the kitchen

The last two months have been pretty chaotic (will that ever not be the case?). Much of the chaos and busyness is due to two factors - ok, really three. 1) Jon has been traveling a lot. 2) We completely gutted and remodeled the kitchen. 3) We have a toddler.

When we purchased our new home in June, we planned to eventually remodel the kitchen. It wasn't terrible, but it was outdated, starting to show its age, and lacked some functionality. I was actually really glad when we found a house that checked all of our boxes, was move-in ready, but still needed a kitchen renovation. When we were house hunting, it was always disappointing to walk into a newly renovated house that wasn't my taste. It would have been hard to rip out a basically brand-new kitchen just because I didn't like the style. However, I had no problem saying goodbye to one that was nearing 17 years.

We planned to live in the home for a year or so before we tackled the kitchen renovation. We were targeting a spring/summer 2018 project...but then I found out I was pregnant. The thought of having a toddler, a newborn, and no kitchen was less than ideal so we fast-tracked the project and started looking into design/build companies pretty much as soon as the moving boxes were unpacked.

August and September were full of design meetings, builder measurements, and shopping for countertops, lighting, appliances, etc. We had to make quite a few decisions in a relatively short amount of time. Luckily, we had a great team helping us out. Our project manager guided us through layout decisions, cabinet ordering, and decision deadlines, but I operated as the designer. All of the aesthetic decisions were made by me with the occasional assist by Jon. It was really fun to play designer, but also a lot of pressure to get everything right! We spent several Saturdays picking out tile, looking at quartz slabs, choosing lighting and hardware, browsing sink styles and faucets, and comparing appliances.

By far, the hardest part was choosing the cabinet paint colors. I knew I wanted gray cabinets and a navy blue island. Because we were ordering custom cabinets, I basically had the entire universe of paint to choose from. I also only had a few days to make the decision. PANIC! It was pretty overwhelming to be responsible for the color of non-returnable cabinets. I think cabinet delivery day was the most nerve-racking because I was terrified of seeing the final result. [Yes, we had color samples I approved, but who can really trust a tiny wood sample?!]

Thank goodness, I'm happy to report that I absolutely love them! The cabinets are exactly what I envisioned. In fact, everything came together just how I wanted. I love the brass accents against the navy blue. I'm also glad I went with gray cabinets over white (there was some peer pressure to just go with white). I like the softer contrast between the navy and gray. I think white would have been too stark. So far, I don't have any regrets. More than one person has commented that the kitchen looks just like me, and I think that's probably the best compliment possible.

While the design phase was exhausting, the actual renovation process was remarkably easy. We somehow managed to stay on time and (mostly) on budget. There were no major issues or problems during the renovation. I'm not even sure how that's possible, but I'm grateful it was smooth sailing. They did great work, and went out of their way to make sure we were as inconvenienced as little as possible. They roped everything off with thick plastic sheeting so dust stayed in and Charlie stayed out. Charlie was curious, of course, but he was largely happy to observe from a distance. His propensity to be shy around strangers worked in our favor in this case.

Demo day was October 16, and they were finished right after Thanksgiving. The worst part was being without half of our main floor during those weeks. While the kitchen was out of commission, we set up our table and fridge in the sitting room. Luckily, we did also have use of our butler's pantry, which meant we had a couple of cabinets for storage, a small countertop and a tiny sink available during the renovation. We ate a lot of crockpot meals (thanks in large part to my mom who stocked our freezer), used paper plates, and made good use of our toaster and microwave.

Now, for the best part. Before, during and after photos. Enjoy!

Demo Day!

The plastic fortress

Our temporary "kitchen"

And dining room 

Somebody really loved all the boxes that were delivered

After the electrical work was done and the floors were newly refinished

Even better than boxes: having our couch in the entryway.
Luckily the couch only had to live here for a couple of days while the floors were being refinished. 

Cabinet delivery!!!

This looks like a great spot to watch Sesame Street, Mom. 

We gained a ton of storage, more useful pull-outs and interior cabinet features, a much bigger island, and an overall much improved layout. The dishwasher moved to the other side of the sink and now I have two ovens (one is located in the island). And if you are wondering where the microwave is, it's a microwave drawer also hiding in the island. I'm also really thrilled to have a pantry. It's not huge, but considering there wasn't a dedicated food storage space pre-renovation, I'll take it. Next to the pantry is a custom spice rack that I designed - it just really makes my heart happy. Oh, and I can't forget my little "garage" where I can keep my mixer and toaster plugged in and ready to go, but out of sight. :)

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After photos: The Newborn Lens (the design/build firm paid for professional photos for their promotional use, and I get to use them too!).

Lighting: Schoolhouse Electric 

Hardware: Schoolhouse Electric 

Faucet: Newport Brass

Stools: West Elm

Cabinet Paint: Benjamin Moore Nimbus & Old Navy 

Quartz: Polarstone 

the night the kitchen crashed

What's the worst thing that could happen to you while you are sleeping? Secretly getting engaged to Sandra Bullock? Having a nightmare about being naked in public (those are thee. worst.)? How about waking up to a loud crash? That was me last night.

It was midnight. I was fast asleep. BOOM. I wake up. Panic. Jon goes to investigate. I hope he's not about to be attacked by a fire-breathing dragon, or worse, a home invader. He calls up to me to put on my tennis shoes and come down. Shoes? Why do I need shoes? Midnight run? Honestly, I would have rather taken a cold, snowy run last night than what actually followed...and I hate running. One of my canning jars has exploded. That's odd. How does a jar explode? It can't possibly be THAT cold downstairs.

He was right, and he was wrong. A canning jar (actually, multiple canning jars) had exploded, but only after dropping to the counter/floor after a kitchen shelf collapsed. Disaster. Of course it couldn't have been a dry goods shelf. Nope, it was a shelf full of home-canned jars of apple pie filling, apple chutney, and 1 large, unopened bottle of balsamic vinegar. It was a big 'ole apple & vinegar party all over my white cabinets, white floor, and white grout. My cleanfreak heart died a little on the inside.

*If gory details aren't your thing, now would be a good time to look away.*

Crime scene? 

Not pictured: all the goodness that dripped into that nice little space between the counter and the oven and the shards of glass, splatters, apple chunks that scattered all over the rest of the kitchen floor, cabinets & backsplash. Oh, and don't forget the inside of the upper and lower cabinets that were also covered in blood, er, apples/vinegar.

Let's break this down, shall we?

Let the cleaning begin. 

I love how the time was inadvertently captured in the photos. 12:07. 12:21. 12:47. (and not so inadvertently at) 1:18.

Lone survivors. 

All clean. Local time: 1:45 a.m.
You'll notice we cleaned out the contents of the bottom shelf. Lest history repeat itself so quickly. 

This has now replaced Jon-dropped-two-bottles-of-red-wine fiasco of 2011 on our list of all-time greatest messes. Sometimes you just have to laugh, and be very, very grateful that you forked over some extra cash for stain-resisting grout additive, and had recently stocked up on paper towels, a grout brush, grout cleaner, a good steam mop, and a helpful husband.

p.s. I've mentioned this before, but run, don't walk, to pick up a bottle of x14. This stuff works wonders on grout. You know, just in case your kitchen shelf ever decides to die.

the friday happy list: kid furniture

No, we don't have any kids. No, I'm not pregnant. But this is one of my all-time favorite decorating tips: shop at kids stores. Crate & Barrel (Land of Nod), Pottery Barn, & Restoration Hardware all have furniture stores for wee ones, but that doesn't mean the furniture is just for kiddos. Some of my favorite finds have come from these stores.

Circulation chest. This is our newest piece of furniture - it actually just got delivered today! When we went antiquing this fall, I fell in love with several vintage card catalog & apothecary cabinets, but none of them were quite right for our space. When I saw this circulation chest, I knew I had to have it. It's the perfect fit for our entry where we need a small piece with decent storage. I love that this chest has the card catalog look, but with more practical larger drawers. 

Felt Nativity. I bought this a few years ago after looking everywhere for a nativity scene I actually liked. So many of them are, well, a little hideous. The glitter Merry Christmas banner we bought this year was also from PB Kids. Even if you're not ready to dive into the world of kid furniture, at least check them out for seasonal decorations - you might be surprised!

Kitchen rug. Land of nod also has great rugs. I searched high & low for a kitchen rug until I finally found this one....and then I had to talk Jon into it. I'm glad I did. It's amazing I have to talk him into things - as if he has any idea about decorating. When they make rugs with kids in mind, you know they are made to last - perfect for a high-traffic area like a kitchen.
 

oh baby, it's cold outside

If you haven't already noticed, I love throwing a good party. It's one of the things Jon and I talked about before we even started the home-buying process. We wanted a house that was conducive to hospitality & entertaining. Not just because entertaining involves food & fun, but because it's an opportunity to sacrificially love & serve others. 

When we found out our friends Peter & Melissa were expecting, we were absolutely thrilled. We'd been praying for this to happen, and now, in just 2 months, they will welcome their first child into the world! They are part of our "D.C. family" and we wanted to literally shower them with love. 

The Momma to be, Melissa, suggested a wintery theme for the shower. I loved that idea for an early January baby shower. It also really worked for a baby boy shower because what's more wintery than pretty shades of icy blue? And because I just couldn't resist, I planned everything around the phrase "Baby, it's cold outside." Of course, after several days of chilly temps, Saturday was warm and very rainy, but that didn't stop us from having a great time.

The inspiration board

We decided to have the shower in the late morning so we could serve brunch. Who doesn't love brunch?! The menu consisted of a waffle bar, yogurt, granola, fruit, breakfast potatoes, mini quiches, donut holes, mimosas, coffee, punch and, of course, cake! By far the biggest hit was the waffle bar. I used this recipe for overnight yeast waffles, which were perfect for feeding a crowd because the batter can be made ahead, and the waffles stayed warm and crisp in the oven until serving. They were even good leftover the next day, and any unused batter can be kept in the fridge for a few days.

not pictured - the sparkly snowflakes seen on the table also covered the wall behind the waffle bar...
my photog (ahem, Jon) failed to capture everything when I told him to go take pictures of the decor.

The best party leftover was the giant bowl of freshly whipped cream.
I may or may not have eaten most of it straight from the bowl with a spoon.

Lots of wedding presents finally being used in this photo - they had been hanging out at Mom's house until we had room for them!

This is also a great theme for after Christmas. I already had the table decorations from a white Christmas party I threw a few years ago, but I got all of the other decorations 50-75% off at after Christmas sales. The best part is that I can recycle all of them to use next year - I think I'll turn the kitchen into a winter wonderland!

Table decorations

Snowflakes hanging in the front windows - you can see what a gloomy day it was. :(

Remember these from the holiday house tour? They got to stay for the shower. 

Snowflakes hanging in the doorways

Party favors

Baby shower bingo cards

opening gifts! and no, we weren't watching TV. we had it turned on for the music station. :) a better hostess would have had time to put together a special party iPhone playlist. :/

Melissa & the other hostesses - I couldn't have done it without these 2 awesome helpers!

And just so you don't think it was all fun & games - this was my kitchen post-shower. 6 hours, 1 nap, 20 hand-washed champagne flutes, and 2 dishwasher cycles later, it was finally clean....or at least clean enough for our housekeeper to come the next day. Thank goodness for Flor!

And just because my hubby is awesome - I got a much-needed foot rub at the end of the day.