Our 5-Month Kitchen Renovation: Complete! | Davenport’s Fixer Upper

August 16, 2016

You guys.

Like seriously, where do I even begin?!

Firstly, I can’t wait to have you over for dinner! Or better yet–brunch! Be careful, because there’s a 99% chance, I’ll make you quiche and coffee. I’m so creative and stuck in my ways. πŸ˜‰

To catch some of you up in a couple sentences: Jordan and I purchased our fixer upper this past October, and we hit the ground running, updating…everything. No, really. Everything. This blog can help you there (our last blog–ah!). We moved in in December, sleeping on our mattress on the floor for weeks, and we began renovating our kitchen around early March (ish). Jordan works full time as a nurse, so basically, he’s 3 days on as a nurse, and 4 days on as a kitchen-renovator.

Over the past week, we’ve just finished dusting off kitchen appliances and putting them in their places as I nest into my kitchen and find what feels good where.


Things I’ve Loved About This Renovation:

1. Sitting on Pinterest, walking through Lowe’s or standing in our kitchen talking through plans and ideas with Jordan.

2. The feeling of completing a job–or Jordan completing it!

3. Learning how I truly need very little to cook in a kitchen being renovated–talk about Crockpots in the living room, for example!

4. Choosing what we want and how we want it.

5. Learning that there are just some jobs you outsource and some jobs that you’re completely capable of helping Jordan.

6. Lastly, seeing my husband be a beast–so talented, so smart, so creative and so driven.

Our Kitchen Renovation Video Tour!

I’m going to share this video with you here, so it can give you the experience of feeling like you’re over for quiche and coffee in my very kitchen! Pretend we’re sitting at the bar, okay? Okay πŸ™‚

Wish you were here in person!

Here are a few “before” (again, pulled from the internet!)

An Attempt at a List of What We Did:

I’m going to attempt to list everything Jordan did, but keep in mind, I’ll probably be missing 10736 things that I don’t even understand happened during this renovation!

1. Took up the existing tile and replaced it with brick tile.

2. Built a peninsula extending off of one side of the galley kitchen.

3. Demolished the cube extension that came down from the ceiling above the old cabinets.

4. Built upper cabinets on one side that extend to the ceiling.

5. Built wood shelves and installed them with pipe that we spray-painted black

6. Laid subway tile to the ceiling on both sides of the kitchen.

7. Made drawers that won’t slam and made the cabinets so they don’t slam.

8. Installed recessed lighting.

9. Made the vent-hood out of walnut.

10. Installed a new dishwasher after weeks of NO dishwasher–we ate out a lot basically. We kept all other original appliances.

11. Installed the double lights that hang above the peninsula and the single light above the sink.

12. Installed the farmhouse sink! LOVE. The only problem is that it can hold a lot of dishes… πŸ™‚ πŸ™

13. Installed the new faucet.

14. Installed a new kitchen window.

15. Installed bead board in a couple places around our cabinets & peninsula.

You guys, there were so many other little things that I don’t even know how to mention: grouting, baseboards, this & that.

Little things that took us a span of nearly half a year to complete–wowowoww. And it wasn’t just all bells and whistles…

A List of What Failed/What We Outsourced…Oops!

1. Our cement kitchen countertops! It just…didn’t happen. The inexpensive and DIY part of them sounded great, but they just didn’t settle right. So Jordan tore them out;Β we outsourced and ended up with leathered granite, which we LOVE! It doesn’t have a shiny hint to it, and it feels textured.

2. We hired painters to finish the cabinets, trim and walls, and it was the best investment we made after 5 months of waiting! We used Alabaster for the white, and we used Comfort Grey on the walls; it has a hint of green which I love. I had a little too much grey, that this grey was just perfect and calming.

3. We bought our cabinet doors online, and it was a super easy, smooth process!

4. Our tape, bed and texture guy, Duey, came and helped us out after Jordan demolished the cube extensions (what are those called?!) that came down from the ceiling. He patched it up for us in the beginning!

5. Shout out to Craig Davenport, Jordan’s daddy, and Youtube, because without them…. we’d be less productive!

All in all, it feels so good to have people over for meals, cook in it; heck, even making cereal is pretty fun when you only have the mood lighting going. It feels great knowing we’re putting this sweat equity into our little home that we knew had such good bones. The inner Joanna Gaines told me so actually. πŸ˜‰

Now we’re finishing up the final touches on the eat-in kitchen, laundry room and wait for it…. starting on the 2 bathrooms! That’s all we have left, so let’s see if we can pump them out AND a nursery before December. Think we can?

We’ll see….

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are usually 5 other things to think about or do before you actually set forth to accomplish what you think you’re going to that day. So. We’ll see! Regardless, life feels more settled right now than it has since we moved here from New Mexico. So I’ll take it!

Now you, share you fixer upper inspirations with me! πŸ™‚

  1. Ashleeemoore says:

    Love love love the post! The before and after looks so amazing I can’t even believe it is the same kitchen! The bakery sign you had told me about! Y’all did amazing!

  2. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  3. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  4. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  5. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  6. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  7. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  8. ledelker@gmail.com says:

    When you think of the different aspects (finances, energy, time, functionality of living, etc) that were required to get this project done, was it worth it to do the fixer upper as opposed to a new, ready to move in home? How much would you recommend saving up to do the renovations after buying the home?

  9. Vickie U says:

    You guys did such an amazing job!! Missing you this week. Take care of yourself!

  10. Emily Burn says:

    I am so so impressed with everything you guys have done in your home, especially in this kitchen! Jordan has some awesome skill!!

  11. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  12. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  13. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  14. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  15. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  16. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

  17. dmezarer@gmail.com says:

    You guys are so amazing …so blessed with gifts of awesome team photography and now fixer – upper talent! Wow! So inspiring. I love to read your blogs!

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Lindsay Davenport is a newborn and motherhood photographer + educator based in Dallas and available for travel worldwide.

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