Hey guys! I'm here for your next home decorating post, today we are tacking the kitchen and mud room. When I bought my house these were two areas that I knew needed improvement. The look the previous owner had for the kitchen was a bit of a Paris-café look and while it wasn't bad it just wasn't my style. The mud room was essentially just a washer and drier with no decorating whatsoever.
I knew the kitchen definitely needed a few necessary cosmetic changes but I also knew what to spend money on and what could be done on the less-expensive side. A lot could be accomplished just by painting the walls and adding a few of my own touches. Check out the before and after pics and my tips along the way!
Kitchen Before:
Mud Room Before:
Kitchen After:
The kitchen looks completely different. As you can see the space looks much larger and open than before. The red color seemed to close the room off and the soft yellow makes the areas seem more fresh and not as restricted. Great hues for kitchens, especially in smaller homes, are light yellow, baby blue, lilac, ivory, and salmon. I hated the checkerboard tile at first with all the red and black but after the yellow paint, it gave off a more cottage vibe which is the look I was going for.
A BIG improvement was the countertops, granite automatically makes a kitchen look better. If you see in the before pictures, the counters were straight black, non-granite tops. I chose a light grey granite with brown flecks to continue making the room lighter thus making it appear bigger. Another suggestion, if granite is out your budget, look into laminate that mirrors the granite look. Check out your local Lowe's or Home Depot and they have TONS of options and samples.
I did and still do a lot of shopping at Hobby Lobby to find little trinkets or items to place around my home. On Instagram a few weeks back, I took a picture of this adorable cow print and knew it would look great in my kitchen. As I stated in my last home decorating post I think you should have one nice piece of art in your house. I have a beautiful painting in my living room that I bought at a local art gallery. I saved money on other pieces for the rest of the house by utilizing Hobby Lobby, Shoptiques and online specialty stores such as Etsy.
I also took off the shelves on the side and just placed one shelf in the corner with a cookie jar I found at Target and a few other little trinkets.
Below the shelf, I put a few more little decorations including this cute plate representing my hometown from Swoozies which also has really fun home goods and knick-knacks.
On the sides closest to one of the doors I placed some faux chili peppers (Hobby Lobby) to add a bit of color and a little kitchen flair. Ok, I am not a huge fan of the signs with sayings but I needed something to cover the phone wiring and these were gifts so it was a win/win. In a lot of older homes, the wiring for lots of devices are visible, just stick a picture like the one below up to cover the problem area.
I LOVE coffee mugs even if I rarely drink coffee now, I still use the mugs. I have mugs from different travels and special meanings so I like to showcase them. A thing I decided to do after seeing it done on Property Brothers, was take off one of the cabinet doors to allow the mugs to be visible. I like the look it creates and adds another splash of decoration.
Closer look at the removed cabinet door!
Another thing that can easily transform a kitchen or bathroom vanity area is a back splash. I loved this light grey, almost brick look that went along with the cottage vibe. Again, check out your local hardware stores such as Lowe's, they have back splashes for every budget and plenty of options! Just add a few pieces that make the space seem not so bare. But don't go overboard, you don't want the area to become so cluttered.
One of the bigger purchases was stainless steel appliances. They had sets on sale at Home Depot so I would definitely check out sets as an option. I love the way it makes the kitchen look, the other appliances were so old that it automatically dated the area. Spend money on larger and items you will use frequently and that will provide a much needed update.
Again, look at removing cabinets to open more space and make items that add a unique twist to your home. It is super easy to remove most cabinets so it's an easy fix! I have had the flying pig (pictured below) since college and I love that he was able to be showcased. I also have wine glasses from several of my running adventures present.
Mud Room After:
As stated before the mudroom was essentially just a washer and drier before I moved in. I wanted to make it more. I moved the washer and drier to a different area in the house which was smaller and the sole purpose was laundry. That meant I could play around with the mud room. I bought a small table and bench set from Kmart...yes, see you can find cute things everywhere and on a budget! You have to look though. Added pillows and a rug from the ultimate shopping paradise, Target. When there is doubt go to Target, they have wonderful home items which are good quality and good for your budget. I found the whale at a local store and utilized a simple tray which I found at Target as well. Trays are a good piece if you want to add a little décor to an otherwise blank area.
My mom found this adorable "head" at Hobby Lobby and I love the way it adds color and personality to the room!
I am a huge football fan so I had two copies of the Sports Illustrated when my college team went to the National Championship in 2010 and 2013. I found them when I was moving out of my apartment in college and decided to put them in a shadow box (found at Hobby Lobby) along with a shaker to add some team flair. You can do this with anything that might be special to you, doesn't have to be sports or even a magazine.
Record players are also super in now and I found this fun pink one on the Barnes and Noble website. Crosby are good players and come in lots of colors and sizes. They also have a few that are used but say in very good condition and normally under $100, so be sure to search "Crosby" on the site and see what comes up! You can buy new records but I found most of mine at local thrift stores, you can get records for under $10 at some local places. It adds a bit of a vintage touch but aren't paying crazy prices.
I added this "Coast to Coast" hanger to place some of my running medals, be proud of your accomplishments! The screen divider serves as decoration but also a fashionable way of covering up the pipes and more wiring. This divider was also purchased at Hobby Lobby!
Add a few flowers in pretty vase plus a few other personal touches and the mud room was complete! Again, with just some minor changes, you can completely transform an area of your house. YOU can do it! I can't tell you how many people I know who spent thousands of dollars on home decorators and the style is nothing personal. It looks like everyone else's house. Get out there and find the things YOU love!
I will be showcasing my office and spare bedroom on the next home decorating post so stay tuned! Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoyed this post and got some ideas and inspiration!
Happy Decorating!
xoxo,
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