Monday, March 23, 2015

50 IHeart Kitchen Reno: Getting a Handle on the Hardware

Happy Monday!  I am back home from a whirlwind of a trip to the NYC and I can't wait to share more details about that later this week.  Today, I am checking in with a little kitchen update.  Smiles all around!

Let me start out by saying that I am sure this feels like the most drawn out kitchen renovation in history.  Living through it daily is one thing, and then checking in from the outside for updates is another.  If you have personally lived through a renovation of this magnitude, I am sure you can understand that we want this to be moving at the fastest pace possible.  In fact, I was ready for it to be done about two months ago (I think I had dreams of it being done by the Superbowl, ha!).  It has completely changed the way we live as a family, and the daily dust and cleaning and living without a fully functional kitchen isn't always easy.  But we know we are fortunate to be doing something so incredible to our home, we are totally excited and positive and trying to remain patient as we take on our biggest project to date.  So thank you for hanging in there and checking in on the changes, even if things slow down here and there along the way.


Being that we are investing so much heart, time and money into this project, there are some things that seem to be taking longer than I initially expected, whether it be my inability to commit to something or waiting on one thing to fall into place to move on to the rest.  Designing and ordering the custom island for example, was multiple weeks of back and forth and then once it was ordered, it had to be built and finished by a cabinet maker.  We love ourselves a good DIY and have been doing as much as we can on our own, but we are leaving the cabinet making and counters to the pros.  Flooring, trim and backsplash can't be touched until that island is set.  We have been trying to find other projects to keep up busy in the meantime, however, it is also hard to think about switching gears at this point and starting anything in any other area of the home knowing we are on a roll in the kitchen area.  Fingers crossed island arrives next week, and then we will be room-a-zooming to the finish line.

In the meantime, I mentioned last week that I had finally decided on hardware and ordered everything.  Here was the initial plan once it all arrived.


I really wanted to do a mix and match of styles, all in the same finish, to create a little drama and variety throughout the kitchen.  With all white cabinets, I am relying on smaller details to spice things up a bit, yet my overall goal is to keep things classic given the investment.  For the pantry, I selected longer decorative bar pulls, small drawers were assigned the cup pulls and the dishwasher/garbage drawer would receive the medium and shorter bar pulls.  All cabinet doors would receive pretty knobs and for the glass doors I had big plans to use the beautiful locking pieces.  I have used polished nickel in the past for bathroom fixtures, and I just love how it shines.


Everything went well until we got to the matchbox catch hardware.  Our cabinet doors are beveled and the spacing doesn't work with the hardware.  I may have shed a tear, but sometimes you just have shake it off and move on.  My goal is to do something slightly more special and different on the glass doors, so I hopped onto an antique hardware site and found an alternative option.  We are still waiting on those, but I am feeling quite hopeful that they are going to work out.

For the installation of the standard cup pulls and the door knobs, we created really quick and simple jigs out of scrap wood.  This allowed us to be sure everything was installed in the same spot on each cabinet face, with a lot less measuring.  Creating the jig only took a couple of minutes, but definitely saved us a headache or two.


Bryan measured the drawer hardware placement on a scrap piece of wood, created a top and side lip to slide over the drawer, and then drilled into the drawer faces accordingly. 


Similar method for the door knobs, starting with an angle to find the center measurement....


And then using a smaller jig for all of the cabinet doors.  Best part is because we were using the center lower square of the cabinet, the jig worked in all directions.


Because our bar pulls were different sizes depending on the specific cabinet/drawer, we took the long route and measured each one specifically.  It was at this point that we were happy we had the jigs for all of the other cabinets.


Have I expressed how thrilled I am about a pull out trash can?  I had no idea I was so easily amused.  It is always those little things that get you!

In the last kitchen update, I shared how the ropes for the new pendants were bothering my eyes...


Well, a few weeks later and they hadn't straightened as much as I had hoped, so I decided it was time to cover them up with something more substantial.

I scoured the web for pendant extension rods, and was either coming up short in the aged brass department or looking to spend $60 minimum per light.  We are splurgers and savers, but $120 seemed like a bit much for two pendant rods.  Unless I was looking in all the wrong places.... which is quite possible.

So we did what we do and decided to find an alternative solution on our own.  I recalled using an aged brass spray paint on the base of the lamps in our master bedroom, so I held one up to the light fixture in the kitchen and it was an amazingly close match.  Now all we had to do was find something to paint!

Heading straight for the plumbing aisle at Home Depot, we picked up two 5' copper pipes at around $6 each as well as copper fittings for each end.

We measured the pipe based on the amount of pendant rope that was visible.


And then used a pipe cutter to shorten the copper to the exact length we needed.



I did a little reading on spraying copper, and knowing that it can change color with time based on the air, I wanted to prep the rods to prevent that as much as possible (although a little bit may be a cool effect).  Other piping may work just as well, but we went with copper due to weight, cost and size.   Prior to painting, I sanded down the tube with an ultra fine grit sanding block.


We set up a spray booth in the garage, and special thanks to a little spring weather, we were able to get these primed and painted during a warmer day.  We used twine with a nail at the end to suspend the rods from the ceiling.


I first gave the rods a few light coats of primer.


And followed with a few more light coats of the aged brass.  We installed the rods by running the black roping through, and they looked like they were always meant to be!


I really love that they are much more substantial and everything is nice, neat and straight.


In other news, we opened our new fridge and it was dented.  #majorsadface  So now we are waiting to swap it out with a replacement.  The older fridge really swallows the space, so I am excited to see the change a counter depth will make.


We still had our old sink sitting in the garage, so when the plumber came to hook up the dishwasher and water line for the fridge, he did us a solid and hooked up our old sink temporarily.  I do not have a singing voice, but my gosh, I sure did belt out a few gleeful notes of, "Don't know what you got til it's gone...."!  Running water is a kitchen game changer, especially when it also means we have a functioning dishwasher again!


Oh!  And we can't forget the fun addition of the wine rack!  LOVE.


We still have to add the decorative panel and moulding to this side now, but inch by inch, we are getting there!


I am starting to brainstorm ideas for the super deep pantry.  I figure I might as well start organizing that while we wait on more of the bigger pieces to fall into place.

And for fun, let's take a look back at where we were a few months ago when we began this whole process. It makes things like adding hardware and DIY'ing extension rods just that much sweeter.


You can follow all of the kitchen progress here.

P.S.  Thank you SO much for nominating iHeart Organizing for the Better Homes & Gardens DIY Blogger Award!  You can cast your vote here (you may have to click through a couple categories before spotting us).  Bryan and I are continuously grateful for all of your support!

50 comments:

  1. Absolutely LOVING that color on the walls, along with everything else! :-)

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  2. Great job! I totally adore this kitchen already. And I would definitely love a pull out garbage section. Especially since we have to split our garbage in 4 groups...

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  3. Beautiful, bright,white kitchen!Perfect!

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  4. Ahh your kitchen is looking stunning! I love it!

    Her Heartland Soul
    http://herheartlandsoul.com

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  5. Perfection is definitely worth waiting for! I am lob paving following along with this renovation. Your aware choices are stunning, I love that you went for different styles rather than all the same. Can't wait to see the finished space :)

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  6. Hi, I was reading an old post about when you met some of your followers I believe at a Goodwill. Are you ever planning on doing something like that again. Would love to meet you and get some more great organizational and decorating ideas. Jane

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    1. Hi Jane! That was a lot of fun, maybe I can look into doing something similar sometime over the summer when it is nice and warm out. :) xo!

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  7. I Love your new kitchen already and even more when it´s all done! You must feel frustrated and disappointed at times, but you always seem to have that happy and positive way of facing difficulties! That is what makes your blog such an inspiring place :).

    One of my friends also used pipe with lamp cords and I must say yours look amazing! What little things can change! It´s also fun how you love that pull out trash can. Here in Finland it´s a standard in most kitchens :).I hope you enjoY your final weeks of kitchen reno, so you have a nice memory to hold on to.

    http://JadebyJenni.blogspot.fi

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  8. Oh, the light rods are amazing! A great match.

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  9. I love how you redid the pendant lights! Perfection!

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  10. Looking great ! Silly question ... why can't I see a stove?

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    1. Not silly at all. The stove will be located in the center island. :)

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  11. It's looking beautiful, Jen! I love the solution for the pendants. I had chosen those exact same pulls for our kitchen and then changed it up because a company offered me free hardware. I still love it though, that chrome and the little details at the ends...gorgeous.

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  12. Not sure if this is something you would want, but while at my IKEA (Detroit) today, they had pull out baskets that attached to the inside of the cabinets in the As-Is section for $5.00 a piece. Love reading your blog!!

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    1. Thanks for the tip Melissa! I always love checking out that part of the store. :) Pull out baskets are something we are contemplating for the pantry, so I will definitely be looking into those.

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  13. Don't worry one minute about it being "the most drawn out kitchen renovation in history." Real renovations take T-I-M-E. They are not completed in a weekend. I could do a before and after post of my own kitchen from when we painted the cabinets, and it would look like I just snapped my fingers, and poof! It was done. When the reality was that it took several months, and we still haven't actually finished. DIY jobs can take longer because you get burned out or something comes up and you have to put it on hold, but contracted jobs have setbacks and holdups too. It's going to look amazing when you're all finished, and I for one, appreciate seeing the reality and getting a sense of how long it actually takes to get a big job like yours done. A couple of quick before and after posts would be beautiful, but they would also be misleading. You're doing us all a favor by sharing it as you go along. :)

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  14. Everything is looking so good!!! The brass rods and the hardware are perfect!

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  15. Love your creative solution for the pendant lamps. They're gorgeous and really add a lot of character to the space. Can't wait to see the finished product!

    www.sassyclassylife.com

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  16. Your blog is so awesome, just wanted to come up here and say it! :-)

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  17. Fantastic! What a gorgeous kitchen. You should be proud of yourself - very cosy and chic

    http://highheelsbrownhair.blogspot.co.uk/

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  18. This looks amazing! I love the bright light and clean feel. The hardware is stunning, and makes me want to change mine out! Also, love the pendant lights! We were worried about ours hanging straight (as opposed to a cord which might have some kinks or curves), but fortunately it didn't! I love the progress in your space!

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  19. Thanks for the update! You know we're checking every day. :-) What's the secret to voting on BHG? I don't see you all in there...

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  20. As another kitchen reno vetran...I get where you're coming from. It does take a long time. That's just the way it is. And I'm sure you kissed that plumber properly to get you a working sink again! I remember how to-my-bones grateful I was to have a sink and not be washing dishes in the bathtub anymore! LOL

    Very interested to see your pantry solutions. We also have a superdeep pantry, pull out shelves on the bottom but theres a top part with stationary shelves. We could use help. :)

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  21. I thought my kitchen reno was the most drawn out one in history! Our contractor started Jan 8th and we had hopes of it being done by Valentine's Day...yeah, right! It's been fun following along with your reno while ours is going on. I am so anxious to see our cabinets installed and all the details come together soon!

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  22. Your kitchen is looking fabulous!! Love how bright and cheery it is!

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  23. So gorgeous! It looks so much larger and brighter in the space now, and that DIY pendant fix is fabulous. It actually looks like they were there all along and makes them stand out more.

    Cant wait for more!

    Lauren | LB Designs
    xx

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  24. Love seeing the updates, it is coming along really well!
    Such a bright space and the light fixtures are gorgeous

    Leah @ The Shelf Society

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  25. Like the drawer hardware. And what an easy and great looking light DIY.

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  26. Why dont you have flooring under the cabinets? Is that an American thing? To me it sounds crazy not to have it. Like ignoring the plasic cover thing under the sink and dishwasher. Love the look through!

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    1. Hello,
      The flooring will be installed after the island is set, around and up to the base of the cabinets (we are installing a floating floor which can buckle if the weight of the cabinets/appliances are installed on top of it). Once the floors are installed, we will add kick-plates under all cabinets for a seamless, finished look.

      xo!

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  27. I LOVE our pullout trash and recycle cabinet!! ONE of the BEST ever choices!!
    Love your remodel-love those lights!
    sherry107

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  28. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you chose to use different pulls for different things! We are about to put pulls on our cabinets (been in the house 7 months!) and I've been wanting to use different ones but wondered how it would look. It looks awesome! Thank you for the inspiration and courage!

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  29. So pretty. I love how kitchen hardware can change things so dramatically. Love how you changed up the styling on them. We are starting our kitchen remodel in April so I have been eagerly checking out your site for inspiration. Can't wait to see how your kitchen looks in the end. And I'm sure you can't wait either. It must feel great to have an end in sight.

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  30. This is going to be a fabulous space! I can't believe all of the work done so far. And those diy brass pendants are fab!

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  31. Love the new rods for the hanging lights!!! And what is this aged brass spray you mentioned? I need details!!!

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  32. The first things I noticed were the pipe coverings! Love them!

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  33. Beautiful!!! Is there a "rule" or general guidelines when choosing the length of a bar pull? I am struggling with determining the length for my wide drawers (36") vs. shorter drawers (18"). I like your varied look but want the pulls to be proportioned! Thanks!

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    1. Thank you!

      There may be some design rules to follow in terms of hardware size vs. drawer size, but I honestly just looked for options I felt were visually proportionate. To be sure, cut a small strip of painters tape to the length you are considering and place it on the door to get a good idea of how it will ultimately feel. xoxo!

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  34. So clever what you did to the pendant lights! Looks great

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  35. Hi Jen! I love the hardware. We're these pills really $27 each for the bigger ones and $15 for the smaller ones? Each??? 😭😭😭😭

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    1. The larger are now $30 a piece!

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  36. Love the hardware! Would you share the make and style of the bar pulls?

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  37. LOVE the hardware! But Agh it is going to cost me $700 to do my kitchen in just hardware!!

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    1. That is such a bummer to hear. We have a smaller sized kitchen with limited cabinets, so our total cost came in at about half that, which was still a splurge for us!

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  38. Hi
    I just found this old blog post while researching the handles from home depot. I was wondering if you have been happy with the quality. I was looking at some of the martha stewart ones. for some reason they are cheaper than the ones you used. Both are polished nickle.
    Thanks
    Mekaela

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    1. Hi Mekaela! Our hardware is one of our favorite items in our kitchen, we absolutely LOVE it and it has held up beautifully!

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  39. I realize this is an old post, but would you happen to remember the name of your hardware? The link to Home Depot is broken.

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    1. Thank you for letting me know about the links. The name of the drawer pulls are Atlas Homewares Bronte Bar Pulls, and it looks like they are still being sold online in a couple sizes and finishes (we used polished nickel and they still look beautiful): https://bit.ly/30OeHMK

      The cup pulls were Martha Stewart at Home Depot, as were the cabinet knobs, but it doesn't look like either are available any longer.

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