how to fake a built-in microwave

let me introduce you to the "front" of my striped island---and another fun feature--the "built -in" microwave.
just don't tell anyone that this microwave is NOT a fancy, built-in microwave, but a plain
jane, run-of-the-mill, "boring" old counter top microwave.
and an inexpensive one at that!

on our initial cabinet plan, we had the microwave in the upper cabinets, to the left of the fridge/freezer, but when we decided to get the BIG fridge and freezer units, that space became too tight and we shifted the location of the microwave to here. (totally happy with the decision to GO BIG on the fridge/freezer. by the way!)

our cabinet fabricator built a box for the microwave. with an outlet in the back.

once we purchased the microwave, he took some measurements and built a riser for the microwave to sit on.

the microwave has little rubber feet that sit on the countertop---he measured and drilled some holes for the feet to rest in.

 that way, the microwave will not shift around when you push on the buttons and open and close the door.

a custom trim was made and fitted around the microwave.
the lines in the bottom of the trim are for venting and air circulation.

screws were used to make sure that the spacing was adequate between the drawer below and the front trim.

and then it was nailed in place!

this is a really affordable option to a built-in microwave with a metal trim kit, which can run upwards of $600, and i really love the way it blends in with the rest of the cabinetry!

if there is ever an issue with the microwave, we can remove the front trim, and have it fixed.

i have never had a microwave under the counter, and i was a bit nervous about how i would like it, but it has been great! i had nightmares for months about the kids doing crazy experiments in the microwave and blowing things up! what a mom, huh??

i am happy to report that nothing crazy has happened. 

yet.

of course, IF my kids were a little younger, i would have invested in a microwave with a LOCK feature, that would stop anyone from unwittingly turning it on...and i have to admit that the few times we have had friends over with younger kids, i have been a little nervous. 

but nothing crazy has happened.

yet. ha! ha!

spotted: muse wallpaper by osborne + little

i was watching "the switch" recently on netflix, and looky what i spotted!

pretty wallpaper!

i know that its hard to believe that i wasn't staring at jason bateman's adorable face, 

but instead was transfixed on the wallpaper behind him! but i was....

it was a wallpaper that i considered for a project about a year ago, and i still had a picture of it 

on my phone....

it is called "muse" by osborne and little. 

i am not entirely sure that it is still in production, but i did manage to find two colorways available here.

 (i believe this is the color shown in the movie.)

do you ever do the same thing?

find yourself "lost" in a movie...

not focusing on the plot or the dialogue, but instead noticing the great pillow on the sofa, or finding yourself wondering WHERE in the world that lamp is from....or what is the paint color on the walls?

yeah.

i thought so!

me too.

happy weekend!

first look at my (still in progress) kitchen

welcome to my new house!

there is still a staggering amount of work that needs to happen, but i am SO happy to be in the house, and i know that each little project will only add to the feeling of "home" that i already have here.

a few things that still need to happen in the kitchen + dining room:

*get a range! that is a big one. we are still hunting for one that meets our needs and fits our budget. i have (surprisingly) been getting along just fine without it so far! i have been amazed at how many meals can be prepared between a crock pot, the george foreman grill, an electric skillet and the microwave! it also helps that summer is almost here, so we are eating more salads and sandwiches.

*install the trim kit around the fridge and freezer. we thought we could just pop this on, but found out that we have to lay the units on their backs! yikes. this is going to require the help  of several "lucky" neighbors/friends to pull off!

*install a back splash. i have some options, but frankly, this is pretty low on my priority list compared with the other things we need to get done.

*get paint touch ups to the cabinets.

*get two pendants for the island and a chandelier for the the dining room. i think i know what i want in both spaces, i just need to save the $$ for them.

*get an additional shelf made for the open dish area.

*add window treatments for the dining room

*get a larger table. i have had this one (and have LOVED it) for the last 13 1/2 years. it is from pottery barn, and has a stainless steel top and it still looks amazing. it is just a little too small for the 5 of us. i love it so much that i think i will have a larger stainless steel top made for this base. the chairs also need some sprucing up.

*install shoe mold, wall trim and crown molding.

*stain the exterior door.

* get hardware for the doors.

*hang artwork. the pictures on the hood are temporary. i just wanted to see how they would look...

yep.

still a lot to get done, but i am thrilled with everything so far!

another look at the **finally clean striped island!

and yes---that little button by the faucet is for the garbage disposal! if y'all want more information on this, i will write a separate post with all the details.

in this picture, you can get a little peek into the office nook.
right now it is a dumping ground for everything that i don't want in the kitchen.

we went ahead and put carpet on the stairs. the list of things TO DO were adding up, and we figured that it would be a while before we got to painting them and making them look nice, so we just had the carpet guys come back and lay carpet on the last few steps.

the small hallway to the left of the stairs leads to the powder room and master bedroom.
i have some big plans for the entry!
i just haven't quite decided on exactly what i want...for sure some trim. i may even duplicate the trim of the dining room in house #5.
i think i would also like to add some wallpaper somewhere...maybe on the ceiling?


for now, i placed this little console and plopped up a few things on it to make it feel a little more pulled together. i would love to have a custom made floating console made for this wall, but first...
a range and some doorknobs! priorities!

and, just to make you feel better---see? there are still tubs and boxes on the great room floor, furniture wrapped in plastic and nothing on the walls!
the room gets a lot of light though! that is something that everyone who walks in comments on. since it is essentially one big room, there are windows on 3 sides of the space, which really brings the light in.

hopefully, after i unpack a few more boxes, i will post some pictures of the other rooms of the main floor and the upstairs!

drawers under the kitchen sink

there are several things about my new kitchen that i am seriously in love with...

the first thing, is of course that it is MINE. after nearly 5 years of renting, it is so great to have a kitchen

that i really enjoy being in!

i am also REALLY glad that i decided to put drawers under the kitchen sink.

 i honestly had no idea how much space i was "missing" in that dark abyss under my sink until now! it's also pretty amazing how a tiny thing like having drawers under the kitchen sink can change the look and feel of a kitchen.

this is what my kitchen looked like for the first week after we moved in...

since the drawers are custom made to fit around the plumbing, we had to wait until everything was installed before the drawers were made. since we were on such a tight schedule, the plumber came the day before we moved in to hook everything up. that meant i had to wait a little bit for the drawers to be made.

it was so wonderful to have the drawers show up! here is a little picture of them getting installed.

what you cant see, is me, off camera, doing the happy dance!

since i knew that i wanted to have drawers under the sink, we gave the plumbers and electricians specific instructions to hold the pipes and wires as far to the back of the cabinet as possible, to maximize the space under the sink.

i am really pleased with the amount of space i have in each drawer! i was only expecting a tiny amount of storage on the side of the top drawers, and just a bit more on the bottom.

as you can see, there is a TON of storage space!

on the bottom drawer, paper towels (standing on end!), spray bottles for cleaners, and an enormous costco size box of garbage bags fit with room to spare!

the top drawer is more shallow due to the sink, but is still SO much larger than i anticipated. in fact, i am having a little trouble trying to fill it up!

i am really happy with the way the recessed pulls look!

you can read more about my hardware selection here.

the honed carrara marble (so far) has been great. i was warned that it is "high maintenance", but i am really glad that i decided to go for it.

i also can't say enough about the sink! i love how deep it is, and the shape has been really easy to keep clean. (i was a tad worried it might not be!)

you can read more about how i chose my sink here.

so, what do you think?

are you ready to rip out the cabinet doors under your sink and get some drawers?

is this a feature that you would include if you were to remodel your kitchen or build a new house?

before + after: formal living room dining room transformation

amidst all the chaos of moving and unpacking (update pictures coming soon, i promise!), i received a sweet email and some amazing after pictures from a client. we worked together on her formal living and dining room with full room designs for each space. my client took inspiration from the original design plans and then opted to take the transformation one step further with a complete remodel including opening up her formal dining room into the kitchen! it looks fantastic, and i was stunned by the after pictures!

here is a look at the original design board for the formal living room:

and a quick look at the rooms before we started:
before:








and....
after:

 as you can see, the grey sofa and neutral chairs are paired with freshly painted walls and new hardwood floors. we opted to paint the walls and existing chair rail the same color so that the trim becomes a textural element in the room and doesn't divide the wall in half.

the new upholstered cushion on the window seat adds seating and softness and is now a focal point in the room. we used the village workroom for the silk draperies. 

 the punches of various shades blue and green in the room add to the serene feeling.

 don't you love this gallery wall? i love that my client kept all of the frames and mats in the same tones, but they are all so different and add so much texture to the room!

the existing table and chandelier were kept, but everything else is fresh and new!

i really love how the silk drapes look with the simple white table, bone sunburst mirror and metal chairs. 

isn't the transformation incredible?

my client did a tremendous job of using the design plan that i created for her as a guide to making both spaces look and feel polished and elegant.

here is what she had to say:

"Thanks again for your expertise and your design plans that set this all in motion and has ended up with a finished product we love! Had it not been for your pulling my ideas together in a cohesive vision I would probably have just worked around "ivy curtain toppers" and mauvy/taupe paint - never knowing what truly can be and being as happy as we are now in the space.  Thanks for sharing your talent with me."


interested in working together to create a more beautiful and functional space in your home?
my schedule for the next few weeks is already filling, but i will be taking new clients after may 27th. email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to reserve a spot for your consultation!