We know, we’re long overdue for a kitchen “reinstall” update. Well, the kitchen is still “in limbo” so to speak. We’re sure some of you are wondering what in the world is taking us so long. Rest assured, we ask ourselves that same question pretty much everyday. I guess what it comes down to is with this being our first house, we’re just being super slow to make such a huge decision. We’re wanting to make sure it’s the right one and we’re going to be happy with is forty years down the road. Okay, maybe not forty, but you get what I mean.
From time to time, we have a slight glimmer of “maybe we should have kept the old cabinets…?”. But that thought goes right out the window when we think about making all of the “demo mess” now rather than before we moved in. On top of the dust and overall mess of ripping out the cabinets, there was also the flooring… remember, the kitchen used to be tile. We also closed in a window to make a new space for the fridge and ultimately make the layout much more convenient (more about the future layout here). Aaaaaand, if that wasn’t enough, when we ripped out the kitchen cabinets, we found at least two gallons of loose pieces of dog food under the “sealed” cabinets. Who knows how long that could have been there or what that could end up attracting. We wouldn’t have known it was there if we didn’t take out the cabinets. So, yeah. When we think about all that, all of the “maybe we should have” thoughts go bye-bye. No regrets here.
Living in our temporary kitchen has become second nature to us (read more about our current set up here). We’ve learned to use an electric skillet to cook just about anything (even boiled eggs!), storing dishes in moving boxes and super low “countertops” (aka folding tables) are the norm, and we don’t mind grilling out a lot. Come to think of it, we’d probably be grilling a lot even if we had a full kitchen. And the addition of the new refrigerator has been a major improvement on what we were working with the first few months. On top of all that, my parents live not far from here. So if I get an overwhelming urge to bake a cake, fortunately there’s a full functioning kitchen to my disposal 24/7 close by. Focusing on the positive.
As for where we are now in the process we like to call our “kitchen reinstall”, we’re in “extensive research” mode. As you know, we’ve talked about getting cabinets from Lowe’s and Ikea. We’ve gotten to know the ins and outs of both options – the pros and cons, the do’s and don’ts. We’re feeling highly educated in both cabinet options but we’re still not completely sold on either one. We know that probably sounds totally crazy and you’re like, “go ahead and make a decision already!”. We’re getting there. Slow and steady wins the race, right? We hope so.
Now that we’re educated in options one and two, we’re looking into a option number three: custom. Okay, no, not Bob the Builder – but maybe a guy named Bob. Who knows. A few months ago, I got an email from a reader, Megan – who, come to find out, was in my gym class in high school! – asking about our cabinet decision. She went on to say she was just wondering because her parents recently totally remodeled their kitchen (and added a mud room and sun room). They also had a consultation at Lowe’s (the same designer we had) but ultimately decided to go with a local cabinet guy who custom-built their entire kitchen for a fraction of the price they would have paid at Lowe’s and every aspect was customized to their wants and needs – shaker-style cabinets including lazy susans in the corner cabinets, an island, banquette area, microwave nook, etc. Basically, the whole kit and kaboodle.
Megan included a link to her blog with before and after photos of her parent’s kitchen reno overhaul and I must say, the difference is truly amazing!
Here’s the before…
…and the after!
I know, right?! And get this, both of the above photos were taken from the exact same spot! It doesn’t even look like the same house! The cabinets are great and the exact style of what we are looking to have in our kitchen – including the deep bottom drawers as opposed to regular cabinets and a few glass-front cabinets.
Here’s the before and after of the old kitchen wall and their new entry to the mud room…
I also love the thick molding around the windows and doors and who doesn’t love a good banquette area?!…
Needless to say, my response to Megan email included, “Would you mind giving me his contact information?”. We’ve already talked to the “cabinet guy” and we just need to get him our measurements/details in order to get a ballpark figure of how much it would cost. I’m excited to delve into the world of custom cabinets and learn more about the process and the ins and outs. And you never know, we just might make a decision. Ha!
Once we nail down the pros and cons of custom cabinets, we’ll be sure to fill you guys in on our thought process. That’s what this blog is all about, right?
So now time for you to dish the details… have you had experience with custom cabinets? What do you think the pros and cons are? Or how about any other avenues like Lowe’s Street or Ikea Boulevard? Tell us about it in the comments section. We’d love to hear your input…
Oh and by the way, if you happen to notice any weird things going on (broken links, missing images, etc), we’re currently working on publishing some of the upgrades we mentioned in our State of the Blog Address a while back. Thanks for your patience!
Bob the Builder image found here.
We’re back with another reader renovation! This time around, we’re talking with Erika about her and her husband’s recent family room painting adventures…
Hi! I’m Erika, and my husband (Dan) and I seem to be renovating our house in the same pattern of projects as Greg and Ashley! (Of course, when it comes to houses, I assume people hit the kitchen and bathrooms first no matter what, so maybe it’s not such an extreme coincidence!). We recently said “Hasta Luego!” to our extremely neutral family room when we painted it a deep blueberry color. We also painted our brick mantle from white to a deep brown color, and we couldn’t be happier with the results! It’s pretty scary to paint such dark colors, because no one likes to have to repaint if it doesn’t go well. We were very relieved when our friends and family started asking for paint swatches so often that we had to grab a stash to hand out! At this rate, we’re thinking we might have to send swatches with our Christmas cards this year!
My husband and I bought our now-22 year-old house in 2009. Since the day we moved in, we have been doing projects throughout the house to update and make it reflect our own style and personality. The house was well-maintained by the original owners, but it had not been updated since it was purchased in 1989. That means there was a pirate ship’s worth of gold accents, shell sinks and circus wallpaper to boot! The family room was one of our first attempts to assert our sense of style into the home.
Do you have a home project that you would like to see featured on 7HL? How about stories and tips about entertaining, interior design and cool DYI projects? If so, shoot us an email! Be sure to include up to eight photos along with a brief description and important details (your name(s), paint colors, materials, budget, etc.). Please email your submissions to submissions@7thhouseontheleft.com. By sending us your submission, you are giving us permission to post it on the blog unless otherwise stated in your email. Don’t worry, we won’t post your email address or any personal information unless you specifically ask us to do so.
Today’s Reader Reno comes from our favorite Richmond wedding photographer, Katelyn James. After two years of running her photography business from her college dorm room, she was due for her very own, personalized office. She and her husband are working to make their house a home, and part of that process was making her dream office a reality. Katelyn set out to create an office space that was not only inspiring but also mirrored her business brand. And she did just that!
Here are some details about Katelyn’s style and choices, in her own words:
My office has become my new “paradise”! This is easy to do when you’re decorating a room with your FAVORITE colors and themes. My studio is branded with a shabby/chic look that incorporates teal and vintage frames so of course my office space needed to mirror that look! My husband and I bought a 1980′s Cape Cod in the west end of Richmond and we have been giving it a makeover since the day we moved in!
Here is what the room looked like before…
And here is the grand after…
During our honeymoon, we had the house painted (Best idea ever!). When we returned the trim was all painted white and my office walls were Waterscape by Sherwin Williams. I was in love! It’s such a perfect shade of light teal. My furniture was collected from several different stores. My ivory and chocolate settee was ordered from Target online! It really ties the room together and for only $560, it was a steal! The mirrored side table and storage shelf that holds my camera gear is also from Target. The dresser at the end of the room is from the Hemnes collection at IKEA and I couldn’t live without it. My desk is my splurge. I went to Pottery Barn for this purchase and it ended up fitting perfectly! My teal chairs are from Marshalls and all the lamps and vases are from my dream store… Homegoods!!! The accessories in the room are leftover from our wedding in October and I’m so thankful that I am able to reuse it. All of the frames are from thrift stores and probable cost me an average of $1 a piece! Last but not least… the white, distressed entry table is from Pier One and my chandelier was only $39 from IKEA.
This girl didn’t not shop on a budget… HOWEVER… I had a really good sense of what I wanted and so I was patient and waited for all of the right pieces to fall into place. I’m loving the finished product and I hope you do too!!
We absolutely do love it! I’m loving the feminine, shabby chic vibe — it mirrors Katelyn’s brand perfectly while still being personal and warm (just like Katelyn!). If you’re looking for a new blog to add to your RSS reader, be sure to check out Katelyn’s photography blog here.
Do you have a home project that you would like to see featured on 7HL? How about stories and tips about entertaining, interior design and cool DYI projects? Well, we’re always looking for cool stuff to show our readers! When sending us your submission, include up to eight photos along with a brief description and important details (the name you want to be known as in the article, paint colors, materials, budget, etc.).
Please email your submissions to submissions@7thhouseontheleft.com. By sending us your submission, you are giving us permission to post it on the blog unless otherwise stated in your email. Don’t worry, we won’t post your email address or any personal information unless you specifically ask us to do so.
All photos courtesy of Katelyn James Photography.
We are Greg + Ashley Brown, and thanks for visiting our blog! This is where we talk about renovating, decorating, and living in our first house, a 1970’s brick ranch right outside the city limits of Richmond, Virginia. And yes, it just happens to be the seventh house on the left side of our street. 
