Replace Cabinet Hardware: One Room Challenge – Kitchen | Week 4 Update

Once the kitchen cabinets were painted and cured, we had to replace cabinet hardware. We chose classic pulls in a gunmetal gray finish.

It’s Week 4 of the One Room Challenge and the pressure is on! This week we needed to replace cabinet hardware. (If you’re unfamiliar with the One Room Challenge, it’s a biannual design challenge where 20 designers (and even more guests like me) tackle a room makeover in 6 weeks.) For the ORC we are updating our kitchen, and boy do I wish we had done this sooner! We’re only halfway through our to-do list, but it’s already looking AMAZING!

The kitchen looks SO different this week because we finally took out the large cabinets over the stove. Having those cabinets down makes a huge difference for our kitchen and dining space. Of course, now that they are down we still have the tasks of repairing all of the drywall, painting the ceiling (for the entire downstairs) and the walls. Our to-do list is sadly only half finished, so I’m starting to prepare for the fact we may not be 100% finished for the end of the ORC.

Here’s the plan for our One Room Challenge Kitchen Makeover:

• Paint the cabinets 
• Replace cabinet hardware
• Replace the current backsplash
• Take out a few cabinets
• Add floating shelves
• Repair and repaint ceiling
• Paint walls

The cabinet phase of the project is complete now that the cabinets over the stove peninsula are out and the hardware is on. Without the cabinets the space is so much more open. I love that I can cook, clean, or whatever and still be able to see Mara in our dining space without ducking my head under the cabinets. I also feel less isolated when I’m cooking! My husband and I were both saying that we need to entertain more now that the space is so open.

Our Range Hood Decision

We finally decided on our new range hood, so that should be arriving next week. If you recall, one of the issues we were having with deciding on a new hood was placement due to the ventilation location. Our old hood had ventilation going up the back of the unit, whereas ceiling-mounted hoods’ ventilation goes up the center. Aka, the old ventilation is the ceiling wouldn’t line up with the new. Once we got the cabinets down, we realized that moving the ventilation wasn’t really going to work because there is a beam going through the exact location for the ventilation for an island hood.

We talked it over, at length, and decided to order a vent-less island hood. That means that we will repair the ceiling and cap off the current ventilation system because we won’t need one at all. A vent-less range hood uses carbon filters and re-circulation to control cooking smells, smoke and moisture. This option seems like our best bet to avoid spending a ton of extra money hiring someone to install a new ventilation system, or having an off-centered hood.

Once the hood is installed we will be able to move forward with repairing, and repainting, the ceiling. This task is a pretty large one because we will need to paint the kitchen and dining space ceilings as well as the hallway extending from the kitchen. And, to be honest, I’m not sure if it will get done before the end of the ORC.

Next Up: Backsplash

Another larger job that I’m not sure we can knockout that quickly is the backsplash. With the two little ones, my husband’s work and school schedule, plus every day life projects, we are having a hard time finding the time to do it! Nighttime is usually a good time for us to work on projects, but knocking out the current tile is a loud job and I need those babies to sleep.

It turns out the best time is the weekend after the ORC ends. Naturally. We have discussed hiring someone, but now it’s so close to the deadline we don’t even know if someone could fit us in. So, we may be putting this part of the project off until after ORC is over. That makes the new priority repairing and painting the drywall on the walls and hanging the floating shelves. That is definitely a task that can be finished in a weekend, and after the kids are in bed.

Once that piece is done, I will be able to prep everything for the final reveal! Then we can actually finish the backsplash and ceiling later and have another reveal.

• One Room Challenge – Kitchen Makeover Plans (Week 1)
• One Room Challenge – Kitchen Update | Week 2
• One Room Challenge – Kitchen Update | Week 3