A Little Kitchen Redo

About a year and a half ago, I was able to purchase my first home- owned solely by me. It was a huge accomplishment- one that I am very proud of.

I looked for one that needed a bit of updating- a home that I could make my own.

I fell in love with a semi-detached that had plenty of room for me and my 3 boys, but that had all of the outside maintenance taken care of. 

The inside definitely needed some updating. This is what the dining room looked like when I bought:

 After living with taupe walls for 3 years while renting- I initially went bold with my colour choice for my kitchen/ dining room. This colour was Rodeo Red by Behr. I loved how cozy this colour felt at the time- but after a while that 'cozy' feeling started to feel like the walls were closing in on me.

 

 Now, a year and a half later- I longed for the calming effect of taupe again. This time I chose Cappuccino Froth by Behr. I love how just a fresh coat of paint can make the room feel brand new, brighter, and even larger than before. (I also put down a vinyl plank floor in Driftwook Oak)

 This was my kitchen when I purchased my home. I loved all of the cupboard space- but did not love the colour.

I was quite happy with it after the Rodeo Red went on the walls. I used a faux-brick wallpaper as a temporary backsplash.

 After painting the kitchen taupe, I decided to do some updating on the appliances. You can see in the above photo that the appliances were a lovely ivory colour. I found a stainless steel oven on kijiji that was a year old for $400.

 

 But my range hood was still ivory. I picked up some black appliance paint and decided to try painting my hood- that was still in great working order. After 2 coats, I am SO pleased with the results! You would never know it didn't come installed in black!

 I then turned to my ivory dishwasher. I decided to try stainless steel contact paper on the main tub part and painted the bottom black.

 I absolutely love the results. For a $12.99 roll of paper and a couple of coats of appliance paint- it looks like a totally different dishwasher!

 Here is my finished redo on my dishwasher and range hood...and also a sneak peek at my current project- my painted cupboards!

More updates to come on my cupboards, friends! Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading and I hope I've inspired you to breathe new life into some old items, instead of replacing them! You'll have an amazing sense of accomplishment and our earth will thank you!

Peace.

National Thrift Day- My Top Ten Reasons To Thrift

It's National Thrift Day, friends!

To celebrate- I've come up with my Top Ten Reasons why thrifting is just the best!

10- You get to buy clothing that is different than everything everyone else is wearing.

9- Or, if you desire, you get to buy clothing that is the SAME as everything everyone else is wearing- but you just bought it for less.

8- You get to help the earth. Buying second-hand recycles items and reduces the need to manufacture new items.

7- You can feel good that you've saved an item from a landfill. You're basically a hero.

6- It's like a fun scavenger hunt every time you shop. Who knows WHAT you'll find!

5-  You get to save money, loads of it. 

4- You get to brag to everyone about what a great deal you got when you get loads of compliments on your purchases.

3- Did I mention ALL of the money you save? Seriously...

2- You get to hum the 'Thrift Shop' song while you're shopping. ...."I'm gonna pop some tags....only got twenty dollars in my pocket..."

And the number one reason why thrifting is the absolute best is this:

This woman found Chris Hadfield's authentic space suit at a Canadian thrift shop and bought it for $40. For real life. You never know what unique items you will find.

You can read about WHY I only buy second hand here. 

Thanks for reading friends and make sure to get out thrifting to celebrate National Thrift Shop Day!! 

Blessings.