When we bought our house a year and a half ago, the house was already twenty years old and was starting to show it. It looked a bit dated, things had been neglected, the paint jobs were awful (color and quality) and it just needed an overall fresh look.

We decided we wanted to get these things done now so we could actually live in the house the way we wanted instead of waiting and stretching it out over years and then eventually selling it without enjoying the work we had done. Been there, done that.

We laid out our plan and it grew from that. Phase one was what I thought would be a “minor” refresh of our kitchen. It quickly expanded into a pantry refresh, a laundry room makeover and a closet reorganization. None of which “had” to be done, but all of which greatly improved the overall flow, organization and look of the house. Little by little it is coming together.

Kitchen

The Issues: The kitchen originally had the standard black/brown granite with a terra cotta rustic looking tile backsplash. It was very Tuscan looking which apparently was the thing twenty years ago. I didn’t want a white kitchen but I did want a lighter kitchen. The kitchen felt dark. Not only did it have beautiful dark wood cabinets, but it had dark granite counters and inadequate lighting. The 3-section sink was old and gross. The microwave was originally installed on the lower cabinet but very sloppily. We literally had to squat every time we used it. That wouldn’t do as we aged. There was also a crooked random trim on the side of the cabinet installed by the previous owner that made me cringe every time I walked by it.

The Solutions: We replaced the countertops with a Quartzite in Antarctic. I thought it might read a little cold with the grayish color swooping through it along with the gold. However with my accent colors of blue/teal and gold, it actually worked really well. The backsplash is a white marble with white grout. We kept the niche but put a simple small tile mosaic tile that provided a bit of the blue color I wanted to carry through.

We replaced the 3-section stainless steel sink with a cast iron Kohler sink with no sections. I chose a bridge faucet in champagne gold and moved the garbage disposal switch from a switch on the wall to a push button nearer the sink.

A new microwave from Lowe’s was installed where the drawer opens out with the push of a button or by a gentle tug of the handle. You simply place your dish down into the microwave. It is professionally installed and works beautifully. No more squatting.

The trim guy from Craft and Trade did a phenomenal job removing the awkward crooked trim piece on the side of the cabinet replacing the skim and then color matching it with the rest of the cabinets.

I really wanted to change out the cabinet hardware to a longer bar handle but since the holes were already drilled, we were pretty limited in our choices. I ended up sticking with the cup style but in an antique gold color. It was just the right amount of shine update and kept the old world vintage charm.

We added two more recessed lights and changed out the pendants for something a bit bigger and a vintage vibe. Unfortunately we have to replace one as it is hanging crooked.

I found a new rug for the kitchen from Sam’s club that pulled in the blue and a little bit of a coral color. It apparently is washable too!

Dinette & Sitting Room

We didn’t have too much to do in these rooms except paint and switch out the lights.

We replaced the light over the dinette table with a shaded fixture on a dimmer. The ceiling fan was replaced in our sitting room and living room to update them to something that provided more light and style and not so much of the heavy Tuscan look.

New slipcovers in a neutral gold stripe for the two chairs in the sitting room and a new plaid rug from Walmart completed the look for a soft and neutral space to wake up to each morning.

I had made new drapes for the sitting room using a blue and tan floral/bird print and also made a long cornice for over the 3-window area over the desk. It provides just the right amount of color and softness needed for our cozy morning coffee room.

I eliminated two black brackets from each of the wooden shelves to give it a cleaner look. The eight blue floral frames hung just above each shelf gives it the perfect backdrop and color to balance out all the neutral. My hanging ironstone platters and a vintage cross-stitched print were the perfect way to frame this wall.

Painting: The whole house needed to be painted and we are doing that one section at a time. I actually don’t mind painting if I can reach the top of the walls, but this house had vaulted ceilings in a several rooms. Picking a paint color to go with the Alabaster colored trim was challenging to me. It was throwing my paint selections off. I wanted to keep it simple, light and fresh, something that would again, lighten it up. I landed on White Dove by Benjamin Moore for the living room, dinette and kitchen. I chose Warm Linen by Sherwin Williams for the sitting room. I love the light neutrality of it but it is set apart from the kitchen and dinette. I’m not sure I love White Dove in my kitchen but I can also repaint it at a later time.

We decided to paint the top part of the wooded hood over the cooktop the color of the trim. The jury is still out on this color choice. Both Darryl and I feel it might be a bit too much white, but we want the chance for it to grow on us before we repaint it a different color. It is already growing on me. I definitely feel that if we had left it wood, it would be too dark. I do like the contrast.

We hosted Thanksgiving this year at the house and it just felt lighter and more open.

Stay tuned for the update on part two of Phase One with a little refresh to the pantry, laundry room and under-stairs closet.

Denise