Reader Redesigns
Reader Redesign: A Kitchen From Scratch
Just as we finished our big kitchen adventure, Amanda and her handy husband were finishing theirs. Except she and her husband Ben completely gutted theirs and have literally rebuilt it by hand (yup, they even DIYed new cabinets). And although we’ve been sharing quite a run of kitchen-related Reader Redesigns lately, we couldn’t resist sharing this one too. So here’s her letter:
I wanted to send you a link to our recently finished kitchen. The room started out as a 90′s oak and almond appliance box:
We tore everything out to start from scratch:
My hubby and I did all of the work, no contractors involved. He tore down a wall, built custom cabinets, laid new hardwood floors, installed our wood counter tops, backsplash, and much more.
It feels so much more open now, and things like the glass cabinets and our marble backsplash really finish things off nicely.
I just thought you could appreciate all of our hard work seeing as you’re at the end of your kitchen remodel too! -Amanda
Quite the transformation, no? And if you wanna see more, check out Amanda’s blog and be sure to hit up this post for a complete budget breakdown of the project. Congrats on a job well done guys! Now let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. I’m loving those rich wood counters and Sherry wants to rub her face on that marble backsplash.
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Reader Redesign: The Amazing Beard ‘n Lady
We figured during the week of our big kitchen reveal it was only fitting to share a reader’s kitchen makeover as well. And this kitchen redesign comes from an atypical source. It’s not from a female blogger who is documenting the DIY-ing of herself and her man. It’s actually from a male blogger who goes by “Beard” – although he does have a female sidekick in the form of “Pigtails” (the daughter that he’s a single dad to). So, long story short, I found their backstory quite endearing, Beard’s blogging style quite amusing, and their kitchen makeover, well, quite awesome. Here’s his letter:
I recently gutted and rebooted the kitchen on my 1950′s brick ranch (using inexpensive materials like Ikea cabinetry and reclaimed wood for a bench and table setup).
Goals for the reboot:
- Be smart with the available 100 square feet. Kill clutter and chop it down to the basics.
- Open things up by reducing the number of cabinets, shrinking appliances, and deleting the soffit and ceiling fan. Recessed lights for a smooth finish up top.
- Install a robot that cooks and mops up messes, a.k.a. Rosie.
- Move the dishwasher from the random corner to a slot beside the sink.
- Build a slim table to fit the space without dominating.
- Create a warm look that’s different than what I typically see out there.
It turned out just right, hit all the goals but one.
Yeah, the kitchen will never be this clean again. Ever. – Beard
Be sure to check out Beard’s blog for more of the story on the makeover (there’s a cool tale behind the table). And thanks to Beard for bringing some testosterone to the reader redesign this week! Virtual fist bump. Petersik out.
Psst- We announced this week’s big Crate & Barrel giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Reader Redesign: Putting The Drama In Dramatic Makeover
When you see the pictures in this post, you’ll agree that Meghan and her husband can churn out a huge transformation. But what we also loved about Meghan’s email was the story behind how their before became a stop-you-in-your-tracks after. So if ever you were to not scroll right to the pictures and just read as you go, this might be a good time.
“Like the two of you, my husband and I bought a house that needed work, though in our case we couldn’t reuse much thanks to some frugal prior owners. We decided to gut our kitchen, family room, dining room, and bathroom down to the studs/subfloor when our first child was 12 weeks old. Oh and we both worked full time AND DIY’ed EVERYTHING because my husband is cheap ambitious. There were a lot of late nights and weekends and our son learned to snooze away to the sound of a nail gun. With a refrigerator in the garage we actually had to go outside in the middle of the night to get a bottle for 2 AM feedings. You’d think we’d have learned our lesson, but have since renovated most of the rest of the house with two additional babies. Three boys in under three years while totally renovating a home DIY style. Do not try this at home. Here are some before shots, orange paneling and all (don’t be jealous):
Notice the back and left side walls. Now you see them…
…now you don’t:
We also turned all the doors into windows and the window into a door (because why do anything the easy way?) and had to shut down the heat for a week to move the baseboards around a bit. Of course we did this when it was freezing outside so our poor son actually slept all bundled up with mittens. But he didn’t seem to mind.
The cabinets, windows, and sliding door (really almost everything in the room) are from Home Depot, the lighting is Restoration Hardware, one of my two splurges (the other being the Ming Green marble backsplash), the toy boxes under the console table are Ikea end tables, and all the accessories are HomeGoods and Ikea. Thanks for letting me share!” – Meghan
So… is anyone else exhausted just hearing that story? Sometimes we find it hard enough to DIY something with one toddler. So we can’t imagine it with a twelve week old baby. Job well done – Meghan! Thanks so much for sharing. And can you guys believe that’s the same house? Amazing, right? Let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. Sherry loves the thick crown molding while I’m all over those pendant lights.
Reader Redesign: Color For Dinner
The boldest color we’ve ever used on any wall is Martha Stewart’s Plumage (which we slathered all over our guest room walls). Long story short: we’ve loved it ever since. So when Jackie sent us her dining room makeover boasting lots of Plumage, of course we were all over it. Here’s her letter:
“When we moved into this house, the dining room started with just a table and the bamboo armoire. We didn’t even have dining chairs.
Over the last six months I prioritized finishing this room in time for the holidays. It is filled with DIY projects including art silhouettes, board and batten walls, mercury glass vases, jute wrapped monogram, and my favorite: the DIY linear crystal chandelier.
After making the head chair slipcovers from tablecloths, I followed your tutorial to dye the side chairs a coordinating color.
It took me two tries to get the right color too, but your story gave me confidence for the second round of dying.
I have blogged about all the DIY dining room projects on my blog, aptly named Teal & Lime (I promise I do like other colors too). Thank you for your continued inspiration and over-sharing. I’ve really enjoyed watching you transform your new home.” – Jackie
Since it’s no mystery why we fell for the teal and lime color scheme, we just have one question: what time is dinner? Thanks for sharing Jackie! Aren’t those silhouettes mixed with the curvy wood mirror fun? Can you believe they DIYed the board and batten walls and even made those slipcovers from tablecloths? Such an inspiring room! Let’s play the what’s-your-favorite-part game. Mine is the dapper dog silhouette and Sherry’s is the curvy wood mirror (closely followed by that homemade linear crystal chandelier).
