I’m so excited to finally be able to reveal Tommy’s and Shelley’s kitchen today! The episode we created for The Design Network posted on their website this morning, so if you’d like to check it out, just click on the banner below:
Tommy and Shelley have been such incredible friends to me and Kevin over the past year, and we are so grateful that we were able to work on a room in their house with them.
They have inspired us SO much personally and professionally, so it was absolutely awesome to be able to spend so much time with them last month. We love their kids, too- and it was really neat for Kevin and I to be there with them for so many hours at a time. It gave us an idea of what it feels like to have kids running around, as we wait to be matched with a little one of our own! Ethan (their youngest) told Shelley that I was his “best friend” at one point, and boy did that make me smile! (I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that I gave him three scoops of ice cream while I was watching him one day- LOL!) Our child will probably be about a year younger than Ethan is now (4), so I felt really blessed to be able to talk with him, and hold him, and listen to him. Felt like a mini “sneak peek” of what’s to come! 🙂
This first episode was hosted by yours truly, but this makeover was a total group effort. Me, Kevin, Billy, Suzanne, Tommy, Shelley, Brian, Cade, Lil’ Shane…we all got our hands good n’ dirty on this one!
Here’s a look at the kitchen before we started working:
It functioned fine, but it didn’t really *feel* fresh or reflect the family’s bright & shiny personalities.
Tommy & Shelley actually put their house on the market earlier this Spring, because it’s one bedroom too small for the size of their family. Two months after they listed it, they accepted an offer and started house hunting for another house. They fell head-over-heels in love with the very first house they toured, and they were so excited about the idea of moving there! The people buying their house wanted to close before they would be able to purchase the new house though, so they went ahead and moved all of their things into a storage unit in the next town over.
Then, just two days before their closing date, their buyer’s financing fell through. They were no longer going to be able to buy Tommy & Shelley’s house, and shortly after that, someone bought the house that Tommy & Shelley had hoped to make an offer on and move into. 🙁
They took a week or so to think about how to proceed. Should they put it back on the market, or do some renovating and turn it into a 4 bedroom?
Re-listing it felt super stressful after what had just happened, so in the end, they decided to renovate! First, they hired a contractor to wall off the breakfast room at the end of their (extra-long) kitchen, and turned that space into a bedroom for Ethan. They moved their table and chairs into the dining nook off their living room, and I can’t wait to show you that “new” space in the near future, too.
That’s where we came in. Their granite and backsplash were both pretty neutral, and they weren’t looking to spend a fortune on a completely new kitchen, so we started by freshening up their cabinets.
They preferred a more streamlined look, and they weren’t a huge fan of the tone of them. It leaned a little orange, which felt too warm next to their cool-toned counters and backsplash. We went with Benjamin Moore’s Navajo White in semi-gloss (mixed at Sherwin-Williams), and created a shaker style door with one sheet of thin plywood, a pneumatic nail gun and a tub of spackle:
Kevin and I painted (and distressed) all their doors at our house, and we just used a really great primer and two coats of Sherwin-Williams Pro Classic Latex Enamel on everything.
That. Stuff. ROCKS! I’m serious. I wasn’t paid to say that. Tommy forked over almost $80 for a gallon of it, but holy smokes! I have never worked with such a forgiving, self-leveling paint in my life! The description on Sherwin-Williams website says, “It delivers a high-performing, non-yellowing finish that withstands even the toughest wear and tear. This formula goes on smooth without brush or roller marks”, and man- that is the truth!
The hardware we used on the doors and drawers all came from eBay. That’s where I buy all my knobs, pulls and hinges.
We needed 30 knobs, 60 hinges, and 20 pulls and the grand total for all 110 items came in right under $100. That breaks down to like 90 cents per item! I usually type in something like “LOT of oil-rubbed bronze knobs” in the search bar on eBay, and it pulls up a bunch of auctions hosted by folks who are selling hardware in bulk. The seller I bought this stuff from was offering free shipping at that time, so that was awesome, too. 😀
The butcher block countertop area was one of my favorite things to see come together. Before, the upper cabinets continued waaay down into the breakfast area, but the base cabinets were only three feet wide:
We re-used the glass-doored upper cabinets at Keith the Fireman’s house (more about that in a future post), and then re-hung the solid doors on the cabinets above the desk area down at the other end of the room. And although they gained an extra bedroom, they did lose a lot of upper cabinet storage in the process, so we gave them back some new storage on the bottom:
That chunk of cabinets is made up of their three foot wide existing base cabinet, some scrap wood, and a salvaged cabinet Tommy got for free. We topped the whole thing off with a big ol’ slab of butcher block from Ikea instead of trying to find (and pay for) granite that matched their existing granite. Now they’ve got 8 feet of counter space there and the top only cost $169! They sealed it with several coats of food-safe Waterlox, so they’ll be able to get tons of use out of that thing. I love the warmth it adds to the room, too!
And how about that great big cut-out on the wall above it? Even though the kitchen technically got smaller square footage-wise, the room actually feels bigger and more open now. They have plans to put a butcher block bar top on the other side of that wall so that folks can sit there and eat, and interact with whoever is in the kitchen. Can’t wait to show you how that comes together in the future as well!
The wall accessories were purchased (on clearance) at Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn, Target, and I got the peg rack on Etsy.
The walls are painted Sherwin-William’s Comfort Gray, and we used some more primer, Navajo White paint, and oil-rubbed bronze hardware over in the desk area. I decked it out with a few simple accessories that they can feel free to keep there, or use in other parts of the house:
Remember the lamp from this blog post: Brass Lamp Makeover
And the dish towels from this one: DIY Hanging Dish Towels
It was so much fun to surprise Tommy and Shelley with them in their kitchen. Thankfully they hadn’t seen them on my blog before the big reveal! 😀 Here are a few more photos of some of things I had fun dotting around the room for them to find:
(Green and burlap picture holder by Heather Parrish)
Shelley had mentioned that she didn’t have a complete set of dishes anymore, so we picked them up a set of new dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls at Ikea:
Oh how I love a fresh new set of plain white dishes! Especially when they only cost $34.99 for a set of six place settings!
Our next-door-neighbor, Tammy the Caterer, was so sweet to come feed us at the end of our last day “on set”. We were all completely plum-tuckered, so she swooped in with her fabulous food at just the right time! Bacon-wrapped green bean bundles, mmmmm!
Anywho- to see the whole makeover in action, click on over to The Design Network. And if you’d like to check out episode #2, it’ll post over there on Monday, November 4th! 😀
Can you provide more information on how you used a thin piece of plywood to create the shaker style on the existing cabinet doors. How do you eliminate any seams? Thanks so much!
Hey Whitney!
I talked (and showed) how we did it over in my episode, so if you’d like to check that out, just click on through to that footage! 😀 Also, we took care of little seams and holes with caulk! 😀
That was so fun to watch! Good job…the kitchen looks GREAT!
Fabulous! Replacing the orange-y oak with white cabinets gives it such a fresh, happy, clean look! I’m amazed at the what you paid for all the hardware. The accessories and styling look so much more personal now and less “builder.” Was the two-tier stand theirs or did you get somewhere? I’d love something like that.
love everything you do.. especially the cabinets… beautiful… how did you change the cabinets over to shaker style – just with plywood. also did you sand between coats… it looks professionally sprayed and love the hardware and teh distressing too… beautiful job Layla and Kevin!!
Hi Patty! You can actually see exactly how we changed them to shaker doors over on the episode at The Design Network. We didn’t sand between coats, and we just used a high-quality paint brush. Thank you for the sweet compliment! 😀
This is just beautiful, Layla! I just watched the episode and think you did a great job explaining everything, in a very relatable, down-to-earth manner. I can’t wait to see what is next for you and Kevin (and to show my husband this episode when he gets home tonight 😉
Thank you, Lisa! I appreciate your comment so much, and hope your hubby enjoys the inspiration and info, too! 😀
I clicked over & watched the video without sound from Facebook on my lunch hour so I didn’t realize the room was made smaller. You’re right, it does look bigger. And more beautiful, too!
Thank you, JoAnne! It’s crazy how that happened, but I’m so glad Tommy & Shelley are pleased with the “new” space and can’t wait to help them with the room on the other side of that big cut-out, soon! 😀
I seriously love it SO much!! You were made to be on camera!! Can’t wait for more:):)
xo, amy
What a transformation! I’m a total sucker for white, bright kitchens!! Hard to believe those cabinets are hand painted – they look amazing! Looks like a totally different home.
Any idea where that kitchen table is from?
The kitchen table was bought at a flea market for $200. We stripped it and put on a few coats of polyurethane to help protect it and make it easier to clean.
Tommy
You should be so proud of yourself. The show was fabulous. You look like you have been doing this for years!!
Their kitchen re-do looks fabulous. I have to say I’m proud of them for redoing instead of moving. Their house will turn out perfectly with your help. 🙂 Love the video!
I watched it, and loved it!! Beautiful space!
I love your blog!! I’m totally addicted, and it has inspired me to redo my kitchen cupboards, which are identical!! I am
really interested in how you turned the cupboards into shaker style using plywood, but I cant find any videos. Is there a link?
Thank you, Allison! 😀 You can click on the words “The Design Network” anywhere in this post, or click on the big The Design Network banner at the very top of the post. Either one will take you over there, lickety-split! 😀
Love Love Love! We are planning a “Re-Do” of our kitchen cabinets and this is so inspiring! What a difference–so bright and alive…
Just watched, wow, great makeover! Love the outtakes at the end too – fire ants! I will have to keep the cabinet refacing in mind. We have those unpaintable type white cabinets (hydrofoil? ) something like that, and I H A T E them! Very hard to clean if you can believe it. I checked with mfg. about painting, and with my painter son in law, and they both said painting was out of the question, due to how the finish is applied. You all did an amazing job…wanna come to Mo. and do mine? ;0))
I watched it this morning! You are so adorable and SOOOO talented! The kitchen turned out amazing!
Absolutely stunning. Job well done! If you are ever in Ohio, I would love a low budget, money stretching makeover in any one of my rooms. Love your style! You have so much talent and seem to be a natural in front of the camera.
I love how bright, fresh and clean everything looks in this reno! I would love to update my kitchen, but my house is only five years old. We have dark granite counters and fairly dark stained cypress cabinets. Our kitchen also opens into our living room that has fairly dark mahogany wood floors. I would love to paint the cabinets, but I know you should not paint real cypress cabinets that have wood knots and all. Any thoughts or advice?
Hi Stacey! Thank you for the kind comment! 😀
I’m not familiar with real cypress cabinets, but I don’t know why they couldn’t be primed and painted too!
I say go with your grin! If you are craving a lighter look, go for it. You live and love there, so have fun creating a space that is a reflection of who y’all are! 😀 (Unless something crazy happens to real cypress wood when you paint it. Then don’t paint them- LOL!)
Oh my gosh Layla! I love the cabinets and pulls–be still my heart. My dream kitchen. Give me a white cabinet and bronzed/black bin pulls and I am good! I can’t believe how you fixed those cupboards!! I love nuetrals and then the butcher block, cabinets, pulls! And your accents–too cute. This is unbelievable. Oh, now I am itchin’ to see YOUR kitchen redo!
Go for it, Kristin! And send me the “before and after” pics when you’re done. I wanna see! 😀 #IHeartBeforeAndAfters
The kitchen turned out beautiful! Love the butcher block counter area! Always amazed with what you come up with! Can you tell me where you purchased the rug? Thanks!
Hi Shawna! We got the runner at the Pottery Barn Outlet in Georgia a few years ago. It used to be in our kitchen at our last house, but our new kitchen is much smaller, so we thought we’d move it over to Tommy & Shelley’s! 😀
Wow! Absolutely stunning, as always! Love that trick with the plywood to make the shaker cabinet doors! Brilliant!
Thank you so much, Louise! We learned it from our friends Peter and Josette and it really does work like a charm! 😀
YAY! Oh my goodness, you are so stinkin cute! I couldn’t be happier for you, been following you for years and this makes my heart glad! God is good! Great job and congrats!
Thank you, Shelby! So sweet of you to check in with us over that past few years. I love blogging, and it makes me smile to know like visiting it, too! 😀
Excellent job Layla! You should be really proud of both this makeover and your Design Network episode. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Shelly! 😀 We appreciate your encouragement so much!
Hi, Layla! LOVE the space! Would you be able to tell me where the runner came from (the rug under the sink)?
Thanks, Sarah! The rug used to be in the kitchen at our old house and we got it at the Pottery Barn Outlet in Georgia several years ago. 🙂
Any way you could share more details on sources for the decor? I love the green metal basket the kitchen gadgets are in, and the woven charger and woven tray with the handles! Would love more Deets 🙂 awesome makeover, as always!
Hi Kim! Thank you! The green metal basket came from HomeGoods, and the woven charger is from Target. The tray is from Pottery Barn and is called the Beachcomber Tray. I got it for $6 because it was on sale for $31 and I had a $25 coupon. I was so pumped about that score! 😀
Oh and especially the wooden shelf that you hung your DIY dish towels from!!
The wooden shelf came from J&G flea market several years ago. It was marked $12 so I grabbed it with a quickness! 😀
Ikea dishes are hands-down my fave! We’ve had them for a few years now and I still am super happy we settled on them.
Love all the heart behind this project. 🙂 Deserving folks!
Thank you, Erika! I love YOUR heart, and we MUST get together on a Tuesday SOON! 😀
LOVED this transformation. Been following your blog for years now and I just love your style. If you ever find your self in Minnesota again and need a place to make over I would volunteer my house in a heart beat. You got your pick of any room in our house. It would be so much fun! You and the crew could even stay at our scrapbooking retreat! See, I got it all figured out. 😉 Seriously though, great job and great episode. Congratulations!
Thank you, Kristen! Oh how I can’t wait to go back to Minnesota again! Scrapbooking retreat you say? FUN!!!:-D
Heck ya! It’s more of a “crafting” retreat where groups of women come for the weekend and hang out and do crafty things. It’s really fun. You can check out our website at foresthavenretreat.com. It sleeps 15. Plenty of room for you and your crew. And it’s real close to my house. Perfect! 🙂
Layla and Kevin, thank you so much for all the work you put into making a tough situation into such a blessing. We’re not sure which we enjoyed the most, the kitchen or the time we got to spend together designing, texting, calling, painting, filming and just hanging out.
BTW, when we were watching the episode Ethan saw you on the computer and said, “that’s Layla, I love Layla.”
Love this whole room! One question, is the trim and door in the room the same color white as the cabinets? We have white moldings and doors throughout our house but the same granite in this post so not sure if we can mix a creamy white on the cabinets with a pure white on the trim and doors?
Hi Ellen!
Nope. The cabinets are creamy white, and the doors and door trim is bright white. I think it’s okay to mix the two- but it’s totally a preference thing. Go with your grin, and you’ll always win- LOL! 😀
I have been reading your blog forever, and just love it and thought I better comment here…
I think you should have your own diy show, and I would watch it all the time! I love how you used what was in the kitchen already and didn’t just tear everything out. It looks so great!!!
You have a gift for what you do – I think your great and love that you are using your gifting to bless others.
God Bless you and all you do!
Fantastic job, Layla! Love how it came out! x
Layla, we have a familiar relationship with navajo white from the early 90’s. cracks me up…. such an iconic white.
Beautiful job.
Awww, Layla, so great to see you in action again! You are so good, my friend. Loved seeing this kitchen renovation, you did it all perfectly. I know they are thrilled with the results. One super job by you, my dear! Congrats on this awesome opportunity, you so deserve it. xoxo
So brilliant to change the cabinet style like that. The kitchen looks wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration
Loved the transformation and the episode was fun to watch. Congrats. I noticed Kevin’s name in the credits, but hope to see him on camera with you too. You are great together.
Hi Marm! Since we got to film this episode ourselves, I spent most of my time behind the camera. I may make an appearance or two in a future episode. ‘Til then, I’m going to leave the hosting to my honey and stick to my “fun stuff”- filming and editing! 😀
Loved the episode, Layla!!! You are so fun to watch, and the kitchen looks amazing!!!! Congratulations!
Thank you so much, Rocio! 😀
I’m having problems viewing the video. Like the others I’d like to know what thickness ply you used and did you get a sheet of it and just rip widths of it to cover the detail on the wood?
Hi Lillian!
I’m so sorry you aren’t able to view the video! 🙁
I think the plywood was about 1/4″ thick, and yes, Brian the Carpenter just ripped us some little strips to attach to each door front. Check out either of the links on the comment I just left for Karen and you’ll be able to get a better visual! 🙂
Thanks Layla – I’m disappointed too about the video. I’m in Australia so sometimes I find I can’t view videos based in the US. Kept telling me the video feed was corrupt and I couldn’t download it. I’ll check out those links now. Thanks. I adore your sense of aesthetic. Can’t wait to hear more about your adoption too 🙂
Hi Layla & Kevin
Great makeover! I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on how to makeover the kitchen cabinet doors with plywood. So many of us have these. The cabinets are in good shape but outdated. Your technique saves so much money and makes the kitchen current.
Love your blog and I am loving the room maker over class video
Kind regards
Karen
Hi Karen!
I gave a quick tutorial in the episode if you’d like to check that out: Tommy & Shelley’s Cool “New” Kitchen
Otherwise, you can read more about creating shaker style doors here: Tudor Style
Just some thin plywood cut into strips and attached with short nails. A tub of spackle to fill in any cracks and holes, and voila!
Love it! Just wondering, did you stain the butcher block before you waterloxed it? If so, what color and stain did you use? We are looking at doing the same thing in our kitchen very soon.
Yep! Tommy used Minwax’s “Special Walnut” stain from the home improvement store. 🙂
Just finished watching the video. It was incredible! Congratulations!!!
Thank you, Beverly! 😀
It looks so great Congratulations. Yes, that Waterlox stuff is amazing, right? 🙂 See you in a couple of weeks!
YES! Thank you for confirming that, Marian! SUCH a great product! 😀
AMAZING! What you did is absolutely magic!
Layla Palmer – You are a a natural on camera! So winsome and approachable…. just delightful! GREAT makeover…. affordable, smart, beautiful…. you guys did such an awesome job! The opening segment, the graphics, the photography all top notch. BIG BIG congratulations…. can’t wait to see the next webisode!
Thank you so much, LJ!!! 😀 Your comment was so fun to find here this morning!
Thank you, Lisa! We just kept it easy-peasy, and thrifty-pifty, LOL! 😀
This is brilliant!! Any chance you want to do another kitchen in Colorado?? 🙂
Thank you, Kim! 😀 We’re taking a break from kitchens for a minute, but thank you for extending the invitation! 😀 #plumtuckered
I have the same orange oak cabinets in my kitchen – BLAH. I need a change also. You guys have done an incredible job on that kitchen a big thumbs up from me. I will watch your episode and see if I can get my husband to agree in a change like that. Change is good – right?
Yes! Change IS good, Michelle! Especially when it involved cabinets you’re not lovin’- LOL! 😀
Layla, this kitchen is to die for! You guys did an incredible job. It was great to see the reactions of the homeowners seeing their “new” kitchen for the first time. The idea for the plywood on top of the existing cabinet doors…BRILLIANT! Just one question though – what did you seal the butcher block with?? We are looking to sand the deck sealant off on ours (don’t ask!) and reseal with something better. I’d love to know what you used. It had such a nice matte sheen.
oxox
Jennifer
Thank you, Jennifer! It was so much fun to work on!
There’s a link to the product we used up there in the post. It’s called Waterlox and it waterROCKS! 😀
Amazing work as always! Layla, you are a natural in front of the camera! Great video and I can’t wait to see the next one. How did the additional bedroom turn out? I couldn’t believe how long that kitchen was before!
Gorgeous in every way!!! How do you do it?! I loved the trick with the plywhood and the beautiful butcher block counter. The color scheme was perfect. Way to go!! Keep the ideas coming….we’re signing on a short sale-needs lots of TLC– home today! I’m keeping a journal with your paint colors and tips. Amazing!
Thank you, Kellie! And congratulations on your new home!!! SO exciting!!! 😀
Layla, just wanted to be sure: did you mix Sherwin Williams Pro Classic Latex Enamel the shade of Benjamin Moore’s Navaho White, but did not use Ben Moore paint? Great job. Judy
Correct! We used Sherwin-Williams paint, but a Benjamin Moore color! 🙂
You did an amazing job Layla, I really enjoyed seeing you’re video. You’re so natural and polished on camera. Great Job!
Thank you, sweet Karen! I really appreciate you saying that, and look forward to sharing episode 2 with you soon! 😀
I think I have the same cabinets and I am so over them…but I love what y’all did with Tommy and Shelley’s. So did you reuse the existing cabinet doors or did you build new ones?? I am very curious and would love it if y’all did a tutorial:)
Hi Cindy!
We just added thin pieces of plywood to fronts of their upper cabinet doors. You can get a good visual on the episode if you’re up for checking out, or just click on the link to the Tudor Style post I mentioned a few comments ago. That’ll show a good visual too! 😀
Wow. What a big impact for the bucks. Layla, you just sparkle. The video was such fun to watch, especially the “blooper reel.” LOL Congratulations. Can’t wait to see what you do next.