Kitchen Before and After

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Roeshel

My kitchen reveal in reverse!

I just found some pictures from when we bought our house. I know you’ve seen the after shots but I thought you’d enjoy seeing a few before and ‘now’ pictures for comparison. This is one of the reasons I started blogging – watching the transformation of this old house and while I tend to see all that we have yet to do, these pictures are a reminder that we’ve come a long way, baby! Of course a really ugly before makes anything look like an improvement. So, even though our kitchen isn’t quite done, I have shared these after photos (there aren’t any super new ones) but it’s a reveal in reverse…before pictures to prove that we’ve made some changes. 🙂

Warning: The before photos are very scary and a lot of ‘yuck’ from neglect/previous owners. Our home sat empty for awhile. A year or two maybe? I don’t remember. But it’s the location and size and character of this old house that won my heart…not the dirt and outdated/cheap finishes. I saw past the grime. I had a vision.

Kitchen before – it’s love at first sight, right? ha! love the Mr. Yuck stickers on the bottom cabinets, don’t you?

kitchen now

Kitchen before: that’s a ceiling fan pull cord hanging down.

Kitchen after…

Kitchen before – what is that on the wall? I’m guessing the location of the previous owner’s kitchen garbage can? We don’t really want to know, do we?

kitchen now

Kitchen before…I’m amazed how much smaller this door makes that wall look!

See the ugly sidewalk and rusty grape arbor in the background below? French door installation in progress:

Kitchen now…let there be light!

I know…these aren’t really “now” pictures as in “today”. They are at least six months ago before the move to WordPress as you can tell by the watermark. But, I did just return from Haven so you know my kitchen isn’t photography-worthy but thanks for looking – I was happy to find the before pictures!

{patio & grape arbor after too}

So, what do you think? A better idea of where we started and our home is a fixer upper for sure! If you haven’t already, you can see more in our home tour. 🙂

Now if only the upstairs bathrooms still didn’t look like the before pictures. I’m doubting it, but was your house move-in ready or did you have to work at cleaning some filth?

Happy to join the linky fun today at

Granite Gold Giveaway & Review

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Roeshel

Mr. DIY is the cook in our family. He finds cooking relaxing and therapeutic after a long day at work. He enjoys it. {Who am I to argue?}

We were super excited when we swapped out blue laminate countertops for granite last year. On a photo shoot day, it looks like this:

When Mr. DIY has finished creating a delicious meal, it looks like this on a good day:

And usually when I clean up, it’s streaky-looking in certain lighting. I was more than happy to try Granite Gold‘s products for a little help with cleaning that mess on a regular basis, to have an easy solution to my almost daily chore.The food is always amazing but the kitchen usually winds up looking like the Muppets Swedish Chef stopped by for a visit…

{courtesy of rubysuncle}

After clearing all of the clutter and crumbs, I used the Granite Gold cleaner to get through spills, water marks and grease…

I love the citrus scent and streak-free formula {not the result I was getting with brand name cleaning wipes}.

Our granite has a honed finish, but the Granite Gold polish brings out the granite’s natural beauty and when used weekly, provides ongoing protection against water marks.

Gorgeous shine! Great for cleaning our Virginia Mist granite and marble subway tile backsplash too!

One lucky DIY Show Off winner will receive:

The Granite Gold cleaning kit includes 5 must-have products:

Daily Cleaner: Our #1 best seller is a streak-free formula that safely deep-cleans natural stone surfaces, leaving a fresh citrus scent
Polish: Quickly add shine and luster to granite and other natural stone surfaces.
Shower Cleaner: Instead of using other household cleaners which can damage natural stone, our shower cleaner is the safe alternative to prevent mold, mildew, soap scum and hard water deposits
Outdoor Stone Cleaner: Easily attachable to your garden hose, it is safe to use on patios, decks and driveways because the biodegradable, ph-balanced formula won’t harm plants, animals, siding or plastics
Sealer: To provide long-lasting resistance to staining and soil build-up you only need to use our natural stone sealer once a year! So add it to your spring-cleaning to-do’s.

Specially formulated to clean and maintain all-natural surfaces, Granite Gold’s complete stone care line gives consumers the tools to keep their natural stone protected and looking first-class. The non-toxic and non-abrasive formula won’t scratch surfaces, is environmentally friendly and safe to use on any food-preparation surfaces.

+ a $50 Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card!

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:

Sign up to receive the latest stone care advice from the experts at Granite Gold.
Visit Granite Gold on Facebook for latest stone care advice, helpful hints and updates. Leave a comment that you “like” Granite Gold.
Follow Granite Gold’s on Twitter for the answers to your stone care questions and leave a comment about it.
Comment on how you’ve helped spread the word about the Granite Gold giveaway (Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, G+, blogging). {THANK YOU for your help!}
Leave a comment telling Granite Gold which natural stone in your home could use a little special TLC.

Giveaway starts today and ends June 30th, 2012 at midnight EST. One winner will be chosen randomly and announced shortly after.Open to US residents 18+ only. Good luck!

DIY Show Off received compensation and product for this honest review based on personal experience and giveaway was donated by Granite Gold.

All things {farmhouse} kitchen

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Roeshel

There are two small DIY projects in the kitchen this week that I want to share with you. 🙂

Russ enjoys cooking outside (Big Green Egg is his other love) and we entertain and dine on the patio often when the weather allows.

The dresser stores his BBQ and smoking tools near the door and patio. The numbers will be helpful in reminding him where things are.

I painted our “microwave cart” dresser a pretty shade of dark distressed red and numbered the drawers. The wood tone shows through…

I also made a “Farmer’s Market” sign for the bulkhead above the kitchen sink and windows.

Farmhouse kitchen details:

Cow canvas (wuslu.com)
Area rug (OneKingsLane.com) – with DIY red detail
DIY distressed Farmer’s Market sign (tutorial coming soon)
DIY door clock
Two teacher’s desks create a temporary island/eat in area
DIY lazy Susan spice rack, DIY sliding ladder and antique chicken feeder cook book library
Numbered red/glazed dresser {microwave cart and storage}

(more links to painting kitchen cabinets, marble subway tile installation and more kitchen DIY at the DIY Show Off home tour)

And since the kitchen’s clean, I couldn’t help sharing some updated pictures: