Kitchen + Family Room Refresh Reveal

Reveal days always feel like Christmas around here! Months and months of preparation and then everything I’ve worked on gets wrapped up with a bow to share with you! I am beyond excited to be revealing the very first finished space[s] in our new home. 4 months in and we have our Kitchen AND Family Room completely transformed – just in time for the holidays, too! Come and take a look at the journey we’ve been getting these spaces ready. Here is our Kitchen + Family Room Refresh Reveal!

Today is Week 8 of the Fall 2021 One Room Challenge. If you’re new here then let me give you a quick rundown of how the challenge works! 

Each Spring & Fall, a group of hand-selected featured designers makeover a space in their home and share weekly updates over the course of the 8 week challenge. There is also an opportunity for Guest Participants to join in the fun and take on a room as well!

This is actually my 5th time joining the One Room Challenge as a Guest Participant. I managed to pull my 4th Challenge off during the pandemic (A Small Boy’s Bathroom – albeit, multiple delays & issues ) but before that, hadn’t participated since the Spring 2018 ORC when I designed Winston’s Nursery.

You can see all of my ORC spaces here and all of the Room Reveals over the last 7 years here.

We moved from Illinois to Arizona in July of this year, so the Fall Challenge felt like the perfect time to dive into our first major project!

Since the 2 rooms are like one large combined space, I thought, “Why do just half?! Let’s do it all!”

Let’s take a quick peek at where we started, so you can fully appreciate where we’ve landed. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I promise it will be worth it 😉

Here are some shots of the empty spaces right before we moved in.

KITCHEN + FAMILY ROOM REFRESH BEFORE PHOTOS

We knew from day 1, we wanted to go white with the kitchen cabinets in order to update the look and really brighten things up in here.

There was lots of brown and lots of beige. In fact, every square inch of this house [interior & exterior] is some version of brown. Everything felt very dark & dreary. I couldn’t wait to put my touch on our home and starting with these main living spaces made the most sense!

Now that you have a quick recap of the original look & layout, let’s go back to my design and vision of the spaces I shared in my Week 2 update.

KITCHEN + FAMILY ROOM REFRESH DESIGN PLANS & MOOD BOARD

KITCHEN DESIGN:

chandelier // wine glasses // table // chairs // small vase // gray ribbed vase // plates // rug 1 // rug 2 // cabinet pull // cabinet knobs // art 1 // art 2 // art 3 // microwave + oven combo // bar stools // faucet // hand soap // pendant lights // small vase // large vase // faux twigs 

FAMILY ROOM DESIGN:

large art print // small faux plant // rock figurines // “I’m so in love with you” art // rattan baskets // wood objects on stand // marble brush object // white bowl // geometric wood ball jack // thumbs up figurine // couch // tall black vase // faux twigs // small black vase // stacked gold ball figurine // faux flowers // coffee table // stack of books // rug // arch floor lamp // drum side table // small lamp // chair // basket // faux olive tree // art 1 // art 2

I loved creating these two boards as they were the first room designs for the new house. Taking bits and pieces of my previous home’s style & décor, but morphing it all into something new. 

Neutral, chic, cozy, elevated and inviting was how I wanted these two rooms to feel. In everyday life for our family and also for family & friends to feel while hosting them in the hub of our home.

Let’s see how these spaces came to life…

KITCHEN + FAMILY ROOM REFRESH REVEAL: THE AFTER

PAINTED CABINETS + NEW HARDWARE

The biggest overall change was the painted cabinetry. We hired out our Kitchen cabinets & Family Room built-ins to be painted at the very start of the challenge and goodness, did it make all the difference in the world! Our house was a complete disaster for a little over a week, but it was worth every speck of dust in the end!

I could not possibly love the white anymore!

I chatted about our experience hiring professional painters in the Kitchen in this post here.

We went with BM Simply White [just like in our last Kitchen] and SW Tricorn Black on the island. I’ve had a long love affair with Tricorn Black since using it on all of our interior doors in the last house. We also had our staircase painted in that house and used Tricorn Black on the banister.

It looks so amazing on the island here, too.

These gorgeous Champagne Bronze pulls & knobs were gifted to me by Liberty Hardware. They are absolutely stunning. I went with a very simple knob and a smaller profile pull [3 inch] because of all the detail in the doors & drawer fronts. Adding them was a huge upgrade! Its crazy that there wasn’t any hardware in the kitchen at all before.

UPDATED PENDANTS & CHANDELIER

The other major element that changed in our Kitchen was the lighting. We had two very small pendants over our island and a large rustic chandelier over our table. I wanted something more sleek and modern. In the case of the pendants, I wanted larger ones and for the chandelier, something a bit more funky.

These aged brass pendants are gorgeous. They are light & airy with a unique gold mesh interior. 

The North Chandelier adds just the right amount of modern edge into the space and incorporates the black & gold accents I love to use everywhere.

You can read more about the lights in this post here.

We kept our old Kitchen table, but added 2 more chairs to our seating area. We first purchased these cognac faux leather chairs when we refreshed the Kitchen in our last home, but with the addition of a child [one who no longer uses a high chair], it was time to have a full set of 6 to fit our whole family.

The little desk nook behind the table, rarely serves as a desk, but more as a catchall station for paperwork & mail. Then when we entertain, it becomes the bar. So that’s how I staged it for you 😉

And while we’re here I might as well tell you I found a great dupe for my Crate & Barrel wine glasses. We got them as a wedding gift and are down to just a few. I ordered 2 sets of these and they arrived and look identical! $4 less per glass and next day shipping.

You’re welcome 😉

I grabbed this cute little ottoman from Winston’s room and stuck it underneath to take photos, but I actually think it might stay here for a little while longer!

DARK & MOODY FAMILY ROOM BUILT-INS

Working our way into the Family Room and you’ll notice the brown has once again been removed! We went with Tricorn Black again on the built-ins, but it definitely reads more of a dark gray in comparison to the Kitchen Island. I’m not sure if it’s the way the sun hits that side of the room or if there was a mishap when the paint was mixed, but needless to say, I adore the new look & feel of them.

Not only did we have it all painted, but we removed the top middle shelf in order to fit our new TV and we also removed the glass doors on the sides. We kept the smoked glass doors in the center down below and the speaker screens on the left & right.

We have our Sonos Play 1 located down there and the sound is excellent!

I styled the shelves with a mix of art prints & canvases from Minted [all the details on the art can be found in this post here] books, boxes, plants & metal objects. I can’t wait to start decorating these shelves for Christmas! I’m a little behind in the blogosphere, but I had to get through with this Reveal before pulling out all of the holiday bins & tubs.

I’m fairly confident Christmas will be entering the house this weekend 😉

The custom house sketch is such a special nod to our first home and love that it sits on the shelf as a happy memory in here. See all the details on how to make one here.

NEW STATEMENT WALL ART

Not only did I add Minted pieces to the shelves, but I also ordered 2 large prints for the wall. I’ve had my heart set on this 40″ x 50″ piece to the left of the built-ins ever since I included it in the mood board. Sometimes I change things up or go in a different direction, but I stuck with my initial instinct on this piece and am so glad I did.

It is neutral, but interesting and the sleek black frame is just the right amount of bold against my light-colored walls.

I’ve fallen pretty hard for quite a few things we’ve brought into the spaces, but I have to say, I’m probably most obsessed with the new Faux Olive Tree. It sits in the corner and is 96″ of leafy, olive goodness. This tree does comes in several other sizes if you’re looking for something smaller. I knew I wanted to upgrade some of my artificial trees when we moved in because of the lovely 10′ ceilings.

 

I had plans to DIY a new pot for the tree, but lo and behold I found this brass planter on my very last [minute] trip to HomeGoods before photographing the rooms.

It was exactly what I had envisioned and there was only one left so it was completely meant to be.

And finally back over to the 2nd large art piece that hangs just above the bar cabinet. I wanted something a tad more dramatic, so I love the dark abstract design in this print. In fact, its titled “Ink Perspective” which suits it well.

I scored the fluted cabinet at HomeGoods a couple of months ago and its the perfect piece for that wall. I added a lamp, tray and a candle and done! A simple vignette.

NESTING COFFEE TABLES & A SIMPLE PLUSH RUG

Although we got rid of quite a bit of our old furniture when we moved, we did bring several pieces including the coffee table & large 9′ x 12′ rug you saw in the Family Room in my Fall Tour.

We’re keeping both items, but it was time to move them out of the main living area. I adore the old round table [its so unique] so brought it into the Living Room & the rug is going to the Basement Family Room area. 

I wanted a little more surface area, but still wanted something round.

Its more kid-friendly for whenever a wrestling match breaks out in front of the TV 😉

The nesting table seemed like the ideal option since we can use both tables when we need to house drinks or my décor. But we can also slide the smaller table underneath if we need more floor space. 

With a sectional, its nice to be able to pull the smaller table over to the “L” side. It moves around wherever its needed so nicely! I was initially hunting for a table with a light wood tone, but it ended up being more on the gray side. I do love the color, just wish there was a little more of a contrast between it and the sofa.

Highly recommend the table though!

It holds my books, candle, tray [normally with remotes on it] and my newly DIY’d knob vase. I’ll share the details in another post soon!

The rug is light and buttery soft on your feet. With all of the abstract art on the walls, I wanted less pattern on the rug. This one is more of a solid shag with some neutral flecks and texture. This is another 9′ x 12′ rug and we all love it in here! It barely made it in time for the reveal – it just showed up at the doorstep on Monday!

There are so many other various odds & ends sprinkled throughout the spaces, I may have easily overlooked mentioning something. These reveal posts get to be quite lengthy, so props to you if you’re still here reading! I did my best to include sourcing throughout [shoppable thumbnail images under photos] and the full source list & gallery can be found at the bottom of this post.

Phew I think I’m almost done! I didn’t realize how much longer this would take to get everything in here with not just one, but two rooms to reveal!

I’ll leave you with a few more photos and then one last look at the final punch list! I think we covered most of our bases. At least from our initial plans.

We do have a potential Kitchen Refresh 2.0 coming with a few items we didn’t get to –  tile backsplash & faucets and Kitchen 3.0 might include new countertops and a pantry, but for now, I’m going to kick my feet up and enjoy all the time and energy I put into the Kitchen as it is now.

I absolutely love it!

KITCHEN + FAMILY ROOM REFRESH PLANS & TO DO LIST:

• paint walls – had them painted in August 
• buy new couch — we sold our old sectional & ordered new one in July 
• paint kitchen cabinets & paint kitchen island  – see the sneak peek here!
• paint family room built-ins
• replace kitchen chandelier & pendants over island – installed!
• Swap out faucet – didn’t end up landing on a selection I loved
• Figure out backsplash in kitchen??? – probably going to wait to replace
• New kitchen & Family Room rugs – kept the animal print runner in the kitchen for now [do you remember it from our last Laundry Room]
• new coffee table  – delivered!
• swap out throw pillows 
• style built-ins
• hang new wall art 
• Miscellaneous décor & projects: 
  • DIY planter pot – tutorial coming soon!
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You can shop the items in our Kitchen & Family Room by clicking the shoppable images below:

If there is something I missed, feel free to comment below. I try my best to source all items [even similar ones if I need to] but there are times I can’t! Either the item is old, unavailable, thrifted or passed down from a family member.

MY SPONSORS

I also have some wonderful sponsors to thank for partnering with me on this challenge. A big shout out to Minted, Hudson Valley Lighting and Liberty Hardware for their continued support over the years. I truly couldn’t do these projects without them!

You can see all of my Mood Boards here,  ORC spaces here, Home Tours and all of the Room Reveals here.

 

To get caught up on the rest of the posts in the One Room Challenge, be sure to check them out here!

ORC Week 1: Kitchen + Family Room Refresh before photos here 
ORC Week 2: Kitchen + Family Room design plans + mood boards
ORC Week 4: 5 Lessons I’ve Learned from Having my Kitchen Cabinets Professionally Painted 
ORC Week 5: New Kitchen Lights
ORC Week 6: The Best Neutral Vases for Styling Your Home 
ORC Week 7: Statement Art + How I Styled Our Built-ins
ORC Week 8: Kitchen + Family Room Refresh Reveal

Off to sit down and relax on the couch and sift through all of the incredibly One Room Challenge spaces. I am always honored for the opportunity to participate and join in the fun! The 8 weeks go by in a blink every single time.

I’ll slowly be decorating for Christmas over the next week and continuing to work on my gift guides. I hope to have My Favorite Things post ready for you next week! Enjoy the weekend friends and thank you, thank you for all of your encouragement & support! I wouldn’t be able to do this without my loyal readers and new ones, too!

xx,