Kitchen Remodel

Now that I'm starting this post, "remodel" seems like a strong word choice.  However, we did have the entire existing kitchen backsplash ripped down and replaced, swapped out the blinds, and added hardware- all in an effort to make this guy seem less out of place.  Kidding.  But seriously, he did offer some inspiration.

Purchased at the Boardwalk Art Show from PalmsUpPottery

The real sense of urgency for this update came 100% from me and my Type A tendencies.  I've always been a freak about wherever I live feeling like home immediately and it really doesn't matter how long I'll be there.  The truth is, I just need to make myself (and others) feel right at home, right away.  Now, I realize this quirk can make me difficult to deal with sometimes, but with a little bit of patience and a few "sounds good" usually I can meet people in the middle.

In this particular instance, it took me quite awhile before getting the green light to move forward, but it was well worth it.  Below are the before and after shots.  I can't take ANY of the credit when it comes to the tile work, apart from picking it out and being really good about offering the guys working on it a constant flow of beer and water (depending on the day and time, of course!).  

Notice the odd starting/stopping points for the tile- it's obvious they were put up before the cabinets

The only thing I can really take ownership of is the upgrade of the blinds from the 1" vinyl to the 2" white, faux wood and adding the hardware to the cabinets.  Picking out both was easy since we'd already updated the blinds in our living room and I'd had the perfect handles in mind (and pinned) months before starting on the remodel.  However, installing them wasn't quite as simple.  

The blinds were pretty basic, but the smaller window required they be shortened- which is easy enough if you follow the directions.  The hardware on the other hand definitely took some time and a lot of patience.  It was one of those situations where nothing seemed to go right.  The cabinet guide I bought fit most standard size handles but the ones I bought were much longer.  That said, there was a lot of eyeballing measuring and marking required.  The cabinets didn't already have hardware so I was having to create holes first which required flipping back and forth between drill bits.  And lastly, the screws that came with them were not the best quality and as a result had to be screwed in by hand to avoid stripping them.  

So, what do you think?  If you know me and my current home decor I think you'd agree this is a much better fit.  

Choosing a Yellow Front Door

If you can have a "thing" for front doors, then consider me head over heels for quite a few.  I've always been a fan of putting some color on your door to create an inviting entryway and my own house is no exception.  As a matter of fact, painting the door was at the top of my to do list when we moved in.  #itsallaboutpriorities

After turning to friends, family, and pinterest for ideas and eventually taking the The Front Door Test, I chose yellow.  According to the test, having a yellow door means:

You Are Happily Helpful

You are social, giving, and very community oriented.
You like to feel like you're making a difference in the world.Friendly and optimistic, you are a very welcoming person.You like to bring people together. You are the perfect host. 

Not too shabby, right?  Hopefully our guests will find it to be true.   This door "personality" (if you can call it that) pretty much sealed the deal for me- all that was left was to pick the perfect shade.  Similar to judging a book by its cover and a wine by its label I absolutely pick paints by their name.  Of course I go off the color initially, but if it doesn't have a good name forget.about.it.  It can't/won't be considered.  So, what'd I pick?
Drum roll please...
...
... Behr's "Yellow Brick Road"

For a little extra personality, I added the "hello" decal from Hello Vinyl on Etsy.  It turned out cheerful and inviting which is exactly what I hoped for.  

Would you say its an improvement?  I think so.  Have you painted your front door?  I'm curious to see what other fun color choices people are making.