When we did our huge kitchen renovation we carved out a nook for a wet bar/coffee bar and I’m so glad we did. The wet bar has proved to be a super functional space to house all the bar and coffee accessories and cut down on foot traffic in the kitchen when we’re entertaining. However, I knew I wanted to eventually do something with the backsplash. I considered and mocked up several tile, wallpaper and paneling options but never pulled the trigger. Over a year later and still craving an update to the nook, I decided to take a paintbrush to it. Paint is the easiest and most affordable option to start with and easy to revert back if we didn’t love it.

Before we get into that, check out how the wet bar has evolved over time.

This is how it looked when we shared the wet bar reveal last year. We were still missing a handle for the mini-fridge but that has since been resolved. 😉

Updating Our Wet Bar with Black Paint

I painted the backsplash black (we used Sherwin Williams Tricorn), added some new vintage accessories, re-arranged the glassware and re-styled everything and man, it felt good.… Read more

It’s been about 6 months since we had our range hooked up as part of the big kitchen reno. I’ve had a lot of questions and comments about our show-stopper range so I wanted to do a review. So here you go, an in-depth Aga Elise range review from my perspective. I’m addressing some of the questions I’ve recieved and added some of my own.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase via my link, I may earn a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Aga Elise Range Review

What range is that?

We have an Aga Elise 5-element, dual-fuel range in matte black. It features a true convection oven, a 7-mode multi-function oven and a pull-out broiler. Aga’s have been around since the 1920s. The first models were cast iron and were the worlds first ever heat-storage cookers. They were invented in Sweden but manufacturing moved to England in the 1930s where they gained popularity. The original cast-iron versions of the Aga (like the one below) are still made today and come in a variety of color options.… Read more

I have been meaning to share what our kitchen renovation cost since we finished a few months ago. Although the post is titled “kitchen renovation cost” it includes the kitchen as well as the areas adjacent to the kitchen that we renovated simultaneously (the powder room, mudroom, and wet bar we added). Some of the renovation expenses were not limited to just the kitchen (drywall and flooring for example). I separate expenses by room where possible, but keep in mind we were renovating several “rooms” with many expenses spanning across more than one.

What Our Kitchen Renovation Cost

Construction Costs:

• Equipment Rentals (dumpsters, scissor lift) $1700
• Floor Removal $2400
• AC Ductwork Modifications $2400
• Engineer $400
• Plumbing $3500
• Propane Tank Install & Fill $3600
• Drywall $6200
• Msc Building Supplies & Materials  $5000

Total = $25,200

The construction phase of our project was long and very involved, hence higher costs in this area. Remember, we re-routed plumbing in our foundation, removed old flooring, moved walls, re-ran a significant amount of electrical, etc. We did a ton of labor ourselves saving us thousands.… Read more

We finished our kitchen remodel a few months ago and one of the questions I was asked was how we organized our kitchen cabinets. So today I’m sharing a look inside our IKEA kitchen cabinets!

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my link, I may receive a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you. 

We used IKEA’s SEKTION line with Semihandmade doors. I opted for mostly drawer storage with very few traditional cabinets with shelves. We have no upper cabinets in our main galley kitchen area and opted instead for two open shelves on either side of the range. I did add two upper cabinets in the wet bar for stemware storage. The IKEA cabinets have proven to be great! For anyone that is skeptical, I highly recommend them. My favorite feature of the IKEA cabinets is the drawer within the top drawer. You’ll see what I mean. Another great feature is the soft close, which is pretty standard now but after living in our outdated kitchen for two years it was a noticeable and welcome improvement.… Read more

I knew pretty early in designing our kitchen that I didn’t want to do any upper cabinets, with the exception of the wet bar. Instead, I opted for floating shelves on either side of the range. Today I’m sharing how to install kitchen floating shelves.

Our shelves were installed over the backsplash tile using these floating shelf brackets (affiliate link). They have two sizes depending on the depth of your shelves. Our shelves are 11″ deep – I wanted to be able to store dishes on them – so we used the large floating shelf brackets.

How to Install Kitchen Floating Shelves

First, I used painters tape to mark out where I wanted the shelves to be. I adjusting the tape a couple of times over a few days until I was happy with the placement. Originally, I planned on 2 sets of shelves on either side of the range hood but after installing one we decided to stop there fearing two on each side would look too busy. Hubby was relieved since installation proved to be challenging.

Using a laser level, mark pilot holes for the brackets.… Read more

Hi friends! It’s finally here, the unveiling of our finished farmhouse kitchen remodel! I introduced the project to you back in July, which is when we kicked off demo. We finished the kitchen in December so in total, it took us 5 months. Words can’t express how happy I am to have a new kitchen and how excited I am to finally share it!!

Before we jump in, here’s a look back at all of the kitchen-related blog posts along the way that document the design and construction process:

• Kitchen Remodel Project Introduction
• Cabinet Planning & Remodel Update
• Week 4 Remodel Update
• Week 9 Remodel Update
• Kitchen Update: Putting it Back Together

Let’s start with a before image, shall we? The transformation of this space is insane and I must remind you what it looked like when we started: tile countertops, dropped ceilings, a weird build-out, all that orange-y wood and funky angles.

Here’s what it looks like now!

We’ve come a long way, huh?!?! The kitchen is a lot more open, brighter and way more functional. It is overall a happier space to be in and is perfect for entertaining.… Read more

It’s here folks! This week I’m finally unveiling our big kitchen remodel! I’ve already shared the other areas we did as part of the kitchen remodel including the mudroom and powder room, and today I’m sharing our wet bar.

You may recall that mid-way through the remodel and design process we reconfigured the area off of the kitchen, which prior to the remodel included a coat closet, the powder room, pantry and an office nook. We moved walls and changed the footprint but something wasn’t feeling quite right. Then it dawned on me to carve out a little nook for a wet bar/coffee bar. I loved the idea of having a designated area for our bar stuff and to reduce the foot traffic in the kitchen when entertaining. I pulled some inspiration and developed a design plan for the wet bar, which I laid out in this post.

Here’s a look back at the area during construction.

The Wet Bar Reveal!

Finally, here’s what our wet bar/coffee bar looks like now.

The wet bar is small but mighty. It’s about 58″ wide and has a mini fridge, a sink with a faucet and hot water dispenser, drawers that house coffee and tea accouterments, bar accessories and 15-20 liquor bottles.… Read more