Kitchen Update: Grout & Backsplash

I've checked a few things off of the list I created in my original kitchen post HERE.  I wish I would have had more done by now, but life happens!  Finishing the grout and backsplash was so super easy, I wish I would have done it a lot sooner!

There were some spots that the previous owners had not finished grouting for some reason.  It was all of the edges, which just left it looking unfinished.  They had left behind some grout, so we decided to give it a try.  The grout was super easy to use and I would definitely buy this kind again.

This kind is from Menards, but I think any premixed grout would work the same.  It's perfect because you don't have to mix anything.  You just open the lid and start using it.  You just put some on your fingers and apply where needed.  Could not be any easier.  And then you can put the lid back on and it stays sealed so you can use it again later--perfect for little jobs this like!

There were a couple of spots in the kitchen were it looked like a piece of tile backsplash was missing on each side of the window.  The previous owners had left some of the extra tile behind, so I was able to have my Dad cut a couple of pieces to fit the empty spots.

With new backsplash piece.

These are small changes, but have made a huge impact for us.  They were little things that just needed to be taken care of.

After looking at these photos, I added a new item to my kitchen list: sand and re-paint the trim around the window.  It's full of chips, scratches, stains, etc. and really needs to be re-done.  Here's my updated list.  Someday it will be complete...it just might take me a year!

Kitchen List
Organize/clean all drawers and cupboards.

De-clutter counter tops.  This is always in progress, but it's getting there.

Create a mini command center near breezeway door.  Again, work in progress.

Clean all trim (repaint if necessary) and caulk.  I cleaned it, just need to repaint some spots, and caulk it.

Clean floors (including grout).
Purchase and install a new faucet.  Need to convince my husband that we should do this...
Paint walls grey.
Re-cover seats on dining chairs to add some color/pattern.

Finish grouting and trimming the back splash.  Grout is done, just need to figure out what to do for trim.
Sand and re-paint the trim around the window.

Kitchen Update: New Paint!

I finally finished painting the kitchen on Saturday and I am LOVING the new color!  Here are some before and after's:

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

 The color is Stone Mason Gray by Valspar.  It almost looks like it has a little tint of blue to it, which I love because it goes even better with our backsplash and counter tops.  I love the way it looks against the white trim and white cabinets, and against the black table and chairs!

I have a couple ideas of things to hang on the wall next to the wine bottle/glass holder above the table, more on that later.  I'm also hoping to do an update next week about the amazing pre-mixed grout we used and how those little area turned out.  But for now, I'm just enjoying this beautiful new color in our kitchen!

What do you think?  Do you like the new gray better than the green?

Weekend Recap: I Painted the Kitchen (kind of...)

Once again, the weekend went by way too fast.  But it was a productive weekend in our kitchen, so I'm happy. 

Friday night we just caught up on shows on the DVR.  My favorite shows right now are Scandal and The Blacklist.  So good!  

Saturday I got up early and went grocery shopping and then my Dad came over to help us with some stuff in the kitchen.  We grouted some back splash that needed it, cut and installed a small back splash tile that had been missing, and brainstormed trim ideas for around the back splash.  We used some pre-mixed grout and it was AMAZING.  I'll be sharing the details soon.  After my Dad left, I taped the kitchen so I could start priming!  Then I ran out of painters tape.  And primer.  Fail.  If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I did get a little bit painted...I really wanted to see how the color looked on the wall, so I painted one small wall and I'm LOVING the color!

The green on top is the old color, and the gray is the new!

Sunday morning we went to church, out to lunch, and then headed to Lowe's to pick up more primer, painter's tape, and some other things we needed.  I finished taping and priming the kitchen (except for this one area where the vertical blinds are--that's another story for another time), and then it was time for dinner and I didn't feel like starting to paint Sunday night....so I relaxed and crocheted instead :)

I'm hoping to finish painting this week, and then I'll be sure to share full before and after photos.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Kitchen Update

The kitchen projects are coming along slower than I would have liked, even though no major work is being done LOL.  My dad came over and helped us fix our dishwasher a couple weeks ago, so I'm glad that is done.  However, in order to pull the dishwasher out from the cupboards, we had to remove trim that was in front of the dishwasher (the people we bought the house from installed the trim in front of the dishwasher for some reason).  So now that is one more project we need to take care of.

One of the things I've wanted to do is figure out some additional storage.  We have a small kitchen, so storage is key.  A couple weekends ago we went to Lowe's and picked up some shelves that we ended up putting in the basement.  I'm able to store all of my big appliances that I don't use all the time--crock pots, waffle maker, juicer, food processor, etc.  I also have a shelf I plan to use as an extra little pantry area.  I love having all of these big items out of the kitchen (and we even had some things in the front closet).  It gave me a little more space in our kitchen cabinets.

I decided to keep our Kitchen Aid mixer on the counter, because I use it quite a bit, and it's pretty heavy to be carting up and down the stairs all the time.  But now I need to decide what to do with our knives.  There just isn't a spot for the knife block any more.  I was thinking I could just put the knives in the silverware drawer, or I thought about getting a magnetic knife strip.  Thoughts/suggestions?

This past weekend I cleaned all of the trim/baseboards in the kitchen (and hallway).  The difference is amazing.  I'm almost embarrassed to show you the before pictures, but hey, I'm keeping it real.  These pictures are taken in a high traffic area of our kitchen.  It's where we enter the house from the breezeway, so it gets a lot of foot traffic.  We also used to watch my mother-in-laws two dogs three days a week for several months, and when you have that many dirty paws running to the door to greet you, it can make a mess quickly.

To clean them, I just mixed Mr. Clean All Purpose Cleaner and water and used a scrub sponge.  Then I used a clean towel/rag to dry it up right after.  I even used a toothbrush to get in the tiny areas.

The trim looks a million times better just being cleaned, but when I look at it close up, I can tell that there are areas that need to be sanded, wood filler used, repainted, and caulked.  I know this might be tedious and not seem necessary, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Needs some repainting and major caulking.

may need some repainting...and caulking.

Those are just some of the small things I've been slowly working on.  We're going to Chicago this weekend, but hopefully no plans for the next few weekends means more progress in the kitchen!

Kitchen Goals/Ideas

I hope you had a great weekend...I literally didn't leave the house once on Saturday or Sunday.  Today I actually have a snow day from work, so I probably won't leave today either!

As part of my New Year's Resolution, I said wanted to clean/organize our house room by room.  I'm going to start with the kitchen, since that's the place where we spend a lot of time.  It's where we make all of our meals (we eat at home a lot), as well as where we enter/exit the house.  We rarely use our front door.  Instead, we enter through our breezeway area, which enters in to the kitchen.  

I'm hoping to start working in the kitchen this week, and I want to share my list of things I want to accomplish in there, hoping it will hold me more accountable.

Organize/clean all drawers and cupboards.

De-clutter counter tops.

Create a mini command center near breezeway door.

Clean all trim (repaint if necessary).

Clean floors (including grout).
Purchase and install a new faucet.
Paint walls grey.
Re-cover seats on dining chairs to add some color/pattern.

Finish grouting and trimming the back splash.

Here are some pictures of what our kitchen looks like:

I don't mind the green walls, I'd just like to do a grey/blue color to kind of match the backsplash and counter tops and add in pops of color other places.

These two pictures are from when we moved in, but it really doesn't look much different.

It's hard to tell in these pictures, but the quarter round they used around the backsplash is too small (in my opinion), and they didn't add any at the top of backsplash under the cabinets, and I think it needs some there.  There are also some spots around the kitchen window that need grout.

The area where the light switch is there on the wall is where I want to create a little command center.  The doorway you see to the right of the light switch is the breezeway, and that's the door we use all the time.

My plan is to completely finish a room before I move on to the next, so that I don't have a million projects happening at once.  I plan to share my progress with you all and any tips I learn along the way.  I have lots of ideas on my Kitchen Pinterest board, if you want to see what I might be thinking about doing.

Our kitchen/dining area is small, so being very organized is a must.  Do you have any kitchen organization/diy tips that might help me?