Kitchen Before & After

Finally, it's done! Well, you know, mostly done. Nothing is ever really done at Chez AD.

First, let's take a peek at the kitchen before:

Not bad, exactly, but not me at all. Lacking the funds or the energy for a full renovation, I decided to give the power of paint a shot. I liked the existing Santa Cecilia granite countertops, so I worked the color palette around them.

I chose a soft green, Benjamin Moore Guilford Green, for the walls and a warm off-white, Benjamin Moore Mascarpone (from the Aura line), for the cabinets. I replaced the antique gold knobs with cool rectangular oil-rubbed bronze pulls to tie in with the copper flecks in the granite. I have new copper pendants to replace the old builder fixtures, but I haven't gotten those switched out yet.

That's about it! Over time, I'd like to replace the appliances and the floors (the tile is fine, but never looks clean -- drives me insane!), but I think this little makeover will tide me over for several years until I have the funds for an overhaul.

Now, for the after photos ...

Master Bedroom and Bath Before & After

Of course, nothing is ever 100% *finished* here at Amateur Decorator. But I thought I'd share the pretty-close-to-done pics from my recent master bedroom and bath makeover. As with everything at Chez AD, it was a fairly low-budget project, except for hiring the painters, which was a pretty big splurge. But I'm not much of a DIY-er (who has the time?) and besides, no way was I going to attempt to paint a room with 13-foot vaulted ceilings! The problem is, though, that like hiring movers, once you go pro, it's hard to go back. It's such a luxury to come home to perfectly prepped and painted walls!

When you aren't shelling out big bucks (and even when you are), I recommend going for mega impact with a few "statement" pieces. My Ikea light fixture was only $90, but talk about impact! (There's a slightly smaller version for $50, see it here in these gorgeous pics from Young House Love.) Painting the built-ins a glossy white was another big transformation, as was replacing the old, faded honeycomb shades with bright white sheers (from Ikea, bunched together to create some opacity for privacy) and pretty gray curtain panels from Target that added some shine and texture. (They look a little wimpy in the pic below, but I hunted down a few more panels and now they look lush and luxe, for $30 a panel!) The Dwell for Target (best line ever!) Mandala quilt makes a cheerful statement as well. It'll be my warm weather bedding, paired with crisp white sheets (you can see the berry-velvet "winter" quilt -- Crate & Barrel Outlet -- in the before pics; it's stunning with my beloved gray flannel sheets).

Without further ado, the pics!

What do you think? I'm still waiting on new end tables (they're actually Flint metal bar stools from CB2!) and I'm not sure where various art pieces will end up (I think the Escapes print will probably get relocated to the living room), but it's close! Oh, and I did touch up a few things between the time I took the photos and today ... new light switch and outlet plate covers, more panels on the windows, a new sconce above the bathroom mirror.

Now on to the kitchen ...

Where It All Came From ...
Bedroom:

Paint - Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray in Aura Matte on walls, Sherwin Williams Extra White in gloss on trim and built-ins

Bedding - Dwell for Target (~$80 for the coverlet, $24/each for shams)

Light fixture - Ikea ($90)

"Escape" painting - CB2 ($149 on sale)

Desk - West Elm (bought this awhile ago)
White shelving - Ikea ($129)

Headboard - West Elm (bought previous, but still available)
Gray curtains - Target ($30/panel)

White sheers - Ikea (bought awhile ago, I think they were $10 for two panels?)

Bathroom:

Paint - Benjamin Moore Sanctuary in Aura Matte
White rayon/bamboo towels - CB2 ($8-$25)
Textured silver towel bars and knobs - West Elm ($6-$39)