Farmhouse Kitchen // Picking our Unlacquered Brass Hardware

Brass was the metal of choice in most turn-of-the-century homes, at least the ones I’ve seen, and not surprisingly our Farmhouse is full of it. Doorknobs, sash locks, cabinet latches…it’s everywhere! And I’m so glad because it’s my favorite metal finish.

When it came time to pick the hardware for our Farmhouse kitchen renovation, there was no question it would be brass too. And to be sure the new brass ages well and patinas like the old brass, I picked out an unlacquered finish (also called living, unfinished, or raw).

The Farmhouse, RemodelsCathyJune 13, 2019farmhouse kitchen reno, roundup Comments

Farmhouse Kitchen // Here We Go!

After months of planning and years of waiting, we’re finally renovating our kitchen! And goodness are we excited! We’ve moved 6 times over the past decade and renovated 8 kitchens, so it feels kind of surreal to finally get to do our kitchen.

The FarmhouseCathyJune 10, 2019farmhouse kitchen reno Comments

Happy Friday 6/7/19

Happy Friday! And welcome to June. We started work on our kitchen renovation this week and I’m pretty sure we’ll never move, ever again. Because I am in complete love with this house. Even with no countertops. 😝 The weather doesn’t hurt either. Actually, I *may* profess my eternal love for this house every year around this time (and revoke it in January when our $800 electrical bill arrives 😕)!

In my defense, the summer truly is magical out here in the country. Windows flung wide open. Dinners eaten outside. The natural air-conditioning of our century-old Elm trees. The kids coming in to bath-time with wind-swept hair and dirt between their toes. The chorus of frogs and owls lulling us to sleep. Pure magic!

Links & MusingsCathyJune 7, 2019 Comments

Welcome to the Poplar Cottage!

We’re the proud owners of a new (old) rental!!! I really can’t put enough exclamation marks on that sentence, because I’m that excited about this cute little house.

The Poplar Cottage is tiny (575sf) and quaint and just feels good. It was built in 1940 according to city records, but I suspect that at least part of it is older. It’s located in our small town (Ellensburg WA), which is a college town with a pretty robust rental market. Of course the house needs a little work, too. But you probably already guessed that.😉 Before we kick off any renovations I wanted to give you a little tour of this little house.

The Poplar Cottage, Real Estate & MoneyCathyJune 6, 2019 Comments

What Our Garden Renovation Cost

let’s run through the numbers…

Happy Friday 5/31/19

Happy Friday! This week went by in a flash, didn’t it?! Here we are at the weekend again and we’ve made little progress on the kitchen renovation. But there’s hope yet. We have no plans this weekend and I’m thinking it may be time to demo the rest of the kitchen (selective demo, of course). But then again the forecast shows sun. And we have a garden to tend and a kiddie pool to lounge in and… well that demo might just have to wait until next month! 😉

Links & MusingsCathyMay 31, 2019 Comments

8 Great White Kitchens That Might Make Me Rethink Color

Ever since we started dreaming about our Farmhouse kitchen renovation, I’ve imagined a color on the cabinets. But lately I’ve wavered a bit. A few fabulous white kitchens have crossed my screen and made me rethink our plans.

I know, I know, white can seem so boring. Or maybe (hopefully) you were going to say classic? White kitchens have been around a long time and span all design styles. But lately there’s been a push towards moody hues in the kitchen. In fact the last kitchen we renovated was dark green. But I dare you to take a look at these 8 white kitchen and not fall back in love with white.

RemodelsCathyMay 28, 2019kitchen design, farmhouse kitchen reno Comments

Happy Friday 5/24/19

Happy Friday! It’s Memorial Day weekend and I hope you have some fun plans! Garrett and I are taking a little break from renovating this weekend, trading our work boots for sandals, and taking the kids to see some family. After a month of pretty constant work on our garden, we’re all really excited for some downtime!

Links & MusingsCathyMay 24, 2019Comment

Our Garden Patio is Ready for Summer

Our patio is done!

The Farmhouse, Remodels, Gardens & FlowersCathyMay 22, 2019Farmhouse garden Comments

Happy Friday 5/17/19

Happy Friday! I’m writing this at 9 o’clock on Thursday night, it’s dark outside and raining, but Garrett is out in the garden raking out pea gravel. What a catch, that man! He’s obviously just as excited to wrap up our garden project as I am. Not only will it free up time for other projects (I’m looking at you, kitchen), but we’re really looking forward to spending time out there this summer.

Links & MusingsCathyMay 17, 2019 Comments