Bon Appetit - Updating Before the Dream!

I love cooking. I love trying new recipes and cooking "tried and true" recipes. I enjoy collecting cookbooks and love lingering in kitchen areas of stores. I may even have a slight obsession with Le Creuset and kitchen tools. Despite these loves, I craved a kitchen that was not updated. And, so did Z. We wanted a kitchen that needed "lots of love." Why? We wanted a house that needed "love" so we could put our own touches on it. We had the same philosophy with the kitchen. We wanted a kitchen that needed love so that some day it could become our dream kitchen. While, it will cost us quite a bit of money to do, it will be worth it. 

In the last few months, Young House Love posted their reasoning and justification for painting their cabinets and updating their cabinet hardware. They discussed how for a fraction of the cost, they could give their kitchen an update look while they saved money for their dream kitchen.

Before we get to the updating that we have done, let's take a scroll to look back at where our kitchen has come from. (Thank you, Zillow, for still having pictures of our house up!) 

Before - Kitchen looks into dining room.

Before - Dining room looking into kitchen.

Before - Dining Room 

Before - Kitchen

Before - Looking into Kitchen from Dining Room

The pictures above are pretty much how we bought the house. The exception is that the living room was all tan - not green as seen above. We bought it with yellow sponge painting and all. In my dream kitchen, I have imagined either having dark black cabinets or light gray cabinets, like the ones seen at IKEA. While we have years to decide what cabinets will actually be installed, we decided for the present time we would do some updating of our kitchen. A couple hundred books over years seemed manageable. 

To update the kitchen and dining room, we decided to:

• Paint the Kitchen Walls
• Prime & Paint the Kitchen Cabinets 
• Replace drawer pulls 
• Paint the Dining Room Walls
• Paint the Trim in both rooms
• Replace outlets, lights, and vent covers
• New window treatments (Thanks, Mom!)
• Flooring

Below, are the pictures of what our kitchen looks like now. It is amazing what under $100 can do! 

Kitchen - Cabinets Primed & Painted 

Kitchen looking into dining room.

Z added a shelf for cookbooks. Red island from Hickory
Dickory (First Friday) & wine cooler from eBay!

Dining Room - Painted

Dining Room - Painted 

Dining Room - New light fixture. (Christmas / graduation
gift from E's Mom.)

I have absolutely loved what a difference the updates have made in these spaces. Z loved the light that was in the dining room, so I suspect that it will reappear somewhere in our house someday. Perhaps in the man bathroom?! What you can't notice in the pictures is that the granite countertops where the mixer is located at is not even! The previous owner chose beautiful counters but it was not installed properly. Also, almost each of the large tiles in the kitchen is cracked! Again, it was not installed correctly. Knowing that we will be living with this kitchen for a few years, we are debating what flooring options we will consider. Right now, it is between replacing the grout between the tiles to clean it up, or using a faux wood "peel and stick" in the room.

In the upcoming months, we plan on retouching the trim to freshen it up and possibly replace the fan that is located in the kitchen. As we continue to use and cook in our kitchen, it gives us the chance to think about what we really want in our dream kitchen. Oh, the possibilities!

There are so many fun kitchen gadgets, accessories, and things to plan for in a kitchen. What is your favorite kitchen thing? What would you have in your dream kitchen? I'd love to hear what you love or would add into yours!

Kitchen Curtains! (No More Rear Window)

A few posts ago, I posted photos of fabric that we had picked out for my Mom to sew us curtains. Needless to say, there is no more rear window peering! My Mom made us a set of cafe curtains, a valance, and a door window curtain. The pictures don't do justice for how amazing these look!  I love how it has changed the feel of the kitchen immediately! The pattern seems more characteristically us and distracts from the sponge painting, too. We went with this pattern because it had a modern design on it, yet with the neutral colors, it will match as the kitchen adapts and changes over the years.

Have you added curtains to a room? How did you choose the colors or style?

-E

Rear Window

I'll admit. I try to sometimes come up with catchy, or corny, post titles. I suppose it is the teacher in me - trying to convey this idea to my students earlier this year - that you want to be able to "hook" the reader from your title. Now that I have given away that secret, I suppose you're thinking of the 1954 classic, "Rear Window". I must say, that I love that movie. The suspense and story line enthralls me! The 1942 classic, "Casablanca", would also make it onto the list for me. Truthfully, though, this post does have to do with two rear windows!

One of the things that drew me to our house is the kitchen. Nevermind the fact that the granite countertop was not placed cohesively, allowing for a noticeable seam, and that the majority of the tile flooring was cracked. The potential for this space is endless. With an enormous pantry to pair a kitchen with, our minds have been running wild with ideas. More on that later. However, the one thing that we are addressing now are the two large windows that face the backyard in this space.

They are great sources of light, yet with the lack of privacy from it, I tend to feel like we are on the Truman Show. When peering out the windows into the greenery-filled back yard, there have been more than a handful of times when I can see our neighbor doing the same. It was a bit unsettling to hear from this same neighbor that they had noticed us working on the house. Pleased to know that you see us working on the house (after it seemed to have been neglected for some time), but not pleased to be on the Truman Show, or the classic, Rear Window.

Luckily, this problem is being solved! My talented Mom has generously & eagerly offered to sew a set of curtains for us. With some inspiration from Pinterest and her knowledge of sewing, the project is coming together. During her visit this weekend, we measured and selected custom fabric so that she can make cafe curtains for this space. She will also be sewing a window treatment for our door that is exposed on that level. 

I am looking forward to showing you all how they turn out! In the meantime, here is the inspiration for the windows:

This is the fabric we chose. I was drawn to the modern feel of it, yet the neutral colors to match with any color of kitchen.

Here is our rear windows that allow us to become members of the Truman Show:

Stay tuned for the finished project! Hope you all have the chance to relax on this extended weekend. After spending the last two days on house projects, I may find myself curling up with "Rear Window", "Casablanca", or "The Truman Show" tomorrow!

Love, E