Brightening Up our Kitchen

Get ready for a long post.... Can you tell I like to write?
We have recently made some subtle updates to our kitchen which I am very excited about!

 

Our kitchen install started about 4.5 years ago. Crazy right? (You can see one of my firsts posts here) I didn't have much of a design plan other than the space planning, but we went pretty neutral and generic for resale value. Nathan and I weren't even engaged when the boys started tearing everything out and building the cabinets. I naively had this thought in my head that once we did get engaged and married, we would probably only be in this house for a year before we moved onto something bigger and better (cue God laughing) However, a wedding, 3 years of marriage, and a 1 year old later- we are still here and loving it! With no "For Sale" sign in our front yard who knows how long we will be here!

 

Recently, I have been wanting to freshen some things up, so I started analyzing our space and realized that the kitchen needed some updates to not only brighten the space but reflect more of my style. I'm really into the farmhouse style (Not surprising since we have an awesome farmhouse table that my husband built 3 years ago). I love the look because it's causual, yet classic. Honestly though, I think I love it most of all because I can embrace the craftsman style and warmth in my home. For so long I have seen nothing but all white everything (which I do LOVE- have you seen my bathroom?), but lately I have seen a lot of designers incorporate natural finishes. It's been eye-opening and refreshing to me since I am drawn to warmer tones- and my kitchen has a lot of it.  

 

 

Not to say that I wouldn't love to one day paint the upper cabinets white to make things a little brighter, but Nathan spent months building, sanding and staining those bad boys so the option to cover them up really isn't on the table. I've decided to keep them in their natural wood state and embrace the farmhouse style; it's proven to be a fun challenge. The changes are subtle and not perfect, but they really have made a difference and have made me appreciate what I have without throwing paint over it (Which I am so not above doing). The kitchens below have been my inspiration- they make wood cabinets look so so GOOD and I feel like all of these looks are very achievable.

 

Love the black hardware on those cabinets. Also did you notice the wood trim around the window looks so fresh since everything else is so light and bright?

Original Source here.

 

Joanna Gaines DUH... She never fails.

Original Source here. 

 

Wood and white- this is so beautiful. Love those cup pulls on the chestnut cabinets.

Original Source here.

 

 

The first simple update we made was painting the walls a nice fresh coat of white- the original color was more of a beige (So much beige)! The small punch of white really refreshed the space and helped balance out a lot of the wood finish.

 

I also moved the chalkboard to the outside encasement of the refrigerator, and added some white framed prints where the chalkboard used to be. After looking at these pictures, I think the prints need to be a bit bigger. Hmmm.

 

 

 

Love this view!

 

 

One of the best updates we made was lighting. After a LOT of convincing- we replaced our ceiling fan with this awesome Ballard Design pendant over our mobile island. Nathan loves ceiling fans so it was tough to convince him of this NECESSITY. We made a deal that as long as the living room would keep its fan, we could lose the fan in the kitchen. I had my eye on the Hadley pendant for a long time (we even thought about welding our own!) but then our friends were at the Ballard Design outlet and spotted this on clearance so they snatched it up for us. It is a bit smaller than I intended, but I still think it works and makes a world of difference!!!! I go back and forth about what light bulbs to put in, but I'm digging these right now.

 

 

I originally had some simple white shades on our pendants from Lowes. I liked them, but they were ALWAYS crooked  (which drove me crazy).  I also wanted something a little more industrial. We found these new fixtures from Lowes. Since these fixtures were compatible with the original pendants, it was not a big deal to switch them out. They are now one of my favorite features in the kitchen. They definitely reflect more of the farmhouse vibe I'm going for.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another update was adding cabinet HARDWARE. How in the world we waited this long, I have no idea. I seriously couldn't even get into some drawers without breaking a nail. It was SO ANNOYING. But in our lazy state, we just let it be. It was one of those things where we were living that way for so long, we didn't realize what we were missing. But guys- cabinet hardware is really helpful. It was created for a reason- to get into your cabinets. Wow. Who knew?  

 

 

The only good thing about waiting  so long for cabinet harware was that I took my time contemplating what kind of to get. I finally opted for a black finish. My husband (and mom) were very apprehensive when I told them what I was doing- but once they were on it really completed the farmhouse look I have been going for. The inspiration images above helped with my decision!

Last but not least was actually one of the first updates we made. We originally had an open cabinet that was intended for a wine rack. It was put on the back burner for a while- possibly out of laziness or the fact that we really don't drink a lot of wine. When we realized we didn't even have enough wine to fill our imaginary rack, I started thinking of other ideas.  And then Max was born and we quickly realized we needed a LOT more storage for all of his goods (bottles, pumping parts, baby food, etc) I decided to remove our white dinner dishes from their cabinet and turn it into the baby zone. We then converted the intended wine rack cabinet into some open shelving.

 

 

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised with this update. Not only are we utilizing all of our storage space, but the white dishes brighten up the otherwise dark, wooden corner. I wasn't sure how I would like the open shelving concept, but we use our dishes so much that nothing really gets dusty. It's also much easier to grab dishes (especially when holding a 20+ pound "baby"). Talk about first world problems- the thought of opening a cabinet door has become too much for me. Sigh. But seriously folks, it really is a nice feature!

There are still some items I would like to check off such as a light above the kitchen sink, a bright runner, and a window treatment. I would also like to get some new barstools, but that's not really in our budget right now. Hopefully I'll run into a good deal down the line or find some thrift items to makeover.

Hope you enjoyed these updates as much as I do. What are your thoughts on embracing wood in your kitchen or other parts of your home?

-Tricia

Stick a Branch In It.... You're Done.

 

After having my wooden box on our wooden table for several months, I've been itching to get something different going on in our dining room. After I decorated it for Christmas (sorry no pics on the blog to prove that ever happened- I swear it did though), I had little desire to do anything else with it.  I wanted something lighter that would give me some sort of hope that Spring is somewhere around the corner.  It's been a rough winter and although my pregnant self has actually enjoyed the colder temps and has been savoring the fresh air before the heat sets in, there's nothing like springtime and the elimination of cabin fever!

 

 

I like to keep my eye open for go-to items anywhere I am- from a flea market in Somerset to even the dollar store. One go-to item is glass of any kind. It just keeps things light and interesting, and if you have a lot of wood tones in your home it may just end up being your favorite accessory.  I've been looking for some glass demijohns and jars for quite a while but have come up empty handed. You can never find the things when you're looking for them! About to give up on my search, I finally ended up finding two nice size jars at a craft store and brought them home.

 

 

Now comes the difficult part…. or not. 

 

No need to spend a wopping $5 for the Kroger greenery special... I went to my backyard and snipped a few branches from some of our bushes and then just threw them in the jars. I then added a little water to the bottom and I finally had my wooden box replacement.

 

 

 

I really needed a third element, so I pulled out a large mason jar and grouped it with the others. It's simple. It's clean. It's light- and I like the look. What more can you ask for?

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to switching out the greenery for some flowers in the near future.

 

 

 

 

I like the look of the rope on this particular jar.

 

 

 

One day we will get new dining room chairs.... but today is not the day! In the fall, we actually made a purchase on some chairs via an irresistible deal from Overstock.com... but sadly came to find out (after waiting for the chairs for weeks) that the deal was faulty and our order was cancelled. Probably for the best because they weren't really necessary, but I was disappointed to say the least.

 

If you look in in the lower right hand corner, you may notice a 'somewhat' new chair sticking out. I picked up two $30 Parsons chairs from Habitat Restore and am currently looking for a slipcover to cover up the red leaf motif... or making some if I can find the time! The chairs are great quality but need some freshening up. 



 

 

 

 

I know! Picture overload- but I've been really enjoying photographing the more I do it... and I like blogs with a lot of pictures. So here ya go.

 

 

And FYI- We have some major projects coming up which means more blogging. I was reminded this weekend (by my brother no less) that I have about 4 months til the baby comes and it kind of put me in panic mode. Projects include: Bathroom (we bought the toilet Wednesday night… It's actually happening, folks. It is actually happening), Master Bedroom, and of course the NURSERY which I am getting REALLY excited about.

 

This 'nesting' mode better hit me soon because I have lots to do!

 

-Tricia

Bathroom Plans for the 'Meantime'....

These past few weeks have been just a little busy, so we haven't been able to make as much progress on the house as we were planning. Honestly, it's been kind of nice to take a break from projects because sometimes you just need to refuel- am I right? However, I'm planning to have a Built In-Mantel-Conglomeration update next week so I guess we should be getting back to work... 

In the meantime, I thought I would give you a little update on some bathroom plans. I should rephrase that... it's our 'bathroom in the meantime' plans.

Our current bathroom is less than desirable. As most of you are aware from here, I inherited a college house bathroom the moment we got married. It's functional... but not at all beautiful. Not only that, but it took me a while to get over the funk of moving into a house that used to shelter college boys. I think it was a year before I was finally comfortable using it....and that is no exaggeration.

 

Anytime people ask, we've told them that our bathroom is next on our list of things to tackle. I'll get into the current bathroom details later on, but we really want to do a massive overhaul (plumbing changes, new vanity, installing a tub- all the works!) but then life happens. It seems like the moment we decide to go forward something pops up that prevents us from breaking out the sledgehammer or we have a Dave Ramsey moment and realize that a bathroom overhaul is not necessary RIGHT NOW. And I'm OK with that- because like I said our bathroom IS functional, but I'm still really needing a change. I'm willing to hold out on a new bathroom for a year or so if we can do a mini makeover to hold us over. I'm well aware that the power of paint can do wonders and for once I would like to NOT be embarrassed when guests come over and use our bathroom.

 

Since it's only a 'mini-makeover' I wanted to do something a little different... a mix of rustic/modern with a touch of industrial. It's actually the opposite of my DREAM bathroom of white, crisp, and clean, but a style I'm really drawn to. Just one of many DREAM bathroom examples can be seen below:

 

That floor......

 

I'm sure you all remember that I love some touches of rustic from this post and I thought it could be fun to do something a little different before I do break out the sledgehammer and fulfill my vision of my 'white spa' bath. If I'm going to do my dreamy bathroom one day, I'm going to go all out so this temporary solution just gives me an excuse to try something a little different. It's more fun this way anyway!

 

After looking at countless images of inspiration, I put a design board together a few weekends ago. Let's be honest, even the design board is a stretch since it includes some high dollar items, but it helps put my vision together. I'm wanting to try to stay under $200.00 for the temporary fix so I'll be keeping my receipts to see if I can meet the challenge. Lots of DIY ahead!

 

 

Yes- you do see a chair and table for the bathroom. The room is actually really large since we removed an old (and gross) clawfoot tub, so putting some extra furniture in there is not out of the question to balance it out (and cozy it up).

 

Below are some of my inspiration pictures.

 

This is my favorite and seriously insane.

 

Second Favorite. The gold touches, the flooring, the rug, the tile, the gray tub. 

I'm sure you can see the inspiration now! 

Is it odd that this bathroom reminds me of my wedding colors?

Again- the colors and that white planking.

 

This is very masculine and probably wouldn't go this far,

but you can see the touches of industrial and rustic throughout.  

And my favorite blog ever- Emily A Clark shows her dark walls and yes- furniture in the bathroom. Love how that side table cozies things up and makes the room more interesting.

 

What do you think- do you like the dark for a bathroom? And the rustic/modern look? I can't wait to break out some supplies and paint all of the college boy out of that bathroom! Can't believe it's taken this long!

-Tricia

Dressing Up Your Table for Fall

The moment labor day weekend ends, I'm immediately ready for pumpkin flavored anything, football games, and 60 degree weather to begin. But come on, who isn't? Unfortunately, it doesn't happen that quickly in Kentucky, but we've been lucky to have a few 'fall-like' days here lately which has gotten me in the spirit.

 

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the decorating. (I'm sure I get that from my mother). Ever since we got our farmhouse table, I've been looking forward to this season because I knew exactly how I've wanted to decorate it and couldn't wait another day to get started....

 

 

 

I wanted to utilize the whole table (since it's massive), so Nathan and I made a long, narrow box that would work as the foundation for the tablescape. And yes- when I say 'Nathan and I', I mean that I ACTUALLY helped construct something. Shocking, I know.

 

It was a simple construction that included a nail gun, wood glue, and 1" x 4" boards. We then used some of the leftover stain that was applied to the kitchen cabinets and it was good to go. The box is great because I plan to use it all year round... Christmas centerpiece, Hydrangeas in the spring- lots of possibilities!

 

 

 

The easiest box ever!

 

Last weekend, Nathan and I made a trip to one of our favorite places, Huber's Farm. I think we were there three Sundays in a row this past summer because we love it so much... and we were trying to get some time in before the crazy crowds come in the fall. Too. Many. People. (That all just sounded very hipster... sorry about that). Anyway, while there enjoying some wine tasting with his parents, I was able to pick up some mini pumpkins and gourds for a good price (at least I think they were... not really sure what mini pumpkins go for these days....) I originally planned on using some fake pumpkins I had for the table, but couldn't pass these up in all of my Huber's loving glory. I then picked up some floral foam, candles, and Spanish moss from Walmart (Yes, I cheated on Hobby Lobby). The final thing I needed was some fake fall foliage thingys... I luckily already had a good amount that I have collected throughout the years, so I only had to pick up a stem or two for the project.

 

The supplies....

 

This project was really simple. The box is about 4" deep, so I made sure to add foam at the bottom to ensure the pumpkins could sit higher and weren't buried below. I simply cut the foam in half and placed the pieces in the box. I then added and spread out one bag of Spanish moss on top. From there, I spaced out my pumpkins and gourds until they looked nice and balanced.

 

  

 

Next up- the candles. I had 4 tapered candlesticks and a few pillar candles. I guess I wasn't thinking about the height of the pillar candles, because I ended up having to cut into the foam and place the candles into the holes I made. It ended up working pretty well though because they were then secure and not wobbly on top. I then finished it off by pushing the tapered candlesticks into the foam and we were good to go.

 

 

 

 

Finally- the fun part. I grabbed the fall foliage and a scissors and got to work. I cut each stem of the foliage so I could disperse it all throughout since I only had one 'branch' of each.

 

 

I really just messed with the foliage until it looked right to me and placed the pieces in between and over the edges. It ended up being exactly what I was going for and I'm loving it.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the picture overload... I'm still messing around with my camera. 

 

This project was very quick and easy... including making the box. If you're not up for tackling wood with a nail gun, I think this could work just as well in a long narrow basket that you could pick up at any craft store, flea market, or even the dollar store... which is my other favorite place to shop. You'd be surprised at what The Dollar Tree is hiding!

Here it is all lit up... I'm trying to not light it all the time to avoid having to buy more candles! Oh and probably a major fire hazard. Oh well- it's pretty!

 

Hope this gets you in the mood for the fall season! I think my next project for the table is a light burlap runner to break up all of the wood that is going on. Hope you come back and check it out!




-Tricia

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