Kitchen Mini-Renovation Part II: Finishing with Finishes

In the previous post about our kitchen mini-renovation, I spoke about the cabinets and appliances that were swapped out as soon as we moved in. Before the range, vent hood and pot filler could be installed, there was one big job to complete, which was filling in the backsplash tile now that the upper cabinet was removed.

Backsplash Extension

Prep time: 20 min

Installation time: 2 hours

Drying/Set time: 24 hours

Cleanup time: 1 hour

The new range and vent hood that were purchased meant that there was a big section of the wall that needed more backsplash tile. Thankfully, the backsplash tile was not custom tile that was hard to find. We found it at Lowe's and picked up a few extra boxes.

Before adding the tile to the wall, I had learned my lesson from my last backsplash project that, well, took two years to complete. This time around, I laid out all of the tile on the kitchen island to ensure that the mosaic pattern didn't repeat. I noticed that the backsplash everywhere else in the kitchen didn't repeat regularly and needed to make sure that the new backsplash tile blended in with the existing tile.

Once it was laid out, I measured the total width and began marking up the cut lines with painters tape. This ended up working really well and prevented a lot of the tile from chipping when John cut it in the garage.

After each sheet of tile was cut, John and I laid it out back on the island a second time for installation. We installed starting from the bottom and working our way up. Each section of tile was matched up to the existing tile to ensure that all were straight horizontally. At first, we used too much grout at the bottom but lessened the amount as we went up to make cleanup a little easier.

This project was a first for both of us but we are really happy with the results and are ready to take on future tiling projects in the house!

Light Fixtures

Prep time: 10 minutes

Installation time: 1-2 hours

The majority of the lights in the house are recessed lights, especially in the kitchen. Right before the closing, though, we noticed that a light bulb was screwed into the ceiling above the kitchen island instead of a recessed light. I guess the builder ran out and didn't feel like making another trip to Home Depot.

We were already making changes to the cabinets and appliances, so the light fixtures were the last thing we tackled. Three light fixtures were added: a single pendant above the sink, two pendants above the island, and a three-light chandelier above the kitchen table. I knew from living in my condo that swapping out light fixtures instantly makes your home feel like your own, and I love the ones we chose.