Making The Most Of A Room You Don’t Like

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Do any of y’all have a room in your house that you just don’t really like? For me, that room is our kitchen.

It’s not that I hate it, it’s just that the selections made for it were nowhere near what I would have selected for a kitchen… Do y’all feel me?

I know how immensely blessed we are to even have a house with a kitchen, so ultimately that thought overrides all of my snobby, first world “woe is me, my kitchen is brown and gold when I wish it was white and gray” thoughts. SO first world. SO aware. (Insert hands over eyes monkey emoji!)

Even though I am very thankful for what we have, that doesn’t stop the occasional comment to Price about redoing our kitchen. “Our kitchen is fine, woman! Quit complaining! Besides, I told you when we bought the house that you could redo it in like 15 years!” We are currently 2.5 years in. Only 12.5 more to go! ha! (I love my husband for a million reasons. One of them being how he brings me back down to earth!)

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

SO. To help with not loving my kitchen, there are a couple of ways I’ve found make it a bit more enjoyable for the next 12.5 or so years! 😉

(1) We changed the pendant lights over the island. Originally they were a little bit spec-y looking. And, to my snobby design-loving mind, ugly. There, I said it. I wound up finding these pendants from West Elm for a great clearance price (meaning sadly they are no longer available.) They made a YUGE difference for me! I also toyed with getting some like this. Still love these!

(2) I try my best to keep it really clean and picked up. Counters wiped down, cabinet doors closed, and junk kept in its place. If a room isn’t the prettiest, at least it’s picked up and clean!

(3) I’ve begun investing in little pretties that look good in my current kitchen and will look even better in our future kitchen! My two favorite things are the Abby Price framed fragment that we snagged at Art for Heart last year and the rug I got on eBay. I ADORE the fragment! Y’all know I love acrylic. Tons of sizes and styles of these are available at SummerHouse | Oxford! You’ll have to actually go to the store. None available online yet! 😉

And the rug! It’s so much fun and adds so much personality. It’ll look perfect in a white and gray kitchen, too! 😉 I’ve mentioned this in another post, but when you have a rug on a hard floor, GET A NICE RUG PAD! This is so important. Read more about why good rug pads are so important! Investing a little more on the front end can save you TONS down the road when your wood floors aren’t ruined from a cheap pad. I’ve had great experiences with this rug pad company in the past and will continue to use them for all my rug pad needs!

(4) Paint is an inexpensive way to make a huge difference. When we moved in, the cabinets had a greige faux finish on them, which wasn’t my fave. The crisp Benjamin Moore White Dove cabinets are much more refreshing!

(5) Fresh flowers and greenery instantly lift the mood of any room!

(6) Great smelling candles burning (when you aren’t baking or cooking, of course!) also instantly lift the mood of a room. Smell is such an important sense! Make that nose happy!

So although we’ve invested a bit into our current kitchen, everything we’ve done can carry over into a new kitchen one day! When making the most of your least favorite room, be mindful of how your investments can carry over into your dream room! 🙂

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

(The little boy in the picture is my mama’s daddy! Wilson looks so much like him!)

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Making the most of a room you don't really like via thehiveblog.com

Thank y’all so much for dropping in today! I hope you’re having a good start to your week. See y’all back here soon! 😉 XO!

SHARE:

6 Comments

  1. Elish Moon August 29, 2017 / 10:13 am

    Love this post! Finding the balance between dreaming big and contentment! You’ve done a terrific job- thanks for sharing!

    • thelovelybee September 4, 2017 / 9:34 am

      Thanks sweet friend that means a ton coming from you!! XO!

  2. Jessie August 30, 2017 / 9:21 pm

    This is such a refreshing and lovely post!

  3. Todd Prince August 31, 2017 / 2:28 am

    Laurel…I love your blog and read it whenever I get the chance. You are so full of style! I wanted to share something with you about your latest post and your kitchen woes. Consider this…change your backsplash! Seriously, most people think of this as “daunting” or “too expensive”. Not true. You probably only have about 40 sf of space….if that much! If you are really going to wait a while to redo the whole space, then change the vertical surface!! It’s what you see. Just look at the photograph. It’s the backsplash that would make a huge difference. You can’t even see what the granite really even looks like. Screw the counters. Rethink the way YOU think about your granite countertops. Imagine them as a piece fabric with a pattern. Most people don’t realize the flexibility that exists when you mix patterns with stone and tile. It’s endless. So many options look fab! Think about the way you dress and how creatively you mix pattern and color. You don’t even think twice about it…right. Take that design approach with your backsplash. Don’t be afraid. The best style comes from mixing!! Take a look at tiles that offer a cool shape and pattern like Walker Zanger Andalucia Fez Hex in Blanco Gloss (instant vibe!) or WZ Ellington Cinder/Stainless Hex (shut up FAB) or WZ Tuillieries Arabesque in Blanc or Loire. Also consider WZ Robert AM Stern Ovolo in Manhattan Matte or Oxford Gloss or even in one of the white tones. Also, you may just want to call someone you know (insert a small bit of sarcasm here) who sells FAB tile and check to see what may be discontinued and at a great price (you have my number). Tile installation is not hard especially on a small amount of space like a backsplash. (Maybe Price could do it) AND…even if you hire someone the cost to install per square foot won’t be that much because you have such little space. There are people who do great work in Jackson that are not expensive. I bet you could do a whole new backsplash for 1500 or less. The impact however would be…priceless!! If you are really going to keep your kitchen as is for another 10 years that’s only 150 bucks per year if you cost it out. I know it would be worth that amount. Heck, that is one night out at a restaurant. This could be a fun thing for your readers to see and I am happy to help ???. So call me…let’s talk. I could also feature this on my Instagram “toddtalkstile”. What ya say? Let’s get this social media a little more social!!

    • thelovelybee September 4, 2017 / 9:33 am

      Love this idea, Todd!! Thank you for your comment! I’ll get you some pics of my full space later on today and you can price it out for me! 🙂 XOXO!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *