Starting with...the kitchen! Since we'll eventually build a new one when we add on to the back of the house, I just wanted to refresh things in the existing kitchen so it was more functional, brighter and was more my speed, style-wise.
When we moved in, there was wallpaper (which I loved, but it was old and falling off the wall in places), a bunch of mismatching cabinets and the lighting was horrible.
Some before shots taken with a horrible camera phone:
Ugh!!!
Halfway through!
I stripped the wallpaper, repaired the walls and painted it 'You Are My Sunshine', Benjamin Moore.
Since the cabinets didn't match and it was driving me crazy, I painted the builder-grade walnut cabinets and replaced all the hardware. A new schoolhouse flush mount ceiling light makes it nice and bright when the sun's not shining.
Behind the sink and the stove, I put up Roth Allen textured wallpaper and painted it with Martha Stewart's metallic silver paint. I sealed it all with a Martha Stewart gloss coat. The end effect is pretty close to how a tin back splash would look a portion of the cost.
New curtains and a cute sign found at a local antique shop.
The shelf was already there, so I just spruced up the baskets and framed a favorite card. One of the major splurges was on new stools from Ballard.
The baskets under the kitchen island hold grocery bags and recycling. I hung tin buckets from IKEA next to the stove for all the cooking utensils.
A new blackboard wall with chalk holder (Home Depot paint tin). It's a hit with the kiddo.
Close-up of the back splash and more IKEA hardware to hang sponges and keep odds and ends. To give the walnut cabinets a bit more 'oomph', I put up paintable bead board wallpaper (more Roth and Allen) in between the side molding.
