Kitchen Remodel!

We're done!  If you were to tell me that I couldn't renovate a single thing more in the condo while we live here, I'd willingly comply.  I'm sure there will be little things here and there that we find to change, but the list is complete and we are basking in the glow of a completed home!

The last thing to be completed was the kitchen counters.  The counter itself was decent laminate, but the backsplash was hideous.  It was the same terrible backsplash we replaced in the bathrooms.  After pricing it out, we realized it would end up costing so much to replace just the backsplash that it would cost the same as replacing the entire counter with new laminate with a built-in backsplash.  We ended up contracting out the demo/install.  (Best decision ever! So much less stress!) 

The other fun detail about the backsplash -- it had delaminated from the wall before I moved in. I propped it against the wall with a cutting board, then added a lovely layer of silicone caulk to hold it in place and make it water-tight so the sheetrock wouldn't get damaged.  A permanent solution was needed (or at least strongly, strongly desired). 

Here's the before right after I moved in (and after paint): 

My first two renovations: paint and having Papa build me a little shelf over my sink.  It still reminds me of him and makes me smile.  And it's darn useful!! Thankfully the bright peach paint (yeah, didn't look like that on the swatch -- sigh) has mellowed to a nice neutral. 

This backsplash: WHO thought metal stripping looked classy? Who? It doesn't. It makes decent laminate look like trash. Boo!!! 

Our new backsplash was going to be shorter than our old one (of COURSE), so we had to sand, texture, paint (repeat).  

Demo done! 

And the final kitchen: I can't believe how much better I like it now.  I never minded the old counters, just the backsplash, but the new laminate makes the whole kitchen feel brand new!  It's just so clean and fresh!  Isaac previously installed the tile floor.  It all matches so well! I'm in love!

Happy sink! I seriously smiled all through dinner clean up tonight. It's going to take a while for the novelty to wear off, I think. ;) 

Seriously, this makes me SO happy!

Daddy had to reinstall the sink. As with any project, he had a very involved little "helper".  I love how she loves him, and how he, in turn, loves her and is patient with her when she slows his work down exponentially by climbing on him and stealing his tools.  

Bathroom mini makeover

Likely this post won't interest most of you.  I am writing mostly for myself to chronicle our renovation journey. ;)  We re-did the bathrooms -- woohoo! I love what fresh paint and a hard-working husband can accomplish (I help where I can, but there's NO substitute for a servant-hearted handyman husband!)

The last couple of weekends Isaac and I have been finishing projects I've had in mind since I bought this place three (plus!) years ago.  Up next on the infamous honey-do list was fixing the bathroom backsplashes.  They were so very tacky and falling off the wall.  The guest bath also needed a fresh coat of paint.  While I loved the green color, we didn't have any left for touch-ups and so we decided to use the same neutral cream I'd used in the master.  So fresh, so clean, so finished!

I'd previously taken out the old lights and covered the gold on them with a silver spray paint.  I updated the towel bars, lights, and toilet paper holder in the master (spray paint for the win!), too so you don't see the ugly gold accent, but the faucets chipped and needed a more durable fix.  My hubby agreed to install new faucets for me and what a difference!  We tiled, then replaced the faucets.  The new faucets really draw the whole look together. It looks so finished and clean and modern! No more half-finished bathrooms!! 

Yikes! This is what happens when you buy a condo "as-is" -- don't worry,  Papa fixed this first thing! :)  This is the only shot of the ugly backsplash I have.   

So fresh! 

More modern and clean! Small changes can make a big impact!

Loving the new tile! It draws everything together! 

All told we've updated all the fixtures in the bathrooms now (by makeover or replacement), removed 3 extra towel bars from the master, installed new faucets, new toilet seats, and now new glass tile backsplashes, and painted.  Then I deep-cleaned (thank you, e-Cloth for making this so easy!) the linoleum floors and realized they didn't need replacing after all! Woo, woo!

I've heard (and generally believe) that if you DIY the repairs/updates in your house yourself, your job will never be done.  I recently took the stance, though, that we can get everything done -- and before we sell!  Sure, some of these updates are being made to make our place more appealing to a seller, but really we should enjoy the updates while we're here!  Why put off all the renovations until just before selling and deprive ourselves of enjoying what our money and hard work can do? We want to avoid the "why didn't we do that sooner?" cry of DIY'ers everywhere!  So we're enjoying the fruits of our labors, be they big or small.  

Another aspect of this perspective is choosing joy and contentment in our current living situation.  We'd love to own a home, but for now we're blessed to own a cute condo.  We want to make it as lovely and functional as we can, while staying well within our means.  My hope is to have the last few projects completed in the coming couple of months (the list is getting SHORT!), then post a final retrospective "then vs. now" to chronicle all our hard work in our first home!