DIY Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes together with Learning Lessons

Hello onetime friends!

It's been awhile. I announced the foremost of the renovation of our novel fixer upper inwards the finally post, in addition to and therefore I disappeared for five months. I'm therefore hapless I left without warning. I was trying to cash inwards one's chips along likewise many plates spinning at once: running the blog, moving across town, gutting in addition to renovating the novel house, in addition to taking attention of a toddler all day. 

I burned out, in addition to I needed to allow some plates fall. 

I ignored my spider web log in addition to instead focused on menage unit of measurement in addition to spent my spare liberate energy renovating the house. I've been posting almost daily on Instagram ever since that time, because it takes much less liberate energy to post there, but I know non everyone follows me there, therefore some of you lot had absolutely no thought what was going on. 

I had a reader electronic mail me in addition to 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 endure working on lilliputian projects forever), I started to experience excited almost blogging again. I had been spending every unmarried eve equally some sort of nighttime structure worker, therefore i time I was done alongside that stage of life, I had liberate energy for something else.

So, I'm back. With tons of pictures in addition to stories to part almost everything that happened piece I was away.

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

Like, gave me diarrhea in addition to also SO MUCH FUN! 

. 

So, this is what the kitchen looked similar the hateful solar daytime nosotros moved in. I recollect existence therefore stressed almost it. It felt similar a cabin. Which is cracking if you're inwards a cabin.

The sentiment from the other side:

Just therefore 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, in addition to it took a lot longer than anticipated to larn everything moving on the reno.
The full general mood around this fourth dimension was 'just kill me now'.

Here's the sentiment from the living room looking into the onetime kitchen. I only can't alongside the textured walls.

So, that's what where nosotros started.

Now, let's utter almost the actual kitchen makeover. We hired a full general contractor (who had done a twosome houses for my friend) in addition to he handled the kitchen reno, resurfacing all of our ceilings, edifice the missing doorways (refresh your retentiveness here...the doorway number kills me), random electrical stuff, beam removals in addition to installation of a header, in addition to and therefore the hardwood on our FOUR sets of stairs. We loved the ii guys who did our finally laid of floors inwards our onetime house, therefore nosotros hired them to practise the hardwood floors in addition to tile again. Our solid was completely gutted within a twosome weeks in addition to the projects were completed within almost six weeks, therefore everything happened really quick in addition to our solid felt similar a beehive alongside people darting around everywhere. We moved inwards alongside my mom piece 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 sure enough endure hearing almost 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, icon every foursquare inch of the house, in addition to having Jesse install all the low-cal fixtures. So, I handled all of that after the contractors were done in addition to 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, therefore dorsum to the kitchen makeover. We met alongside a kitchen designer at Lowe's. She came out in addition to measured in addition to nosotros discussed my ideas. It was really brief in addition to to the point, generally because when she arrived, I was prepared alongside a really terrible drawing I had made. I genuinely wishing I would receive got taken a pic of it. It did delight.

 A twosome weeks afterwards she emailed a few pattern renderings, showing what the kitchen would await similar inwards diverse designs. And in addition to therefore nosotros only went dorsum in addition to forth for almost a week, equally I narrowed downward what I wanted. I think I went to the shop once. I was pretty assail what I wanted, in addition to also the kitchen designer only did a really cracking task of interpreting what I asked for. Some of what I wanted was non sold at Lowe's, therefore I sourced that elsewhere on my ain in addition to had our contractors install it. 

Here are a few of the dissimilar pattern renderings I got earlier nosotros started the kitchen makeover. I loved having these to await at, equally it set my vision on newspaper in addition to helped me narrow things down.

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

The other affair I was interested inwards was replacing the upper cabinets alongside shelves. Again, I saw the pic, in addition to was like, nope. I all the same beloved opened upwards shelving, but I really wanted the oven in addition to hood centered on that wall, in addition to it only couldn't endure done because of all the materials nosotros had to fit. Plus, I really thought almost what opened upwards shelving would endure similar for my lilliputian encephalon to alive with, in addition to the response is torture. I larn stressed past times a bookshelf. I'm kinda minimalistic, purely for my ain self preservation, therefore I don't think I would receive got fared well. I imagine that I would receive got 3 bowls, i on each shelf, in addition to endure like, right away what?!?

This was the side sentiment of both galley mode options. I was only curious. That's why these renderings are amazing. It really gives you lot a expert sense of what you lot would endure getting. I had envisioned this really opened upwards kitchen, in addition to instead it only felt similar I would endure standing around all the fourth dimension alongside no counter space.

So, nosotros decided to cash inwards one's chips along the peninsula, but to create it smaller, in addition to to rearrange some appliances, etc. 

Here is the finally 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 upwards to the ceiling alongside crown moulding at the top), marble or quartz countertops, a custom hood, a counter depth fridge, in addition to a stainless steel apron front end sink.

As for the changes to the peninsula....the existing i had the sink installed on an angle in addition to it drove me crazy. It took upwards counter in addition to flooring infinite in addition to only seemed awkward. So, nosotros moved the sink, moved the dishwasher, in addition to made the peninsula smaller therefore 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 in addition to dishwasher, therefore nosotros kept those in addition to and therefore 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, specially inwards a smaller kitchen, in addition to right away that nosotros are using it, I can't fifty-fifty tell the departure 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 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 therefore that a bag door could endure installed, which I'm therefore glad I decided to receive got done. It lets us closed off Ava's 'wing' (as I refer to it....her bedroom, her bathroom, in addition to some other bedchamber are all over there).

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

I know it's a funky layout. That's in all likelihood why this solid sat on the marketplace for iv years earlier nosotros bought it. Well, that in addition to the Tuscan eighties vibe. But, if I wanted to alive inwards this business office of town, inwards this really item area, I had to endure 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 in addition to therefore drywalled.

Around this same time, nosotros had to supplant all of the subfloors throughout the chief level. Once nosotros ripped upwards the existing flooring, the particle board was inwards really bad shape in addition to fifty-fifty rotting inwards some areas, in addition to I've already made the fault of non replacing particle board subfloors once, therefore replacing it was a must. 

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

After the kitchen was gutted in addition to the subfloors were done, the hardwood flooring went in. I'll practise 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 flora them at Heartland Hardwood Flooring hither inwards Knoxville (the same house our finally floors came from). I spent therefore much fourth dimension in addition to liberate energy choosing the flooring, in addition to 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, in addition to it was only therefore non for me. 

After a few weeks, the flooring was done in addition to the cabinets were installed. 

I felt similar I could breathe again.

It's difficult to explain. 

I was only therefore nervous almost everything in addition to I didn't trust myself i chip upwards until this moment. It all the same had a long way to cash inwards one's chips at this point, but i time I saw this, I knew it was gonna endure what I had envisioned from hateful solar daytime one.

Here's the reverse view.

And the lilliputian fridge hole, equally I similar to telephone telephone it.

They hadn't set the crown moulding on yet, upwards around 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 occur inwards a day.

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

 We ended upwards having to hold back a twosome months for a backsplash, in addition to I was throwing a large Christmas Party, therefore I definitely got to pass an entire eve squatting on the countertop alongside a paintbrush. I mean, it would receive got taken 10 minutes to curlicue that entire wall.

Here's a pic of when the fridge finally arrived in addition to 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 set 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, in addition to it absolutely made my life. I don't receive got much complimentary 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 therefore bad. Ava in addition to I went to a bunch of dissimilar stone places around town in addition to drooled over marble slabs. Honed Calacutta was what I was lusting over. I had the fever. 

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

. And yet, somehow, I was sure I could practise 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 in addition to forth inwards a corner crying 'patina'.

I desire to endure able to allow my guests to potable blood-red vino without next them around. I desire to endure able to pour salsa on my countertops in addition to only curlicue inwards it, if the mood strikes. I desire to endure able to railroad train alongside Ava in addition to receive got her larn out dingy 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 seal it in addition to it's fine, but I only had to trust my lilliputian anxiety-ridden gut on this one. I am non a mortal meant for marble.

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

 I couldn't notice whatsoever quartz I liked at Lowes, therefore I went to a specialty stone house in addition to ordered Caesarstone Quartz countertops inwards Frosty Carrina. I am summarizing rapidly therefore equally non to create a 45 page post, but I did therefore much interrogation in addition to looked at therefore many dissimilar countertops, in addition to this was the i that spoke to me. I loved that the veining was therefore subtle inwards this one. 

And the chief argue I decided to larn quartz countertops is because they are super durable in addition to volition remain looking create novel alongside really lilliputian maintenance. And that has proven to endure true. I basically only wipe them downward every therefore oftentimes alongside water. Or some Method countertop cleaner. And if you lot practise larn out anything on it overnight in addition to it happens to stain, you lot tin railroad train it. This has exclusively happened once, I think it was kid's coughing syrup, in addition to it came right upwards alongside Softscrub alongside bleach. I flora that solution on Caesarstone's actual website, in addition to lo in addition to 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 cash inwards one's chips through a specialty stone shop that they volition refer you lot to. The contractors installed them incorrect in addition to had to come upwards dorsum several times to railroad train it. At i indicate the countertop was installed alongside almost a 2 inch gap betwixt the countertop in addition to 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 aid alongside install, I dunno.) that nosotros couldn't larn off. And then, equally a special cherry on top, they scratched upwards the sink AND the dishwasher during the install.

Oh, in addition to I specified a squared countertop border on the quartz countertops, in addition to they ship slabs alongside rounded edges, in addition to I ended upwards only caving on that one. Because they kept sending dorsum the SAME guys to railroad train the damage, 3 divide times, in addition to 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 in addition to dishwasher were able to endure 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, in addition to nosotros afterwards 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 cash inwards one's chips along 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, equally 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 recollect it was almost $20 a foursquare foot. So, no.

And in addition to therefore when nosotros got that Lowe's shop credit, I only happened to notice 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, in addition to nosotros had that shop credit to purpose towards the installation, therefore I crossed my fingers in addition to went for it.

And fortunately, the contractors they sent us this fourth dimension did an impeccable job. They were inwards in addition to out inwards a day, in addition to it was meticulously done. So, you lot only never know what you're going to get. These guys were super professional person from the 2d they knocked on our door though, therefore I had a expert feeling. The other guys (the quartz countertop guys), I genuinely had a weird feeling from the 2d 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 alongside my poor 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 almost 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 in addition to endeavor to larn those really prissy pictures (at to the lowest degree once!) in addition to sometimes I notice something I forgot, similar a backpack or an ipad, in addition to only say, screw it, in addition to and therefore it only all goes downhill in addition to I start using my iphone for photos or terminate upwards taking random candids at nighttime to exhibit you lot what it really looks like. Pretty sure all of these things volition occur 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 practise it if I really wanted to? 

Maybe I should cash inwards one's chips a swim instructor. I haven't figured my life out yet.

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

Before:

After:

And from the other way...the before:

The after:

That lilliputian chalkboard is a thrift shop mirror I painted.

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

I haven't installed whatsoever pendant lights over the peninsula yet. I haven't flora what I'm looking for at that topographic point yet, in addition to I've been looking for a long time, in addition to business office of me only wants to drywall over the holes. I'm all the same pondering.

The chairs I got from CB2.  They are white leather alongside chrome legs, in addition to I really, really beloved them because they don't convey upwards much infinite in addition to are pretty comfortable. 

The carpet is my favorite affair inwards the kitchen. It was inwards my grandmother's solid for decades in addition to she gave it to me a few years back. I've been hoarding it for years, never having the right spot for it. And equally the kitchen started to come upwards together, I started looking online for lilliputian antique rugs, in addition to I realized I had this i rolled upwards inwards the garage. It was a existent lightbulb moment. I'll never ever motion it.

I'm also really inwards beloved alongside the custom hood. It was i of my few splurges during the kitchen makeover, in addition to worth every penny. Not having to larn whatsoever appliances (except the fridge in addition to 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 in addition to it has a lilliputian clit downward 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 beloved the way the kitchen looks at night, too, alongside the lights on. 

We installed undermount lighting nether all the cabinets, in addition to it's only therefore warm in addition to inviting. 

My grandmother also gave me some of her china in addition to silvery when nosotros got married, in addition to I never used it, thinking I would ruin it. When nosotros moved here, in addition to started unpacking, I decided to unpack the lilliputian beauties in addition to purpose them. I'm sure I volition terminate upwards ruining them, but I'm never going to receive got whatsoever formal dinners or fancy parties where people purpose silver, therefore what am I waiting for? I set my gilt Target pair of scissors inwards there, too, because they deserve it.

Here's a expert earlier in addition to after comparison.

I patently couldn't endure bothered to convey downward the infant gate. 

And some other one.

So, that's the kitchen makeover.

Omg I did it in addition to it turned out okay.

To all of you lot who receive got interacted alongside me for months over on Instagram, give thank you lot you for sticking alongside me piece I wasn't writing spider web log posts, thank you lot for cheering me on, in addition to thank you lot for existence therefore excited almost me coming back. It really agency the basis to me, in addition to it was only what I needed during a fourth dimension when I was my most insecure in addition to 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 in addition to SO many more....like, 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 almost 10 minutes earlier our huge Christmas political party nosotros threw at the house. It was genuinely awesome in addition to made me experience therefore happy. My bestie, Marg, was staying alongside us that weekend from out of town, in addition to she gave Ava her onetime Christmas overalls that she flora at her mom's house. They were likewise small, in addition to Ava kept blowing the crotch snaps out. It was a existent hit.

I mean, only 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 likewise big, in addition to he made way likewise many, in addition to nosotros ate them for a month. Who's complaining.

I was wining in addition to coloring, in addition to Ava was Scooby-Dooing in addition to snacking.

We're pretty happy hither inwards the novel house. My life is e'er kinda messy. I receive got a potent personality, in addition to I'm kinda e'er flinging almost in addition to trying to notice my way. I'm feeling softer lately, similar things create to a greater extent than sense. I tin only endure 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 existence here. I'm therefore happy to larn to part alongside you lot again. And I don't convey it for granted for a second. It's genuinely a approving to larn to practise what I do, fifty-fifty if I receive got to convey a suspension i time inwards awhile.

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

I'm hoping to kinda run through all the areas inwards the solid that are completed, chip past times bit, in addition to and therefore afterwards 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, in addition to was like, welp, I'll only start icon everything inwards sight that can't endure gutted, in addition to we'll circle dorsum around later. And equally 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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