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Apr 28, 2019

Modern Kitchen Renovation - ORC Week 4

I can’t believe it is the 4th week of the One Room Challenge already!!! Kinda freaking out about not getting everything done on time but I’m sure it will all work out okay. I’m just trying to balance my mom/wife life and my lifestyle blogging. Although I constantly share diy projects and home decor on social media, I have not posted a blog for a couple years so I’m a little rusty. If you get a chance, go spy on the other ORC participants to see how well their room transformations are going at www.theoneroomchallenge.com.

The Creative Orchard’s ORC KITCHEN RENOVATION progress...


This week I was supposed to paint the upper cabinets WHITE, which I did start on them but they are definitely not done yet. The lower cabinet color was much darker and it only took 2-3 coats but this time the Behr WHITE paint I'm using is not cooperating as well and I keep seeing the previous maple cabinet color bleeding from underneath. Maybe I should have used a primer? Or applied thicker coats? I don’t know. I guess I’ll keep layering more and more layers until it appears solid WHITE. I'll show a close-up and give you an update next week about how they turned out.








How to PAINT cabinet doors...
  1. Clean cabinet doors thoroughly 
  2. Wipe Liquid Sandpaper all over surface 
  3. Let dry completely 
  4. Remove any leftover residue 
  5. Using a small flat paint brush, PAINT the inside perimeter around the inner panel
  6. Using a smooth foam roller, paint all existing flat surfaces 
  7. Continue painting multiple coats until you achieve a solid even color 
  8. Let dry completely, wait 7 days to wash 
  9. Replace all hardware and hinges 
  10. Add bumper pad stickies if desired 




Another issue I am experiencing is, after living with the “tidalBLUE color on the bottom cabinets for a few weeks, I’m NOT in love with it. It doesn't really go well with my other home decor. Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful BRIGHT BLUE. But I had envisioned more of a denim or navy BLUE with more grayish tones. When you view this particular shade of BLUE in the direct sunlight during the day, it looks very intense. Basically, I made a BIG mistake choosing this color and now I have to repaint ALL the lower cabinets AGAIN! I’m so frustrated and annoyed with myself but I know if I don’t fix my mistake, it will bother me every day. Although, it will cost less than $30 for paint, unfortunately I have to waste more my time which I’m running out of. I recommend purchasing a small paint sample instead of just relying on a tiny paper swatch. Lesson learned!


On a positive note, the DEKTON countertop piece for the island finally got installed a few days later than the rest and it looks great! I really like the imperfections in it, reminds me of concrete.





Guest Participant for:
One Room Challenge | ORC | @oneroomchallenge | #oneroomchallenge


Official Media Partner of ORC:

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Let’s hope I can catch up quickly on my painting early this week because I need to plan lots of time for my last big DIY project which will be installing a tile backsplash for the first time ever!!! Watch my insta stories to see how it all goes... @thecreativeorchard  Keep in mind, there is only a couple more weeks left of the One Room Challenge!

Apr 21, 2019

Modern Kitchen Renovation - ORC Week 3

It is the 3rd week of the One Room Challenge, which means “technically” I am halfway done with my KITCHEN RENOVATION! I don’t know about everyone else participating in the ORC, but it feels like time is flying by very quickly and there are still lots of projects to finish. Visit www.theoneroomchallenge.com to see more room transformations in progress.

The Creative Orchard’s ORC KITCHEN RENOVATION progress...



Since last week, after I had already shared my project timeline, nothing has gone as planned. I guess that is why you should probably keep in mind that sometimes things don’t go exactly the way you want and you might have to be a bit flexible. Thankfully there has not been any negative major set backs so far. We just had to rearrange the tasks on our to do list because the appliances and countertops were both ready to be installed earlier than scheduled, which meant we also had to install the sink and faucet ourselves way sooner. Not a big deal, I am just feeling somewhat rushed and I want to make sure everything is done correctly. Surprisingly, figuring out the plumbing was not as difficult as we anticipated it being. The KOHLER sink/faucet from The Home Depot included instructions plus my hubby did some research online. But because of all the changes, that means painting the upper cabinets will have to be pushed back to next week.

APPLIANCE installation... (Except the microwave still needs to be installed later.)

To make installation go more smoothly, I did my best to remove any large furniture or decor that might be in their way, put away all rugs that could be a trip hazard and covered anything that I wanted to protect from getting damaged.




OLD COUNTERTOP and OLD SINK removal...






COUNTERTOP installation...

The installers actually requested that the new appliances already be placed in our kitchen so that they could cut the DEKTON countertops on site with a saw. That way everything would fit perfectly. Unfortunately the large island counter piece was not ready yet so they will have to install it next Tuesday.




SINK and FAUCET Installation... 

We did have to change the plumbing from what was previously there because we switched to a single drain instead of two drains. The sink is now a single basin instead of a double. And the new basin is also much deeper than before. We figured out how to utilize all of the old pipes and the only piece we had to go buy was an end cap.



How to INSTALL a drop-mount SINK...
  1. Pros CUT out sink hole from countertop.
  2. Let countertop glue/silicone DRY for 24 hours if needed.
  3. TURN OFF water supply valve. 
  4. INSERT faucet hoses into small sink hole located in back, include rings provided. REMOVE any other holes that you choose to utilize. 
  5. SCREW faucet bolts to sink base from underneath.
  6. Using a caulk gun, SQUEEZE clear waterproof silicone around the perimeter of the sink hole, stay close to inner edge and keep it consistently thin. If applied too thick, it will seep out.
  7. WIPE away any excess silicone that seeped out. Let DRY completely. 
  8. ATTACH faucet hoses. Also ATTACH soap dispenser hose but I chose NOT to install one. 
  9. Using plumber wax, ROLL a skinny long snakelike shape and PLACE around bottom of metal drain ring. 
  10. PRESS metal drain ring into drain hole and PUSH down firmly. Straighten up any wording that may be seen.
  11. PLACE drain clamp rings underneath drain hole and SCREW tightly. You will notice the top metal drain ring will also start to PULL closer and tighter. Just make sure wording is still straight and has not moved. Let wax DRY.
  12. If you are INSTALLING a garbage disposal, do that now and also PLUG it into outlet, otherwise skip this step.
  13. ATTACH plumbing connectors.
  14. SCREW ON end caps to pipes that do NOT need to drain water.
  15. TURN ON water supply valve.
  16. TURN ON faucet water and/or garbage disposal. 
(IMPORTANT: Keep in mind this is how we INSTALLED our sink, we are NOT pros)









Guest Participant for:
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One Room Challenge | ORC | @oneroomchallenge | #oneroomchallenge



Official Media Partner of ORC:



To get SNEAK PEEK pics and work in progress videos, visit @thecreativeorchard on Instagram! The lower half of the kitchen is basically done so now I just have to finish the upper half. There will be lots more to share next week!


(Disclaimer: This blog post is NOT sponsored. All opinions are my own. I choose my own products and where to buy them.)

Apr 14, 2019

Modern Kitchen Renovation - ORC Week 2

It is the second week of the One Room Challenge and I have been super busy PAINTING the lower KITCHEN cabinets and island! To see my DESIGN INSPIRATION  and to learn about my PROJECT  PLANS, visit last weeks blog post... “Kitchen Renovation - ORC Week 1”. You can also spy on all the other ORC Designers and Guest Participants to find out what everyone has been up to by going to www.theoneroomchallenge.com.

The Creative Orchard’s ORC KITCHEN RENOVATION progress...



To start off this KITCHEN RENOVATION, I visited The Home Depot to pick out my cabinet paint colors, countertops, sink, faucet, backsplash tile and appliances. I was able to take samples home which made my design planning much easier and also gave my husband a chance to be more involved with the process.


A couple weeks ago, I worked with the The Home Depot staff in Peoria, IL to order the countertops and appliances because I wanted to make sure they would have plenty of time to arrive for the ORC. I also took a DIY Workshop to learn how to install backsplash tile. Here are the experts, Jim, Mercedes and Judy hard at work. Everyone was very helpful, patient and knowledgeable.


PRODUCTS:

    
(Available at The Home Depot)
  • Klean Strip Liquid Sandpaper (Cloth/Old Cotton Shirt)
  • LG Appliances - Double Oven Gas Range, French Door Refrigerator, Over the Range Microwave and Top Control Smart Dishwasher (Matte Black Stainless Steel)
  • KOHLER Sink (Matte Black  -  Kennon Neoroc Quartz Top-Mount Single Bowl) 
  • KOHLER Faucet (Matte Black  -  Rune) 
  • DEKTON UltraCompact Surface Countertops (Fossil from Natural Collection)
  • Marble Mosaic Backsplash Tile (Greecian White Hexagon
  • Grout Float
  • FUSION PRO Single Component Grout
  • Level
  • Adhesive Bumper Pads for Cabinets/Drawers
  • Mortar Mix
  • Mortar Trowel
  • Sponge
  • Small Plastic Bucket
PAINT COLORS:
   White (White / No. 7900)
   Tidal Blue (Deep Base / No. 7930  -  Tidal / M510-6)

To Do List:

WEEK 1:  Design Plan and Inspiration
WEEK 2:  Remove Clutter, Paint Lower Cabinets and Remove Old Appliances
WEEK 3:  Paint Upper Cabinets and Install New Appliances
WEEK 4:  Assemble Eat-in Kitchen Table, Remove Old Countertops and Install New Countertops
WEEK 5:  Install Tile Backsplash, Replace Hardware and Assemble Stools
WEEK 6:  Decorate, Take Pictures and REVEAL KITCHEN!


How to PAINT Cabinets:

  1. PACK away clutter from cabinets, countertops and walls.
  2. CLEAN all surfaces thoroughly with soap and water.
  3. REMOVE hardware (knobs, pulls, hooks, electrical plates, etc.).
  4. PREP cabinet surfaces using Liquid Sandpaper or fine sandpaper. USE painter's tape if needed.
  5. WIPE away any residue, dust, grease or dirt on cabinet surfaces.
  6. DETACH cabinet doors and drawers. REMOVE hinges or rails. REMOVE old bumper pads.
  7. PAINT 2-3 coats of paint onto cabinet doors, drawers and any other existing cabinet areas using a foam roller or paint brush.
  8. DRY COMPLETELY for 5-7 days or more if necessary.
  9. WAIT at least 7 days before gently washing cabinets.
  10. REATTACH cabinet doors and drawers.
  11. ADD new adhesive bumper pads.
  12. REPLACE hardware. 







Guest Participant for:
One Room Challenge | ORC@oneroomchallenge | #oneroomchallenge


1 (2700×758)


Official Media Partner of ORC:



To get SNEAK PEEK pics and work in progress videos, visit @thecreativeorchard on Instagram! Can't wait to show you more next week!

(Disclaimer: This blog post is NOT sponsored. All opinions are my own. I choose my own products and where to buy them.)

Apr 6, 2019

Modern Kitchen Renovation - ORC Week 1

Guess what? This is the second time that I have been a Guest Participant in the One Room Challenge and this will be my biggest home project yet! For the next 6 weeks I am going to RENOVATE my outdated KITCHEN and share the entire design process! 

To learn more information about the ORC, to register as a Guest Participant, or to check out the other participants/designers room transformations, visit oneroomchallenge.com . You can also follow the ORC on Instagram @oneroomchallenge #oneroomchallenge #bhgorc.


We have lived in our home for exactly 13 years this month. At the time, this was the best option on the market and met our families needs. But no house is perfect and since the day we purchased it, I have desperately wanted to paint the kitchen cabinets. My husband, Charles, on the other hand thought the tan walls, khaki counters, cinnamon maple cabinets and orange oak floors all looked “fine” together. Ummm.... not so much. So over a decade later he finally gave in. I guess my wife negotiating skills aren’t that good. Lol. Despite all of that, I finally get the KITCHEN makeover I’ve been dreaming about for years! Yay!!!

Since we first moved in, the only updates I have made is painting the walls twice and swapping out different bar stools. Here is the “BEFORE” picture of the kitchen. It's basically a boring beige nightmare!


































Although I have been thinking about this renovation for a really long time, until recently I didn’t think about how many BIG decisions we were going to have to make...

How much money to spend?
How can we save some money?
What can stay?
What absolutely has to go?
Which projects can we do ourselves?
Which projects must we hire professionals?
How many weeks will it take?
How will our family live in this chaos?

Here are the basic answers to all those questions...

Budget: $10,000
Timeline: 6 - 8 weeks

In order to save money, some items will stay but get mini makeovers, I will be taking advantage of any sales going on, look into competitor price matching and also mail-in rebates if possible. Although the One Room Challenge is only for 6 weeks, the last couple weeks have been spent picking out finishes, getting advice from professionals and ordering the items that take a long time to get delivered or need to be scheduled for installation ahead of time. That way I can stay on schedule. Below are samples of the finishes we chose from Home Depot. The color scheme will mostly be blue, white, black, gray and chrome silver.



The cabinets are going to get a painted facelift, wood floors will get touched up for now, wall color will stay the same because it was recently painted and I still like the hardware so we will be reusing the existing knobs. The laminate countertops will be replaced with a stone product. We currently don't have a backsplash so that will be a nice addition instead of painted drywall that doesn't clean very easily.  The appliances are outdated and I don't like the look of silver stainless steel anymore so those will all be switched out to new matte black ones. The current faucet leaks water and the sink was just a cheap builder grade one so those will both get replaced. The island is a little small so I'm going to expand it's size by placing a counter height table in front of it for casual dining. Recently we purchased new stools, so I decided to order two more for additional seating. Also my kitchen is small so it needs to be way more organized, decluttered and I need to figure out better storage solutions.


PROJECT PLANS:



DIY Projects:
  • Paint Cabinets
  • Repair Wood Floors
  • Install Tile Backsplash
  • Assemble Stools
  • Wall Already Painted
  • Install Microwave, Sink and Faucet
  • Repair Ceiling Damage
  • Assemble Kitchen Table
  • Put Hardware Back On
  • Decorate

PRO Projects:
  • Install Countertops
  • Install Stove, Fridge and Dishwasher


DESIGN PLAN:


I spent months researching KITCHEN DESIGN inspiration online and inside magazines. To be honest, I started with a completely different vision in the beginning but since I’m married, there is another opinion to consider so unfortunately some compromises had to be made. But in the end, we made decisions that will make both of us happy and I know it’s going to look beautiful and be much more functional for our family.

I put together a DESIGN BOARD so you can get an idea of our vision for the space. Keep in mind that this is just INSPIRATION and some details may have to slightly change throughout the process.


DESIGN BOARD PRODUCT SOURCES:
Target - Cactus Jar, Cactus Shakers, Faux Cactus, Stool, Carpet Runner
World Market - Counter Height Table
Home Depot - Counters, Backsplash Tile, Sink, Faucet, Appliances, Paint
Kohl’s - Textiles

KITCHEN INSPIRATION:


PHOTO SOURCE: @studiodearborn (Instagram) Designer: Sarah Robertson

PHOTO SOURCE: @studiodearborn (Instagram) Designer: Sarah Robertson

PHOTO SOURCE: @nestinteriorskc (Instagram) Designer: Nest Interiors

PHOTO SOURCE: @nestinteriorskc (Instagram) Designer: Nest Interiors




Guest Participant for:
One Room Challenge | ORC | @oneroomchallenge | #oneroomchallenge

Better Homes and Gardens (Official Media Partner) | BHG | @betterhomesandgardens | #bhgorc


To get SNEAK PEEK pics and videos, visit @thecreativeorchard on Instagram! Stay tuned for more updates next week!

The Creative Orchard’s ORC KITCHEN RENOVATION progress...



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