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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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August 1, 2017

Kitchen Makeover One Year Later

You’ll have to forgive me as I wax sentimental today. You see, my baby girl celebrated her tenth birthday over the weekend and I’m just in total denial that we no longer have any children in the single digit age. Time needs to just.slow.down already!

We spent a super fun day together on Saturday doing some great mother/daughter bonding stuff like shopping, having lunch at our favorite little cafe followed by cupcakes from the cutest cupcake store on the planet. Oh and she also got her ears pierced!!

I’ll be back another day to talk a little bit more about what I’m learning about 10 year old girls but let me just say I could not feel more privileged to be her mom and it is an absolute joy watching her grow into such an amazing young lady. She told me the other day that she doesn’t want to grow up and I told her I was totally fine with that! 😉

So, since I’m already feeling a little bit nostalgic, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to take a look back at one of our biggest house projects to date. I’m constantly getting messages from folks wanting to know how our painted kitchen cabinets have held up so I thought since we have reached the one year mark (cannot believe it’s been a year already!) since they were done, this would be the perfect time to provide an update.

But, first, let’s do a quick before and after just to refresh your memory.

Here’s the BEFORE:

And here’s the AFTER:

Our house was built in 1992 and by the time we moved in the original cabinets were definitely starting to show their age. A few more years of wear and tear by us and it was obvious to us that they needed some TLC. After researching all of our options, we decided to save up our pennies and having them professionally painted.

The HUGE benefit of this was that the painter was able to take all of the doors/drawers to his shop where they were sprayed with primer and then two coats of paint. They also tarped the kitchen and were able to spray the cabinet frames and the island as well.

We could not have been happier with how it turned out and even after a year of heavy use (including many teenagers tromping through here!) I can honestly say that it has held up amazingly well! Even better than I expected.

When we had our beautiful new Epic Plus flooring from Shaw Floors installed, I was very nervous that the cabinets might get nicked or dinged but there were only minor little scratches and we were able to use a teeny, tiny paintbrush and touch it up with leftover paint.

Having it done professionally meant having to move everything out all at once, including us, and it was definitely a hassle but if I truly feel that it was the right decision for our family. It meant waiting a bit longer to save up the money but, for us, it was worth it.

We would still like to update the counters and backsplash at some point but we have other, more pressing, rooms that need updating first so that will have to wait for a bit.

But, just having the cabinets looking so fresh and new and the old flooring removed and the beautiful new flooring in has completely transformed these rooms.

The paint color is Neutral Ground by Sherwin Williams and it is more of a creamy white. You can also see it here in this makeover of our built-in china cabinet which we had the painters spray as well.

I’ve heard so many positive things about the kitchen makeover and just a few negative. Some really preferred the dark cabinets and I totally understand that. In fact, we loved them when we first moved in! But, what you can’t see in photos is that 20+ years of wear and tear was really starting to show so something had to be done one way or another and honestly, living in Oregon, I want things as bright and light around my house as possible.

So, there you have it, I don’t regret for a single minute the decision to paint the cabinets and to have them professionally done. And, I have been so pleased at how well they have held up.

Over the weekend my husband and I sat down to talk about our next steps with this house. We’re trying to get it updated but also not dump more money than necessary into it. So, within the next year that means we will most likely tackle the kids’ bathroom and also the counters in the other two bathrooms. Stay tuned for those!

In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the other makeovers we’ve done since we moved in 9 years ago.

Deck Makeover

Family Room Flooring Makeover

Girls Bedroom Makeover

I hope you are all continuing to have a great summer and I’ll see you right back here at the fence very soon!

14 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas, Kitchen Remodel Tagged With: kitchen

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Comments

  1. dee says

    August 1, 2017 at 8:21 AM

    I agree your choice for white on the cabinetry was perfect. Twenty years on any finish takes a toll. White cabinets in Willamette Valley area are much in demand and do help with our gray days. You have done a lovely job updating your home. Yes, when our children and grandchildren (for me) hit double digits it is an eye opener. New adventures for both of you, enjoy all of it.

    Reply
  2. Melanie says

    August 1, 2017 at 8:42 AM

    The kitchen looks great! Where did you find your dining room light fixture?

    Reply
  3. june says

    August 1, 2017 at 9:25 AM

    Your daughter is just darling! There is truly something special about mom/daughter time. I loved having tea with my mom.

    The kitchen cabinets are so beautiful – floors too. I redid my kitchen about two years ago and we went with a creamy white and a glaze. My cabinets were builder grade honey oak and had gotten us through raising two active sons and 28 years of lots of cooking and baking. We considered painting but after researching and having to consider better doors it was cheaper to go with Kraft Maid.
    We have been very happy with our project.

    I love all your creative ideas.

    Reply
  4. Richella Parham says

    August 1, 2017 at 12:15 PM

    10 years old! It’s amazing how double digits gets to you, doesn’t it? Especially when it’s your youngest. My “baby” turned 20 this spring and I’m like WHAT? No more teenagers? We’ve had a teenager in this house since 2004–how on earth could that era be over? The good news is that every age and stage brings its new delights along with its challenges. Your daughter is lovely, just like her mom!

    I do love your white kitchen, and I’m so glad it’s held up well for you. 🙂

    Reply
  5. FABBY says

    August 1, 2017 at 2:42 PM

    I love how pretty and neat it looks with the white, although I never mind wood color too.
    Everything looks gorgeous.
    Fabby

    Reply
  6. june says

    August 1, 2017 at 6:57 PM

    Vanessa,
    Do you still love your blinds? Meant to ask you in my previous post. Considering for my living room and patio door. Never have had wooden wovens like that before.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      August 2, 2017 at 6:44 AM

      Hi June! Yes, I do love the blinds. They are really easy to lower and raise and have held up nicely since we put them in. I feel like they give it a custom look without the cost of something really ‘custom’. 🙂

      Reply
      • june says

        August 2, 2017 at 9:35 AM

        Thanks…do you recall where you purchased?

        Reply
        • At The Picket Fence says

          August 3, 2017 at 8:24 AM

          We purchased them at Lowes and they will cut them to the size you need right there in the store! 🙂

          Reply
          • june says

            August 3, 2017 at 5:24 PM

            Thanks!

  7. Susan says

    August 1, 2017 at 7:14 PM

    Very pretty cabinets! Love your kitchen! When we bought our house thirteen years ago we had dark cabinets and dark paneling in the family room. So my husband painted the kitchen cabinets and I took the big job of painting the paneling. Took me three days to do the family room but so worth it! Took my husband a couple of days on the cabinets. Seems like there is always something new to do around our home! Your kitchen flooring is very nice too!

    Reply
  8. Shirley @Housepitality Designs says

    August 1, 2017 at 9:11 PM

    Hi Vanessa! Happy Birthday to your sweet daughter. My time flies! She looks so happy with her new pierced ears. And speaking of time flying, has it really been a year since you painted those cabinets? I love them and painting them white was a great decision. Happy Summer!!!

    Reply
  9. Nadine McMahon says

    August 26, 2017 at 5:49 AM

    Where did you buy your upholstered counter stools?

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      August 26, 2017 at 11:42 AM

      Hi Nadine! The stools were purchased on Overstock.com 🙂

      Reply

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Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
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What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
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Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

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Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

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