Subway Tile Step-by-Step Tutorial: Part One

A backsplash is one of those elements that can take your kitchen to the next level. It instantly makes a kitchen stand out when it’s done right. Luckily, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Check out our kitchen budget break-down here. It was one of the most affordable projects in our kitchen renovation, yet […]

IKEA SEKTION Kitchen Installation – 7 Lessons Learned

If you have assembled IKEA furniture before, then you are well acquainted with the ‘Swedish emojis’ used in lieu of any written instructions and the SEKTION line follows suit.  Oh, and this guy is your friend too! This post is a not a step-by-step ‘how to’ post for all things IKEA SEKTION cabinets but a […]

Patching a Slapbrush Ceiling Tutorial

One of the joys of living in a home built in the early 80s is having a slapbrush ceiling. It’s the kind of ceiling that you can see different images in every time you look at it. Mostly flowers. Sometimes a man’s face. I grew up in a house with this type of ceiling, so […]

2 Quick Strategies for Organizing Your IKEA Kitchen Delivery

Our kitchen above appears to be simple and easily put together, but little do you know that Diana and I were totally not prepared for the day XPO Logistics delivered the 156 specific boxes, which was our entire kitchen, to our house.  But it doesn’t sound like we are alone here either considering that ‘Item #2′ […]

4 Tips to Consider When Designing Your Kitchen

Our kitchen was the first and only one that I have designed so far. I had viewed many kitchens, created mood boards and Pinterest boards, but didn’t necessarily consider a few small things that would make my kitchen function well and not just look pretty. This is a “learn from Diana’s mistakes” post. I should […]

How to Plan for Your IKEA Kitchen Renovation

The thought of beginning a kitchen remodel can be incredibly overwhelming. There’s always going to be a handful of factors that keep you from pulling the trigger. Once you get a budget set and your money saved, you can just take it one step at a time. The biggest tip I can give you is […]

How We Saved $10,000 on Our Kitchen Remodel

The average cost of a medium sized kitchen remodel is $20,556 according to HomeAdvisor.  Based on our own benchmarking, Diana and I believe our remodel is valued at $21,000 but cost us $11,000!  There is no answer to how much one should pay for a kitchen renovation, this is a personal decision.  Sit down and […]

Faux Antique Painting Tutorial

My in-laws recently moved into a brand-spanking new home after living in the same house for 20+ years. When you nest in the same place for that long, many things become overlooked and forgotten, hence the poor trunk below. It was hidden away in a guest bedroom closet acting as a shelter for old t-shirt […]

Curb Appeal Series – Front Door Speaking

Nothing says home like your front door. It takes me back… All I wanted to do was shut my eyes on my memory foam pillow under my fluffy duvet cover, but there were blue lights two miles ahead pulled off on the side of the interstate checking out an abandoned car, but everyone assumes that a […]