Matt and I bought our tiny little condo (834 square feet) in July 2006. We planned on being there for about a year while Matt finished up his computer networking degree. As it turns out, we really enjoyed condo living (no yard to maintain!) and ended up staying there for seven years.

Click here to tour the condo

In late 2013, we finally gave up condo living and bought a house, a 1948 fixer upper that sits on one acre of land. It’s still very much a work in progress, and just like the condo, I’m tackling this house pretty much by myself. Unlike the condo, which was mostly just updating ugly, outdated finishes, the house has required much more extensive work, including a down-to-the-studs gut job and complete remodel of the kitchen and a bathroom. I’m learning as I go, and (generally) having fun doing so!

kitchen remodel with teal cabinets and white subway tile on walls

Click here to tour our house

 

 

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20 Comments

  1. I have been following you for some time. Love all you do, and the post telling step by step how you did it, love even the posting of mistakes and the bad times. makes us all human. Big hugs from Maryville, TN.

  2. My daughter attends Baylor and this condo looks like a good investment. We might like to look at it, if possible.

    Thank you,
    Sheri

    1. Wonderful! 🙂 It’s not listed just yet. We’ll be listing it at the end of this week. Our agent’s name is Jason Rankin, with Coldwell Banker. He can be reached at 254-548-3792.

      1. Kristi, this condo was beautiful! I am sure sold quickly. I have a question about the pictures of the butlers pantry where you made the resin tiles, have you noticed any yellowing?? I have been wanting to do something similar but I have read that resin yellows over time.

  3. Hi Kristi, love your blog. I was just wondering if you can post a better pic of the breakfast room floor showing us what your up against. You said it’s 2″ Lowe than the kitchen but yet that floor guy was talking about a step down or transit. Kinda sounds like he was wanting to do a mini wheelchair ramp. We’ve seen a few pic of the room but you never showed much since you redid the kitchen & it was full of storage. Since you’ve cleared it out just hoping for better before pics. Thanks & I know you can do this.

  4. Hi Debbie, I just realized yesterday that I haven’t shown any recent full-view pictures of the breakfast room. I’ll do that this next week.

  5. That green kitchen is amazing. I had a company called Furnishr furnish my home, and they also suggested me a green colour, which now is my primary color for my kitchen. It makes me feel comfy. If you’d be interested, check out their website, they have plenty chic design not only for kitchen but also bedroom and living room.

  6. Hi Kristi! This comment has nothing to do with this particular post but I wanted to say thank you for all of your detailed information about the Critter Siphon paint sprayer you used on your kitchen cabinets. I purchased one and used it for a project a couple of weeks ago and I love it!! all of your information was very helpful with figuring out the best way to use it and your review of it helped me decide on that particular one. I am getting ready to repaint my kitchen cabinets and I am excited to see how they turn out with this sprayer!

  7. Hello, Just found your page. I love your kitchen. You said NO to white cabinets, the biggest hoax in remodeling! I love the columns and the doors on the cabinets. Everything is so warm and inviting and won’t shoW every speck of dirt like the white (yes, my house was built with white…..gulp). Looking forward to seeing your posts. Thank you.

  8. You do beautiful work. I noticed you used 16d nails on your cabinets. That can likely split over time as they are meant for 2x material. 8d is more standard but I use screws. The twisted nails will never come out on their own if you prefer nails. We had straight line winds take down a house in the middle of constriction and it was terrible trying to pull the twisted nails out. Keep up the beautiful work.

  9. Your page included photos of replacing outlets that provided just the image I sought. My, my, you are talented and hard-working. (This website must receive both home improvement project AND marriage proposals!) All the best, all the time.

  10. Hi Kristi…
    Question..
    I got paint custom matched to my cabinets. The color is spot on but the sheen isn’t. My cabinets are more than satin but not semi gloss.
    In theory, Can I mix satin and semigloss poly to try and achieve the correct sheen?
    Once I find it, if I apply to white painted furniture, will it yellow over time?

    1. You can mix sheens, but just be sure to stir very well, and stir regularly during use.

      Unfortunately, I don’t know of any clear coat that won’t yellow over white paint. Even my absolute favorite, General Finishes High Performance Topcoat, has a warning about using it over white paint.