Behind The Design: Our Kitchen Renovation

Now that it's over, and I can finally catch my breath, I've been thinking about all the details that went into actualizing the complete renovation of the kitchen. Usually with my behind the design posts, I get into the nitty gritty of the project, including the costs — the dollars and the cents. Needless to say the kitchen renovation has been my largest project to date, and with that, the most costly.

As a full time content creator, however, the kitchen also became my job, with one of the benefits being able to partner with brands to bring my design to life. These partnerships offset a lot the typical costs of the renovation... also making it a touch more difficult to give you an accurate final total.

DesignAlbie KnowsAugust 2, 2021reno therapy, kitchen, the hygge ranch, behind the design, decorview

Reno Therapy: Electrical Upgrades with Leviton

Throughout this renovation I've always maintained that I never wanted to sacrifice style for function, or vice versa. In order to truly improve our quality of life it had to be an equal balance and Leviton's products allowed me to achieve that.

In comparison to many of the other upgrades we made, these were minimal changes... minimal with maximum impact that makes every routines easier. It's always been said that good design is in the details, and taking the time to be intentional about these details paid off.

DesignAlbie KnowsJuly 22, 2021reno therapy, renovation, leviton, sponsored post, lighting

Reno Therapy: DIY Tile Installation with The Tile Shop

DesignAlbie KnowsJuly 15, 2021the tile shop, reno therapy, renovation, kitchen, sponsored post, diy, the hygge ranch

Reno Therapy: All About Our Formica Countertops

You guys have heard so much about my countertops, and yet I've never gotten a chance to actually tell you all about my countertops! All you know is that it took a while before I got them; and can I just say... totally worth the wait!

I've always been familiar with Formica, however, only for their laminate surfaces. While I was doing my research, Kim & Scott of @yellowbrickhome were revealing the kitchens of their 2 unit flat. Unit 2 featured supermatte black shakers cabinets from Semihandmade — yep... the same ones in our media room! — with a white countertop... a design that paralleled exactly what I had in mind for the hygge ranch.

DesignAlbie KnowsJuly 8, 2021the hygge ranch, kitchen, renovation, formica, sponsored post, reno therapy

Reno Therapy: Designing Our Semi Custom Cabinets with BOXI by Semihandmade

A couple of months ago, over on the Emily Henderson Design Blog, I shared with you all the research and thought process on custom vs semi custom vs pre fab cabinets for the kitchen.

Having the opportunity to start from scratch, I took note of every deficiency we'd ever experienced in every kitchen, every feature we really liked, and all the big dreamy items we'd always wished we had... hence the wishlist.

Through a seamless design process with BOXI, I was able to create an intentionally designed kitchen, with symmetrical placement, tons of organization, and an aesthetic that speaks to both my design ethos & the home's preexisting charm.

DesignAlbie KnowsJuly 1, 2021renovation, Kitchen, the hygge ranch, reno therapy

Reno Therapy: Where We Splurged & Saved To Complete Our Kitchen

Deciding if to save or splurge is going to be a very personal decision because "save" and "splurge" are subjective. Looking back on our kitchen reno, we weighed different choices up against one another based on how they'd improve our quality of life, how they'd make us feel, and how (in the long run) they'd enhance our home.

DesignAlbie KnowsJune 24, 2021renovation, kitchen, the hygge ranch, shopping, reno therapy

Reno Therapy: Lessons We've Learned As First Time Homeowners

Now that I have finally been able to catch my breath after starting the kitchen renovation back in January, I finally have time to process everything... all the highs & lows, all the pivots, and all of the lessons.

As first time homeowners, this was our first major renovation. The laundry renovation was, what I now call, a starter renovation by comparison. We went into the kitchen renovation with our eyes wide open and still found ourselves blindsided by so many aspects of the kitchen renovation. For what it's worth, though, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason & there's always a lesson to be learned.

DesignAlbie KnowsJune 15, 2021renovation, kitchen, home buying, reno therapy