Kitchen and Dining Room Makeovers

Recently I posted about a change that I'd made in my dining room. Prior to Christmas, I had a media cabinet in the dining room serving as a buffet, except it's filled with DVD's and CD's. It looked like this:

 However, after Christmas I moved the baker's rack from the kitchen and put it in the dining room.

I fitted it with my fancy dishes and some serving pieces, and I love the way it looks - plus, it makes more sense to have this in the dining room instead of a media cabinet. But you might be wondering why I took it out of the kitchen in the first place. The answer is this:

What is this mess you ask? Why, it's a project! Actually, it's my Christmas gift from my daughter and son-in-law. They gave me a kitchen island! I'd told my daughter months before that I wanted a kitchen island because my kitchen, while comfortable and very pretty, doesn't have a whole lot of counter space. In my old house I had a peninsula that was about 8 or 9 feet long, so I had tons of food prep space. This kitchen is much smaller, with less counter space, so prepping food was a bit more challenging. I'd looked at some kitchen islands on Amazon and was considering building one from premade cabinets from Lowe's, when my wonderful daughter gave me this one. I couldn't wait to put it together! No really, I love putting furniture together and building stuff. I'm weird like that.

I was surprised at how easy this island was to put together. If you're interested, this is the Home Styles Liberty Kitchen Cart with Wood Top from Amazon. It's available in black or white; mine, as you can see, is white. It's pretty solid and well made.

I meant to take more pictures putting it together, but once I get in the zone I forget about those things. It didn't take me very long to assemble; not counting pauses to eat or take care of other things, it probably took me 1 - 1 1/2 hours. I only had my son help me twice - once to turn it over, and then again whenever I put the top on because it was too heavy for me alone. Otherwise it was really easy and the instructions were clear.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of storage space in this cabinet. I'm especially glad that it has three drawers, since my kitchen only has two drawers. That, in my opinion, was a design flaw by the previous owner whenever she remodeled the kitchen. Two small drawers in a kitchen aren't enough storage for silverware and cooking utensils, let alone anything else that could go in a kitchen drawer. This island gives me plenty of space so that I have things close at hand whenever I'm cooking.

Of course, what I mostly wanted this island for was counter space, and this one didn't disappoint.

On the back of the island is a flap of wood. It can be kept down this was to save space. Then, whenever I need more counter space,

it can be extended out! It almost doubles the counter space, which is wonderful!

I put it in the kitchen right after Christmas but before I'd taken down all the Christmas decor. It was a bit tight and too cluttered for me, which is why I took down my Christmas decor a little earlier than usual.

Before I put the baker's rack in the dining room I moved whatever I could into the island to see how it would fit. 

I got so much stuff in there without having it crowded. I've moved some things out and put other things inside since this picture was taken, based on my needs, but it still fits everything comfortably. Once I moved the baker's rack to the dining room, I decided on what I wanted to do next.

Originally I'd intended to put up floating shelves above the island for storage, but once I realized how well everything fit in the island I decided against it. I didn't want to put up shelves just to put random items up that had no use, other than to collect dust. Instead, I shopped my house for decor for this area.

I got this Gather sign from Kirkland's years ago on clearance. I had it over the bookshelf in the office, but I decided it would look better here. I also put the clock that was here previously just above it, and I really like the way it looks.

And, in case anyone's wondering, the media cabinet found its way into my bedroom.

I don't have a tv in my bedroom, nor do I want one, but I like how this fills in this spot. I love this media cabinet and didn't want to get rid of it, so I knew I would find a place for it. 

So I guess it's really three rooms that got a mini makeover! Just wait, there's more to come. 

Let's Take A Tour - The Master Bedroom

 Last year as we prepared for our move I had to make some tough decisions. There was sorting, packing, and a lot of decluttering. We were moving into a smaller place, and although this house is chock full of storage for such a small space, it was still much less than what I'd been accustomed to for the previous 19 years. I ordered the packing pod and made the commitment to take only what fit inside the pod - if it didn't fit, it had to go. I wasn't completely faithful to this promise; there were the items, such as clothes and toiletries, that we had to take to my daughter's house until moving day. There was also a TV cabinet that didn't fit in the pod that my son-in-law's parents graciously took to their house and brought back whenever we finally moved. But there was one room that didn't make it into the pod: the master bedroom. Once we had most of the furniture and boxes in, it became clear that neither the king size bedframe, mattress, box springs, or nightstands were going to fit. The pod was packed solid and there was no more room.  Yet I wasn't bothered or concerned about it. We'd had this furniture for 17 years - yes, that includes the mattress - and it was time for a change. As my realtor put it, the bedroom furniture represented the past, the marriage that had ended. I actually looked forward to upgrading and making the master bedroom a place that looked and felt like me.

Of course, it meant shopping the way I like to shop: on a budget. As I sat in my daughter's dining room waiting for closing day, I scanned furniture sites like Wayfair, Overstock, Target, and of course my fall back, Amazon. I knew I wanted something classic, something that looked fresh without being too modern or trendy, that would stand the test of time. I looked at a lot of furniture, y'all. I'm happy to say I found what I wanted and I couldn't be happier.

I ordered my bed and mattress off of Amazon. I'd bought my son E a Zinus bed whenever his older brother moved to Central Florida and his dad sold the twin bed he'd had before. It's a good solid bed that's also pretty comfortable. Having experience with it before helped make the decision easy. The really nice part about this bed is that all the components come apart and fit inside the headboard. It made unpacking and putting together a breeze. I went with a queen size bed because, even though a king size would easily fit in this bedroom, I had no need for anything larger. That meant, of course, that I also had to buy all new bedding. I found the bedspread and sheets at Costco. I've purchased sheets from Costco before, and not only are they very affordable ($15.99 for the set that includes 4 pillow cases and one each flat and fitted sheets) they are so soft and comfortable! The same is true with this bedspread, which can also be used as a blanket and cost $19.99. I knew I could upgrade the bedding later on if I wanted to, but this is so pretty I'm in no rush. The throw pillows were ones I already had. The walls in the master bedroom are painted in the same sage green as the dining room, a color that is near and dear to my heart. It was easy for me to accessorize because many of my home decor pieces matched or complimented this color. And what about those wood floors?! They are laminate but a good quality, and they look gorgeous! 

  

I ordered the nightstands even before ordering the bed. These are the Picket House Channing nightstands from Walmart, and I love them because they have that classic, traditional look that pairs well with other design styles. I ordered two even though technically I only need one, but symmetry in design is a must for my brain. My original plan was to just get the nightstands and put all my folded clothes in there just as I'd done with my old furniture, but I ran into a problem. These nightstands are much smaller than my old ones, and only have two drawers where my old ones had three. Because of that I went ahead and ordered the matching chest of drawers. I decided against getting a dresser with a mirror because I wanted to find a makeup vanity instead. All the decor seen here are items I had in my old house except for the lamp. I purchased the set at TJ Maxx - or rather, I got them from there for free, thanks to a gift card I'd received. 

I looked for a makeup vanity from several different sites and stores, but all were small and expensive and not what I wanted. Ultimately what I found was a writing desk from Target that fit the bill (it's no longer available at Target but you can find it here):

 

I put it in a corner of the room where I could get some natural light from the window while covering what may not show very clearly in this picture: the internet router (it's behind my makeup on top of the desk). In this development, the association decided they didn't want the unsightly internet boxes in the front of the homes, so they put them in the back. This meant that, to get the best reception, the router would have to be in the room closest to the box (or at least that's what the internet provider explained to me). In my case, it means the master bedroom. This is pretty upsetting, because not only is the router there but so is that ugly cable and another box on the other side of the wall. My hope was that I'd be able to cover it with the vanity, but it didn't look right in the corner, and if I centered it the router would be on the floor in plain view. I needed another solution. This is what I came up with, and I love it.

Yep, curtains! Floor to ceiling curtains that cover everything on the floor but don't cover the window or the views. That was my main concern, and why I originally hesitated to add curtains. I didn't want to cover the windows and the lovely plantation shutters, nor did I want a long curtain rod over the window. Instead, I used two smaller curtain rods on either side, so that the curtains are just decorative. Of course, they're also functional, but they don't appear to be because the internet equipment is nicely hidden.

Here is what the bedroom looks like now whenever you first walk in:

The picture above the bed was in my living room at the old house, but it worked perfectly in here. I bought it years ago from Kirkland's. Other than the lamps, the only new thing here is the rug which I picked up from Ross for $44.99. I wanted something soft and cushy underneath the bed and this one looks and feels so lush! 

 

This is the view from the far left corner. I was using a dining room chair at the vanity for awhile. I looked for a chair for the vanity that would match the headboard on my bed, but they were way too expensive and not the right size. I found this chair at TJ Maxx for $39.99 and it's so perfect it looks like it came with the desk. The chair in the corner is actually a piece from the living room sectional. I thought it looked so good here in the corner and made it not look like a big empty space. The shelf on the wall was in the entryway of our old house. The metal art piece is new; I found it at Hobby Lobby. The wall looked so blank that I knew it needed something. Even my son E said it looked really good there.

The mint green pillows and the throw are from Walmart, and the lumbar pillow was a Target clearance find. I don't like to spend a lot on throw pillows; they can be very pricey and, let's be honest, they go out of style quick. Yes, I can buy pillow covers, but I've been able to find throw pillows for cheaper than some pillow covers - this one was just $8.

Even though I had to completely furnish this bedroom, I'm happy to say I managed to stay under budget. Everything that I bought - including furnishings, bedding, and decor - came to just over $1400.00. Some folks spend that just on the mattress! But even though I furnished it on a budget, it's still a cozy, comfortable room that I can enjoy and relax in.

Just outside my bedroom is the laundry closet, and the other door leads to the next space in this home tour - the master bathroom. Stay tuned!

What I've Been Up To

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, busy and productive weeks.  Let's see if I can remember what all I've been up to.

I'm on an organizing kick.  Spring cleaning so to speak, except in the summer.  I've been getting rid of clutter and putting things in order.  I hate clutter; I avoid having things I don't need or having things in the wrong places.  But with work and home and church and everything in between, things have fallen to the wayside and been pushed back on the priority list, until one day I looked and said, "Enough is enough!!"  It started in my bedroom closet.  I'd bought some clothes and was having trouble fitting it all into my closet.  It was starting to look messy and out of control.  One day I decided to go through my clothes and pull out anything that could be donated so that my closet wouldn't feel so cramped.  That was all that was needed to get me motivated.  I not only got a donation pile going, I organized all my clothes, shoes and purses.  I decided to take any "winter" clothes out (winter clothes in South Florida means a few long sleeve shirts) which meant I had to organize some of my dresser drawers to fit them in.  When I was done I felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders (when in fact it had been lifted out of my closet).  There's actually room to move in my closet now, and I can see the floor again!  It got my adrenaline pumping for more.

This week it's been the kitchen.  I reorganized the pantry: there are bins to put bagged items in, canisters for snacks, pastas, flours and cereals.  The slow cookers were moved to the storage cabinet in the garage to make room for food containers.

The shelves outside the pantry were organized as well.  To make it easier for us to find things, I labeled everything with chalk labels so that the information can be changed at any time.  Now we can easily see where everything is without having to move everything or having five items fall on the floor trying to reach for one item.

Today I emptied out several kitchen cabinets, then put things away so as to make the kitchen flow better.  I moved all my spices to the cabinet on the left of the stove.  This was where I used to keep my spices originally, until we remodeled the kitchen and J insisted that cabinet should have a glass door.  I didn't want to keep my spices there anymore, because I was concerned it would look messy, so I put glassware there and put my spices in the cabinet on the right of the stove.  Problem is, I was using the left side cabinet as more of a display cabinet, which ultimately meant my cabinet space was reduced.  I'd already lost cabinet space when J decided that one of my cabinets should be converted into a trash bin (why do people who never cook or spend more than 2 minutes in a kitchen think they know better than the folks who actually use the kitchen?).  My kitchen was so cramped.  I had to move so many things around just to get my spices out because of the way the cabinets were made; the right side cabinets are corner cabinets, but they were not built as corner cabinets.

The cabinet on the left goes all the way back to the wall, but the one on the right has no access to that space, so if I need something from the back of the cabinet I have to empty the entire shelf to reach it.  Many of my spices ended up back there; cooking became a hassle of moving things in and out of the cabinet, creating more of a mess.  As you can see, I took the spices out of the cabinet and put canned goods there instead.  I had some of my canned goods in my kitchen and some in the storage cabinet in the garage; again, every time I needed something I had to go out of my way to find it instead of having it nearby.  I decided to put my glasses, mugs, and all our drinking cups in the cabinet above the sink.  I've ordered a 3-tier spice shelf/rack for my spices from Amazon.  It's bamboo so it'll match the color of my cabinets, and it'll keep my spices neat so I won't worry about what my cabinet looks like.  I'll have to remember to take a picture once I've got it all done.

I also cleaned out my refrigerator and freezer.  It's amazing how many things are hidden in the back of the fridge - items that have expired but we've forgotten they're there.  I found some file folder holders at Target for $3 that work perfectly for holding onions and potatoes.  I have to keep these in the fridge because, with our heat and humidity, they would go bad in no time.  This works much better and keeps them longer.

Speaking of heat and humidity, I don't know about the rest of the country but it is H-O-T in Florida!  Granted, it isn't as hot as it was last year, but it's still sweltering, especially in the afternoons right before the thunderstorms start.  We are in the rainy season now, getting hammered with rain every afternoon for about a half hour.  I cut the grass and it grows back in no time.  Allergies are on the rampage thanks to this weather.  My boys are especially susceptible; they are sneezing all the time, and while R has the itchy, watery eyes, E has eczema.  E has an appointment to see the allergist for testing on August 3rd.  He has to be off all allergy medicines for five days before he can be tested.  I'm not looking forward to that - he's gonna be miserable.

My daughter has been busy with work and school.  She is taking online courses to get certified in pastoral counseling.  Nothing like having a child who can tell you everything that's wrong with you :P.  Actually, she's learning a lot and has a strong desire to help teenagers and young people.  Her dream is to work with the A21 Campaign, an organization that helps victims of human trafficking.  I pray God would use her to help many suffering people to know they can have hope in Christ.

Of course, I did some shopping for beauty products during Bare Escentuals' Beauty Rush sale.  I actually wasn't going to get anything, and I didn't even place my order until late that night because I kept debating whether to place an order, but ultimately I got a Complexion Superstars set containing two mineral veils (one loose and one compact), a bronzer called The High Dive which is in a compact, a gorgeous highlighter called Bare Radiance, and a blush that I've been wanting for a long time called Vintage Peach.  I like peach colors more than pinks on me, and this one is a soft peachy tone that is very feminine.  It also has a blush brush.  All for $21 - just the blush retails for $18.  I also got a brush set that contains 5 brushes (2 face and 3 eye) and a gold-toned case for $18 (original price was $49). I decided to get these because we are going to Disney World in September and I wanted makeup that would be easy to bring along.  A lot of the Bare Minerals products are loose powders which makes them a little tricky to travel with, though I still plan on taking a few items.

Those have been the highlights of the past couple of weeks.  I'm going to continue focusing on organizing and purging.  I know, I've got to blog about it!  I'll keep it in mind ;).  Have a blessed rest of your weekend.