What can we do with our kitchen? Add island? Change something?
Christy Phillips
last year
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Christy Phillips
last yearRelated Discussions
Store sold part of our slabs, freaking out. What do we do?
Comments (47)Heya guys, so update today: Sent several emails and left a message since they still haven't told me the exact dimensions of the island counter they can make from what remains of the one slab. I ended up finding the email address for the cad guy we talked to and asked him. He replied at first but sent me different measurements and then didn't reply after that. I ended up finding the email address of one of the co-owners of the company and sent her a message letting her know we aren't happy. We'll see where it goes from here. We are 5 days away from install day. Anyone want to take bets regard how far over schedule this goes? I'll send some of my mesquite floor left overs to the winner for barbecue purposes. :)...See MoreSuggestions, Advice, Details to add before we order our IKEA Kitchen?
Comments (24)Thanks Benjesbride! Well, as seems to be our fashion, we had an unexpectedly rushed last minute do-or-die IKEA kitchen buying experience when our contractor told us he'd start putting in the cabinets on Tuesday (we had been debating trying to reuse the old ones that came with the home vs buying anew). So we drove to IKEA the same afternoon I posted this question. After much consideration, we went with the Ringhult white fronts (the kitchen associates said those were the most popular/durable with strong reviews) and we took everyone's advice to get rid of the corner cabinet and move the dishwasher into that space! I was pretty nervous about making the call (husband was not a fan of losing the extra counter space since we have a number of appliances that we use regularly), but we both agreed that having the kitchen feel more open was with the trade-off, since everything else in the home is pretty closed off with narrow passageways. At this point, we just have to move forward and hope for the best (I second guess myself constantly) and hope we made the right choice for layout and aesthetically! Benjesbride, funny that you suggested that pantry where you did; one used to exist there but that's where the termites were found and after they opened the pantry up, the space felt a lot bigger. But, yeah, I'm counting on all those IKEA drawers to help sort out our kitchen storage system (along with donating things we don't use or need)!...See Morewhat can we do to improve the exterior of our house?
Comments (21)you'd have to do some samples, but you could do a darker charcoal that leans toward brown. I do like the lime wash look, but your home is more mcm so I'd do a solid color. I would totally go with the med century vibe of your home and run with it. Unless you think a neutral charcoal color (like in the pics) would work w/your roof. look at this one! it's similar to yours. (notice the porch post size) This is more of a deep charcoal brown like some of the following shades. I'm loving the stone pathway, the light, and the 3 colors they used here. and here is one w/lighter brown tones (with that natural cedar/redwood accents). I put your home in this picture so you can imagine how these colors would look w/your home. so these are darker charcoal tones that lean on the brown side. (And don't forget, in bright sunlight darker colors will look lighter. But don't be afraid to do some testing samples too!) Black Fox is another one, but any of these other 4 on this palette could work: very dark charcoal, almost black, with bluer undertones. If it's possible to do the slat wood around your front door, on the porch area, I think it would look great love your door, your pendant and your address plaque! I'd think about bringing in a larger, more modern post where your downspout is. just look at the painted brick (Romabio) and the porch post. this look is a farmhouse Ranch, not the mcm of your home. this one has a metal roof too. notice the porch post. maybe do something like this in either a darker wood or a white. you can DIY it w/a vinyl wrap Or, look at how they did these posts. Perfect for the look of your house. Get a cool door knob like they have on their door! and notice the charcoal color vertical slats. also an idea.(I like this porch post for your home) this is also Romabio, but I wanted you to see how they did the flower bed. you could easily do this under your windows. low maintenance and an easy/cheap DIY You could also use the brown or black mulch if you can't do the pebble rock but the black mulch or pebble rock looks really cool, especially against the slat wood! this is so cool looking With your large windows in front, this would look really cool...See MoreWhat can we do to our exterior to make it home appear larger/pretty?!
Comments (54)Your house will never look elaborate. But that's ok. Simple is good. Yes, embrace your house for what it is -- a small, simple, neat home. As others have said, trying to make it something it isn't will only backfire on you. Bigger and fancier isn't better; often I see a bloated, overly complex house on this site and think, "Someone actually built that -- and thinks it looks good." You're starting with something solid and basic ... and you can make it a standout house. If this house were painted a nice color and surrounded by lovely trees and plantings, it would look entirely different. What I'd do to your house: - The simple shape is good, but the color is dull. Paint it blue, yellow or sage green ... do not go white or gray; you need a color that'll bring in personality. Your roof color is simple and can support any of these colors. - Avoid shakes, as they are high maintenance and their color will fade over time. - Paint the porch white. - The white front door is kinda invisible ... so choose a color to accent the new house color. - I see two sad brown chairs hiding on your brown porch ... paint them a colorful shade to match the house color (not white, make them stand out from the porch). They look kinda large for the small porch ... consider smaller chairs and a tiny table to hold a cold drink and a pretty plant. But, at every turn, color. - Once the painting is done, reevaluate the shutters ... I'm not sure what to say about them at the moment. One school of thought is to keep them black to match the roof, but (once the color is done), you might opt to remove them or paint them white? Unsure. - Do you have a light on your porch? I can't see it. Add a lantern-style lamp ... most people make their porch lights too small. On a porch this size, you'll probably only have one light, so make it 1/4-1/3 the height of your door. - Finally add your house number above the porch. - Have a landscaper come out and develop a plan with you ... accept that this will take years to "grow into". Treat yourself to some bright, colorful annuals that'll give you an instant pop of color and a hanging basket of colorful flowers on the porch ... but put most of your effort into things that'll last /take little effort over the years: a couple trees, foundation bushes, a row of hostas around your walkway. Include a birdbath. - Add a solar-powered light on a post near the driveway end of the pathway ... this plus the porch light will look welcoming at night. - When Christmas is over and the wreaths come down, keep a seasonal wreath on your door ... but make it a little larger than the one on your door now. The wreaths on your windows are great....See Moreherbflavor
last yearlast modified: last yearStephanie
last year
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Christy PhillipsOriginal Author