Beadboard Backsplash, Corbel Love, & A Few Other Kitchen Updates....

Hey Friends! 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

I wanted to share with you a project we completed in our kitchen a few weeks ago! But to really appreciate the space, we need to take a look back at what the kitchen looked like just two short years ago...

Can you say BLAH?!

This was back in my country/primitive stage & right before we started our makeover. This was pretty much how the kitchen looked when we moved into our home back in 2005. The only thing I had done up until this point was change out the hardware & add some accessories. I was so sick of this space! I wanted something brighter & a more updated look.

So, we installed new countertops, a new sink/faucet, painted the cabinets, & again, added new hardware. This is what we were left with.....

  

Much better, right?!

(p.s. this project was one of the first projects completed for this blog. Notice how I its dark outside & I didn't even have the interior lights on?! My oh my how much I've learned....)

Well, it had been a couple years since we completed this project & I was itching to add even more appeal to this space! I always wanted a backsplash of some kind, but we just hadn't gotten around to it.  I wanted something simple & something that had a little bit of a cottage feel to it. So, after searching the web & Pinterest for some inspiration I finally found the look I wanted. I was most inspired by Sarah's (aka Thrifty Decor Chick's) kitchen & her beadboard backsplash! We even had left-over beadboard from Griffin's nursery that was just sitting out in the garage waiting to be used! PERFECT!! 

After just a day's worth of work our kitchen went from looking like the picture above, to looking like this....

 Hello....lighter, brighter, cottage-ey kitchen!!
Where have you been my whole life?!

(p.s.s Isn't it amazing what good lighting & manual mode can do for a photo?!)

 What do you think?!

Are you loving it as much as I am?!

 In addition to adding the beadboard backsplash, we also decided to add some corbels to the underside of the cabinets....

Aren't they GORGEOUS?!

I love the way the give the cabinets a more custom, built-in look. Such an easy thing to add to the cabinetry, but in my opinion, they add such a big impact! We bought these particular corbels at Home Depot for just under $9.00 a piece. We need 6 total, so that brought the total cost for the corbels to right about $54.00.

Here is a closer shot of one of our cabinet sections with the new backsplash & corbels added....

 

After the beadboard & corbels were added, we added quarter-round to the base of the beadboard & the underneath side of the cabinets to give everything a clean & seamless look.....

After everything was installed, I gave the corbels a coat of primer (the quarter round & beadboard was pre-primed) & then gave everything a coat of paint to match the existing cabinet color. 

Many of you have asked me about the name of the paint color used for the cabinets, again, like a lot of my projects, this paint was purchased at our local do-it-yourself store (which is not a chain) & their paints & paint colors are not available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. So....because I am of ZERO help in the paint color department, I though I would share just a little tip for those of you who are wanting a similar look...

If you have off-white or cream colored appliances like I do, you could always grab a bunch of paint sample colors & bring them home to try & match your appliances as closely as you can. That is what we did when trying to find the perfect shade of cream for our cabinets!! If you are wanting a cream color for your cabinets, but have different colored appliances, just try to find some cream appliances inside one of your favorite home improvement stores & match it that way! Hope that helps!!

After adding the new backsplash to the kitchen, I also wanted to brighten up our breakfast nook/eating area...

 (This picture was taken just a year or so ago)

And what better way to do that than to take the shades off the chandelier?!

GAH!!! 

Why did I wait so long to do this?!?!

I'm LOVING this look so much better!!!

You'll also noticed that I completely de-cluttered the buffet....

I left the mirror & just added the two lamps to each side. I really love this new, cleaner look!! The lamps & shades were purchased at Lowes.

I loved the vinyl word art above that mirror! I purchased it through Uppercase Living several months back. It's such great reminder because life IS beautiful & we should never take that for granted!!

So, that's it......my new & improved kitchen with a few updates to the eating area....

I hope you've enjoyed the tour!!

If I had it my way, I would have you all over for coffee & we could sit & chat about the changes in person, but since we can't do that, just tell me what you think of all the updates in the comments section!! 

Hope ya'll are having a fabulous Monday!!!

For more information about how we painted the cabinets, read this post.  

Linking up here.....

Before & After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick 

Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Tutorials & Tips Link Party at Home Stories A to Z

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots & Jello

Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table & Dreaming

Overflowing with Creativity at It's Overflowing

Best DIY Projects of May at Beneath My Heart

Just Because Linky Party at Inspired by Charm