Pink Lady Renovation: 5 Months In
Third Floor Plans, Bringing in the Big Guns, and WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Well, the last 6 weeks have been… weird, huh?
I know that home renovation is trivial in a time like this, but at the same time, it can also be a much-needed escape. At least, that’s what it’s been for me (and what several of you have told me on Instagram.)
With that said, we’ll keep on moving and keep you updated in the process!
A lot has happened since my last update. Mainly, that we have an actual floor on the 3rd floor, and after much back-and-forth, we finally settled on a layout, which has allowed framing to begin. We’ve also brought in the “big guns” (more on that below!) and are having a nearly impossible time making one particular decision— and we need your help!
So, without further ado, our update:
1.) THE 3RD FLOOR PLANS ARE SOLID AND FRAMING HAS BEGUN!
After weeks of agonizing over what the most efficient and functional floor plan would look like for the 3rd floor, we finally came to a decision. This was a particularly difficult decision because the roof lines on the 3rd floor are, well, bizarre— which makes any layout tricky. We also needed to consider how it would be used.
For now, we see the third floor as a bit of a “catch-all” area. There will be space for guests to stay, a bathroom, a small office area for my office (hooray!) and a living area for the boys to watch movies/do crafts.
In the future, I could see the boys living up there, so I wanted to be sure that however it was designed now would make sense down the road. We also needed to account for our lack of storage in this house, and sneak in closet space wherever we could.
Suffice it to say that I’m no architect and that my blueprint drawing skills are… abysmal (this drawing isn’t even close to scale), but here’s a general idea:
2.) WE’VE BROUGHT IN THE BIG GUNS (AKA, KIMMEL DESIGN)
Here’s the thing. Home design is one of my FAVORITE THINGS EVER, but this is kind of a gigantic project. Though I love the idea of doing everything myself, the honest truth is: I don’t know nearly as much as a professional does. I know what I like, but I don’t know minute details, design intricacies, how to source things, important details to consider, etc. I also have a habit of loving lots of different things, and can sometimes struggle to create a cohesive design.
In comes Kathryn of Kimmel Design.
Not only does Kathryn have exceptional taste (that’s right up my alley) she has an eye that I do not. Problems that I’ve agonized over for weeks are simple for her. She’s also a mom of three small children, which means she knows which materials will stand up to crazy kids, and how to make every single space as functional as possible.
She’s presented design ideas that are exactly what I wished for, but never knew how to articulate. To put it simply, her help has already been invaluable! She’s helped with layout, sourcing, colors, fixtures— basically, everything. I’m so thrilled to have her on board!
Also, I’m low-key obsessing over this inspiration board she’s created for the kitchen.
3.) WE NEED YOUR HELP (CABINET COLORS ARE HARD)
First things first: THE KITCHEN PLANS ARE FINAL. You know that scene in Frozen where Anna realizes it’s Coronation Day and gets all giddy? That’s me. I AM SO EXCITED.
As you may remember, we went back-and-forth on what type of cabinets to go with, and were leaning towards IKEA cabinets with semi-custom fronts. In the end, we couldn’t find a look that we really loved, yet fully custom cabinets were beyond our budget.
Enter RTA (ready to assemble) cabinets. I searched the internet high and low (no really, I spent days doing research) and ended up settling on the Cabinet Joint. They’re beautiful, look completely custom, and are a fraction of the price. So far, they’ve been an absolute joy to work with, and we’re so excited to partner with them!
Now, for the big questions: WHAT COLORS SHOULD WE CHOOSE?
I am pretty set on Navy for the island, but I need help with the perimeter cabinets. A few things to consider:
The majority of the cabinets in our kitchen will be lower cabinets. One wall will have “double stacked” uppers, but the rest will be lower cabinets.
There will be a LOT of natural light in the kitchen.
White on the lowers just isn’t an option for us— 4 small children make it impossible to keep clean.
The walls will be a neutral white.
