there).

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

I know it's a funky layout. That's likely why this solid sat on the marketplace position for iv years earlier nosotros bought it. Well, that too the Tuscan eighties vibe. But, if I wanted to alive inwards this exercise of town, inwards this real detail area, I had to live willing to teach creative. 

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

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

And too then drywalled.

Around this same time, nosotros had to supervene upon all of the subfloors throughout the principal level. Once nosotros ripped upward the existing flooring, the particle board was inwards really bad shape too fifty-fifty rotting inwards some areas, too 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 too Jesse stopping past times the solid to banking concern check on the progress. We were living at my mom's solid nearby, too nosotros tried to halt past times every other even or so. We were thus excited to scout things change. 

After the kitchen was gutted too the subfloors were done, the hardwood flooring went in. I'll practice a divide 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 lastly floors came from). I spent thus much fourth dimension too let on energy choosing the flooring, too I really honey how they turned out. Can't limited that enough. 

Ava helped me pick them out. 

This is the tile that was there, too it was only thus non for me. 

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

I felt similar I could breathe again.

It's difficult to explain. 

I was only thus nervous nigh everything too I didn't trust myself 1 fleck upward until this moment. It nevertheless had a long way to expire at this point, but 1 time I saw this, I knew it was gonna live what I had envisioned from 24-hour interval one.

Here's the reverse view.

And the piddling fridge hole, every bit I similar to telephone call upward it.

They hadn't pose the crown moulding on yet, upward to a greater extent than or less the laissez passer on 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 hap inwards a day.

I knew that I was going to live inwards accuse of ikon every inch of this solid past times myself after the contractors finished their part. And it was to a greater extent than or less this minute that I started wanting to slap myself for non ikon the orangish wall earlier the cabinets were installed.

 We ended upward having to hold back a couplet months for a backsplash, too I was throwing a large Christmas Party, thus I definitely got to pass an entire even squatting on the countertop alongside a paintbrush. I mean, it would receive got taken 10 minutes to whorl that entire wall.

Here's a pic of when the fridge finally arrived too 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 pose in. There were no countertops, or water, but I kinda only hovered over it for awhile.

The sink is from Moen (They provided it for our kitchen makeover, too 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 too I went to a bunch of dissimilar stone places to a greater extent than or less town too drooled over marble slabs. Honed Calacutta was what I was lusting over. I had the fever. 

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

. And yet, somehow, I was sure I could practice it again. But, like, alongside 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 too forth inwards a corner crying 'patina'.

I desire to live able to allow my guests to drinkable ruddy vino without next them around. I desire to live able to pour salsa on my countertops too only whorl inwards it, if the mood strikes. I desire to live able to laid upward alongside Ava too receive got her teach 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 tell you lot tin seal it too it's fine, but I only had to trust my piddling anxiety-ridden gut on this one. I am non a someone meant for marble.

So, I went alongside Quartz countertops. And I've never looked back. I honey it.

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

And the principal argue I decided to teach quartz countertops is because they are super durable too volition rest looking create novel alongside real piddling maintenance. And that has proven to live true. I basically only wipe them downwards every thus oftentimes alongside water. Or some Method countertop cleaner. And if you lot practice teach out anything on it overnight too it happens to stain, you lot tin laid upward it. This has solely happened once, I think it was kid's coughing syrup, too it came right upward alongside Softscrub alongside bleach. I constitute that solution on Caesarstone's actual website, too lo too 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 purchase Caesarstone through Lowe's, but you lot receive got to expire through a specialty stone shop that they volition refer you lot to. The contractors installed them incorrect too had to come upward dorsum several times to laid upward it. At 1 indicate the countertop was installed alongside nigh a 2 inch gap betwixt the countertop too the wall. Like, um, what goes there, guys? Turbo caulk? And they had written letters on the dissimilar parts of the countertop inwards ink (I guess to assist alongside install, I dunno.) that nosotros couldn't teach off. And then, every bit a special cherry on top, they scratched upward the sink AND the dishwasher during the install.

Oh, too I specified a squared countertop border on the quartz countertops, too they ship slabs alongside rounded edges, too I ended upward only caving on that one. Because they kept sending dorsum the SAME guys to laid upward the damage, 3 divide times, too it was plenty to give me a pump attack. In the end, everything was installed correctly. The ink was removed. The scratches on the sink too dishwasher were able to live buffed out. And Lowe's gave us a partial shop credit. So, it worked out. But, it was a full headache. And that's only honesty.

The below pic was towards the terminate of the install, where they said it was done, too nosotros after discovered that they left woods shims underneath the countertop. So, that patently resulted inwards an additional visit.

Can I only reiterate the give-and-take '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 honey them. 

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

The backsplash I had my pump assault was this marble herringbone from the Tile Shop. I loved the look, but from what I retrieve it was nigh $20 a foursquare foot. So, no.

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

And fortunately, the contractors they sent us this fourth dimension did an impeccable job. They were inwards too out inwards a day, too it was meticulously done. So, you lot only never know what you're going to get. These guys were super professional person from the minute they knocked on our door though, thus I had a skillful feeling. The other guys (the quartz countertop guys), I genuinely had a weird feeling from the minute 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 teach alongside my pitiable photography skills, but you'll at to the lowest degree teach 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 nigh a room inwards my house. In the words of Shania, Man, I experience similar a woman!

I really loathe having to teach all of the existent materials out too endeavour to teach those really prissy pictures (at to the lowest degree once!) too sometimes I notice something I forgot, similar a backpack or an ipad, too only say, screw it, too and then it only all goes downhill too I start using my iphone for photos or terminate upward taking random candids at nighttime to demo you lot what it really looks like. Pretty sure all of these things volition hap here. I am non meant to receive got perfectly styled photos. I resist it alongside every fiber of my being. I mean, are nosotros pretending similar I could practice it if I really wanted to? 

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

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

Before:

After:

And from the other way...the before:

The after:

That piddling chalkboard is a thrift shop mirror I painted.

(This photograph should demonstrate only how much I don't stress nigh these quartz countertops. But, like, don't practice this.)

I haven't installed whatever pendant lights over the peninsula yet. I haven't constitute what I'm looking for at that topographic point yet, too I've been looking for a long time, too exercise of me only wants to drywall over the holes. I'm nevertheless pondering.

The chairs I got from CB2.  They are white leather alongside chrome legs, too I really, really honey them because they don't convey upward much infinite too are pretty comfortable. 

The carpet is my favorite matter inwards the kitchen. It was inwards my grandmother's solid for decades too 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 piddling antique rugs, too I realized I had this 1 rolled upward inwards the garage. It was a existent lightbulb moment. I'll never ever motion it.

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

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

I honey the way the kitchen looks at night, too, alongside the lights on. 

We installed undermount lighting nether all the cabinets, too it's only thus warm too inviting. 

My grandmother also gave me some of her china too argent when nosotros got married, too I never used it, thinking I would ruin it. When nosotros moved here, too started unpacking, I decided to unpack the piddling beauties too exercise 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 exercise silver, thus what am I waiting for? I pose my golden Target pair of scissors inwards there, too, because they deserve it.

Here's a skillful earlier too after comparison.

I patently couldn't live bothered to convey downwards the babe gate. 

And some other one.

So, that's the kitchen makeover.

Omg I did it too it turned out okay.

To all of you lot who receive got interacted alongside me for months over on Instagram, give cheers you lot for sticking alongside me spell I wasn't writing spider web log posts, cheers for cheering me on, too cheers for beingness thus excited nigh me coming back. It really way the basis to me, too it was only what I needed during a fourth dimension when I was my most insecure too anxious. There's non plenty Lexapro inwards the basis 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 too 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 topographic point to the lucite chair. It does delight the mama.

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

I mean, only a daughter inwards a tutu spaghetti strap clothes 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, too he made way also many, too nosotros ate them for a month. Who's complaining.

I was wining too coloring, too Ava was Scooby-Dooing too snacking.

We're pretty happy hither inwards the novel house. My life is ever kinda messy. I receive got a rigid personality, too I'm kinda ever flinging nigh too trying to honor my way. I'm feeling softer lately, similar things create to a greater extent than sense. I tin only live 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 teach to part alongside you lot again. And I don't convey it for granted for a second. It's genuinely a approving to teach to practice what I do, fifty-fifty if I receive got to convey a pause 1 time inwards awhile.

I'm thinking my side past times side post volition live nigh the living room too the dining room, perchance the pics from the renovation when the flooring was going in, etc. There's a lot to beak nigh inwards this area. So, I think I'm headed at that topographic point next. 

I'm hoping to kinda travel through all the areas inwards the solid that are completed, fleck past times bit, too and then after on, nosotros tin motion 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, too was like, welp, I'll only start ikon everything inwards sight that can't live gutted, too we'll circle dorsum to a greater extent than or less 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 only accidentally Luanne De Lessep-ed that line.

Love you lot all.

Virginia

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