It’s rally week, friends! See how far we’ve come and what we have left to do as I share new updates on our modern cottage kitchen makeover.
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Welcome to Week Five of the Jeffrey Court Challenge
Can you believe it? Time has flown by, and we are officially in the home stretch of the Jeffrey Court Renovation Challenge. There is just ONE week left until our big reveal, and it’s rally time. Also known as panic time. Ahhhhh!!!!
We still have several key things to finish up, but before I share what we’ve been up to, let’s take a moment to see how far we’ve already come! If you missed the very first post in this series with my big news, make sure to give it a read to learn more about the challenge. Then catch up on the other posts listed here.
How To Prepare For A DIY Kitchen Reno – Week 2 Challenge Update
Modern Cottage Touches In The Kitchen – Week 3 Challenge Update
Three Ways to Avoid DIY Mistakes – Week 4 Challenge Update
New Updates On Our Modern Cottage Kitchen Makeover
This week we had planned to tackle the biggest part of the project yet…the countertops! But, life had other plans and we were forced to pivot yet again. The paint was scheduled to be delivered by the end of last week so we could finish the counters over the weekend.
It made it to a delivery facility here in town, but got “lost in transit”. So back to the drawing board we went. The paint snafu combined with our busy work schedules and the girl’s activities, made it challenging to get much done this week.
And while we still don’t have the counters done, we did make progress on the backsplash and it looks sooo good!
Backsplash Installation
After some struggles last week, we hit our stride with the new backsplash installation.
To help expedite the process we’re using a double-sided sticky bonding paper that is made especially for installing this kind of backsplash.
It’s super easy to use and eliminates the need for a messy adhesive mix. Hallelujah!
Kirk has been such a trooper through it all and really deserves all of the credit for this part of the reno.
The new saw has also been a big help.
The laser level helps with the difficult cuts, and Kirk used some Frog Tape to help prevent the tiny fragile pieces of tile from chipping and breaking.
The biggest challenge, of course, has been cutting around all of the plug-ins and the narrow strip near our window and sink.
But, once we finish this section the rest should go up more quickly!
I love how the matte black sink pulls out the gray color in the herringbone tile. We originally picked out a dark gray sink, but after seeing it in person we decided it wasn’t right.
I was nervous to make the change, but seeing all of the elements together now, I know that black was the choice.
And as soon as the rest of the tile is on the wall, we’ll be able to grout immediately. That’s good news for us since we’re going to be burning the midnight oil to get everything done!
Ohh….and more good news. The paint finally arrived so the counters will get done. I just may not get any sleep.
Here’s one more peek at the kitchen as it stands. Fingers crossed we can get it all done by next week!
Week Five Recap
That’s a wrap on another week of the challenge! Here’s a quick snapshot of the progress we’ve made so far.
Add a fresh coat of paint on the walls and paint the window trimInstall a new cordless blindDemo the counter for backsplash installationUpdate our existing light fixtures with a new pendant and a new chandelierPurchase a new stainless steel microwave to match the rest of our recently upgraded appliancesReplace our old barstools and kitchen table chairs with some cottage-style barstools and dining chairsPaint our kitchen table- Paint the laminate counter tops to replicate quartz
Hire a plumber to install a new sink and faucet- Add a tile backsplash
New Updates On Our Modern Cottage Kitchen Makeover
Next week is the big reveal and I can’t wait to share the finished kitchen with you all. Despite all of the hiccups and lots of sweat, tears, and even a little bit of blood, it’s all been worth it to see our vision come to life.
Thank you for cheering us on and for joining us on this journey. We’d love your help to win the challenge and the $5,000 cash prize, so don’t forget to vote! Just visit the Jeffrey Court webpage to get those votes in and to see updates from all the designers competing in the challenge.
Xo,
Shawna says
I love that backsplash so much! Definitely something I would love to see in my own kitchen.
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Shawna. We are loving it too! It really adds so much to the space!
Paula@SweetPea says
Your backsplash is so pretty and is perfect for your kitchen. I love the sink that you chose, too!
midwestlifeandstyle says
Thank you, Paula. I think the backsplash is the perfect combination of classic and modern…exactly what we were going for!