Hi Everyone!

It’s been several months since I posted about my kitchen plans.  Since then, I enjoyed the summer, welcomed a new puppy into the family and made it through the holidays.  Although it’s been stressful at times, I am so happy with how everything has turned out!  I still have a few things to accomplish, but I’m ready to show you all the new updates!

First, let me remind you what my kitchen used to look like…

And (drumroll please!), here is how my kitchen looks now!

Can you believe how bright and open it looks now?  What a huge difference the white cabinets have made!

I am so thrilled with how it all turned out!  But, it certainly was a crazy process!  After many discussions with my husband, he convinced me that I should call a pro in to do the cabinets and backsplash.  I called the painter that I’ve used many times throughout the years and he told me that although he would be happy to do the work for me, he was worried that I just wouldn’t be happy with the results.  He encouraged me to contact a cabinet re-finisher rather than paint the cabinets.  So, that’s what I did and I am soooo happy I followed his advice.  Even with the pros doing the work it was a lengthy process that left us in total chaos for a couple of weeks.

My husband also brought in a friend to do the backsplash and, again, I’m glad I didn’t try to tackle the job myself.  Although I think I could have handled a straight forward tile (like a subway tile), the herringbone pattern was a challenge even for someone with experience.

Ok, so I have to admit that I’m not a naturally gifted cabinet painter or backsplash tile expert, but I did do the barn wood shelves myself!  Now that has to count for something, right?  After doing some research I found out that not only is real barn wood hard to come by, it’s crazy expensive.  I decided that I would try to recreate the look of barn wood on my own.  I bought 2 x 12 x 48 pieces of wood for $10 each from Lowes.  Then I took my palm sander and really roughed up the edges of the boards.

Next, I stained the boards.  I first tried using a gray stain and it was just too light and gray. You can see in the photos below the gray color between the darker colors.  So, I went back to Lowes and bought three more colors to try; Dark Walnut, Provincial and Jacobean.  I layered the colors over the gray and I loved the way the gray showed through to create an aged look.  I really liked all three of the colors, but ultimately decided to go with the lightest one,  Provincial.

I bought rustic, steel shelf brackets from Etsy and we just mounted them to the wall with heavy-duty bolts and wall anchors.  Considering how much it would have been to get authentic barn wood shelves I am super happy with the outcome of my knock offs!  Here’s a look at my inspiration photo and then my version…

Not bad, right?  I truly love being in my kitchen now!

We also added new hardware to the cabinets and I painted the walls a soft gray-green called “Horizon Gray” by Benjamin Moore.  I am obsessed with the paint color!  It changes from green to gray to blue depending on the light.  We also got new bar stools from Wayfair that really tie in with my modern farmhouse feel.

So, after everything we’ve done so far, here’s what I’ve learned…Be flexible!  Even the best thought out plans can be turned upside down!  I originally thought I would paint the cabinets and do the backsplash myself and have a contractor do the shelves.  I ended up doing the reverse!  And, since I paid to have the cabinets done, I think I will try to re-finish our kitchen table myself instead of buying a new one.  Well, that’s the plan for now anyway!

So, that’s all I have to report for now.  I still have to pick new light fixtures and there has been some talk of getting new flooring.  So EXCITING!!!  I have a lot of other fun home improvement plans and projects swirling around in my head so I promise to keep you posted with everything going on here!  Until next time…Happy New Year!