Thank you all so much for all your sweet comments about our kitchen remodel. It truly was a labor of love and I'm so happy to share it with you guys! I wish you could all come over and see it in person :).
So I thought I'd give you a run down of sources. If you aren't interested, just scroll down to the bottom. We'll be talking about decor, final costs and some last thoughts I have about the whole process.
1. Cabinets: IKEA Adel I've promised this before, but I will post about why we chose IKEA cabinets. Soon! It's half written in my drafts :)
2. Butcher block counter: IKEA Numerar
3. Backsplash: Ann Sacks Gotham Swiss Cross
4. Farmhouse sink: IKEA Domsjo
5. Base cabinets hardware: Restoration Hardware's Duluth pulls
6. Upper cabinets hardware: Restoration Hardware's Ephram knob
7. Light: Schoolhouse Electric Harding Pendant and Shade
8. Faucet: Danze Parma Pull-Down Faucet
9. Wall color: Grant Beige, by Benjamin Moore (same as our back entry)
10. Island cabinets: IKEA Adel
11. Floor color: Crevecoeur by Martha Stewart, color matched to Behr's Floor and Porch Paint
12: Pendant lights: Schoolhouse Electric Satellite Sconce and Metal Cage
13: Stools: World Market (no longer available)
14: Copper Counter: In Oregon, Schmeer (they were AWESOME)
15: Clock: Schoolhouse Electric Clock
16: Capiz shell pendant: DIY'd!
17: Ceiling color: Black Ink, by Benjamin Moore
18: Wood bowl: Seek the Unique
19: Table and chairs: Antiqued and hand-me-downs
So maybe you noticed that nothing is on the wall (except the gorgeous clock :)? And there's no window treatments? As I look at the room and look at photos, it's clear we also need a rug in the nook. At this point, I think I made too many decisions just finishing up this construction - my brain is done with decisions. So I'm going through fabric choices now - I have a ton of sample - and that decision will determine the rest of the decor. I don't want to make a quick decision just so the room will be "done." I want to finish it with fabrics and textures and colors I love. I'll make sure to update you as we go, but for now know that I'm working on it :)
As for what this project cost. I've debated back and forth how much to share here, so I went back to my original kitchen posts and realized that I never even mentioned how much we hoped to spend. I thought I'd share our final costs though, because we did 90% of the work ourselves and hopefully our experience will help other potential diy remodelers know if and when they can tackle their projects. Our total came in at $10,400 - for a fully gutted, rebuilt and remodeled kitchen. Our goal was to be under $10K. We were SO CLOSE. As you know, we purchased our oven and stove - practically brand new - off Craigslist. That really was the only way we could afford to do this. There were three major places where we spent more than we'd originally anticipated. The first was the drywallers and I wouldn't change that for a minute. We got a couple quotes and we chose one that was a little higher - but they were amazing, so professional and saved us so much time in the long run. The second place was from the electrician. Once we started adding plugs and lights it really added up. Again, I wouldn't change this - I love all of our lighting and outlet choices. And I really love that I have more than one outlet now! :) What I would change was the third place we spent more money than anticipated - the copper counter. I wouldn't change the counter - I LOVE it - but I would've researched better. We got a quote for buying the copper from one company and then having the edges bent by a different company. But, we didn't do enough research about copper corners (if you guys ever want to install a copper counter, email me. My husband has a lot of great tips on this process now) and we weren't clear with the copper benders and they did it wrong. It really was our fault. But they weren't willing to help us fix it and so we ended up getting a third copper worker involved, which cost even more money. (The people I recommended, above, were the third people involved and they ROCKED. I wish we'd gone through them at the beginning - again - research). It strikes me as a little funny that all the higher than anticipated costs came from contractors on a diy job!
Besides saving money on appliances, we saved a bunch of money by purchasing IKEA cabinets. That let us splurge on lighting, tile and hardware. My biggest fear about installing IKEA cabinets was that it would look like an IKEA kitchen - I wanted it to look custom and I think these little splurges here and there really made a difference.
Some final thoughts about this whole process - be patient. When we started this project, we had a completely unrealistic expectation about how long it would take. It is annoying that it took 9 months? Yep! But, having a life and maintaining our relationships was way more important than finishing the remodel. We all set expectations on ourselves, so please be patient with yourself. Also, ask for help when you need it and know your limitations. As I've mentioned more than once, we have the most amazing friends who were our saving grace throughout this remodel. They have mad skills and when we got to a place we were stuck, we called them and they either walked us through it or came over and helped. We also hired a couple contractors because we knew our limitations. Can we drywall? Probably. But, it would've taken us forever and it's horribly messy. Can Chris wire lights and outlets? Yep! But, he's not great at it, and it was more worth it for us to pay and have it done right.
We get asked a lot if we'd ever do a diy kitchen remodel again. My first answer - especially this close to the finish - is omg! no! But, I have a feeling that it would actually be in the cards again. We learned so much that we could apply to the next one. But for now, we'll be applying all our newfound diy remodel knowledge to our bathroom - next year :).
As for what this project cost. I've debated back and forth how much to share here, so I went back to my original kitchen posts and realized that I never even mentioned how much we hoped to spend. I thought I'd share our final costs though, because we did 90% of the work ourselves and hopefully our experience will help other potential diy remodelers know if and when they can tackle their projects. Our total came in at $10,400 - for a fully gutted, rebuilt and remodeled kitchen. Our goal was to be under $10K. We were SO CLOSE. As you know, we purchased our oven and stove - practically brand new - off Craigslist. That really was the only way we could afford to do this. There were three major places where we spent more than we'd originally anticipated. The first was the drywallers and I wouldn't change that for a minute. We got a couple quotes and we chose one that was a little higher - but they were amazing, so professional and saved us so much time in the long run. The second place was from the electrician. Once we started adding plugs and lights it really added up. Again, I wouldn't change this - I love all of our lighting and outlet choices. And I really love that I have more than one outlet now! :) What I would change was the third place we spent more money than anticipated - the copper counter. I wouldn't change the counter - I LOVE it - but I would've researched better. We got a quote for buying the copper from one company and then having the edges bent by a different company. But, we didn't do enough research about copper corners (if you guys ever want to install a copper counter, email me. My husband has a lot of great tips on this process now) and we weren't clear with the copper benders and they did it wrong. It really was our fault. But they weren't willing to help us fix it and so we ended up getting a third copper worker involved, which cost even more money. (The people I recommended, above, were the third people involved and they ROCKED. I wish we'd gone through them at the beginning - again - research). It strikes me as a little funny that all the higher than anticipated costs came from contractors on a diy job!
Besides saving money on appliances, we saved a bunch of money by purchasing IKEA cabinets. That let us splurge on lighting, tile and hardware. My biggest fear about installing IKEA cabinets was that it would look like an IKEA kitchen - I wanted it to look custom and I think these little splurges here and there really made a difference.
Some final thoughts about this whole process - be patient. When we started this project, we had a completely unrealistic expectation about how long it would take. It is annoying that it took 9 months? Yep! But, having a life and maintaining our relationships was way more important than finishing the remodel. We all set expectations on ourselves, so please be patient with yourself. Also, ask for help when you need it and know your limitations. As I've mentioned more than once, we have the most amazing friends who were our saving grace throughout this remodel. They have mad skills and when we got to a place we were stuck, we called them and they either walked us through it or came over and helped. We also hired a couple contractors because we knew our limitations. Can we drywall? Probably. But, it would've taken us forever and it's horribly messy. Can Chris wire lights and outlets? Yep! But, he's not great at it, and it was more worth it for us to pay and have it done right.
We get asked a lot if we'd ever do a diy kitchen remodel again. My first answer - especially this close to the finish - is omg! no! But, I have a feeling that it would actually be in the cards again. We learned so much that we could apply to the next one. But for now, we'll be applying all our newfound diy remodel knowledge to our bathroom - next year :).
Friends, thanks again for following along with this remodel! Sharing it with you guys made it so much more fun for us :). If you have any questions about the kitchen remodel process or are wondering about a source I might've forgotten, just ask away in the comments, or shoot me an email!
updated - it was just nicely pointed out to me that my email address is no where on the site! Sorry, guys! I realized a couple days ago that my about me page is gone and that's where my email address is. I have no clue where about me when, but until I fix it, you can shoot me an email at jennmccormick0@gmail.com if you have any questions :)
A great re-cap Jenn and one I plan to share with a client who is trying to do their kitchen on a budget! I can't believe the great space you pulled off for that amount of $$! You go!
ReplyDeleteGreat recap. I can't believe it took that long. I'd have been a crazy person. Patience is not my strong point. :o)
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing. I was wondering what kind of fridge that is.
Jenn, it looks GREAT! All your hard work has paid off, girl;) Way to go.
ReplyDeleteGreat recap and so nice of you to share all of your sources. I think you guys made the right decision to not skimp on your electrical and that also includes your lighting - it's fantastic. Also love your stools too - good find! And you can take your time with those pretty finishing touches like the window treatments, art, etc. That's the stuff you'll really enjoy finding and installing. We'll be here if you need any help making decisions ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're kitchen is beautiful and doesn't look like an "Ikea kitchen" at all. I completely agree that all of the extra details that you added helped with that! Does your sink light have a pull switch?
ReplyDeleteYou guys such an amazing job on your kitchen! Congratulations on the finished product!!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Well done. Especially those pendants which are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful kitchen, Jenn! Thanks for sharing some pictures and information on where you got all these wonderful resources. The area looks very elegant with a white theme. The hardware were fantastic too, especially the capiz shell pendant. That will surely catch the attention of your guests. You certainly did a great job on this one. I know that you'll succeed on your upcoming bathroom renovation too. Good luck on that! :)
ReplyDeleteGabrielle Jeromy @ Majestic Renovations