21 Jun 3 Key Design Features that Will Transform Your Kitchen Makeover | One Room Challenge | Spring 2020 | Week 7

Well, I’m not going to lie. Week 7 has been hell.  After a 12 hour day of tiling my kitchen backsplash with my One Room Challenge pal Michelle Felux of @breaking_down_the_box, which was so fun to do together, I got very sick. If there was a time for it to happen in the 8-week challenge, this was it, although it did leave Michelle having to finish up on her own. I couldn’t ask for a better friend! The painting crew arrived Monday and I had to be out of the house (cause of the fumes), so it helped force me to have bed rest. We moved into our Airbnb and I went to bed for the next 5 days and am still in bed on day 8.  So if there ever was a time I was not needed, this was it. Week 7 was the end of all the big pieces constructions phases of the kitchen makeover so it enabled me to get the rest I needed.  I’m trying to get better…but I’m currently operating at less than 25%. But enough about my woes, let me share with you the final three exciting partnerships I have for The Collier St. Kitchen Makeover and 3 key design features that will transform your kitchen makeover.

 

Delay in Big Reveal Day

First off, I want to let you know right up front, I’m not going to make the Big Reveal date of June 25th.  I know you’re dying to see it, and I can’t wait to share it with you. With the Pandemic and national justice movement, the One Room Challenge graciously gave us two extra weeks, which is proving to be helpful. I’m still waiting on product to arrive to install in my kitchen before I can photograph.  My goal is to have my Big Reveal on Monday the 29th, but it may be a few days beyond that. I want to get this Kitchen Makeover right, with all it’s pieces in place before I share it with you. So thank you for your patience and understanding.

If you’re new to the spring 2020 One Room Challenge, sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens, please take a minute to catch up below as I share the entire process, through my blog posts.  It’s important for you to see all the multitude of decisions and coordination with contractors that goes into creating even a small Kitchen Makeover.

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

 

To Paint or Not To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets

As mentioned above, Week 7 was all about the painters. I knew from the minute I met Lisa Moon a few years ago that I was going to be in great hands.  Lisa and Peter Moon own Paper Moon Painting. Lisa runs her company and hires her crew with the depth of character she personally possesses.  She is kind, generous, honest, caring, extremely professional, and has a very high commitment to excellence.

Paper Moon Painting is the top-rated painters for houses and cabinets in central Texas.  They have two locations, with an incredible team of pro painters, that stay very busy, one in San Antonio, and one here in Austin.  I am so thrilled that Lisa wanted to partner and that her team made room in their schedule for our kitchen.

See for yourself some of their amazing Before/Afters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why all white?

I remember talking with my interior designer, Patrick Landrum, of PL&D Patrick Landrum Design, about remodeling our kitchen all the way back in 2014 when I received the complimentary BLANCO SOLON Composting System. Our kitchen is in the middle of the old original part of our vintage bungalow so it does not have any direct light.  In fact, the back window over the kitchen sink looking into our family room is the original window that would have overlooked the yard in the 1950s.  So it’s very dark and we both felt white would really brighten it up.

Now as a lover of color, I knew it would be very challenging for me personally to go with an all-white kitchen.  I could have gone with another light color, or two-toned cabinets, but white seemed the safest bet and a classic one where it would never become dated but always remain in style.  It also took away the agonizing decision about what color, of all the colors I love in the world, I would paint our cabinets.

The Little Black Dress of the Painting World

I think white cabinets are timeless and that’s why so many of our clients choose white. We ourselves live in a home built in 1920 and the white cabinets are perfect with the pale grey walls and all the millwork around the windows and doors.  The two “safe bets” as far as picking cabinet colors are either white or a stronger color such as black, green, or blue since strong colors will always be popular.  It’s only the “neutral of the day” (gray currently, tan before that) that can end up looking dated if you’re not careful.  Plus with all the gorgeous countertop and backsplash options out there, white is the perfect backdrop!  It’s the “little black dress” of kitchen design.  – Lisa Moon, Owner, Paper Moon Painting

To learn more about Paper Moon Painting and why they’re such leading experts in painting homes and cabinets, please visit their website HERE and follow them on Instagram.

Where the magic happens

 

Now let’s get to the real deal, the cabinet painting of The Collier St. Kitchen Makeover.  Boy, am I happy I chose to learn to install tile and didn’t even consider painting my own cabinets.  There are painters, but then there is Paper Moon Painting, the pros. With over 40 years of expertise, Paper Moon Painting believes in the power of color and great design to improve one’s happy quotient and well being. The magic happens all behind this little sliver of a red doorway to the kitchen.

Let’s start with the prep work.

In my mind, a company is only as great as its team.  I was told they’d be sealing everything off and that it might be best if I stayed in our Airbnb because of the paint fumes. Now also remember, I’m sick at this point, so I only could take a peek every once in a while. But I was astounded and incredibly impressed that they took one day out of the four to completely prep with precision the entire kitchen area. Since they were down a man, Joe was my contact and he was super courteous and helpful.

 

Everything, and I mean everything, that would not be painted was carefully sealed off with paper and securely taped down.  And then from the entrance of our tiny bungalow, they sealed off the entire kitchen and made a separate room with sheets of plastic. It was really quite amazing to behold! (To the right of the clock is our breakfast nook and kitchen.)

 

Please PIN for easy reference

Here’s Joe below in the midst of it all and the drying racks they use for the cabinet doors. This is hard work, but Joe was so positive and a real take-charge kind of guy.  I like to see that in a crew.  He was so sweet and would leave me notes since he knew I was too sick to get up most of the time.

Below is the large duct they had hooked up to the outside from our kitchen window in the breakfast nook which enabled the paint fumes and particles in the air to get sucked outdoors.

I knew that painting the inside of my cabinets was not part of Paper Moon Painting’s sponsorship, but it was so kind of Joe, on his own initiative, to paint the inside of the glass cabinets.  I really appreciated that attention to detail.

Above is the huge exhaust fan they set up at the completion of the painting to air out the kitchen and the rest of the house and below is the sweet note and extra paint Joe left for us.

All in all, I never dreamed the painting of our kitchen cabinets would go so smoothly.  The level of professionalism and expertise that Paper Moon Painting exhibits is second to none. If you’re planning to remodel your kitchen but do not want to add new cabinets, call Paper Moon Painting today! Out of all the multitude of decisions I had to make for our tiny kitchen, choosing Paper Moon Painting was by far the best decision I ever made. Thank you so much for sponsoring our cabinets!

 

Zephyr Saves the Day

Some of you may know, but most probably don’t, that I had a range and hood sponsor for my Kitchen Makeover project. But due to the Pandemic they had to back out.  I tried really hard to find a replacement sponsor and so many top brands were interested, but each, in the end, couldn’t participate at this time because the Pandemic had really created manufacturing and production lead time problems for their brands. I completely understood and accepted that it was not meant to be.

Although, I must confess, that throughout this project, I’ve been dreading having to show you our Kitchen Makeover with a dangling ventilation hose above our range. That is until Zephyr jumped at the opportunity to partner with us and help us make our final Kitchen Makeover complete.   I can’t thank them enough for jumping in on such short notice to be the finishing touch to The Collier St. Kitchen Makeover.

Take a look at Zephyr’s sleek range hoods

 

 

Design Beyond Expectations

Family-founded brand Zephyr, has been the pioneer for the past 20 years specializing in both design and innovation to create unexpected experiences in the ventilation category for the kitchen. They are one of the first appliance manufacturers to partner with world-class designers to be at the forefront of kitchen design with new products and experiences.

Zephyr has a 7,000 sq. ft. luxury showroom, education and training facility, the Zephyr Design & Experience Center, based in San Francisco. It is currently closed during the Pandemic but I can imagine how gorgeous and helpful to consumers it is.  They are still ready to assist you anytime with their excellent customer service.  You can locate a dealer near you HERE.

 

 

When 1/16th of an inch makes all the difference.

I believe that great ventilation when cooking is essential to a healthy kitchen, especially when using a gas stove as we have.  We had removed the upper cabinets and broken microwave above our range and had always envisioned a sleek stainless steel hood. However, we have 20-year-old cabinets and they are barely 30″ apart.  I love all the Zephyr designs and would be happy with any of them, but Patrick went through each with a fine-tooth comb to find one that was 1/16th less than 30″.

We selected the Ombre Wall unit below, except in stainless steel. It comes in black stainless steel as well. The Ombre Wall unit is sleek perfection in form and function with its capacitive touch controls and hybrid baffle filters. It also has a powerful 600 CFM blower with Zephyr’s exclusive Airflow Control Technology™ (ACT™) to meet local code requirements.

It arrives Tuesday and I can’t wait to get it installed.  We’ve never had a hood before so I’m very excited about this feature for our Kitchen Makeover.  I think it will make a real difference in the air quality and design aesthetics of our kitchen. It’ll be like the final piece of the Kitchen Makeover puzzle being put into place to make the kitchen whole again and I am so grateful to partner with such a leading luxury brand as Zephyr.

Please visit Zephyr’s website to see all the gorgeous ventilation options HERE and follow them on Instagram.

 

Another Zephyr product I’m excited to introduce you to is the industry-first Black Stainless Steel Presrv™ Wine and Beverage Coolers.

Our kitchen is too small to install one of these beauties, but check back here on the blog this summer as I share why you should consider one for your kitchen, especially if you’re a wine lover.

 

Bringing the outdoors in

 

From a tiny home studio to a multi-faceted business

What can I say, Articulture Designs is an oasis in South Austin that I plan to visit a lot more.  An award-winning design firm, boutique, and event space, Articulture designs is nestled into a vintage home on an acre which owner Monique Capanelli has turned into a tropical paradise. I had no idea it had grown to that extent and it literally is in my neighborhood.

Monique started her business in her home in 2009 and I met her at what used to be Aviary Decor. Aviary carried my pillow line and Monique’s glass terrariums.  We haven’t seen each other in 10+ years (both busy working our businesses) so it was amazing to me the extent to which Monique has taken her ground-breaking approach to plants, design, and art and turned it into a successful multi-faceted business working with residential and commercial clients all over the world.  From their quaint boutique shop, where Monique and I visited to discuss the Kitchen project, to the backyard where they conduct classes, workshops, and even have live music, it is a very magical place.

When you first walk into their boutique you are inundated with gorgeous, artistically-designed botanicals at every turn.

 

Articulture Designs is known for its “breathtaking living walls, transformative interior plant scapes, and uncommonly inventive wedding and event decor.”  Articulture has its boutique where they sell their designs and hold classes, and they also offer commission work and design services, as well as commercial installations. I don’t know if you remember, but I was reminded of Monique’s amazing work when I toured the Austin Modern Home Tour in February and saw one of her living walls at the Foothill Residence by architect Bercy Chen Studio.  I knew immediately it was Monique’s work because of her signature style.

Here’s Monique putting the finishing touches on one of her projects.

 

This below is the journey to the bathroom at their boutique. I’m so happy they had a photo of it online, because mine did not turn out.  It’s AMAZING to be surrounded by greenery, trees and all of nature in a building.

 

Why Bringing Plants Indoors is important to a healthy home

Once I saw Monique’s Living Wall on the Austin Modern Home Tour, I knew I had to reach out to her and reconnect.  As I’ve mentioned before, our kitchen is very dark, and while it has light through the breakfast nook windows, I knew I not only wanted but needed plants in our new kitchen to make me feel connected to the earth.  I was thrilled to see Monique after all these years and very excited she wanted to partner up for the Kitchen Makeover.

Monique explains the importance of plants to our daily living –

Our goal with the botanical art we create at Articulture, is to connect and incorporate nature and living materials into our work and personal spaces. Our approach to this is to accentuate artistic principles of design into our living walls and plant scapes. Plants clean the air, absorb toxins, and produce oxygen. The addition of plant life in interior spaces has proven to allow for a better flow of creativity, a more positive workspace and overall raising the level of our health by reducing stress and fatigue. – Monique Capanelli, owner, Articulture Designs

Please visit the Articulture Designs website HERE to check out some of their classes (I know I have my eye on the hedgehog kit!), stop by their boutique, and follow them on Instagram.

Enjoy some of Articulture Designs spectacular custom works of art! The color and texture are divine!

 

 

 

 

Please PIN for easy reference

 

What’s Left to Do?

Not a lot, thank God, but I’m still waiting for delivery of the Zephyr hood, the Rev-A-Shelf cabinet organization items, and the Tresco under cabinet lighting.  I still have all those things to get installed and I know it will be challenging to install Rev-A-Shelf ourselves, but hopefully, once I’m better I’ll be up to the challenge.  Oh, I also need to finish caulking the Crossville tile, touch up paint, and put the Top Knobs hardware on.  Then, hopefully, I clean up and start styling for the photoshoot. I can’t wait to see the Collier St. Kitchen Makeover completely finished.  I hope in some small way my blog has been a distraction for you and inspired you to think about remodeling.  Thank you so much for your continued support friends!

Please subscribe to the Pillow Goddess Blog and follow my instagram @thepillowgoddess to see my Stories about the One Room Challenge. With this being the final countdown until the BIG REVEAL, be sure to spend time getting inspired by the 300+ Guest Participants and 20 Featured Designers.  And follow Intagram hashtags #oneroomchallenge #BHGORC, and #thepillowgoddess.

Till next time, Week 8 – the Big Reveal, stay safe, well, and continue to keep standing up for racial justice.  It was nice to learn more about Juneteenth. One of the things I’m most looking forward to after the One Room Challenge is reading up on black history so I can educate and inform myself and work toward change within myself, my family, and my community.  See you at the BIG REVEAL! XO PG

Note: This post is sponsored by Paper Moon Painting, Zephyr, and Articulture Designs. All press info and images identified are courtesy of these brands. All other images, except where credited, are my own. Opinions are all my own.

THANK YOU TO ALL PARTNERS SPONSORING THE COLLIER ST. KITCHEN MAKEOVER: