Well hello there! I was starting to think I'd never get back here to do this blog post for the kitchen and dining room which I started on back in March and finally finished in June.
We've been living in this house for just over two years now, and you might recall that this is what our kitchen and dining room looked like when we first got the keys.
I loved a lot of things about this space from the very first time I saw it. The biggest being the size. This is the most counter space we have ever had, and boy do we make use of it.
Of course there were things that I didn't like as well, but almost nothing that couldn't be fixed with some time and money.
The very first thing I did after cleaning and unpacking, was to replace the hardware on the cabinetry. The handles and knobs were wood and collecting all kinds of dirt and grime that couldn't be cleaned.
I was itching to paint this space since day one. I would gaze at the walls while eating my breakfast every day, imagining different colors on the walls.
Most of this house started out with this tan-beige color. I don't hate it, but I'm craving more cool colors for this house. I picked Sherwin Williams' Repose Gray for my neutral throughout the house, and with each room I paint, I'm convinced that I made the right choice.
Down the road I'd like to stain the upper cabinets a darker color, and possibly paint my lower cabinets. I haven't decided for sure on what color yet. I've entertained the thought of painting at least the island red and antiquing it, but I don't know if I can pull the trigger on that one yet. It's kind of cray cray, even for me.
And honestly, Peanut Head tolerated my kitchen chair refresh, but I don't know if he has it in him to let a red island slide.
I cannot wait to replace the countertops with some sort of solid surface, maybe granite, but it is definitely not in the budget right now. What was in the budget was the subway tile backsplash which I installed over the course of two weeks in March and June.
The previous backsplash didn't go all the way up to the cabinets, and it was not a first rate job. It made me so twitchy, I couldn't stand it, so I was anxious to start demo and get rid of it.
Here it is. Nope. I do not miss it one little bit.
What I wasn't expecting was for the wall to come off with the tile during demo. It was a nightmare of a job, and it took me a couple days just to get rid of all the old tile.
It was pretty cool to see the second window that I just knew used to be in Zoe's room before the addition was put on.
Thanks to YouTube and all the nice people that took the time to school me, I learned how to replace drywall.
I am by no means a professional, but I'm extremely anal so I am pretty happy with the end result.
The tile is going to help me tolerate the countertops until the girls finish college in nine years or so. Crossing fingers that I don't have to wait that long, but it could happen and I'm prepared for the possibility.
I'm going to have to wait even longer to replace the flooring in this room and others. Honestly, I'm afraid to even get an estimate for it at this point because I just don't even want to know.
In the meantime, I'm happy with changing the things that I can afford to change. For example, paint is relatively inexpensive and it makes a big difference.
I just have to hold back my crazy side because I gravitate towards loud, bright colors. And I'm still catching flack from Zoë Bug about the kitchen chairs.
The window wall was painted in Behr's Shimmering Pool. I love this color because it's bright, but not overpowering. And it makes me happy.
Peanut Head gave me the outdoor ceiling fan for Mother's Day. It's so fancy, it has a remote. I don't have to guess which chain pull is the fan and which is the light because there aren't any chain pulls. How cool is that? On the other hand, if we lose the remote I think we're screwed.
Do you see that little tray on the edge of the kitchen table? That's for Peanut Head to put his crap in when he walks in the back door. He's always putting his dirty gloves, hat, glasses, etc., right on the table and the placemats and it. Drives. Me. Over. The Edge.
This tray is me giving in to the putting of the crap on the table. And it works . . . sometimes.
Other times I wrestle with myself to "Let it Go!" while taking deep, calming breaths. Because really, is it that important?
The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?
I have a problem and he doesn't listen to me.
Just kidding. Peanut Head largely tolerates me. I get away with soooo much.
Just look at my kitchen chairs.
