On October 21st, we started renovation on our kitchen. My goal then (and still kind of now) is to finish before Thanksgiving. That’d be a 5 week time period from demo to completion. Which is crazy for a kitchen! But can we do it?! I want to show you where we are now, tell you the good news, and go over the to do list we still need to tackle for this kitchen renovation update.
Then you can decide if you think we can make it for Thanksgiving!
kitchen renovation update
On November 3 I posted my last kitchen update, here’s where we were at in the kitchen. We’ve been doing boring things like electrical and plumbing, but some really exciting things have happened too!!
Well, well, well! Look at those cabinets installed! With the doors on the lowers too. And guess what?! My husband hooked up the plumbing to the sink and dishwasher so those are BOTH in working order! I haven’t owned a dishwasher in almost three years. It feels very glamorous. And not having to walk to the bathroom to fill up the water pitcher? I’m so grateful for a running sink!
Also, no renovation is without drama. My husband went to plumb the new sink and the old pipe broke off in the wall. We thought we’d have to call a plumber, but after watching some Youtube videos and a run to the hardware store, he fixed it! So having running water here really is a big deal.
And don’t worry, the upper cabinets have a protective blue cover on them (they’ll be white). Also, the dishwasher has a panel and will be pink too (see below). It’ll look like the rest of the cabinets. Hubba hubba!
The mint sink is installed and looking so pretty. If you squint, you can see how the gold faucet with the mint sink and pink lowers are so pretty. Then with white subway tile? Forget about it! (Please read that in a Joey from Friends accent. Thank you- lol).
There is one panel of cement board that still needs to go up. It’s not installed yet because we’re leaving the wiring accessible until our under cabinet lighting arrives. It’ll be a fancy luxury in this little kitchen. I can’t wait!
And here’s a picture with the panel on the dishwasher! Much better. Just wait for the hardware that’s coming. Two words- brass and bamboo. It’ll be so good!
Anyway, the corner cabinet isn’t in place yet. Once that’s locked in, the fridge can go next to it and we’ll be looking much more finished.
If you can’t imagine it, here’s a mock-up I shared in Instagram stories last week. Pink lover corner cabinet, white subway tile to the roof (which yes, will take forever to put up), and custom shelves with rainbow glassware. Maybe some art too?! It’ll be so cute!
Here’s the other corner of the kitchen. You can see that we finished the shiplap ceiling (and it’s looking pretty!). I like to add nods to the fact that this house is in Florida and I figure nautical shiplap makes sense. Plus it’s a look I love- shiplap on the ceiling? Yes please!
The cabinet next to the window will have a built-in hood that should fit inside the cabinet so there’s no worry about it blocking the window. That’s wired for, but the actual hood has been out of stock. We’re hoping to pick it up in the next few days now that it’s available again.
On the other side of the room, you can see our food is still on the shelves. Thank goodness for this corner! We’ve been able to mostly eat at home (we probably eat out one meal out more a week than we used to). The shelves will need to come down when we tile behind the shelves. Then, we should be able to put the food in the cabinets so that should work out.
Also, did you notice that the chandelier has a new ceiling medallion?! I ordered it online for $19 and though it was a pain to put up, it really adds a formal touch. I love it! One of my favorite things to do is have a mix of traditional and modern elements. The juxtaposition makes me SO happy! It keeps things current and interesting. Add in pastels and I’m a happy camper!
So there’s all the updates until now!
the good news
Alright, so here’s the good news- our kitchen is getting templated for quartz countertops tomorrow! It’s a HUGE deal because countertops take about around 5-7 business days to be manufactured after templating. So I could have countertops in as early AS FRIDAY!!! Or as late as next Wednesday.
If you’ve done a kitchen renovation before, you know that the wait for countertops can be excruciating. There’s a pause between the measuring and the install where the kitchen still isn’t quite up working order. Plus, we can’t start tiling until the counters are in. THIS WILL BE A HUGE STEP FORWARD and I’m so excited! Fingers crossed it all works out!
I mean, I’ve enjoyed preparing simple meals on a tiny cabinet and washing dishes in a little bathroom sink as much as a girl can, but I’ll be so grateful for prep space! Can you imagine all the Christmas cookies I’ll bake with Don?! Crepes on Saturday morning?! And really, having a kitchen would be perfect for Thanksgiving. If everything happens perfectly 😬
what still needs to be done
here’s the mood board once more so you can see where we’re heading! Sources- light / cupcake pink paint / rainbow pottery / art / fridge / quartz / pink kitchen inspiration photo / faucet / sink / floor
Ok, so we know the goal- Thanksgiving. But having a to do list always helps me. So here’s what still needs to be done-
1- Finish sinking the nails in the ceiling and patch nail holes
2- Paint the ceiling
3- Sand the beams
4- Install the corbels on the beams
5- Paint the beams and corbels white
6- Install the banquette seating in the dining room
7- Upholster the banquette seating bench
8- Trim work- crown molding
9- Trim work- base boards
10- Trim work- door molding. Trim out the dining room window?
11- Tile 3 walls of the kitchen (this will take a few days)
12- Grout the tile
13- Build shelves for the corner of the kitchen
14- Install under cabinet lighting
15- Patch the wall on the backsplash after lighting is installed
16- Install cabinet hardware
17- Install the open shelving
18- Sand and touchup lower cabinets where needed
19- Put on the rest of the upper cabinet doors
20- Install peel and sick flooring
21- Put everything back in the cabinets
22- Finish work on trim
23- Accessorize
24- Move the table and chairs back in
25- Install the hood
Ok, what do you think? Can it be done? Honestly, it probably all comes down to when the counters can be installed. We have 8 business days to dedicate to this long list before Thanksgiving day. It’ll be a nail biter!
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