04 Jul Kitchen Makeover Big Reveal | One Room Challenge | Spring 2020 | Week 8

Happy 4th of July friends!  This is a special 4th for me because I get to finally share our new kitchen with you. It took me one extra week to finalize details and photography, but I am super proud to present to you the BIG REVEAL of The Collier St. Kitchen Makeover. I’ve been working on our Kitchen Makeover for the 8-week One Room Challenge (ORC).  It was one thing to jump into the Spring 2020 One Room Challenge and take on a kitchen, yet another thing to do it during a global pandemic, a racial justice movement, and to get Covid-19 in the middle of it.  Yes, I have had Covid-19 and am fully recovered now.  That’s not even mentioning all the regular hiccups that come with any project of any size.  However, I made it through with the support of all of you and am super excited to share my BIG REVEAL of our brand new white Kitchen Makeover.

 

In case you’re not familiar with the spring 2020 One Room Challenge, please see all my blog posts here to catch up.  If you’re on the blog for the first time, welcome. I’m Deborah Main The Pillow Goddess,  a luxury pillow designer, and a design blogger, not a kitchen designer. So this was definitely stepping outside my comfort zone and a major challenge.

 

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

 

First, I have many people I’d like to personally thank

 

 

 

 

The most unique One Room Challenge ever

A BIG thank you goes to Linda Weinstein, the creator and owner of the highly anticipated bi-annual One Room Challenge (ORC) and the media sponsor Better Homes & Gardens.  For if not for them, I would not have been a Guest Participant for 3 One Room Challenges (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020).  As a result of their hard work and sensitivity to what’s going on in the world right now, they not only delayed the normal 6-week challenge for one month but added 2 extra weeks making it the first 8-week challenge in the history of ORC.

In addition, we were given 12 more days to finish up and upload our Week 8 BIG REVEAL blog post to the One Room Challenge website by July 5th. ORC also canceled Week 5 out of respect for Justice for George Floyd and equality for all black lives.  There is NO way, with everything going on, vendors closed, manufacturing delayed, you name it, that any of us would have finished our rooms without ORC’s support and flexibility at this difficult time.  So thank you very much Linda and the entire One Room Challenge team!

It Takes A Village

Now I want to introduce you to my team, the wonderful people that helped me transform a 20-year-old kitchen from brown wood cabinets, leaky sink, and Formica countertop to a beautiful new white kitchen makeover, with almost everything brand new.  I can’t thank each of you enough, from vendors and tradespeople to dear friends, and particularly our partners and sponsors.   If not for you, I’d still have a dark, dated 1990’s kitchen.  Thank you with all my heart for your incredible support to help make my dream Kitchen Makeover a reality.

Patrick Landrum of PL&D Patrick Landrum Design – Thank you to my personal dear friend and interior design consultant, Patrick Landrum, who helped me work through all the very challenging technical aspects to a kitchen for which I do not have the experience or expertise. I can’t tell you how many times I turned to Patrick to figure out how to properly build and get the right dimensions for something in our kitchen. Patrick fully supported my design and selections and he was always there for me when I needed him. Want to remodel your kitchen? Hire a professional interior designer like Patrick.

Michelle Felux of Breaking Down the Box – Thank you with all my heart Michelle for being such a true friend. Michelle and I met through the One Room Challenge community, and we’ve done 3 ORC’s together. She is the Queen of DIY. Lucky for me, she lives in San Antonio and is so skilled that she can build and do ANYTHING in construction.  She graciously volunteered to spend 4 days in our Airbnb to teach me (yes with masks, 6 ft apart) how to tile my kitchen. We worked 12 hours the first day and it was a blast. I learned so much! However, on the 2nd day, June 12th, I suddenly became extremely sick and came down with Covid-19 (not learning of my test results until July 2nd). I am so thankful that after 3 weeks Michelle has not had a single symptom.  I was so sick she had to finish the tiling herself. A true friend. Please be sure to see her BIG REVEAL coming any day now. Michelle is AMAZING and has built by hand everything in her guest bedroom/office. Please follow her on Instagram; her Stories are amazing!

Alejandro Gutierrez of AIG Remodeling.  Thank you Alejandro. I got very lucky and found the most talented carpenter and I couldn’t be more grateful.  I never could have created a new kitchen without all the carpentry, drywall, tile removal, and tons of other carpentry like ditching the taped together old microwave, and cutting down the Rev-A-Shelf cabinet organizers he did for me. And one of the hardest things, to execute my vision of a more modern bar, which of course I changed my design mid-stream.

Many thanks to our plumber Brandon Higgins, of Plumb-O-Rama and our electrician, Carl Geers of Ace Electric, two very essential tradesmen to pull off a Kitchen Makeover. And to the entire design and One Room Challenge communities, who are like family, for having my back and being there for support.

Photography

 

 

I’d also like to give a special thank you to my son, professional NYC photographer Cason Latimer, who via long-distance helped me learn how to take professional camera images (boy, did he have a lot of patience!), Cody Kinsfather, an incredible professional photographer, who I met through Angel Rodenbeck of Spyglass Realty, who helped me in a pinch get additional quality shots, and to my son who did the post-processing of all images. Also interspersed are a few images from my phone with no post-processing.

 

A HUGE thank you to our partners for the Kitchen Makeover

These incredible brands partnered with me and sponsored every major component to our brand new kitchen with high-quality products. Without your sponsorship, there would be no new kitchen. There’s a lot of back and forth in securing sponsorship and great people behind each of these brands that made it all happen. I personally want to thank each of you for your hard work to make my dream kitchen makeover a reality.

BLANCO – sponsored in full a SILGRANIT^® sink, ARTONA faucet with pull-down spray, SOLON™ Compost System, and sink accessories that are a thrill to use every day. Thank you Alexandra Lashner and Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising. Read about BLANCO’s  SILGRANIT^®  products in Week 2.

Paper Moon Painting – sponsored professional painting of our dark wood cabinets to a crisp white with such expertise. Thank you Lisa Moon, Carlie Williamson, and Joe. Read why selecting pro painters are essential for your cabinets in Week 7.

Empire Countertops – removed old countertop and sponsored in full the gorgeous new porcelain countertop and waterfall bar, including fabrication and installation. Thank you to rock star Morgan Monroe and manager Sol.  Read about why Porcelain is the perfect countertop in Week 3

Crossville Studios – sponsored the incredible Peacock and Indigo Convergence glass tile making a striking contrast to the white cabinets. Thank you Irene Williams, Adam Wilkes, Lance Magana, and Tamra. Read about selecting tile in Week 6.

Zephyr – sponsored the striking new stainless steel Ombra wall hood, with wonderful lighting and ventilation in our old microwave spot. Thank you Erica Tapiarene. Read about the importance of a great ventilation hood in Week 7

Top Knobs – sponsored all the new Riverside kitchen hardware in their new beautiful honey bronze finish. Thank you Catherine Hoy and Lori Dolnick of Frank Advertising. Read how to select kitchen hardware in Week 4.

CWI Lighting – sponsored modern Da Vinci globe pendants, over our new bar, to coordinate with the Deco crystal chandelier in our breakfast nook, which they also sponsored last fall. Thank you Maher Shaheen and Ali Hameed.

Rev-A-Shelf – sponsored specific cabinet organizer systems for the kitchen drawers and cabinets. They also sponsored the Tresco undercabinet lighting and now we can see!! Thank you Bryant Chappel and Shari McPeek. Read about the importance of cabinet organization in Week 6.

Articulture Designs – sponsored a Living Wall piece and a succulent tray designed by owner Monique Capanelli, specifically for our kitchen space and provided all the other wonderful greenery. Thank you Monique Capanelli and Kasha Taylor. Read about the importance of botanicals in your kitchen in Week 7

Collectic Home – sponsored for the photoshoot the cool Isy acrylic barstools, white leather kitchen stool, and modern black clock. Thank you Joni Greeson.

When an outdated ’90’s kitchen no longer functions

All Before photography is by me.

Okay, I know you’ve been waiting over a week and really want to see the BIG REVEAL of my Kitchen Makeover. How we created a wonderful Kitchen transformation in just 8 weeks.  But please let me remind you of what our 1990’s kitchen looked like before the spring 2020 One Room Challenge started May 7th.

I will be sharing tons more photos throughout the summer as I want to share with you more of what it really takes to transform a kitchen makeover, details about the sponsored products, and hopefully inspire you to think about tackling your own kitchen!

Kitchen Problem Areas

We had 10 major problem areas we wanted to address, as you’ll see below.

1. the kitchen was dark,
2. no undercabinet lighting
3. a rotted out sink and broken garbage disposal
4. a taped together microwave and no proper ventillation
5. dated tile and hardware
6. 20-year-old dark wood Kraftmaid cabinets
7. a butcher block built as part of countertop with no compost nearby
8. old light pendants
9. an outdated Formica countertop and granite bar and passthrough
10. poor use of cabinet space/no place to put anything.

 

Before Images

 

 

 

 

 

The Collier St. Kitchen Makeover

Our goal, since 2014, when BLANCO gave us the SOLON™ Compost System, was to install it into the countertop someday and have a lighter, brighter, more functional kitchen. Six years later, with the help of everyone I’ve mentioned and our brand partners, our dream came true!

As a result, we have a brand new bright, white, organized, and light-filled functional kitchen with a new sink and faucet, new hood, new hardware, new backsplash tile, new countertop, bar, and passthrough, and new cabinet organization.

Most of all we have a happy kitchen that makes us want to be there, cook great meals (my husband’s the chef; I clean up), and enjoy family time, and one day soon entertain friends again in our beautiful new kitchen and breakfast nook.

Personal confession

Personally, I must confess I was very nervous about going with an all-white kitchen because I love color so much. However, I knew we had to brighten this dark room.  In addition, I was scared to have a dark backsplash with white cabinets.  Those were two of my fears I had to get over.  When the kitchen was completed my first thought was it’s gorgeous, but it’s so white and sterile.  But the minute I started using the new BLANCO SILGRANIT^® sink (which is a dream!) and added my own colorful personal touches, the kitchen became ours again and we absolutely LOVE IT!!!  So take risks!  It is worth it in the end!

 

The BIG  REVEAL of our beautiful new white kitchen

I will list all the products and links at the end of this post so you know where to purchase these incredible kitchen design elements.

 

After Images

Below is a full view of the kitchen from the family/dining room. Ombra hood by Zephyr; white leather stool by Collectic Home; Hardware by Top Knobs, White cabinets by Paper Moon Painting; Botanicals by Articulture Designs; Tile by Crossville, Inc.; Porcelain Countertop by Empire Countertops; Colorful dishtowels by Junagalow.

One memory of the old kitchen I kept was the cutting board that used to be built into our Formica countertop. Our dear neighbor Cameron Cone preserved the cutting board and made it into a new butcher block board to use in the same spot where I sit and chop vegetables and fruit.

 

Below is a view of our new kitchen from the breakfast nook. This photo has some of the fun styling I did with a coffee cup holder, modern clock by Collectic Home, trays to keep essentials nearby the range, and a magnetic strip for our knives right below the new Zephyr Ombra hood in stainless steel.

 

Below is a view of our new waterfall porcelain countertop bar by Empire Countertops. The veining in the porcelain is absolutely gorgeous and coordinates beautifully with our faux marble pedestal table in the breakfast nook.

In addition, it really brightens up the kitchen and maintenance of the porcelain is a breeze. The hood is by Zephyr, white cabinets by Paper Moon Painting, hardware by Top Knobs, bar pendants by CWI Lighting, acrylic bar stools by Collectic Home/Eurway and succulent planter by Articulture Designs.

 

 

 

Below are Pendants by CWI Lighting; Tile by Crossville, Inc., Countertop by Empire Countertops, and stainless steel SOLON™ Compost System by BLANCO (see it in the counter in front of the fruit bowl?).

 

Below is the brilliant Peg System drawer organizer by Rev-A-Shelf. Hardware by Top Knobs.

To be honest, I thought, how can pegs keep a drawer organized? But once installed, I fell in love with them!  I couldn’t believe how much a difference the peg drawer system made.

 

 

You can see the richness of the wood pattern in the two glass tile colors I mixed together, Peacock and Indigo, with the Crossville, Inc. Convergence tile.  The colors work beautifully with our breakfast nook and the blue velvet vintage sofa in our living room which is part of the kitchen area.

I was hesitant to go with a dark tile, but I love the contrast with the crisp white cabinets. In addition, the circular wood pattern in the tile complements the circular fabric pattern by Kravet on the breakfast nook cushion.

 

 

Below is one of the brilliant, yet simple to install, rack systems by Rev-A-Shelf for trays and platters in the two cabinets above our refrigerator.  So easy to get to all the cutting boards and trays we need.

 

 

Below is the gorgeous Living Wall Art made of a variety of succulents, coral, and even crystals by Articulture Designs.  It works so beautifully in our breakfast nook and next to the bar cart on the refrigerator side of our kitchen.

It’s also the first botanical beauty you see upon entering our home from the front door.  Be sure to check out all that Articulture Designs offers from Living Walls to botanical kits and classes.

 

 

Below is long gold footed planter that Articulture filled with an array of beautiful succulents specifically for our kitchen bar. The pendants are by CWI Lighting; countertop is gorgeous porcelain by Empire Countertops; glass tile is Convergence in two beautiful colors by Crossville, Inc.; hardware is the Riverside pull in Honey Bronze by Top Knobs, and the white leather kitchen stool is by Collectic Home.

 

 

Below is our new breakfast nook. You can see how it is right in the middle of the kitchen and how the beautiful botanicals from Articulture Designs add so much depth and greenery to the space.

 

 

Below are the sensuous Riverside Pulls in a beautiful Honey Bronze finish by Top Knobs that we used in two sizes throughout the kitchen.

What I love about these pulls, besides the finish, is the shape. The Riverside pulls are curved on the inside and feel buttery soft when you grab them. Yet they have a flat front that complements the gold finishes and shapes of the CWI Lighting bar pendants and chandelier.

This is why I got so stuck on these pulls. They are perfect for our kitchen!

 

 

Please PIN for easy reference

 

 

Additional photography below by Cody Kinsfather.

 

The showpiece in this photo is the Ombra hood in stainless steel by Zephyr.  (It also comes in black stainless steel). I love how it looks against the colorful glass tile by Crossville, Inc. , the porcelain countertop by Empire Countertops, and the crisp white cabinets painted by Paper moon Painting. The Zephyr hood fits perfectly between our cabinets and provides an incredible amount of light and powerful ventilation for cooking.

 

 

Look at this striking ARTONA faucet by BLANCO below.  It is a real showpiece in the kitchen and I can’t wait to share more, in future posts, about how beautifully it functions with the BLANCO SILGRANIT^® sink.

In addition, I love mixing metals and how the stainless steel and white work with the Honey Bronze finish of the Riverside pulls by Top Knobs. Notice the sweet terrarium, hedgehog, and llama greenery by Articulture Designs.

 

 

Below is a closeup of the beautiful Riverside pulls in the Honey Bronze finish by Top Knobs.  It turned out to be a good thing that my Week 8 blog was delayed because these were on backorder and arrived just in time for me to install.

 

 

Below is our new BLANCO SILGRANIT^® sink, ARTONA SILGRANIT^® faucet, soap dispenser, and walnut cutting board, all by BLANCO. It took me a while to get used to the sink, but I absolutely love it and will be demonstrating it in future posts. It also looks beautiful against the backdrop of the Convergence glass tile by Crossville Studios.

 

 

Above and below I am thoroughly enjoying the ease of use of our new BLANCO SILGRANIT^® sink, ARTONA faucet, and walnut cutting board that fits right into the sink.

 

 

 

 

I love this photo below that Cody captured because it shows you how the kitchen is in the center, the heart of our home. To the left is the breakfast nook. In front of the CWI Lighting pendants is our living room. And at the back of our kitchen, you step down into our family/dining room.  You can really get a sense of how the kitchen, breakfast nook, and living room are all one big room.

 

 

Below is a great shot that Cody took so you can see how beautifully the bar pendants work with the Deco crystal chandelier, all by sponsor CWI Lighting.  They have a lot of new original designs, so be sure to check out their website. The Isy acrylic barstools by Collectic Home/Eurway complement the kitchen beautifully keeping it light and fresh.

 

 

There are tons more photos I’ll share in future posts, but I’ll wrap it up here for now. It’s been an invaluable learning experience to design a Kitchen Makeover in 8 weeks during the 2020 One Room Challenge.  I’m honored to have worked with such talented vendors, tradesmen, and to promote such incredible luxury kitchen brands. I feel very blessed to have such beautiful and functional design pieces by these stellar brands in our kitchen. Thank you to everyone!

I thought I’d end my reveal with a homespun photo of me in our new kitchen using the original wood cutting board from our old kitchen our neighbor remade for us and our new BLANCO SOLON™ Compost System. David is already cooking up his famous Italian meals, even though we don’t know when we’ll ever be able to entertain again. I do hope by 2021, as I miss so many of you dear friends!!

 

Please take a look at the Week 8 One Room Challenge Big Reveals by 20 Featured Designers and 200+ Guest Participants. You will be amazed at the talent, from novice DIY to award-winning interior designers, and the diversity and complexity of the rooms. And hopefully, come away incredibly inspired for your next home project!

Source List

I highly recommend these luxury kitchen brands for both the high quality craftsmanship of their products and unparalleled customer service. Please follow our partners on Instagram and look at their websites for all the wonderful products they offer.

SILGRANIT^®sink, faucet, soap dispenser, and SOLON™ Compost System //BLANCO
White cabinet painting // Paper Moon Painting
Ombra Wall Hood // Zephyr
Porcelain Countertop // Empire Countertops
Crossville, Inc. Convergence Tile // Crossville Studios
Da Vinci Bar pendants // CWI Lighting
Riverside Hardware // Top Knobs
Drawer Peg System and undercabinet lighting // Rev-A-Shelf
Living wall art, succulents and other greenery // Articulture Designs
Isy Acrylic barstools, white leather stool, and black clock // Collectic Home /Eurway.

Please PIN for easy reference and watch for more Kitchen Makeover details this summer:

 

Till next time, after I take some time off to catch up on rest, thank you for following my journey of the Collier St. Kitchen Makeover. It was quite the experience to completely transform our kitchen in 8 weeks. I truly thank everyone involved.  David and I are so grateful to have a sparkling new white kitchen with such excellent products.  Bless all of you and have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend.  XO PG

Note: This post is sponsored by all of the partners listed below. All images are either by me or photographer Cody Kinsfather. Opinions are all my own.

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