kitchen re-do on a budget...

I can not even believe that this post is actually happening. When we bought this house I knew that the kitchen had potential for a quick and budget friendly fix. In the end it ended up not being so quick, but it was budget friendly. It took us about 6 months to get this far and I am actually glad that we took it a little slower so I had time to mull it all over. You can see where it started here and the second phase here, and then the third.

This West Elm table used to serve as our desk in our old house. The black and wood chairs are still a favorite of mine from Industry West. the legs are just oh so pretty. The cesca chairs were a craigslist find for our old dining room. The floors still need to be refinished or changed all together, but that fits into a not so budget friendly future project.

Can you believe I almost painted the hutch Alabaster white to blend it in with the walls? This is where taking our time really paid off. I am pretty much obsessed with the way the inky black paint shows off the copper. The original rippled glass is a favorite of mine.

The knobs and hinges are original to the house. I changed them out for copper bin pulls that I found for $2.00 a piece on amazon. Unfortunately they haven't been restocked in months. You can see the old laminate here. From a distance it just looks white, but up close it has swirls. Ack. Part of me wants to try the concrete over lay that I first saw here, but wonder about longevity. Anyone try it before?

This used to be all closed storage and once we had it painted out I realized I like it better without the doors. It shows off our everyday plate set and my grandmothers ironstone. The bottom to cabinets we ended up closing off for the kiddos snacks. I added two bin pulls here to mimic big drawers. To the left is our open laundry room area. That is for a whole other post though.

The green floors don't bother me as much now that everything is dark. We may do something with them this fall, but then again maybe not. So many projects and so little time and it all adds up financially pretty quickly.

The appliances are new. Our fridge went out and then the panel on the front of the dishwasher fell off all in the same week. It was Memorial Day weekend so we shopped around a bit. Kitchenaid was having a huge sale at Lowe's plus we had a 10% off coupon so we went ahead and bit the bullet. They really were the catalyst on finishing off the kitchen. I wish I had somewhere else for the microwave and blender, but for now we do not. We use them everyday so I prefer to have them both in plain sight. I also want to add either art or a collection of stag horn ferns to the left of the fridge. Still mulling that one over though. I would also love to add either this or this for our knives to get a little bit more off the counter. Again still mulling.

If you recall the original stove was huge and once we switched it out it left a huge gap. We had this made by the same friend who made our modern firepit. I love the extra storage it provided, helped make the kitchen look more finished, and provides safety from the stove.

Of course our cow print made it into this kitchen too. Our original plan for this kitchen is to make it good enough for a few years then re-do it completely. Currently I am so happy with this space I am so tempted to change out the counters to a stone and call it a day. Can't tell if it's my slight project burn out talking though.

SOURCES: wall color sherwin williams alabaster | cabinet color farrow and ball railings matched by SW in an oil base | overhead lights | sink light {similar} | slipcover on restoration hardware sofa | black chair in dining room | table {similar} | cesca chair {similar} | copper bin pulls {similar} | everyday plates | rug | cow print | glass canisters | black canister {similar, similar, similar} | towel holder | blender | tote bag | chemex | mason jars  | mugs | serving bowl on fridge

Mornings

Are you a morning person? I have never been one. Slept through the night easily as an infant my mother praises and as I entered my teen years my mornings soon vanished to afternoons. Of course now that I am a so called adult I in turn morphed into a want to be morning person. It was more out of need than want really. The kiddos need to get to school on time and a hectic morning is not becoming for me. It can leave the whole day feeling rushed and flustered. I now have a routine that serves me well. I rise around 7:15 wake the kids and as they bustle around getting all their stuff together I sit with a cup of tea {used to be coffee, darn dr ordered detox diet} and read. Most times it's the bible. Other times it can be a good book that I have trouble putting down or school papers from the day before. When needs arise the kiddos come dashing in with a question, comment, or he said she said. They can find me here, at our kitchen table overlooking our garden.

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When we first moved in I had trouble finding my morning spot to perch. So many of our spaces were too disheveled to enter into the day peacefully. I am a creature of habit and in need of constants. I knew this space was meant to be that. Close enough to the activity center, but still outside of it. Without chairs and having only mismatched stools to occupy my old desk, now turned kitchen table, it was not possible for me to feel at rest here waiting to concur the day. Instead it served me a list of to-do's that grew every day. That's when Industry West so graciously asked it I needed help with any areas of our new home. YES!

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New chairs  with legs to long after for an old table now has become my morning space of solace. Best part is that when the kiddos have friends over or we have our weekly small group this space can continue being surrounded by laughter and good food. This space has not only become my perch, but also for the ones I love.

{CHAIRS GIFTED BY INDUSTRY WEST}

Getting There...

Over the weekend the Mr and I tackled a few more projects around the house. Nothing to earth shattering, but just enough to make this place feel a little more like home. To begin we finally installed all the vent covers, outlet covers, and light switch covers although every time I turn a corner it seems I find one we missed. I have a few long and narrow vent covers that I still need to paint, because apparently they don't make them anymore. So grateful I kept them! We hung a few pieces of art and our chalkboard. As you can see we still have happy christmas on it. Ha. I'll change it up once I buy some new chalk. The Mr painted the door Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams for Lowe's. It was a game changer. We had the pendant light hung and it's beyond gorgoeus in person. My favorite may be the way it looks from the outside. Still a million more steps to go, but at least it no longer looks like we just moved in.

You can see where we started here.

chalkboard | pendant light | chairs west elm {similar}