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!

Revisiting the "Men's Bathroom" (1/2 Bath)

When we bought our house, one thing that was on our "wish list" was having at least 1 1/2 bathrooms. It was an added bonus that our house actually has 2 1/2 bathrooms! (When it isn't ripped out to the studs because of mold!!) 

It is our understanding that the prior homeowner had three sons. (We joke that one son must have stressed out his Mom the most because we have found things of his that were left behind such as a dinosaur ornament labeled with his name & his name is spray painted on our basement wall.) Anyway, the half bath in the house has a distressed looking door on it with a sign that says men. We have found this to be pretty funny. The bathroom was a hodgepodge of mismatched things. It was functional (despite the fact that the pedestal sink needed to be repositioned daily so it wouldn't leak) but not ideal. 

So, here's what we have so far! We went to IKEA in November and unexpectedly picked out a bathroom vanity, sink, and faucet for this space. It is not very wide, but, it makes the bathroom seem much larger in size now! 

We have also selected flooring tile which looks like dark wood and a light beige grout. Z installed it all himself. You can tell from the photos, too, that there two different paint colors. The paint to the left of the toilet is the original. The paint to the right was a color we initially picked for the kitchen - and it wasn't the color we were looking for in that space. Since we plan on tiling part of the walls in this room, we will probably end up painting the rest in that color. 

In the bottom photo, we tried out a silver tile. We had talked about silver tile in a previous post. After putting this up and living with it for a few weeks now, we aren't sure if we are sold on it. I think it's better to try it and live with it first. 

We still have quite a few things to do before we can call this room finished. A few things have been completed, but are not pictured in these two pictures. We purchased a mirror at IKEA and installed it. Z also built a wooden ledge on the far left side part of the bathroom - where the whole would be in the photos. 

So, what's next?? We have been looking and gathering ideas. We have found some inspiration in photos - my Pinterest board is a testament to that. We know that we are going to keep the original door that we lovingly refer to as the truck stop door. It's beat up, engraved, suspicious, and hilarious. Behind the door will hold one insane bathroom. I don't want to give away too much just yet, but we are finding inspiration in many things. Just expect something over the top, and in ways, silly.

Here's teasers as to what we are talking about and considering:

INSPIRATION #1 

INSPIRATION #2

INSPIRATION #3

INSPIRATION #4

If you were going to go "all out" on a room like this one, what would be the over the top things that you would include? 

Really a Recap

In this post before Labor Day, I had briefly listed the projects that we had been working on throughout the house. Unfortunately, with school (being the teacher) and school (being the student), our projects are becoming more limited to the weekends. Did I mention, I do a lot of school?! Selfish self promotion.... check out my portfolio as it develops...  In the first weeks of school, we were able to get a few things marked off our list. While the list continues to grow and the ideas run wild, here's a little update on what we have accomplished.

This is what I wanted to touch base on during that initial post:

1. backyard updates
2. front door / stoop paint
3. guest bedroom update
4. gardening this year

And, this is what this post has evolved to since that ambitious post:

1. backyard updates *include some gardening*
2. front door / stoop paint
3. guest bedroom update
4. gardening this year  happenings aside from the house

Backyard Update
The backyard was supposed to have been a work in progress next year. However, we couldn't resist and started a few projects. Better to start now because in a few months, projects will be limited to indoors.

Prepping the back door (1 of 2)

Door taped & prepped ready to go! 

After two thick coats of Valspar's Outdoor Spray Paint in brown.

Sod placed between the metal edging and mulch around tree. We removed bricks to create a more consistent feel from the tree to the patio.

Z made this table! 

Daylight view of backyard / patio area

Night view of backyard / patio area. (Looks awesome at night!)

Fountain we picked up on clearance at Lowe's!

Front Door / Stoop Paint
It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can and will do to a place. 

Sanded and ready to be painted! (What is at the front of the stoop was how it was before we started.)

Ready to paint!

Left from the previous home owner. Apparently pineapples are good luck. We'll take it!

Two coats of later!

View from our driveway looking up to the freshly painted doorway. 

Guest Bedroom Update

I have a confession. I love estate sales, garage sales, First Friday sales. Love them all. You never know what you'll find and what price you'll find it at. The excitement of possibility lurks around every corner.  One morning in the last few months that Z was driving to work and out of our neighborhood, he noticed there was an estate sale on a neighboring street to us. He called me to tell me about it, so I decided to check it out. I walked out with a nice dresser from this sale. It was painted a whimsical/shabby pea green color. Within seconds of setting eyes on it, I was picturing it in a rich coral color and in our guest bedroom. Fast forward months to where it is now; completed and in our guest bedroom. Here's a quick insight into it. I am saving a fully dedicated guest bedroom post until the room is officially complete, cleaned, and things finished up a bit more.

Z skillfully found a way to hang the drawer pulls that I was spray painting. 

Spray painted in a silver metallic. (MUCH cheaper than purchasing new knobs and pulls for the whole piece!)

Knobs painted and installed on dresser.  

Drawer pulls painted and installed. 

Happenings Outside of Home Projects

Z and I went apple picking! YUM!

Irish Fest

Estate Sale / First Friday exploring & finds! 

Home away from home. My classroom and beloved SMART Board.

And, again, some selfish promotion for my graduate school portfolio.

Well, that is a glimpse into a few of the things that we have been working on! Once the guest bedroom is cleaned and finished, I will be posting photos of it! Very excited to share them! In the upcoming months, I'm really looking forward to Fall (boots, chiminea fires, pumpkins...), trying to plan a trip to STL for a weekend in the upcoming months, and starting new traditions in our home. What are you looking forward to in the upcoming Fall months? 

Four Months Later

Early last week, Z and I were outside (as we typically are in the evening) ensuring that all of the plants were adequately being watered and spreading some fresh, leftover mulch in a flower bed. Within minutes of one another, two neighbors who were out on a walk and run, respectively, stopped to compliment us on our work thus far! Both mentioned that the place had much more curb appeal than when the last owner lived here. It was nice to know that our hard work is not only be noticed by us, but by our neighbors as well! They were both such sweet compliments.

This week in discussing house projects with two different friends, both brought up a great point - what have we been working on exactly since mid-March? Z and I see the work firsthand, but what about you guys? The compliments on the exterior of our house had me thinking about the interior, too. What have we completed in the last four months? (As of July 19th, it was four months to the date that we took ownership of the house and began to unpack our cars!) It is highly rewarding to look back and see what all we have accomplished to make our home, truly ours, and make repairs to it. I hope you enjoy the photos and taking a peak into what we have been working on! I know, I have been enjoying doing it!*

Here's the quick stats on our home... 

4 bedrooms  |  2 . 5 bathrooms  |  side-split  |  built 1966

Hallway

Before

After

What did we do?

• Fresh coat of "Seal Gray" paint 
• Fresh coat of "Ultra White" trim
• Moved thermostat to left wall (originally in dining room)
• Installed new light fixture
• Changed door fixture (front door and coat closet)

Work still in progress?

• Fresh coat of "Ultra White" on front door
• Replace hinges on coat closet
• Replace closet door

 Dining Room

Before

After

What did we do?

• New curtain for back door (courtesy of E's Mom)
• Move thermostat from this room

Work still in progress?

• Replace light fixture
• Paint dining room (keeping chair rail)

Kitchen

Before 

Before

After

What did we do?

• Installed cafe curtains (courtesy of E's Mom)
• Deep clean and shine of cabinets
• Laid shelf liner in all cabinets
• Installed window tint in all windows
• Removed old shelf liner, primed and painted, installed new liner in pantry (not pictured)

Work still in progress?

• Undecided - Possibly paint cabinets and or walls 
• Complete kitchen remodel (upcoming years)

Formal Living Room (Upstairs Living Room)

Before

Before

After

What did we do?

• Tinted one window

Work still in progress?

• Tint second window
• Paint entire room
• New trim - ?

Master Bath

Before

After

What did we do?

• Removed linoleum floor 
• Removed shower pan and surroundings
• Removed vanity
• Removed toilet

Work still in progress?

• Lay new subfloor 
• Install new floor, vanity, shower
• Tint window
• Install new window treatment
• Install beadboard or tile
• Paint

Master Bedroom

Before

After

 What did we do?

• Primed and painted both closets (not pictured)
• Installed new window treatments 
• Install new medallion for fan
• Replaced fan

Work still in progress?

• Replace hardware on closets and doors
• Paint walls and trim
• To be decided: Rebuff hardwood floors or choose new flooring (considering Armstrong)

Home Office (Bedroom 1)

Before

After

 What did we do?

• Nothing yet!

Work still in progress?

• Prime and paint closet
• Change hardware 
• Paint trim and walls
• Rebuff floor

Guest Bedroom (Bedroom 2)

Before

After

  What did we do?

• Primed and painted closet
• Patched and sanded walls
• Painted walls "Weeping Willow" by Olympic
• Paint trim

Work still in progress?

• Rebuff floor
• Change hardware
• Install new closet door
• Install new light fixture

Guest Bathroom (Hallway Bath)

Before

After

What did we do?

• Replaced water controls (shower)
• Installed new curtain rod
• Installed new shower head

Work still in progress?

• To be decided - paint
• Change drawer pulls, hardware, sink controls and accessories to match throughout 

Upstairs Bedroom (Bedroom 3) 

Before

Before

After

What did we do?

• Nothing - yet!

Work still in progress?

• Prime and paint walls
• Paint walls and trim
• New light fixture with fan
• Replace doors and fixtures
• Replace vents
• Rebuff floors and seal

Attic (Walk In)

Before 

Before

This area is used primarily for storage. Hence, no after picture at this time.

What did we do?

• Remove old insulation
• Added more insulation
• Added wooden plants to cover insulation
• Insulated door 

Work still in progress?

• Add insulation 
• Long term: Extend Upstairs Bedroom (Bedroom 3) into attic to create second Master Suite

Downstairs Living Room (aka Second Living Room)

Before 

Before 

After

What did we do?

• Paint all walls
• Paint built-ins & mantel 
• Remove old trim
• Install and paint new trim
• Remove gold fireplace screen
• Clean fireplace
• Paint fireplace with high heat paint

Work still in progress?

• Discussing other flooring options

Garage

Before

What did we do?

• Removed wooden cabinet (pictured in before picture)
• Repaired gap in wall in that area
• Added shelving options to side of garage
• Garage floor injected to raise sinking areas & fix step that leads into lower living room

Work still in progress?

• Discussing flooring (cosmetic)
• More storage / shelving

Basement

Before

After

After

What did we do?

• Removed makeshift shelving 
• Removed door to laundry area
• Rebuilt work bench area
• Paint and seal areas of basement

Work still in progress?

• Create more dedicated laundry room 
• To be decided with remainder of area

Half Bathroom (aka Men Bathroom)

After

What did we do?

• Nothing - yet!

Work still in progress?

• Install flooring
• Replace sink / mirror 
• Paint
• Install tile

Exterior of House - Front

Before

After

After

What did we do?

• Replaced storm door
• Replaced mailbox
• Replaced exterior light 
• Removed red house numbers
• Painted front door ("Barn" by Martha Stewart at Home Depot)
• Installed new house numbers in different location
• Landscaping (Install wall, mulch, plants, etc)
• Power wash 

Work still in progress?

• Painting ledge of door
• Install second wall (closer to house)
• Fencing (partial privacy fence)
• Continued landscaping

We have been working on other things, too, that were not pictured in these photos. Mainly painting closets, trim, and kick-plates for steps. As you can tell, too, some of the rooms are still a little bit messy, or a catch-all room while we continue to unpack and determine what is keep, throw away, or donate!

While we have only been in our home for 4 months, I am astonished with how much we have accomplished thus far! It may be small things, but, they certainly add up. And, we are both enjoying the process thoroughly! We are constantly running ideas off one another, sharing ideas, and truly putting our touch on our house.


Thanks for taking time to visit and see what we have been working on the last four months! With school starting back up shortly and my last semester of graduate school approaching, the projects may be slowing down a bit. But, nonetheless, they will continue! Stay tuned for the next projects! (The guest bedroom is coming along nicely!)

-E