We made it to the final round!! I am so excited to share these pictures of the Washington-Reily kitchen makeover so you can get a taste of the amazing transformation and hard work put in by Kay and Nat. I was utterly floored when I saw the new space – it took my breathe away! Take a look at the Before & Afters below and you’ll see what I mean.
Painting the cabinets and adding hardware really updated the space. Nat did a fabulous job installing the subway tile and giving it an extra pop of interest with gray grout.
The cabinet above the microwave was not in a great position to be used, so the doors were removed and the space turned into a display area. They highlighted the space by painting the inside the same teal color as the accent wall directly opposite in the living room.
Honestly, especially seeing this room in person, I just can’t adequately describe the huge difference. Because we made it to the final round, Nat and Kay received a new stove, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator! To go along with all of the energy efficiency updates, they also made some gorgeous changes to the design of the area. Read on for a snapshot.
- They went from 300 watts to 81 watts in lighting!
- They installed under-the-cabinet LED dimmable task lighting strips, which are energy-star certified.
- They insulated all of the outlets.
- They reorganized cabinets to store appliances so they aren’t consuming energy or valuable counter space sitting out.
- Installed dimmer switches for the overhead kitchen lights and a wall outlet that includes a USB port.
- They set the freezer and refrigerator for optimal energy-saving temperatures.
- They choose the air-dry setting on the dishwasher instead of the heat setting.
- Extended the grey wall from the living room to go through the kitchen and introduced a lighter shade of gray onto the ceiling. To finish it off, they extended crown molding into the kitchen.
- Converted one recessed light into a decorative, energy-efficient pendant light.
- Painted the upper cabinets Benjamin Moore – White Dove and the lower cabinets Benjamin Moore – Cheating Heart.
- Installed all new stylish hardware on doors and drawers where previously there were none.
- Installed a white subway tile backsplash.
- Removed the hard-to-reach upper cabinet doors above the stove and fridge to create a decorative display area, which adds visual interest and depth.
- Removed an inconvenient, hard to access cabinet in the kitchen which created a more open feel and connecting the living room and kitchen together. They were then able to create a command center above the counter, clearing clutter from the counter. It holds mail, keys, and includes a dry-erase surface for family messages.
Want to know who was the final winner and walked away with the honor as well as $5,000? Click here to see Part 1 of the kitchen and click here to see the final webisode.
Thank you for going on this amazing journey with me, hope you had as much fun watching it all as I did participating.
Make your Spring Cleaning a little more fun with some great finds from my Greenroom! Refresh your home’s palatte at great prices and make a difference while you shop. A portion of all sales from the next Greenroom sale will benefit two schools near and dear to me: the EEU (where my boys attended for 5 years) and Thornton Creek Elementary (currently in Kindergarten). I’ll be donating 20% of all sales between these two amazing schools. I have a fresh stock of Toss bags, new patterns from my favorite Simply Stashed over-the-door organizers, and some fantastic home furnishing finds! Check out what is available on my Facebook and Pinterest pages then mark your calendars to come see it in person!
Saturday, May 4
NEW longer hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
My Studio - 7025 38th Ave NE, Seattle 98115
BONUS: The first 5 people in the door will get a sweet Little Shirley vase (pictured right) of their own!
*Can’t make the sale? You can always make an appointment to shop my Greenroom! Just contact me to set it up.
Laundry rooms may not often be large, but they do house some large equipment that can really have an impact on the environment. The second-to-last challenge in the ReEnergized By Design competition focused on everything from energy usage to water levels, lighting to organization. Take a look at the Before & After shots below to see how Kay and Nat came away with a changed space that truly accommodates their needs. Then be sure to watch the webisode to see how the final three families did! Next week it gets down to the final two!
Doesn’t it look great? Especially with kids in the picture, it is so important to be able to easily grab, sort, fold and wash whatever is needed without making it a huge task. Being environmentally friendly means that they are also doing what they can to make sure baby Sage has access to clean water when he gets older, too. For making it this far in the competition, the top three finalists were each given a new Frigidaire Affinity Ultra Laundry Set, courtesy of Elextrolux.
Even if you don’t have someone waiting in the wings to give you a new washer and dryer, here are some of the other changes Kay and Nat did that you can do in your own home:
- They replaced all the bulbs in the room with energy efficient lighting, taking their total watt usage from 120 watts to 30 watts. They also added LED task lighting to the room.
- They added an occupancy sensor for lighting. When exiting the room (say with laundry in their hands) the light will automatically shut off after one minute.
- They added a countdown timer to the laundry room fan so it won’t get left on.
- They insulated all the outlets.
- Kay hand-made curtains with thermal lining that can cut down on heating costs.
- They are using the sensor dry setting so that it turns off as soon as it’s dry.
- They are only washing clothes in cold water using high efficiency cold-water detergent.
- Natalie built wall-mounted and under-counter-pull-out drying racks to save energy by air-drying.
- They reduced the hot water temperature from 140 to 120.
- They reinforced weather stripping to the garage door.
- They painted the walls in Benjamin Moore -Soft Chinchilla and ceiling in Benjamin Moore – Revere Pewter.
- They built two pedestals out of plywood to elevate the washer and dryer so that they could add a counter space that they built in-between and provide additional storage underneath.
- They removed two cabinets from the wall and put in new shelves to make more efficient use of the space. The previous cabinets were way too high for 5-foot-4 tall people, and all of the space within wasn’t needed.
- They created a missing sock station, because those single socks multiply like rabbits.
It’s time again for MamaCon - a Cool Conference for Modern Moms!! Last year was a great first year and this year promises to be even better! I’ll be there both as a presenter and peddling my favorite wares. Come learn all sorts of amazing and helpful information for all Mamas, everything from Internet safety to fashion. Keynote speaker Debbie Reber will share her talk: Embrace Your Inner Girl – Simple Secrets to Finding More Laughter, Play, and Joy as a Mom. How can you pass that up?
Gather your girlfriends and meet me there! I hope to see you in Bellevue on Saturday, May 18, with a preview evening on Friday, May 19 from 6-8 p.m. Buy your tickets now!
