Kitchen Progress

As I posted here, we have a kitchen  make- over in progress.  Not any major renovation, just a little DIY and cosmetics.  As promised here are some pics of the progress.

Before we began...

{Pics via Zillow}

The layout is amazing, it just needed some updating and changes here and there to make it our own.  I could kick myself for forgetting to take my own before pics.  The ones above make the kitchen look a lot better than it actually did.  Perks of a professional camera, I guess.

We got started the day after we closed by hiring someone to paint the kitchen cabinetry. I thought I was up for it, and then we counted the cabinets and drawers. Almost 70.... yikes!  So, we postponed staying at the house for a week and got to work.

After the second coat...

I tackled the laminate after the painters packed up and left.   It was easier than I thought it was going to be.  Only took me a couple of hours.

Next, we painted.  With the cabinetry pure white, the dirty white on the walls were just too much. We had two gallons of SW Repose Gray left from the entry and hallways, so we went with it.  It was perfect.  It added just the right amount of contrast without being too noticeable....

Then, new hardware... love it.

Had to haul the old stove/oven away.  This is what that space looked like for two weeks...

Finally got a new stove four weeks after closing on the house:)  Turns out that drop-ins are very rare...

And a little bit of "zushing" with a new rug in a high traffic area.

This is what the kitchen looks like as of today...

We are loving it! It's turning into a bright, white, open and airy kitchen that we enjoy.

Next on the kitchen project list?  Tile the backsplash, paint the wainscoting and trim pure white to match the cabs, do something to the counter tops, and make a new window treatment.  Oh, and repurpose the butcher block island.  It needs some love.

I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions you have to share!

Kitchen Inspiration

We are currently in the process of updating the kitchen in our new house. No major reno, just updating the "look" to make it our own.  Throughout this process, I have heavily relied on Pinterest to help me decide what I really like.

Here are a few of the kitchens/pictures that have inspired me and steered my choices.  It is clear that I love a bright, white kitchen!  I'm also loving white granite or marble countertops, as well as the white subway tile backsplash...

{1} via Pinterest {2} via Pinterest  {3} GianiGranitepaint.com  

{4} via Pinterest  {5} Apartment Therapy

As for our kitchen, we've already made major headway.  Here's a peak at what it looked like before we did anything to it...

{Images via Zillow}

The layout is amazing- just needs some zushing to make it work for us until we replace countertops and appliances down the road.  I'll share pics of our progress very soon!  Here's a link to my "Kitch" board on Pinterest if you'd like to follow!

Dining Room Progress

Two weeks after moving in, we finally have one room in the house that is cleared of boxes and is starting to come together; and of all places, it's the formal dining room!  I've had so much fun in such a short amount of time making this house our own.

Here is the dining room right after we taped it off to paint. The top part was an off white, and the bottom part was a hunter green...

Next, we put samples on the wall. Which to choose?  We went with the bottom center...

Then, painted the top half...

Decided to paint the bottom white to resemble wainscoting.  It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!

Then we added a rug that we are borrowing from a friend- they had an extra they weren't using and it works perfect for this room...

After everything came in, we assembled the table and chairs.  Well, mostly Taylor assembled the table and chairs...

Although you could say it was a family effort...

Just a little touch of green on the table and it's really coming along in here...

I promise to do better with before and after pics in the future. The difference is a lot more dramatic when the before and after are taken from the same angle and the same time of day. You might also notice that the sixth chair is missing. We thank Ikea for that. Turns out what is in the bin is not always what is supposed to be in the bin! We expect to have that last chair by October.

Now we just need dinner guests:)

Windy City

Took a much needed girls trip to Chicago with three girlfriends this past weekend.  I really enjoyed myself.  Great food, great shopping, and great company in a truly magnificent city.  I have been to Chicago three times before, but none of those trips allowed for experiencing the city like this most recent visit.  We were there for three days and two nights and barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer!

Here are some of my favorite pics...

{1} Starting off the trip right with shrimp risotto and Quartino's on State St.  {2} Downtown Chicago sky-  couldn't have been any more blue  {3} Happy hour at John Hancock Tower  {4} View from the top  {5} Fav purchase from H & M, because you know I went to H & M while I was in Chicago  {6}  Lulu lovin'  {7} What you think of when you think of Chi-town  {8} Nothing better than a beautiful morning and a cup of coffee  {9} Except having it with an amazing breakfast and wonderful friends  {10} Wrigley  {11} Sparklin' on Michigan Ave.  {12} Relaxing at the Chicago Botanical Garden  {13} Awesome ladies to take a girls weekend with  {14} Had some Garrett's popcorn on the ferris wheel at Navy Pier  {15} Skyline  {16} Maps at P.O.S.H, a store I look forward to stopping at again someday!

Love these girls. I was blessed by the encouraging conversations, rest, and refreshing weather.  Can't wait until the next trip.

See Shari's blog post here.  She's the real photographer:)