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Almost There

OUR 2nd HOUSE

The kitchen is almostthere.  It feels so close that I could reach out my tongue and touch it…and let’s be honest, with my new backsplash, it’s very likely that I will be doing some secret licking in the future.

Just making sure you guys are still reading.

So in the beginning our brown-box of a kitchen was ok.  We had brown cabinets in our first house and we were fine with them…but…I really really wanted a white kitchen.  Jeremy and I are still both sold on the fact that this will probably be our long-term-we-raise-all-our-kids-here-and-pay-this-sucker-off home.  One day when all our kiddos are long gone, we will probably downsize to a more manageable place but we see us doing the long haul here.  And frankly, I wanna long haul in a white kitchen.  White kitchens feel clean and bright and happy to me.  What they don’t deliver on the ‘cozy and warm’ department, I think is made up for in the ‘photographs well’ department.

Anyhoo….here’s what it was before we moved in…

and heres what it looks like now…

It’s been seven months.  And it’s not done yet.

Let me explain to those of you just joining in on our excruciatingly long kitchen fun fest.  We moved in and made some cosmetic changes…added appliances, switched out lights, and installed hardware.  But that was about it.

Then we were going to attempt to do phase two…which included installing a vent hood, painting the cabinets, and replacing the faucets.  That was all fine and dandy, but then we decided to make the executive decision to not tape off the backsplash while we painted.  And we figured that since we were taping off the room for painting the cabinets, that we might as well paint the tan trim and the ceiling too.  It was the snowball effect on steriods and with Jolt Cola coursing through it’s veins.

So before we knew it, the phase two of our kitchen makeover blended with the phase three of the kitchen makeover.  Phase three included replacing the backsplash, replacing the stovetop and reworking the island.

So far, we did everything on our list except the island.  More on that later.

But for now, I am marveling in the beauty of a crisp white kitchen.

My favorite parts are the backsplash, the gas stovetop, and the white cabinets.  I also am completely in love with the way the hardware pops off the white cabinetry and the new faucets.

And yes, pretty much anything next to the tile looks like a million bucks.  Even my homemade art from ages ago and some discount accessories look expensive.  I am OBSESSED with the white ceramic lidded container…anything that is white and has that filigree cut outs is my jam.  It’s better than bacon.  And that is saying something.  (oh this one is from Michaels!)

The new faucet is marvelous.  I love that it has the sprayer right in the head…it makes clean up easier.

Okay – so now for a few more before & after pics…

I got the rug at Ikea as a stand in.  It was $20.  I like it okay but I think I still prefer a runner near the sink.

The only thing that sticks out at me (besides the unfinished projects we still have to do in here) is the lack of color.  I think I might bring in more color but in a seasonal way with accessories…like hydrangeas in the summer with fun blues & greens in dishtowels, accent dishes and frames…then in the winter, I can do reds and greens for Christmas or tans and warm yellows for fall.  Thats how I decorate….creating a really neutral backdrop and then accessorize with pops of color.  I’m a jeans and white tee shirt kinda girl that likes a colorful necklace…not a floral pants with a zebra top kinda girl.  I’m just not cool enough for that.

This might sound crazy because we have done so much DIY projects in the past but I am really REALLY proud of this particular space…not just for how it turned out but because the conditions were crazy hard.  It has taken us seven months because Jeremy was working across town, driving his two hour commute home, playing with Will and eating when he got here, then working on the kitchen till midnight.  And I was helping where I could…like sanding the cabinets and climbing my full-term-pregnant butt up on the counter to install the backsplash.  Oh and did I mention we lived without a kitchen for six weeks?  with a toddler?

I’m not humble-bragging…I am straight out bragging.  We did awesome.  Sure there were hiccups along the way…sure there were many tears and complaints and drag out fights from stress between Jer and I…but we did it.  WE DID IT.  I am so freaking proud of us…because we are normal folks doing what I think looks extraordinary.

BUT there is a lot more still to do.  We have the last thing on our PHASE list….the island.  I mentioned before that we painted it a darker gray color…but it started chipping right away (the culprit?  didn’t we determine that it probably was too long of a wait between the primer and the paint? lesson learned.).  Now we are gonna move forward with a plan that we’ve been mulling over for a long time…it involves building a small set of shelves on the left end and adding cleaner lines in the trim and corbels.

We also need to do some touch up paint.  Some of the cabinets never got fully done…it’s gonna be a easy job to paint.  It’s not gonna be easy to keep Will away from them while they cure.  But I guess that is what Grandmas are for…hint hint 🙂

And last but not least, we need to install some open shelving to the left of the window.  We decided that we are gonna do two shallow shelves mostly for decorative purposes.  We are also gonna use corbels that match the island ones (although in a smaller size).

So that’s where we are at…fun stuff…

How bout you guys?  What are you up to?  Any DIY projects?  Any new obsessions like my white cut-outs?  Not to be confused with white cut-offs…nobody wants to see that on me….my spanx would show 🙂

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Comments

  2. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. And more beautiful. Your many months of effort have really paid off.

  3. love it, you should be in your face PROUD! An incredible amount of time and work and it turned out lovely.

    Does anyone hit their head on that one pendant light that is not completely over the island? That would drive me nuts, but perhaps it isn’t as off centered in real life, one of those photo angle thing.

  4. ohemgee…I hate that the pendants aren’t centered over the island. HATE. But I think we will have to wait on moving them until we do some more reasonable things…like get a nursery ready HA! 🙂
    xo – kb

  5. Your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL! I too have dreams of a white kitchen, but that will happen in our “forever” house (just in our starter now). Random question though…. do you have an oven?

  6. it looks like you grey scaled your kitch minus the floors!
    you guys should be so proud.
    i would love to see 2 polished nickel pendants or 1 large polished nickel lantern.

  7. It looks AWESOME! I scoured the pictures though, and never saw an oven! Where is that located in your kitchen?

  8. I’ve looked at your kitchen so many times, but just now realized – I can’t find an oven! Where am I missing it? Know you have one.

  10. I absolutely LOVE the kitchen. The transformation is just amazing. The fact that you guys did it all on your own is fabulous. Keep on DIYing…

  15. Looks so great! and love the pendant lights…we have the same one in our kitchen but painted it white with gold in the inside. We figured since we paid 10 bucks for it we could risk painting it to our liking to see if it worked…and it did!

  16. Way to go, Bowers! Your kitchen looks AMAZING, and it really is awesome that you did it all yourselves (while totally pregnant at that). I’m with you on missing some of the warmth from wood, but I’m sure you’ll be able to bring that back with the pops of color you’re planning to add. I can’t wait to see how everything ends up. 🙂

  17. Did you change photo hosts? I haven’t been able to view photos in your posts on neither my phone or my desktop computer for several days 🙁

  18. Dear Katie. I’ve been a loyal reader of your blog for 3 years now. Your blog is on my tip three list, and I always smile when Bower Power pops up with a new post on my google reader.
    But I’ve been somewhat frustrated lately since it appears that you have changed the settings of your feed so that pictures are no longer shown in the feed. I understand that you the more visitors you get here on the site, the more money you make from
    sponsors and advertises and hey, we all need money to live 🙂
    However I think it’s sad when bloggers try to force readers to come to their site in this way. I follow a great number of blogs and read them on my smartphone when I’m on the train on my way to work etc. where I have a few spare moments. If it wasn’t for my feed reader I certainly would not be able to keep up with the many blogs which I love.
    I certainly don’t think I’m the only one who follows Bower Power by a feed reader, and therefore I hope that you will reconsider changing the settings on your feed to include the full posts including your amazing pictures.

  20. It is fabulous and yes you both should be VERY PROUD!!!!! It is beautiful and I can just imagine all of the wonderful memories your family and friends will be making in that space. Congrats!

  21. It’s fabulous! You should be extremely proud. I still can’t fathom how you did all that let alone with a toddler in the house AND pregnant/working full-time across town. I think you both deserve an Oscar!

  22. This is truly amazing! It went from a normal, perfectly nice kitchen to looking like a $60K kitchen. Really.

    One thing that bugs me is the open shelving above the fridge. I think its distracting and would look better with cabinets doors. Love the open shelf plan for the left of windows – I would be worried that the fridge shelves would compete with the new shelves…I know its another project but I think it would make a huge difference!

  24. Your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! Great job. I couldn’t find a link to it – can you tell me what color gray you painted the walls above the cabinets? Thanks!

  30. I didn’t change that. It’s still hosted by Photobucket like always. I promise it’s not me or something I’ve changed.
    xo – kb
    p.s. I can still see the pics in Google Reader…is that what you are using?

  32. Yeah…I love our lights…and since we have so much light going on, the dark pendants help ground the ceiling a little bit more. Of course, to each his own!
    xo – kb

  36. Gorgeous. I just redid my kitchen and it looks so similar to yours except the wall colour. My grey is a bit too pale and too blue. Can you share your paint colour with me?
    Thanks and congrats. Beautifully done!

  37. Your kitchen is beautiful!! Not to be a total weirdo, but I brag about your kitchen reno to my hubby. Everytime there’s an update, I’m all “Look what Katie Bower did! Can you believe they did it all themselves?!” I think you guys have totally earned the right to brag, that kitchen rocks!

  40. Hi Katie, well first off I think you are an incredible person, mom, and DIY er. I follow your blog regularly and would like to officially be Will and Weston’s virtual grandma. ;)) Oh my.

    Your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and you should feel so proud of yourselves. :))
    Now for the but…….I’m seriously missing a color pop amidst the sea of gorgeous grey. I can’t wait to see what you will do to bring some ‘color life’ into the mix. I wonder what you will choose. :))

    I lift my glass to you!!

  41. I have been hoping for pictures of the whole kitchen and it looks amazing! I like the shelves above the fridge since the items up there add color and having shelves next to the sink will balance them out. The back splash still makes me swoon and I want to rub my hands over it – haha! You guys did a fantastic job!

  42. Katie, this is really beautiful. I love it, and the backsplash is perfect. And I’m impressed with 7 months. Our kitchen reno has been going on for…wait for it…4 years!

  43. When I saw the “after” photos, I thought about how good your new cabinet hardware looked, and then I saw in the other “before” photos that they were the same. They look sooo much better! And the white also makes the amazing hardwood floors stand out, too. You should be proud of yourself, girl!

  45. That’s good to hear! Yes, I’m using google reader on my android phone (the app developed by google). Yours is the only blog where I can’t see the pictures? They have also disappeared for previous posts where there used to be pictures…
    Are there any other readers with this problem?

  46. That tile backsplash is so gorgeous that I would just stand there with my cup of coffee, staring at it and breathing a sigh of relief that this is the place I call home. It’s amazing! I hope you continue to marvel at it!

  49. i LOOOOOVE it! I also giggled at all the of consecutive comments questioning the location of your oven. GREAT job. You guys should start being marriage counselors! To get through a kitchen redo while preggo/new baby and Jeremy commuting so far is AMAZING!!

    Also, funny story, I was talking with a friend who wants to VBAC her second child and I was telling her that one of my friends just did a VBAC but I couldn’t remember which doctor she saw. And then I remembered that I was thinking of you. I decided not to tell her that my friend who had the VBAC is someone I hadn’t met….I thought that might be awkward. Anyway, all that to say you do a great job of connecting with people through your writing style!! :o)

  52. Awesome!!! It looks freaken fantastic!! I heart your blog and If you ever stop writting……I will LOOSE it!! lol

  53. This kitchen makes my heart sing! It is gorgeous, first of all. But also it just oozes hope! Hope that just maybe my husband and I can redo our own (much smaller) kitchen ourselves too. Hope that we too can live kitchenless for a month or more (with toddler & baby). Hope that when it’s all done, we still have our marriage. 🙂 Thanks, Katie Bower!!!

  56. Your kitchen looks AMAZING. I think the gorgeous hexagon marble back-splash tile was such a great change to make. It really ties the dark counters and white cabinets together. I can’t wait until you add the shelves and bring in some color – it’s going to look AMAZING! (But I agree with your assessment that it needs some color).

  57. Love it all! My husband and I are in the beginning processes of renovating our kitchen. Our kitchen is totally eighties-tastic and we have to chip away at tile countertops, pain our brown cabinets white, install a white subway backsplash…..the list goes on…

    ANYHOO, where is the faucet in your main sink from? I think I totally dig it. Thanks! 🙂

  58. It looks beautiful! We’ve been redoing ours since we moved in 3 months ago, and we are now in the middle of redoing the cabinets for the SECOND time! It is hard to live life and do such a large DIY project…I’m proud of ya’ll too!!!

  60. Love your kitchen! Can’t wait to see how the island and shelves turn out.

    We are working on our master bath right now. Trying to figure out whether to add in a tub (I know, people usually tear them out) or make a bigger shower. The hubby would like to have a tub and since he does most of the work (I’m the visionary haha) I would like for him to have it. It always comes down to costs, though, and the gas prices have really put a damper on my design! I only hope our bathroom turns out 1/2 as great as your kitchen has! I always love seeing what you come up with! 🙂

  61. You guys really did do a great job. I know this because I want to do a similar job on our kitchen, I’m pregnant, with a toddler at home, and I keep having to tell myself we cannot do it ourselves because I’m not as awesome as Katie Bower!

  63. Oh my goodness, it looks SO amazing. Truly a transformation (to my taste, as it happens). Well done!

  64. ps: if it were my kitchen (which I realize it is not) I wouldn’t add too much color…nothing like a crisp white look 🙂

  65. I am so proud of you guys too!! What an incredible transformation. So encouraging to see what a little hard work and perseverance can accomplish! Can’t wait to see how this space continues to become more and more your own 🙂

  66. Love your kitchen. Would love to paint my cabinets, but the hubby would kill me. His reasoning is “if you’re gonna paint cabinets (19 years later, btw) why pay for stain grade cabinets?” I would love to paint both my master bedroom and bath, but I’m gonna wait for when we remodel the bathroom in a few years. In the meantime, I’ll sharpen up my painting skills again when I help paint my son’s house that he will be starting to build shortly.

  67. Hahaha! Secret licking going on. Hahaha! Not so secret anymore.
    Now we will all get up each day and say, I wonder if Katie has licked her backsplash today.
    You are so dang funny!

    And the kitchen is beautiful. Can’t wait to see it once you’ve tweaked into perfection.

  69. The kitchen is gorgeous Katie! You guys did an amazing job! I would sleep in that kitchen if it were in my house!

    And I’m loving your tea towels with the pom poms! Can I ask where you got them? Seriously so cute!

  71. The kitchen looks truly amazing! I love love love how you took the backsplash tile up higher on the left side of the window – the open shelves are going to be awesome. Love those ORB lights and cabinet hardware, too. O, and I love that backsplash tile to the moon and back. In fact, I love it all. Seriously, I want it in all my house, pronto.

  73. It looks amazing! You should be proud – and bragging!

    I don’t have any kids and I can’t imagine finding the time to do that kind of overhaul. I’m pleased if I can get a room painted.

    Keep up the great work, I love seeing that house transform 🙂

  74. Love the changes you’ve made. I have a mostly white kitchen, too, with a gray floor and I keep it “warm” all year round with accessories and all the junk we seem to accumulate.

    I just had to give my suggestion for the end of the island-a chalkboard for the kids. We have an end cabinet that wasn’t finished with a cap, so we painted it right away with chalk paint and my kids have loved having a place to count down to summer, their birthdays or whatever.

    I really love the pendants over the island-the black is really nice 🙂

  77. Gosh, Katie. It’s so good to finally see the reveal. Can anyone say ” Drop dead gorgeous , right out of a magazine, or Pinterest worthy? ” You deserve to be proud. Outstanding job. LOVE. Btw, the boys couldn’t be any cuter in the video. Loved Will’s big-boy hairstyle and Weston’s face that lit up when he smiled. You are indeed blessed!

  78. Hey Katie!
    I’ve been a reader now for a couple of years and this is my first comment! Crazy!

    I was just looking at your progress (so fantastic and unbelievable, especially when preggo) and it hit me… could you unseal the granite on your island and rotate it 180 degrees so the sink is on the other side and you’d have more prep space immediately behind you when you’re at the stove or the sink? I know it would mean relocating the sink, but it seems you guys are pretty handy when it comes to fabricating stuff like that! It would bug me to no end to have that tiny sink right where I want to put stuff!

    Keep doing what you’re doing! Love it!

  79. If that was my kitchen, I would spend the whole day staring at that backsplash and get nothing else done!! I’m so curious to see how the other side of the kitchen looks (with the wall oven and built in desk)!

  80. I haven’t been able to see your pics for the past week! 🙁 But I’m sure it is beautiful! You guys rock!!

  82. You are a study in motivation…our kitchen needs help but no day is the “right day” to start. Does having the blog help you keep chugging on with projects?

  84. I’m with ya, girl: a fresh, clean, neutral backdrop and then accents in different colors for the seasons. Can’t wait to see how you “decorate” the kitchen for spring! It’s absolutely gorgeous and you should be bragging!! 🙂

  85. LOVE it!! We have a 2 year old, 1 year old, and baby #3 due in 5 weeks, and just moved into our house the week before Christmas and have been remodeling it like crazy (literally demo’d the 2nd floor last week to the studs) ….all while still being super sick and pregnant. You’ve been an inspiration to me. If Katie Bower can paint on a ladder at 8 months pregnant, so can I! It also makes me feel so much better that you don’t have a nursery yet…so thanks for not only working like crazy on house projects, but showing OCD people like me that not everything has to be perfect either (i.e. unfinished nursery!).

  93. It looks amazing Katie!! You have every right to be proud. I’m about to reveal our white kitchen soon and yes it’s amazing, but I cheated and hired it out. There is no way I could have done it myself with a newborn and a toddler! I know you love yours so much though and your backsplash is amazing. I seriously get giddy when I go in ours now it’s insane. Enjoy! 🙂

  98. I freakin love it.

    Top job dudes!

    Ps my favourite thing is the hardware, it’s perfect. I also love the backsplash, the counter tops, the window, the future shelving (all of it), the cool pic of the cutlery and the filigree urn-ey thing. It rocks.

  100. Really, really beautiful Katie. I don’t even know what else to say 🙂

    But I am super excited to see what type of shelving you add to the island. My husband and I have been wanting to add some open cookbook storage to ours for a while without having to extend the existing countertop. Now the little gears in my head are turning…

  101. Katie I’ve gotta tell you, white kitchens are not my thing. BUT yours is to die for! It’s coming along nicely. I can definitely see your house as a “we raised all our children in this house” type of house. Love your blog!

  102. Katie- or anyone -I’d like to know if you ever break a nail on your bin pulls? I’m thinking of getting them, but I’d hate jamming my fingers or breaking all my fingernails off. Seriously.

  103. I would check with granite people (even just at Home Depot) and see if your overhang is small enough and your granite thick enough to forego corbels entirely. My granite guy swore I’d hate them so I went that route.

    Is there a part 3 to the Weston birth story or did I miss it?

  108. I agree with everyone else! This is beautiful, clean and very tasteful! I was considering going with bold colors in the kitchen but you have convinced me to go white!

    LOVE IT!

  109. WOW! It is so amazingly beautiful (and SO much brighter). You guys did such, such an incredible job. (I LOVE looking at the before-and-afters!).

    I do understand what you mean about the color – I’m looking forward to see how you accessorize it (esp. for upcoming spring – which I’m dying for, btw!). The only thing that I could think of was to paint the back of the glass cabinets, just so your white dishes pop more too – or maybe do as Sherry and John did in that bookcase project and gift-wrap some cardboard and stick it in the back to see if you like the look of color there? Random thoughts!

  111. My mom has been doing that cardboard trick for years so obviously I love it…J&S were so smart to tell the world about it 🙂 I think that it will be subtle color…nothing too much…just a little bit here and there.
    xo – kb

  114. Quick question about cabinets and painting. I have some cabinetry in my bathroom I would love to replace. But while the cabinets, drawers, and drawer fronts are all wood, the structures they are housed in (if that makes sense) are not. Is yours all wood? I’ve been contemplating whether I could paint the whole thing knowing that some of it is not.

  115. Thanks! I am proud of my hubby’s hard work because this was mostly him. I just painted the walls and helped with some of the cabinets. Gotta love a hard worker. Did you notice we have the same clearance light fixture from Lowe’s that you have in your basement?

  117. Do you guys have an oven??? I am totally not seeing one in these pictures- is it hidden somewhere?

    BEAUTIFUL kitchen remodel! That you did this while pregnant, just wow.

  119. Why not try to paint first? If you hate it in the end, you might have lost a hundred bucks but replacing ONE cabinet door would cost that much!
    xo – kb

  120. If that was my backsplash I would lick it daily. I almost want to lick the screen when looking at the pictures. And I’m a major germaphobe.

  121. I LOOOVE that backsplash. Like love, love, if I could steal it I would kind of love. And don’t worry, I live in Texas. Won’t be drooling through your windows any time soon. But I might have to give it a gander every few days or so… 🙂 Great job with the entire kitchen. It really looks incredible.

  123. Found this on a google search. My husband and I are building our home, and we both love the color scheme of your kitchen! What is the paint color on the walls?

  129. Hi Katie! Can you do an update on how your white cabinets are holding up? Do they scuff or get dirty easily? Especially with kids?? I am looking to do the same with mine!

  130. They do get dirty but they have held up as well as I expected. I wash them normally, then I use a magic eraser for any scuffs. There has been very little that hasn’t come off easily.
    xo – kb

  131. Hi Katie,
    I just happened across your kitchen make over. I would like to do the same with my basic kitchen just like yours. I don’t know how to prep cabinets& did you have someone spray them? What kind and name of color white did you paint them? Also what color is the hardware? We will be putting on grey floor tile, 12×25. I am so worried about everything looking right, on a budget. Would like to do countertops &a backsplash too. But may need to do in phases. Thank you for your suggestions!
    Worried in Iowa, Kathy

  135. Hi Katie!

    Your kitchen is beautiful! May I ask what the name of the backsplash is and where it’s from?

    Thanks so much!
    Shahana

  137. I have white kitchen cabinets I love the crisp white cleanliness of it all . Your kitchen is beautiful

  138. I just found your blog..and I am in love!!!We are about to do a big complete house remodel..and your kitchen is my inspiration!!!i found the wall color listed but can you share with me your cabinets color?and the island color you chose?…do you have a Instagram to follow?thanks so much!! beautifully done!!!i am so very inspired!

  139. Welcome to Bower Power Jamie! So glad you spoke up! We love new friends here 🙂 I sprayed the cabinets with Benjamin Moore Advance in Simply White. And the island ended up being the same. We do have an instagram and it is @bowerpowerblog – you can follow us on all our channels by clicking the social media buttons on the side bar 🙂 Happy DIYing!
    xo – kb

  145. It’s called Benjamin Moore Metropolitan! It’s a green/blue gray that is different in different lights…it’s definitely one to check out!
    xo – kb

  146. Great job. I just found your blog and your kitchen updates are beautiful. Since you mentioned that you miss the warmth of wood in one of your comments above, I would recommend for your open shelving to make them out of wood stained to match your floor color.

  147. I love the kitchen!!! Could you tell me the name of the gray you used on the walls and ceilings!! You should be very proud, very very nice!!

  148. Hi – I am looking for knobs and pulls just like this! Where did you find these? Thanks!

  150. Katie, how did you go about painting the cabinets? I need to do this same project, but I don’t know where to start? Can you share with me the steps from start to finish please? I would be honored.
    My email is [email protected]

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