Friday, January 16, 2015

115 IHeart Kitchen Reno: Let's Do This!

So here is the dealio.  I haven't been the best about updating this little blog of mine in terms of our current kitchen situation.  OK, so that is obvious!  In all honestly, the entire process has been a huge learning curve for us and I have been feeling emotionally paralyzed about the whole thing.  Not in the excitement category, because each day I wake up giddy about what is ahead.  This has been on my mind for years and seeing progress is fabulous!   I am talking about the challenges in making decisions and practicing patience arena.   I really thought that things would be moving much quicker than they are, and that I would have something amazing to blog about each week.  Hahahaha.  Sigh.

So I thought I would play catch-up today, and then attempt to document something new each week going forward, whether a project is done or not.  Because I really do want to look back on this someday and revisit the ups and downs and lessons learned.  And those bigger projects and reveals don't mean anything without the in-between progress stories anyway.

Here we go!

About 7 weeks ago we put the infamous hole in the wall!  It was essentially an initiation hole.  The kind to celebrate the start of the project and to say out loud, "There is no turning back now".


We had marked a small spot in the wall where we knew there was no electrical or plumbing so we had no concerns with this (we had also already confirmed with our home builder that the wall was not load bearing), however, we knew that we couldn't go any further until we applied for a building permit with our city.  So we did that, and we waited.

As we waited for the permit, we took a trip to IKEA to finalize our cabinet order; you can read all of those plans here.   We opted to go with IKEA cabinets for a portion of our kitchen based on reviews, installation and their 20% off sale.  One thing to know about ordering from IKEA is that you need to be prepared to take home as much of the kitchen as they have in stock at the store.  For us, that was about 80% of our order.


The remainder of the kitchen was going to be shipped in waves to an off-site warehouse over the course of another month or two.  More on that later.

As we continued to get excited about the kitchen, Bryan started pulling apart the wall...


While I emptied cabinets, organized and cleaned... Imagine my eyes twitching at this point...


And before we knew it, Christmas was approaching and we started receiving our shipments of appliances and floors!  Merry Christmas to us!  However, we were also forced to make a personal decision and take a break from the renovation until after the holidays. #familyfirst

After the holidays had come and gone, we asked friends to come help us move our furniture around (sectional swap up and down stairs as well as some of our larger dining room pieces to our guest room), which opened up the two spaces and allowed us to really start our gut job.

With a full demolition taking place, we decided to rent a dumpster.  Once it arrived, we had a very small window of time to get as much done as we could.  After our first day of demo, our kitchen/living room looked like this.


Once we got started, the tear down process went really quickly!  Like so quickly I forgot to take any action shots with my phone.  We were able to remove all of the walls, some of the studs and majority of the cabinets during the first day.  However, before we could remove the base cabinet in the kitchen or the remaining studs in the center, we needed to wait until our plumber and our electrician could join us.  We know our limits.

Because we plan on keeping the sink in a similar location, we had our plumber disconnect the dishwasher and sink plumbing.  We didn't want to risk ruining anything that we may need to utilize again during install.  But once that was done, we were able to remove the remainder of the cabinets!  And have our little Peyton chip away all of that awful backsplash.  Then, because the cabinets were out we were able to tear out the linoleum floors.  That was something I left to my husband and an oversized crowbar (similar to this one).  While he worked on the kitchen floors, I removed all of the trim and floating laminate.  Go team Jones!


When the linoleum was pulled, we were initially left with this beautiful mess...


So. Many. Staples.  Seriously, I could cry just thinking about them.  Why?  Because every last one had to be pulled before we can lay our new flooring.  Every. Single. Staple.


We are talking DAYS of freakin' staple pulling.  Where were the Property Brothers at this point?  Have you seen how fast they can demo a room?  Who pulls the staples on that show?


To ease the process I found the following tools to be helpful.  Knee pads, a rolling pliers, hammer and gloves.  Aside from blowing everything up and starting over, I don't think anything but the awesome pliers would have made this process any easier. 


This was the most boring and tedious task of the entire kitchen demo.  Everything else moved so fast I forgot to take pictures.  This was so slow, we took them every time to document the comedy of it all.  Funny stuff!

And that is about that with demo.  Our electrician has come and gone and done as much as he can until we have our cabinets assembled and installed.  While he was here, he wired our hanging sconces, added can lights in the living room (because there was never any overhead lighting prior), and another can light over the sink area.  He also removed all of the wiring from the studs in the center of the two rooms and disconnected the electrical that was wired in our previous kitchen peninsula.


Here is another view looking back into the living room.  Pretty sweet dining table eh?


We have already been without a functioning kitchen for about two weeks.  The appliances were disconnected and prepped to be sold on Craigslist and we haven't unwrapped any of the new ones because we are waiting for cabinets and floors.  If anyone is interested, I can try to plan a future post on how we cook for a family a five with this setup.  And in case you are curious, it has helped tremendously to set up a pantry/temporary kitchen in our guest room.


This has worked SO GOOD for us.  The shelves hold pantry items and dishes while the cabinets (previously used as school cubbies) are now filled with small appliances, pots and pans.  And because the room also has an attached bathroom, all dishes can be washed and put right away.


Aside from the staple pulling pliers, my other favorite tool from this entire process has been my dish scrubbers.


OK, so I am sort of kidding.  But sort of not.  My kids are a bit spoiled and have never had to wash dishes by hand.  They can load and unload a dishwasher like the best of 'em, but hand wash?  Say what?  Both wands are soft sponges that work great when they get wet, and one has a dispenser that pumps out soap with a push of a button.  Now my kids can head right to the bathroom after they eat, and very easily rinse and wash their dish without having to fill an entire sink.  We were letting the dishes pile up for a day or two at a time, and trying to do a pile of dishes in this tiny area made me a crazy lady.  Dispensing brushes guys.  That is the answer to any renovation dilemma (OK, so not really, but it is the answer to making the dish washing process easier on kidlets).  I found mine on Amazon and HomeGoods (here and here although they are about half the price if you can find them at HomeGoods), and the trick to them is wetting the sponges before washing and following the dry instructions; I have had the dish one for almost a year now.

And as much as I wish the guest room was really as neat as it looks above, the other side is what I like to call, "Organized Chaos".  Say hello to everything else that was unloaded from the reno space.


OK, so now what?  Well, in really exciting news, the planks for our ceiling arrived TODAY!  So we are hoping to get them all installed this weekend.  We know we want to plank and add beams, we are leaning towards white....

{via}

But I can't help but majorly swoon over the dramatics of the darker beams.  However, as much as I love them, I am just not sure our space can handle it, or if they would make it feel smaller.  Thoughts?

{via}

After the ceiling is installed, we were hoping to start on the cabinets!  We have some sheetrock to patch due to the tile removal and electrician work, but that should be quick (famous last words).  What will take a lot of our time is attempting to piece together our IKEA cabinets, one small package at a time.  Send us sanity vibes please.  And cross your fingers the remainder of the cabinets will be in soon.  Our order was lost and consequentially extremely delayed (which I just found out yesterday), so that is putting a small kink in our very loose timeline.

As for the rest of the kitchen, I have swatches painted everywhere, a basket of counter samples and a stack of island cabinet door options waiting on my brain to make some big choices.  We did decide on a floor, which you can see below. I will share more specifics about what we selected once we get to floor installation day.  Everything else is making my head spin.  I have so many visions and ideas, yet because we have been saving for this for so long, I don't want to pick something I am going to regret.  This is truly the best type of problem to have.  


OK, I suppose I should leave it at that.  We have a stack of ceiling planks calling our names bright and early in the morning.  It feels AMAZING to know that we are finally installing something!  And to be about done with all of those staples!  Have a great weekend everyone!
 


115 comments:

  1. I would go with white beams. Your house is bright and i don't know if dark would fit. Otherwise i love seeing the changes :) Exciting to watch.

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  2. Oh Jen! I feel your pain. We just renovated our entire house over the past 12 months and had no kitchen at all for 13 weeks (family of 6 living in the reno!). It was horrendous. However, the final product is worth the (major) inconvenience and your amazing skills will pull together your kitchen to fit in with the rest of your lovely home. All the best!

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  3. I love the dar beams too, but I think you guys will be happier with all white. I've read your blog for years and you tend to go all white wi pops of color for your projects. Your space is smaller relative to the sample room too. All his from a blog reader you should totally ignore if you want dark, lol!

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  4. Go with white for the ceiling beams! Gotta admit to feeling a little jealous to how fabulous your house will be when done! Dreaming of renovations myself...

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  5. I love the look of the dark planks personally. The floor you chose looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing the progress!

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  6. I love the idea of planking the ceiling and can't wait to see it all finished. The floor looks amazing and is really going to pop against the white cabinets! I'm so glad you're sharing your process even though it's not as pretty as you would like. We're planning a kitchen remodel and I love hearing what works for others regarding living without a kitchen. I would love if you wrote a post about cooking for 5!

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  7. Thanks for sharing! I love that you showed the other side of the guest room/kitchen. Good luck today! And p.s. I like the light ceilings. ;)

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  8. Been there done that! Can't wait to see your results! Can you share where your dish scrubbers are from?

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    1. Hi Kris!

      Oops, I will update the post with that info. I found one on Amazon and the other at HomeGoods (although Amazon sells both). And if you do end up purchasing, the trick to a long life with them is to let them dry standing up and wet the sponges before use.

      xoxo!

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  9. Re the white beans, we had some installed in our living room and bedroom. The problem, depending on how they are designed, is with the paint cracking at the seams. So for us, after one year, all the seams were visible (drove me batty). So we had a flat board installed this year at the bottom of each beam, to cover the seams so they aren't visible when looking up. I like them much better now. With stained wood, you don't have that seam issue. Just my two cents. I can post pics if you are interested. (I live near Minneapolis and love your blog, by the way!)

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    1. Thank you for the tip! Super helpful to know! We noticed some of the white moulding we added down our stairs cracked as well with the cold climate changes. This is definitely something to consider. xoxo!

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  10. I say go with the dark beams. Then later, if you think white would be better, it could be a future project. I can image it would be easier to go white later than to go dark later. If you started with white, you may always wonder "what if". You're a brave lady, so take the risk and go dark :-)

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  11. Awesome progress! I don't think I saw the source in the post, so I wanted to ask where are the dish scrubbers from? Thanks for the reply!

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    1. Hi Teresa!

      I will be sure to update the post with that info. :) I found one on Amazon and the other at HomeGoods (although Amazon sells both). And if you do end up purchasing, the trick to a long life with them is to let them dry standing up and wet the sponges before use.

      xoxo!

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  12. I personally LOVE the all white planks/ beams. We have a room much like your second picture, its a living room with white ceilings and dark beams. I think something like that is more fitting for a smaller room (which doesn't even make sense logically lol). But I think that the all white look just looks so grand in a big open space. I also think that while the planks will definitely be a great feature that will draw your eyes up, I think that the dark planks might get TOO distracting with all of the different functions your space will have. I'm so excited to follow your kitchen journey, we start ours next month (hopefully!). What started out as us thinking we were just going to take everything out and reinstall new stuff right back in the same place, has changed into completely switching up the layout and removing some walls- all thanks to you! Seriously, we can all "ohh and aww" over Pinterest all day long, but actually following someone's real time trials and successes is everything! Good luck, hope the ceiling install goes as smooth & quick as possible, can't wait to see the next update :)

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    1. Hi Brooke! Thank you! And I agree with the white, we have been planning on going white from the start. But my eye just loves those dark beams so I have to really really talk myself out of them. :) Best of luck with your kitchen renovation. Although they come with a little side of stress, they are so extremely exciting and totally worth it! xoxo!

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  13. white planks. No question!

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  14. Ceiling planks!!! I'm so excited for you!!! We just added onto our tiny farmhouse last year, and we installed a plank ceiling. It's my favorite feature. We used car siding - the cheapest we could find. Looking back we wished we'd used a slightly higher quality material though, as we had to sand EVERY tongue and groove with a dremel to get them to interlock. That ceiling was the hardest thing we've ever done, but so worth it. I'm all about painted wood, but in the end we opted to keep ours lightly stained (the only way hubby would agree to a wood ceiling). It works with our rustic décor and makes the room feel like a vacation home. We debated about beams (that would be for decoration only) and opted to keep it very simple. We're glad we did, because it would have felt distracting and closed-in, even in our large 20x24 room. Knowing what we know, I'd vote for painted beams in your room - that gorgeous ceiling will make such an impact as it is. Of course you could try it and paint over the beams later if you don't like them, but as much as you like things clean and fresh and simple, I'm betting you'd find the dark wood distracting. My in-laws have dark beams in a white ceiling and you kind of always see them out of the corner of your eye.

    I love the pics of doing dishes in the bathroom (and how cute is your temporary kitchen?)! Brings back memories of our last house (we're on our third and final renovated home) where we gutted the kitchen and I spent my third trimester of pregnancy washing dishes in the bathtub! You'll laugh about it later! Enjoy the ride! - Angela

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    1. Thank you so much Angela! And I really appreciate the feedback regarding the darker beams! :)

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  15. Next time you need to remove staples buy a heavy duty staple remover!!! Makes the job get done so much fast and it's easier on your back and knees! They have them on Amazon! Check them out!

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    1. Hi Stephanie! I did a lot of Google searches for the best tools for the process, and everything seemed pretty similar. The pliers we used were intended for staples also so they weren't hard to remove, just took forever to do each individual one. Do you have a direct link that may help out readers that have to do this in the future? I appreciate it! :)

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    2. http://www.amazon.com/Swingline-Staple-Remover-Spring-loaded-S7037201A/dp/B000X8U4KU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421705849&sr=8-1&keywords=heavy+duty+staple+remover

      This is the one we bought! It took no time at all to remove the staples from our floors after we removed the carpeting.

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    3. Wonderful! Thank you so much Stefanie!!

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  16. This is a weird question but can you tell me who makes those dish scrubbers? I love the look of the wood handles!

    And congrats on the progress you've made so far!

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    1. Hi Danielle,

      I will be sure to update the post with that info. :) I found one on Amazon and the other at HomeGoods (although Amazon sells both). And if you do end up purchasing, the trick to a long life with them is to let them dry standing up and wet the sponges before use.

      xoxo!

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  17. Oh my goodness I love the white ceiling! This is going to look gorgeous no matter what you pick! I personally love the white picture better. It is fresh, bright, and clean and I actually think it is a less sterile and more cozy, homey look than the darker picture. We recently purchased a house and the previous owners said they reinforced the ceiling to support beams but never got around to it. How hard is it to have beams added? I love the look but know nothing about it. Are you installing them or hiring it out?

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    1. Hi Carolyn!

      We are trying to DIY as much of the kitchen as we can, so we will be installing the beams ourselves. I will definitely be sure to share how they turn out and the process we take once we get tot that point. We are not doing them for structure, just for a decorative touch, so it may not be exactly what you are looking for.

      xoxo!

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  18. Good luck it is all such a lot of work but so exciting, despite all the pain I love projects like this my favourite was converting a17th century barn when we lived in England......now that was quite something! Can't wait to see your finished results, lots of luck or 'bon courage' as the French would say!!

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  19. Oh the fun of renovations. I can empathize with you. My father was notorious for tearing rooms a part. I grew up in a construction zone. It will be so worth it in the end. I love the color of the floor you chose. And if you would like some help putting cabinets together, seriously, let me know. I am truly more than happy to help.

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    1. Thanks Michelle! We figured we would feed a few friends and family members with beer and pizza and have a cabinet assembly party. :) Sounds like a good time right?

      xo!

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    2. It could be. :) Good friends and family together. I am sure there will be plenty of laughs in there to make it fun. :) Definitely sounds more fun than some deep cleaning... moving furniture, scrubbing, dusting, etc. That is my weekend.

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  20. I had to laugh when you said your cabinets were lost in transit and caused a delay. When we remodeled our kitchen, we needed to install the corner cabinet first. Guess what happened when we opened the box? It was the wrong one! All the others were correct but the one we needed to install first! Two week delay! Ugh! Good luck with your process!

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    1. Oh no Lisa!!! Sorry you had to go through that. And that terrifies me! We haven't opened any boxes yet... yikes!

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  21. My heart goes out to you while you are living with the joys of kitchen camping! I'm so excited to see how it turns out (fabulously tasteful, if eveyrthing else in your home is anything to go by.) In the meantime, a word of advice from one who has lived with dark beams. DON'T DO IT! It feels like the roof will drop on your head any moment. All the time. Not good. Just saying. Good luck xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for the feedback on the beams Bex! Great to know!

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  22. Oh gosh Jen, I am so thinking about you and sending positive kitchen reno vibes. Been there and it's not pretty! It's going to look so good and I am loving where you are heading!

    On a side note, I did the plank ceiling in our craft/family room (which is a super small 250 sq. feet) and I went white but I had 10% of my wall color added to the paint. This way, it's not too white and it flows and actually makes the ceilings look taller. You can see it here:http://www.thecreativityexchange.com/2013/07/officecraftfamily-room-reveal-finally.html I too love the dark beam look and I think it boils down to how big the space is and how tall the ceilings are. I do think the darker makes ceilings look shorter but if you have taller ceilings, it can work.

    So excited to watch your reno come together. I know it will be so amazing. Hang in there girl! Cyndy

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  23. Regarding the staples. .I've been there! When we remodeled our bathroom and kitchen. I used a mini pry bar tool to get under the staples. Where do husbands disappear to during times like that? Can't wait to see more updates on your kitchen!

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    1. We had one of those too, but luckily, our staples were raised enough we didn't need it much. And thankfully my hubby was right there doing the staples too! So were the boys. We worked in shifts, lol. xoxo!

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  24. Jen, Love the update. I am sure it doesn't feel like it while you are living without a kitchen, but you have made incredible progress and you are so close to the fun stuff! I hope everything goes smoothly from here. Let me know if you need to talk through color options. And I think the dark beams are great, but the all white seems so you!

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  25. Wow, everything is moving along nicely! I cant wait to see the reveal! And I LOVE the ceiling planks.. I agree, white I think would suit your space the best, as you love to compliment any space with beautiful colour :)
    Awesome work, can't wait to see more updates!!

    Kass

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  26. White beams seem much more in keeping with your personal style from what I have seen. Either would be beautiful - this is a win-win decision. :) Looks like it is going to be amazing & I'm really looking forward to reading about the rest of the process!

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  27. Where did you get those scrubbies from? they are so cute!!

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  28. Love where y'all are headed with this! I vote for white beans. We thought about keeping ours wood stained when we painted all of the paneling white but in the end dramatic ceiling feature on an 8ft ceiling seemed silly and would make the room feel even smaller.

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  29. I know it's a little late, but allow me to introduce you to the Berry staple remover :) this little tool could have saved you a lot of time. Now you know for your next project. http://www.rochfordsupply.com/shop/Staples/Staple_Removers/Berry_Staple_Remover/index.html

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  30. Thank you for sharing your progress. I think the white beams would look more open and bright. And I love how you look so chic doing all the demo work! Can't wait to see more...

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  31. I can tell it's going to be such a transformation! So excited to see it unfold. I would vote for white planks/beams. But I KNOW whatever you do will be fab!!!

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  32. I would say white for the ceiling planks, please do a post on a fam of 5 with no kitchen-- that'll be me in a few months!!

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  33. I think I would like the look of the black beams. Once Sarah Richardson did a living room with french doors. She added some black trim (about an inch) and it just popped. Maybe you can find a way to draw it out on paper with and without. The black contrast would make your eye go up toward the ceiling and give the illusion of larger/higher space. Just my opinion. Everyone has one. And it's YOUR house. Last resort. If you don't like the black, you can always paint it back white. Maybe staple some strips of black paper or plastic over a beam and compare.

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  34. http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/portfolio/design-inc/annabelles-living-room-season-2
    This link will take you to Anabelle's living room. Note the black trim on the arched french doors.

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  35. http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/portfolio/country-living-residence/living-room

    Here is an all white, more ethereal look. The contrast of the black gives a crisp,contemporary look. Just depends on what look you're going for. I know you'll make the right decision for your home.

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  36. I found that black beams made the kitchen seem claustrophobic and I ended up painting them to match the white ceiling. So, unless you have a much higher than standard ceiling, I wouldn't have black beams if I were you.

    As somebody who did a kitchen renovation years ago, you have my sympathies. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished room.

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  37. Love seeing your progress - how fun!! I am drooling at the thought of your white planked ceiling and timber floors! This is going to look AMAZING!

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  38. Thanks for sharing all you've been doing, it's incredible! It's so great that you and your husband are able to do so much of the work yourselves. I never had any idea there were so many staples under the flooring! Knee pads are a wonderful thing; I couldn't live without mine when I do gardening. I would love to hear how you are making your meals.

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  39. Jen, i love the wood plank ceiling! It looks so beautiful, I don't dislike the dark beams but the white ones make the space look so much bigger and brighter.
    I can't wait to see how everything turns out but don't worry about the updates, we understand when things move slower than one would
    Like.
    Wishing that all the IKEA pieces are there! Xo

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  40. I love seeing your progress... and would like to hear more about how your temporary kitchen works! Thanks!

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  41. Silly question....where is your gold soap dispenser from (link)? I have one similar but it has rust stains on the inside. Do you like yours?
    Thank you !

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  42. I definitely say white planks! I would really love for you to read a post about how you made your temporary kitchen work and what meals you were cooking, that's insane! I don't know if I'd be able to survive so long with that set up. I can't wait to see the reveal and the new appliances, good luck!

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  43. I myself would stay with the dark beams, I think they add so much interest to the area. I would think going all white would seem a bit boring.I really think if your going for drama the beans as they are do pack a punch.

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  44. Jen, I love your plan. Makes me twitch a little as we did a major reno ten years ago ( added an attatched garage, back family room and full second story). We stayed in a suite hotel for three months.. my 8 year old son loved it. Now, we're repairing stuff and regretting certain choices. You're smart to take your time. Personally I like the ideas to go with lighter beams as the darker ones tend to look great on higher ceilings. The reader tip to mix a wall color into the beam color is great....but you see your house close up and know whats best. Love your choices so stick with your gut.

    BTW, I emailed you awhile back about cleaning and organizing an awful closet in my work / coworkers office. You responded which was great and I told my coworkers who tease me mercilessly but they have kept the closet to my standards, so thank you again.

    We all love to follow your big and small projects!!!!! Donna R.

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  45. I lived through this exact same scenario. Exactly, down to the family of five. I do not envy you one single bit right now. :) You're ahead, though. We STILL haven't planked our ceiling and our backsplash is still drywall. One of these days.......

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  46. It's amazing! You must be aching all over!! White planks for sure!! The dark are great in really big spaces but far too restrictive I would say. What I'm wondering is where are your kids while all this is going on? It would be great if they could help. Mine are teenagers and hence would be far too lazy!

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    1. Hi Helen! A little sore but I think the adrenaline helps! :) The kiddos have a nice spot to relax and play downstairs, and middle guy loves to help us. They have all been involved in different ways but the majority of the work we do is also after we send them to bed. Definitely a juggling act!

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  47. I feel the same way about my pregnancy. Super excited but unable to express myself and write updates. I am so excited for you and the kitchen. I remember the staples from when we removed our carpet. Ah!

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  48. Consider painting just the bottom of the beamsand leaving the sides white. Easy enough to repaint if you don't like it.

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  49. I love the white planks. Really makes the space feel open and bright!

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  50. Growing up we had plank and beam ceilings in the main living areas. The 1 story casual room side was so much better when all white, and while I liked the vaulted side. (10 foot short side, 24 foot tall side) with the dark beams and after they were painted white, they still added a really nice textural element that was not lost, even at 24 feet up.

    Think of your oak/white debate on your first cabinets - I wanted to say dark for the extra drama but I am pretty sure that will just be setting you up for another blog post re-do down the line.

    I like the 10% tint idea, but with your love of changing things up I question it for you. Leaving it a pure white will let you switch things up without painting the ceiling. And painting a planked, vaulted ceiling is not the most fun thing to do.

    Can't wait for tons of updates! We have had the appliances and wood shop for our kitchen remodel for years, but recently decided to swap the kitchen and dining room when we do it. I would love your insight on the whole process, since we will be there soon.

    I would also love a post on how your boys do or don't help, and what teaching, guidance and choices led to that. I want to raise my boys to help on home projects, and guidance on your path would be awesome!

    -Erica

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  51. My choice would be white beams, but I agree with someone who posted earlier and said this is a "win-win" situation. Both are beautiful. I am so inspired by your ideas. Best of luck with the renovation and I am cheering you on from Maryland! Cheryl

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  52. Oh those @#$% staples! I remember pulling them out in our last house. My hands hurt!! The worst was when they'd break as you were pulling them out! Everything is looking amazing Jen! I'm enjoying the update and know you'll knock it out of the park as usual! I'm off to look for those dispensing brushes on Amazon...

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    1. Haha, thanks Heather! I agree, when they break, grrrr! :) I am sure I will be singing a different tune during this week's update because I won't be writing with blistered staple pulling hands. Ceiling planking is far more exciting! Wahoo!

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  53. Very very exciting! I've been following you for a few years now and I know how excited you must be to finally attack the kitchen.

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  54. Oy, does that sound stressful! Great how you guys are keeping up. I bet it will all be worth it once you really move from demo to construction - when everything starts coming together :)
    Keep up the good spirits and the good work, of course!

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  55. Agh! I hate doing anything tedious. I am sure you were so glad when you pulled out that last staple! And love how you look so organized still in the mist of the chaos. I look forward to a post about how you are making meal time work with out a kitchen.

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  56. Wow! Great post, Jen! I have never been through a reno and it is super helpful to see how much it entails. I'm exhausted just looking at all those staples-- oy vay! As a side note, I love love love your cute shirt with the elbow patches-- cheers to you for looking cute while doing it! Also, I know either plank color you decide on will look amazing. I could see the dark ones working since you'll have the darker floor similar to the gorgeous photo above, but I could also see white being a nice fresh palette to go with the beautiful pops of color you decorate with-- especially if you'll be painting your walls one of those pretty shades of blue. I know you can't go wrong! Good luck!

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  57. I know how you feel! We re-did or whole house last year and it never seems like it is going to be finished. Good on your for staying positive and pushing through! :)

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  58. Looking at your pictures id go the white beams. The dark beams combined with the dark floors would make it feel too closed in. But whatever you choose will look fab!

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  59. I prefer dark beams myself, and they add a nice contrast, but I think white is more you. Jenna Sue has made dark beams in her current home, so go check them out. She has some great info how to DIY them. And if you want a pendant light hanging from a beam you can set the wires inside the beam. My sister even added some recessed lighting in the beams. Good luck with your kitchen, it´s going to look amazing when done!

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  60. This has nothing to do with the reno, but where did you get the grey sweater and plaid shirt?

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    1. Sweater is from The Limited and the shirt is from H&M. :) xoxo!

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  61. So exciting! I understand the feeling like nothing is happening...last summer my husband pretty much single handed completely remodeled our only bathroom (only toilet was out for 6 days, no shower for 6 weeks). It was sloooooooow and frustrating and a crap ton of work. We set-up make shift toiletry stations near the sink (for tooth brushing) and his office had all our shower baskets for nightly shower trips. You will survive and be glad you did it!

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  62. I like the white beams the best, but I also really like the dark ones. :-) Thanks so much for sharing your remodel. I LOVE seeing the process.

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  63. Where did you get that dish drying rack? I love that it is small enough to be tucked away when not in use.
    Thanks!

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    1. Hi Stephani! I purchased it at Target when they had their dorm items out, just before back-to-school time. xoxo!

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  64. Hi Jen, LOVE what you are doing and I agree with what others have said. The white beams are more your overall style! Either way you go though, will look fabulous! I have a question for you too. I have been following your blog now for a few months and have slowly been trying to go back to the beginning. My question is, for someone who has minimal organizing at home (everything has it's place, it's just not beautified like you do) where do I start? What I mean is, which room or space should I start in that will give me the most motivation and pride to keep going throughout the rest of the house? Even then, would I start with a drawer or cabinet, or should I go full tilt and empty everything out at once? I love following your blog and have so many ideas, just don't know where to start! Thanks! Meliesa

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    1. Hi Meliesa!

      I would recommend starting small first, and selecting a cabinet or drawer that you use very frequently. That way, you will be able to see and celebrate your first project often, which should hopefully also trickle into more motivation! You can find more tips regarding where to begin in this post here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/01/you-asked-where-do-i-begin.html

      Best of luck!! xoxo!

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    2. Thanks!!!! I'm going to get started right away this weekend and I know just the area to start with, my laundry area (which has it's own space in my bathroom). ~ Meliesa

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  65. In your space, definitely go with the white beams. Dark beams look better in larger spaces with 15-20 ft ceilings, and definitely give a home more of a craftsman vibe. Good luck!

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  66. i love all the paint swatches on the walls! that was me too when we did our kitchen, so many choices!! If you don't already have it on there, Benjamin Moore "Quiet Moments" is a nice color. its one of those that look different at different times of day. Sometimes it looks like a blue, sometimes a green and others a gray. Its bright, yet calming.

    "Go with your gut" - thats what the painter told me when i was doing our playroom. I was flip flopping at the last minute on changing the color. I know that if you go with your gut it will all come out beautiful. You have a gift for decorating spaces!! If you wanted white beams all along, i say stick to it because that's probably what your gut is telling you.

    Looking forward to seeing it all come together!! Thanks for sharing the journey with us.

    God Bless xoxox

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    1. YAY! Just picked up a sample of BM's Quiet Moments tonight! I am so excited to hear it is a good one, I feel like I am so close but just haven't nailed it yet. I can't wait to get this one up on the walls and see how it looks in all the different light! Thanks for your encouragement Amy!

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  67. WHOA! Love this raw update! awesome idea of having your guestroom function as your temporary kitchen. When you said your eye was twitching at the mess...I can TOTALLY see that happening! :D I say white with the beams. If you want to paint them down the road, you can. I got to design everything for the home we built (first home I've ever owned) and it WAS intimidating, like you said, especially because it was the entire house. In the end, I just went with my initial focus, stayed with it and listened to my gut. I'm excited you're doing this and the whole staples deal...teaches...patience and stronger back muscles. ;)

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  68. Hi Jen, I don't usually comment, but I can relate so much to this post!! A year ago at about the same time, we began remodeling our kitchen ourselves while I was pregnant with our 5th. We started a week before Thanksgiving and had the goal to get to functional by Christmas when we had family arriving to stay with us! It was such a crazy time. We took out a bathroom to make our kitchen bigger, put in a new, smaller bathroom where our pantry was, put in a long island instead of the peninsula that we used to have, new flooring everywhere, etc. It was such a huge job but we saved SO much money doing it ourselves. My uncle helped with the plumbing and my dad helped with the electric. This was our second kitchen to remodel and this first (while my husband was in dental school) we used IKEA cabinets and afterwards my husband HATED IKEA! haha. He doesn't like their directions. This time we ordered our cabinets online (thertastore.com), they were still flat packed and we assembled them ourselves, but they went together much more quickly and easier than IKEA. I also really wanted a planked ceiling, but decided it wasn't worth the time and expense (we plan to move in another year or two) so I'm excited that you are doing it. Anyway, it was crazy to not have a sink and kitchen right before Christmas, but having a deadline helped us get so much done. Then after Christmas we finished making the island (we used our old wood floor to make our own wooden counter top for the island, and barnwood for the back side). We love how it turned out and we gained so much cabinet and counter space with what we did. It is all very exciting and I wish you the very best! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  69. I love learning about the entire process! I would love to learn how you feed your family healthy meals during the kitchen reno. Also, with so many options out there how do you narrow down and select a theme/color story? (blogging idea :) )
    It's great that you are doing most of the work on your own so you can share how it's done on the blog! Sanity vibes......

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  70. I found the "never washed dishes by hand" hilarious only because, in Hawaii, people rarely use or even have a dishwasher. Everything is washed by hand! I think I need to look into getting a dishwasher now, it sounds lovely!

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  71. How exciting! Way to go for doing the demo yourself...this really inspires me. I think the ceiling planks will be awesome, and I can't wait to see the final reveal! Hang in there!

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  72. I absolutely love your kitchen plans. And I would go with the white beams as well. This makes me feel hopeful in doing a reno project if my husband and I buy a fixer-upper. Totally not related, but where did you get your plaid shirt with the elbow patches? I absolutely love it! Thanks so much Jen!

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  73. I sympathize on the staples. We used diagonal pliers (similar to yours, but a forward/back motion, instead of left/right). Can't wait to see the reveal!

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  74. I want to gut my kitchen so badly! Can't wait to see the finished product, especially the planked ceiling and beams!

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  75. Eeeeee can't wait to see what you have planned for this wonderful new space. We are (hopefully!) moving soon so will be watching closely for inspiration xx

    http://mama-of-boys.tumblr.com/

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  76. I am really sorry to say that i know a GREAT tool to rip out staples. It's called a T-rex Ripper (http://www.t-rexripper.com/) and basically all you do is sort of slide it along the floor and it pops the staples out - I've used it and it's awesome.
    Sorry you didn't know about it before you bloodied your fingers ripping out those staples (been there too)

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  77. Very excited for you! It will be so worth the staples when it's done!! The beams....your place looks big enough in the photos to give the darker beams a shot, especially if you really love that look. And if you give them a try....and hate them, paint them! ;)

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  78. Hahaha "So. Many. Staples." Oh I knowww the feeling. Our kitchen floor had linoleum, glued AND stapled above...more linoleum which - of course - was also glued and stapled. *rolleyes*
    I can't wait to see what you pick for the ceilings, both options are gorgeous.

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  79. I am so excited for you guys - I know you've been waiting forever to do this! I can't wait to watch the progress along the way, I just love your decor style and can't wait to see it all come together. Silly question...where did you get the dish scrubbers?? They are ADORABLE!!

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  80. I just googled the dish brushes and I can't believe it but they are available in Australia. I just bought them. Can't wait for them to arrive they will look great in my new kitchen. Thanks for the info.

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  81. I like the all-white ceiling. I think that the dark beams, although beautiful, will make the space darker, especially if you are going with a darker floor.

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  82. We are knee deep in the middle of renovated an old Masonic temple. We were without a real kitchen for 8 months! We went with IKEA cabinets and while it took a while to build the boxes, the installation was super easy. We really love them. Ilove your blog and am excited to see your finished kitchen.

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  83. It will be worth it! I did dishes in the bathtub for 8 months while my entire ground floor was remodeled. Worth it, worth it, worth it. Best tip if your stove/oven are out of commission: Cuisinart toaster/convection oven (I got mine at Costco for about $90). It is a REAL little oven, not your typical hinky toaster oven, and can take a 15" pizza or cook a meat loaf. I used that, a hot plate, and a microwave for a long time.

    Good luck! It will be worth it!
    Anne

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    1. Agree 100% Anne! We have an oversized toaster oven that does rotisserie chicken and a full size pizza. LOVE it!

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  84. Definitely go with the white beams...they make the room so light and airy!

    Amanda
    www.queenofthelandoftwigsnberries.com

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  85. I think wood colored beams to match the hardwood floor would be perfect for this room. It will create the perfect balance with the cieling and the floor.

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