Shake It Off
I was struggling to come up with a title for this post. I was going to go with "Country to Contemporary" but our house wasn't really full-fledge country decor. It was more typical 1990's: honey colored oak cabinets, trim, doors… and brass fixtures. Hunter green and burgundy were all the rage.
Then I thought back to how I felt the first time I walked in the home we had purchased after I had seen it one time on a day I saw 12 other houses and Pete only saw the pictures I sent him. Perhaps it was the stress of moving 500 miles from family and friends, literally changing everything in our lives, missing my kids as I was away from them for weeks at a time, but that moment I walked in to our new home I broke down. I was completely overwhelmed. I wanted to change everything and I didn't know where to start. It was not what we had planned and I was having a serious case of buyers remorse.
I walked out and spent the next day and a half at my apartment. I just couldn't bring myself to go back to the house. I finally came to my senses and realized I was waisting precious time. I went to Lowe's, picked out colors and painting supplies and got to work. Every night after work, I cleaned, painted, and researched on Pinterest.
HONEY OAK is not my thing. I read several posts on how to paint trim white and options for refinishing the cabinets myself. I settled on Java Gel Stain but seriously considered chalk/milk paint. I couldn't be happier that we went with the stain vs. paint. We painted the trim around the windows and some bathroom cabinets and I just think the stain looks so much better.
I tried to capture some before and after pics in the same angle.
I am still looking for 2 stools to slide under the island but haven't seen anything I loved.
Refinishing the cabinets really wasn't hard at all. A bit time-consuming but if I can do it, anyone can. We also reused the existing hardware. We cleaned it and then spray painted it a brushed metallic. It has been about 6 months and no sign of wear and tear. Since we were redoing every room, it is hard to say exactly how much we spent on the kitchen but I am guessing around $350 and that includes the new light fixture, paint, stain, clear coat and all supplies.
I haven't hung any pictures or really done any decorating. We are trying to make the best of the furniture we have but I learned it doesn't easily translate from one house to another.
I can't help but wonder what the boy who lived in this room would think now that it is glowingly pink.
My goal with the closet was to make it feel more like a playroom than a closet. I was hoping Ella would be more likely to keep her toys in her closet or even her room if it felt more inviting. I painted the shelves black and the wall a darker pink. We stained all the doors the the dark like the kitchen cabinets and the trim is all white.
I can't say the original color combo is from the 90's but it sure seems popular in this area.
I pretty much copied this bathroom right from a Pinterest post I found.
Once I get Alex's pictures hung and pull our master bedroom together I will do another post. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I no longer have buyers remorse. We have learned so much about DIY, about ourselves and I am definitely more confident with interior design than I was a year ago.
A huge thank you to the internet, the DIY bloggers and Pinterest!
Then I thought back to how I felt the first time I walked in the home we had purchased after I had seen it one time on a day I saw 12 other houses and Pete only saw the pictures I sent him. Perhaps it was the stress of moving 500 miles from family and friends, literally changing everything in our lives, missing my kids as I was away from them for weeks at a time, but that moment I walked in to our new home I broke down. I was completely overwhelmed. I wanted to change everything and I didn't know where to start. It was not what we had planned and I was having a serious case of buyers remorse.
I walked out and spent the next day and a half at my apartment. I just couldn't bring myself to go back to the house. I finally came to my senses and realized I was waisting precious time. I went to Lowe's, picked out colors and painting supplies and got to work. Every night after work, I cleaned, painted, and researched on Pinterest.
HONEY OAK is not my thing. I read several posts on how to paint trim white and options for refinishing the cabinets myself. I settled on Java Gel Stain but seriously considered chalk/milk paint. I couldn't be happier that we went with the stain vs. paint. We painted the trim around the windows and some bathroom cabinets and I just think the stain looks so much better.
I tried to capture some before and after pics in the same angle.
I am still looking for 2 stools to slide under the island but haven't seen anything I loved.
Refinishing the cabinets really wasn't hard at all. A bit time-consuming but if I can do it, anyone can. We also reused the existing hardware. We cleaned it and then spray painted it a brushed metallic. It has been about 6 months and no sign of wear and tear. Since we were redoing every room, it is hard to say exactly how much we spent on the kitchen but I am guessing around $350 and that includes the new light fixture, paint, stain, clear coat and all supplies.
I haven't hung any pictures or really done any decorating. We are trying to make the best of the furniture we have but I learned it doesn't easily translate from one house to another.
I can't help but wonder what the boy who lived in this room would think now that it is glowingly pink.
My goal with the closet was to make it feel more like a playroom than a closet. I was hoping Ella would be more likely to keep her toys in her closet or even her room if it felt more inviting. I painted the shelves black and the wall a darker pink. We stained all the doors the the dark like the kitchen cabinets and the trim is all white.
I can't say the original color combo is from the 90's but it sure seems popular in this area.
I pretty much copied this bathroom right from a Pinterest post I found.
Once I get Alex's pictures hung and pull our master bedroom together I will do another post. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I no longer have buyers remorse. We have learned so much about DIY, about ourselves and I am definitely more confident with interior design than I was a year ago.
A huge thank you to the internet, the DIY bloggers and Pinterest!
Comments