Neutral Backsplash

Mom and I recently finished a modern backsplash in Lee's Summit, MO.  The tile was chosen to blend with the granite and be a shiny neutral between the dark stained cabinetry.

before:

after:

Here we are working hard, me big and pregnant, and us matching with our hats and ponytails!

Got the tile glued on and level, next step is to grout a few days later, then seal the stone/grout, and caulk the seams

Close-up of the shiny tile:

We chose a linear mixture of glazed porcelain and light marble that had a "blingy" quality to it with a neutral grout to make it & the granite more seamless.

FINISHED!

[more pictures of the entire project and remodel to come later!]

KCH&G Silver Winner!

The september issue of Kansas City homes & Gardens features the 2012 Remodel of the Year award winners, including my friend Valerie's home!

You may recognize this home from a post I did a while back when her house was featured in SPACES magazine.  It won Silver for Best Kitchen and Whole house remodel in it's price range!

I just LOVE her home - it's perfect for entertaining family & friends; which she's great at!

She's like me, we need and love lots of natural light for happiness.

 Check out the other Gold & Silver winners here!

[Photos by James Maidhof, featured in KCH&G]

Kitchen Reno Complete!

The kitchen remodel you may remember from this post is now finished!

I couldn't wait for the professional photos to be taken to show it, so here are my sub-par pics just to give you an idea of the drastic changes that this space went through recently.

You might remember the original post on this project a while back that started with two options.  The picture below was the choice that started it all.

We then moved onto this revision of adding some more cabinetry around the window/sink area, and having a wood covered hood.

This rendering showed the details of the backsplash we agreed on in the end, and turned out to be pretty much exactly how the kitchen turned out!

The old kitchen was gutted, and we started completely fresh with new cabinetry and materials with a totally new layout that worked much better for a modern family.

Here are the before and after photos of how the space changed:

[before, view from inside the kitchen to the family room]

 [after, view from family room]

[before]

 [after, with sliding door access to the deck]

[before]

 [after]

 The mudroom, laundry room, and powder room were updated as well, but I didn't get any pictures of them since they are smaller spaces that are hard to photograph.  Once the professional pictures are taken I'll show you how magazine-ready this kitchen is!  It will be gorgeous when you can see the details of the granite veining/color, and superb perfectionism in the installation of the backsplash!

Adler love!

I'm in love with Jonathan Adler's new colors for Kohler!

You have to check out the new collection.  It's perfect for a space that needs something unexpected or a pop of color and surprise for a fun space!

Colors include: Piccadilly Yellow, Greenwich Green, Palermo Blue, Annapolis Navy

Jonathan Adler is a mod, funky, talented designer that creates furniture, pottery, and more in home decor.  In case you're unfamiliar with him, check out his website to see more of his fun creations!

Farmhouse Update

Our family farm is in need of a facelift.  It used to belong to my great grandpa ("Poppy") and great grandma.  My grandma grew up here and then moved to Raytown when she married my grandpa Bob.  They retired in Lee's Summit, where she lives now, and we've always come back to the farm to play, hang out, have bon-fires, hay-rides, celebrate birthdays, etc...  It's been since December 2010 that my great grandma, at the age of 101, passed away and no one has lived in this house.  We want to revitalize it and make it a place ready for large groups of friends and family to gather, make food, drink, and be merry!  But also a place that the younger generations continue to enjoy and cherish with many memories.

The kitchen needs new cabinetry, counters, and flooring.  We will be reconfiguring some of the plumbing/appliances and taking out that peninsula for a cute island in the center of the room.  This should help with traffic flow a lot and add charm with a place to sit and snack.

This one-piece sink is just too cool (probably worth a bit of money too).  We would keep it here, but the cabinets aren't in great shape, so we're going to move it to the barn where there's plumbing and use it for big parties down there.

 This cow head dish towel holder is too funny- we have to keep and re-hang it in the new kitchen!  Apparently, my mom gave it to great grandma at one time.  Makes for a very country kitchen look!

 Here are the current bathrooms.  they will be sooo different after we get our hands on them.

The living room is sort of an odd shape, but spacious.  We'll just be updating the paint, carpet, furniture, and some lighting fixtures to make it fresh.

The back screened-in porch needs some cleaning and new screens.  We will be replacing the outdoor carpeting and putting new cushions on the repainted chair frames.

 The deck just needs to be power-washed and sealed, but is a great place to sit and talk.

 Can't wait to show you photos of the process, and especially the after photos of our soon-to-be adorable country kitchen!