Blog - at home with Ashley

Quartz Counter tops- what you need to know

I’ve installed quartz countertops in two of my houses and I love living with them! If this is a material you’re looking at for countertops I thought I’d share my experience and what I love (and don’t) about quartz counter tops- what you need to know to order and live with them.

what is quartz?

Forever, I have been obsessed with having marble- that grey look with the beautiful veins. I’d daydream about it, but the thing I didn’t like is that it is super sensitive, can stain and chip easily, and so you have to be very careful with it. That’s now how I want to live, so when I heard of quartz, I was excited! So what is quartz?

Quartz are a man made engineered stone. Most of the countertops (90%) are made of small pieces of quartz. The rest is what holds the quartz pieces of quartz together- resins, polymers, and pigments. Once combined, they create a beautiful countertop that is hard like granite. [Read more…]

How to get Bargains on eBay

For my kitchen I had the pleasure of working with eBay. It was actually a dream come true because this was a company I already shopped at ALL the time. Most of my Lenox Village Collection was found on eBay. And my rainbow cook books. And my dollhouse decor. So I’m a fan! I thought I’d share some tips on how to get bargains on eBay that I’ve learned over the years.

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One Room Challenge Kitchen Renovation Costs

As we’ve been working on the kitchen for the past ten weeks, I’ve been keeping track of every receipt and dollar we’ve spent on the renovation. From screws for the studs to caulk and a step stool, everything will be counted for. I love to hear how much real renovations cost so I thought I’d breakdown my kitchen renovation costs.

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

Floor Plan / Interior Window / Mood Boards / Stairs Plan / Demo & Flood / Drywall / Rainbow Wallpaper / Cabinets, Floors, & Ceiling / DIY Fireplace / Cabinet Doors / Reveal / Stair Railing Installation / Kitchen Cost Breakdown /

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How to Install Stair Railing

One of my favorite parts of my kitchen renovation is the new stair wall! We tore down the wall separating the stairs and the kitchen and now have the prettiest view! Plus the whole room feels more open! I thought I’d share how to install stair railing in case this is a project you are considering tackling.

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

Floor Plan / Interior Window / Mood Boards / Stairs Plan / Demo & Flood / Drywall / Rainbow Wallpaper / Cabinets, Floors, & Ceiling / DIY Fireplace / Cabinet Doors / Kitchen Reveal / Stair Railing DIY

[Read more…]

One Room Challenge Kitchen Reveal

After 10 long, hard, trying, tiring weeks I have a new kitchen. I feel like I’m worse for wear after working my tail off for this kitchen. But it’s here! My cozy, colorful, kitchen is done! I dreamed of a space that felt like an English cottage- warm and comfy. Where you could cook and have the best conversations. And sit and enjoy the company for a long time. Ready to see my one room challenge kitchen reveal?!

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

[Read more…]

Cabinet Doors for IKEA Cabinets

This is my third kitchen renovation I’ve done in the past few years. For all three kitchens, I’ve used IKEA boxes. But this time, instead of using IKEA fronts, I thought I’d try getting the cabinet doors for IKEA cabinets from another company- Nieu Cabinet Doors. I figured it’d be fun to show you the process, pricing, and pros and cons of going this route.

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DIY Electric Fireplace Mantle

It’s the 7th week of the One Room Challenge. Which means this is the last progress report and next week there’ll be the REVEAL! That also means that I’ll no longer be working 10-12 hour days on the kitchen, so that’s something for me personally to look forward to! Let me show you where we’re at with the space. I also have a tutorial for a DIY electric fireplace mantle!

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

Floor Plan / Interior Window / Mood Boards / Stairs Plan / Demo & Flood / Drywall / Rainbow Wallpaper / Cabinets, Floors, & Ceiling /

[Read more…]

One Room Challenge Week 6

It’s the 6th week of the One Room Challenge. 6 weeks down, two to go! And I actually feel (somewhat) better about the state of the kitchen this week than last week. But it’s still crunch time!

I’ve felt overwhelmed and stressed through this process. Putting a kitchen together in 8 weeks is probably (definitely) too fast. And absolutely ill-advised right now since most trades are behind and products are hard to source. But we’re still working hard and I’m excited to show you what we accomplished this week!

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

Floor Plan / Interior Window / Mood Boards / Stairs Plan / Demo & Flood / Drywall / Rainbow Wallpaper /

[Read more…]

How to Design Your Own Wallpaper

It’s the 5th week of the One Room Challenge! That means I have THREE weeks left to wrap this room up! Imagine my panic- lol! Except I’m not laughing, I’m working my butt off. Want to see how the kitchen is shaping up? I also thought I’d show how to design your own wallpaper.

Catch up on all the Kitchen One Room Challenge Posts!

Floor Plan / Interior Window / Mood Boards / Stairs Plan / Demo & Flood / Drywall /

[Read more…]

DIY Epoxy Rainbow Tray

I’ve been wanting to try out epoxy- there’s so many things to make with it! Jewelry, key chains, coasters, picture frames, even countertops! I decided to start with an easier craft that I could add a lot of color to it. Here’s my tutorial for how to make a DIY epoxy rainbow tray.

[Read more…]

what is quartz?

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