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Kitchen Update: Pendant & Faucet Edition

by | May 14, 2018 | Kitchen | 55 comments

The following post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by build.com. Read my full disclosure here.

The time has finally come to show you the first reveal of the kitchen. EEEEKKKK! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Let me first give you a little backstory on this kitchen and show some before photos. This house is fairly new and only about ten months old. We bought it from someone that had lived here for those months. I am not sure if they built the house or if it was just a spec home they picked up from the builder. We knew right away it was a great floor plan. It utilized/ removed all the wasted space we didn’t use in our previous home. The style and finishes were definitely not our favorite. However, they were cosmetic changes that we didn’t waste any time getting started on. Mr. Whitelane and I decided to start with the kitchen and make it fit our style and taste. But first a look at where it all started.

 

The before photos show how dark and heavy the kitchen was. We all know I love a white kitchen so that was one of the first changes. Painting the cabinets white was a huge impact! They were a dark knotty alder wood so that was a fun challenge that we hired out. Next, we hired Coby to install three by twelve subway tile backsplash and it really helped lighten the kitchen even more. I also thought it would be a good idea to remove the cabinet next to the refrigerator and do open shelves. I love having these shelves to display all the fun nicknacks.

Let’s be honest, the real show stoppers are the Feiss Pendant Lights and Delta Faucet from build.com. Let me introduce you to your new best friend for all the things, build.com. Have you ever seen all the amazingness they offer in ONE place!? One stop shopping at it’s finest. I don’t have a lot of time to try and hunt down all the pieces for a project from multiple websites. Build.com has been a lifesaver because they offer everything you will need in one convenient place. From furniture and decor to appliances, tools, and flooring. They really do have it all. Finally, a DIY’ers (and anyone who shops) dream spot. I also have to say that the prices are really great too.

 

Ok, back to the amazing Feiss Cadence Pendants. I went with the 13″ in matte black and dark antique brass. When they first arrived Mr. Whitelane was hesitant about the size being too large. After all, there are three of these babes across the island. Full disclosure: I got a little worried for a second too. However, once we got them installed, it was pure love! From the second I started dreaming up ideas for the kitchen, these pendants were part of the plan. I love the black and brass together. The Cadence Pendant is just the right mix of chic, industrial modern, and bold. They really do tie everything together in this space while being the eye-catching statement. The brass accents pair perfectly with my champagne bronze Delta Trinsic Facuet.

 

This faucet is what champagne dreams are made of. It is affordable, sleek, and such an elegant piece. The pull-down magnetic docking spray head is probably my fav! Doing dishes never felt so good! At least for now. We will see how long that good feeling lasts. 🙂 I get asked a lot about how I knew the champagne color faucet would match the brass Cadence Pendants. Guess what? It doesn’t matter. They do coordinate perfectly but they don’t have to be an exact match. Designer tip: choosing finishes in the same color palette that coordinate (don’t have to match exactly) creates depth and variety in a space.

Moral of the story, you need this yummy champagne faucet in your kitchen like yesterday! I also want to give a big high five to Mr. Whitelane for installing this beauty all by himself. This Delta Trinsic Faucet was so easy to install and I could not be happier with how perfect it fit into our kitchen update. The best part is that both the faucet and pendants were delivered right to my front door from build.com.

  

Can you believe what a transformation this kitchen has undergone? It went from the dark and heavy to light and bright. It is amazing what paint, tile, light fixtures, and the perfect faucet can do. This is one of many updates to this house. We are busy over here on our next project that I can’t wait to share. In the meantime, I am headed to do some shopping in my pajamas for that project on build.com. 🙂

Cabinet Lighting

by | Dec 3, 2017 | DIY, Kitchen | 0 comments

The following post is sponsored by Globe Electric and contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

I just wanted to pop in and tell you about the new upgrade my kitchen got. One thing we left out when building this house was cabinet lighting. We opted to leave out lighting under the cabinets and in the upper glass cabinets. When I saw these remote control LED slim pucks from Globe Electric, I knew they would be the perfect solution.

These are really neat little LED lights that can be used anywhere you need light. Closets, pantries, shelving, cabinets, and really just about anywhere you wish you had put a light. They can be turned on by pressing the button or by using the remote. The remote even has a timer! I seriously love that feature. They were so easy to install too. They come with 3M stickers or screws to mount each light. I ended up just using the 3M stickers so I can move them around as I need. Best of all, the batteries come with the light. That is a huge savings right there.

I have to say this was the easiest DIY upgrade I have done in a while. I just popped the batteries in and stuck them where I wanted. It is fun having the added ambiance in our kitchen with the ease of a remote. It’s the simple things in life. 🙂

They come with six pucks in one pack with a remote and batteries. I ended up using four packs for a total of twenty- four pucks. Guess what? One remote can control all of them! I don’t have to use a different remote for each package. They all link up to one remote. It really makes things easy. I am so happy with how they look in our kitchen. I will definitely be using more of these for all the places I wish I had put a light!

Kitchen Refresh With Bed Bath & Beyond

by | Oct 4, 2017 | Kitchen | 5 comments

The following post is Sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond and all of the product and product links (partner link) mentioned in this post are provided by Bed Bath & Beyond. Read my full disclosure here.

I am so excited to partner with Bed Bath & Beyond to bring you this kitchen refresh. They make refreshing your space easy and fun with their simple return policy and free shipping over $29. Bed Bath & Beyond almost always has a coupon for 20% off too. You know I love a good deal and using coupons.

When we moved into this house there were so many rooms to decorate. It can get really overwhelming fast. I felt like I just threw stuff in a room to look finished without really taking time to decorate. The kitchen was one of those rooms. I used items from our old kitchen and random things I found along the way. The truth is that the kitchen is where we spend most of our time. The space is open to the living and dining room. So, I knew that this kitchen needed a little facelift. It is one of the first things you see right after you walk into our home.

The barstools we had in here are over five years old. Three kids had taken a toll on them and it was time for something new. Bed Bath & Beyond has a great selection of furniture online. I started looking for barstools on their website and found the perfect ones. Look at these gorgeous beauties. (partner link) Baxton Studio Justin Bar Stool in Brown. They fit the kitchen and style I wanted so much better than my previous barstools. I love how they pop against my white kitchen. I know what you’re thinking. Bed Bath & Beyond has furniture? YES! I usually shop in-store for my essentials like mops, curtain rods, kitchen utensils, and bedding. However, the in-store and online shopping experience make Bed Bath & Beyond an unexpected place to find unique products like furniture and home decor too. I was just as surprised to find that they even carry the Magnolia Home line by Joanna Gaines.

 

That is right people. All the cute rugs, pillows, and throws from Magnolia Home are online at Bed Bath & Beyond. That is where I found this cute runner for the kitchen. (partner link) Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Tristan Medallion Runner. The Ivory and smoky hues of this vintage looking rug is perfection. It blends so well with the cabinets and barstools. Just the right amount of character for this little area. I wanted something soft and subtle to go right in front of the sink. This rug hit all the right needs for this space. This (partner link) Fouta Kitchen Towel in Blue was the icing on the cake to complement this rug. The main reason I got a farm sink is to hang cute hand towels like this over it. The fringe detail is so amazing. The price is even more amazing! 

Can we talk about gold? It is kind of my obsession for pops of color against my white kitchen. I am dying over all the cute gold kitchen decor Bed Bath and Beyond has. Look at this (partner link) Fifth Avenue 3-Piece Glass Canister Set with Goldtone Lids. I have searched all over to find gold kitchen decor and now the search is over. This (partner link) Fitz and Floyd® Daphne Pedestal Cake Plate with Dome in Gold is seriously the most adorable stand I have ever seen. The matching (partner link) Honeycomb Hurricane was a must. I can never have enough gold accents to fill my kitchen counters. I have to say that this (partner link) Mikasa® Serenity Gold Bowl could be my favorite though. The sleek gold trim across the top makes it look so classy. I really can not get over all the fabulous selection of gold Bed Bath & Beyond has. My little girl loves this (partner link) Danya B.Tube Hinged Vase in gold. It is like a beautiful science experiment that holds flowers. I have gotten so many compliments on this vase. You really need one in your kitchen too!

It can’t be all gold in my kitchen. 🙂 I brought in some warmth with these (partner link) Kate and Laurel Hanneli Nesting trays and a few cutting boards. The gold and wood mixed were just the right combination to put into this kitchen refresh. These trays are such a fun place to display my items or leave it layered as is. I love changing out small nick nacks from the grocery store. This is going to be the perfect little tray to do that. I can never have enough cutting boards to display either. The (partner link)Creative Home Taj Elite Marble Cutting Board layered with the Artisanal Kitchen Supply Acacia and Marble Cheese Board makes me happy. They look exactly how I was envisioning leaning against the backsplash. It makes them even easier to use when you’re cooking. Something that is useful and can be decor is a win in my design book.

 

No kitchen can be complete without flowers and a candle. I love to light a candle at the end of each night after cleaning up dinner. Especially when it’s a (partner link) WoodWick® Fireside candle. The wooden wick is such a unique feature. Something about a clean kitchen and a yummy smelling candle to end the night just sets the tone for bed. Aren’t these (partner link) Nearly Natural Hydrangeas beautiful? I bet you can’t even tell they aren’t real. They are faux but they look incredibly realistic. Which is perfect for me because I am a plant and flower killer. No matter how hard I try, I can not keep them alive. This little gem will be sitting pretty on my counter for a long time.

As you can see, Bed Bath & Beyond is a great destination for decorating or upgrading any space in your home. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the wonderful selection of furniture and decor they had online. They really do have everything you need to furnish your new space. My kitchen refresh was a huge success thanks to Bed Bath & Beyond. The kitchen finally feels like a curated room we can gather in as a family and not a thrown together mess. I am excited to get cooking more meals in my refreshed kitchen.

Joyful Fall Home Tour 2017

by | Oct 2, 2017 | Entry, Home Tours, Kitchen, Living Room | 13 comments

I am so excited to bring a joyful fall home tour with such a great group of bloggers. There are some gorgeous homes that have been decked out for fall. Be sure to stop by all of them today on the links at the bottom of this post. There is so much inspiration for everybody’s style.

Looking for fall decorating ideas? Tour 12 bloggers' homes and find beautiful inspiration for fall decor and encouragement to make your home cozy for fall!

I can not believe fall is here. It is like I blinked and summer was over. I feel like my kids just got out of school and I am already sending them back. That is always how summer is I suppose. This summer seemed especially short because we welcomed baby number three to our family. She was born the end of June. Everything after that just seems like a blur. Our life kind of went into chaos, love, and survival mode. Adding a new baby is always an adjustment. I would say that having number three has been an easier transition than the first two. It was like she just fit right into our family. The sleep deprivation is the hardest adjustment for me. I love my sleep and figuring out how to wake up all night and function all day is tricky. It only lasts for a short time and then they grow up. At least that is what everyone keeps telling me. I keep telling myself that too at 3 a.m. 🙂

 

Needless to say, fall around here is simple and minimal. A newborn and two other kids do not allow much time for anything else.  I kind of like it that way. I just got out the basic necessities to add some touches of fall. Pumpkins are my go-to for adding fall touches that can transition into Halloween and Thanksgiving. Let’s be honest, I will be lucky if anything changes with my decor until Christmas and even luckier if I get Christmas up at all! I got out my white and cream pumpkins and sprinkled them around the living room and kitchen and thought that was good enough. However, after an impromptu trip to Target one day, I ended up with more than I bargained for. Famous last words right? Especially since Joanna Gaines just announced they will have a line with Target too. WHAT!? I pretty much will never be able to get out of there with any money again. Anyways, I went there and they just happened to have the cutest fall decor at the dollar spot.

The Target dollar spot always has so many fun things for each season and holiday. They had these fun dark green, mint, and white fabric pumpkins. I may have grabbed a few (or 18 after going to two other Targets). So I spent $18 on fabric pumpkins and got 18 pumpkins. That is a good deal and look how cute they are. I was able to mix these fun new pumpkins with my old ones and that is about all this house got for fall. It was all I had in me as well. Honestly, I love that it is simple and just the right amount of decor to get you in the mood for the season. I grabbed a few pumpkin spice candles from the dollar spot and this cute recipe box too. I am telling you, the dollar spot is going to have run for its money when Joanna Gaines gets her line there. 🙂

 

I am living proof that anyone can decorate for fall. Just throw some pumpkins and pumpkin spice candles around your main living areas and call it good. That is all it takes to bring some cozy fall vibes to any space. Simple and easy. That is my new motto for decorating with a newborn. Hopefully, Christmas will be just as easy. 😉 Be sure to hop on over to all the other home tours below and see what they have for some amazing fall inspiration.

Maison de Pax | White Lane Decor | Farmhouse on Boone | Lemons to Lovelys

My Vintage Porch | Meaningful Spaces | A House With Books | Delightfully Noted

Kim Power Style | Tidbits | Belle Amour Designs | The Mountain View Cottage

Cutting Board Roundup

by | Aug 7, 2017 | Kitchen | 0 comments

The following post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

I have to tell you that after a full eight hours of sleep, life is good. My newborn slept through the night and I feel like a new woman. I can’t believe how fast she is growing up. It has only been a month and she has changed so much. My other two kiddos have been so good with their new little sister. Dare I say she could complete our family? Mr. Whitelane is already talking about number four. I don’t know about that just yet. 🙂

Enough talk about babies. Let’s get to the good stuff. Well, the other good stuff, because babies are pretty good too. I always get questions about where my wood cutting boards are from. I thought it would be fun to roundup some of my favorites that are all under $30. I use my cutting boards for decoration against my backsplash. I would probably actually “use” them if I cooked more. That is another story. Anyway, they sure do look cute sitting pretty on my counter.

I have a few wood cutting boards that I like to layer using different sizes. I have been on the hunt for one with some marble. I am so glad I found some of the beauties below. Wood and marble could be the best combination since cheese fries. I am just saying….it’s good. I like when materials get mixed to create a unique look.

Cutting boards can be placed on the counter top against the backsplash, like mine. They also can be used to display items on the counter such as candles. Another favorite spot I like to see them is on the counter top behind the cook top or range. I would have a few cutting boards there too if I didn’t have a big window.

Check out all these yummy cutting boards below. You can click on the images to go directly to the retailer and purchase one. Also, have you seen the “Shop My Home” section on my homepage? I have created this little section for you to shop items I have in my home or something similar. Be sure to check it out on the sidebar. I am always adding new items that I find and have in my home. Just trying to make shopping a little easier on you. Hopefully, you can find a cute cutting board from below to add some character to your kitchen.

 

French Bistro Woven Chairs

by | Jun 16, 2017 | Kitchen | 0 comments

I have seen some of the cutest barstools/side chairs popping up on Pinterest and Instagram. I thought I would take a minute to share some of my favorites with you. These French Bistro Rattan chairs are usually found at high-end cafes across Europe. They have now found their way to kitchen designs across America. They also tend to lend a coastal vibe to a space with their wicker and rattan construction. This kitchen below by Studio McGee is the perfect example of how these chairs can really define a space.

For the longest time the main place I found these barstools were on Serena and Lily. They are very pricey on their site and would be a large investment. One investment that I am not sure I would make with smaller children using them daily. Especially since with wicker or plastic seats, I can see my kids easily poking scissors or pencils straight through. As this style of the chair became more popular, more options have become available.

Sika Design offers a wide variety of chairs and barstools in this style. While there are more options to choose from, they still come with a price tag. The other day I was at Home Goods and found two black and white French Bistro side chairs. They were heavenly and only $89.99 a piece. I stood there for a long time wanting to take those babies home with me. The problem is that there were only two. What would I do with two? I have no spot for only two chairs like that. They were such a good price though. Be sure to keep an eye out at your local Home Goods and T.J. Maxx for these French Bistro chairs at a killer price. Maybe you can find more than just two.

Wayfair also has come out with some fun colorful options as well. These are not my favorite because I love something more neutral. If I am going to spend that much money on chairs, I want them to fit into any decor. The bold colors can limit your design options. They would be fun on a screened in patio or porch. I have read in multiple descriptions that these types of chairs are not made to stay outside year round. They should not be left out in harsh weather conditions such a rain and direct sunlight. So, these French Bistro chairs can be a little high maintenance for an outdoor chair. I do also love these side Bistro Chairs from Wayfair. They are more neutral and a great price for a set of two.

Williams Sonoma has also come out with a beautiful Parisian Bistro Chair. I am loving the classic black and white woven detail of this chair. However, the blue is also a beautiful coastal feel. They have matching barstools as well. A big investment at this price point. Williams Sonoma does have frequent coupons and sales that pop up. Be sure to sign for their emails for the latest coupon. 

What do you think? Is the French Bistro chair for you? I love the look but I question the durability with my kids. I will stick to a solid surface chair for now.