Subway tile installation + tips on grouting with Fusion Pro

Slowly, but surely I'm checking things off of the kitchen to do list!

My latest DIY? A subway tile backsplash!

Back in August I started tiling the backsplash while my husband was at his Army National Guard AT. I knew I would have lots of time to kill and it was a good way to distract myself from the fact that he would be gone the WHOLE month (14 of those days without communication! eek!) Of course, this also meant I tiled with three little munchkins running underfoot.

Go. Me.

Thankfully, 3x6 white subway tile is about the easiest tile to install ever. I chose to go with a 1/16 grout line which means I could just rack the tile one on top of the other, each one snug against the last. The hardest part was keeping the rows level and cutting out around obstacles.

I started with the biggest wall, because it scared me the most. Do you ever do that...just tackle the hard stuff to get it over with? Well, it ended up being the easiest part! So many straight runs of tile and very few cuts (relatively speaking ). I didn't have to be super precise, since most of the exposed edges will be getting trim and the weird floating wood things on the wall will be getting shelving attached. I did this wall in about four hours - two of those while the kids were awake!

The hardest part ended up being this corner. Oh man, talk about awkward! I couldn't use a level due to some trim around the window and didn't have a smaller one handy, so I had a difficult time keep my rows straight. I also realized that our DIY Concrete counters were not as level as we thought so that presented its own challenges. It all worked out in the end and we just have some caulking to do between the counter and first row of tile to hide the height differences. My tip, when in doubt always make your rows of tile match up!

After powering through the install in just 3 days I finally was ready for grout. But, yeah, for the life of me I couldn't decide, not even after I got a sample color card from the nice people at Custom Building Products. I literally stared at the samples for weeks. To be honest, I don't think I could have made a wrong decision, but I just couldn't commit.

Finally we had a free weekend and I knew I need to pick a color to get the grout done. We headed to the store and I grabbed the two colors I liked best from their selection - bright white & natural gray. (some of my other favorites could only be ordered online). I stood there staring at them while simultaneously driving my husband crazy, until he decided a family vote was in order.  So one by one each kid and parent pointed to the one they wanted...

The winner by 1 vote.... white!!

I chose to work with a premixed grout called Fusion Pro- its a premixed single component grout with built in sealer. I have used similar products in the past so I was comfortable with the install process as it differs a bit from traditional grout. Unlike traditional grout, you clean as you go, so you don't grout everything at once or your will end up with rock hard grout on the surface of your tiles, instead you apply the grout in small sections (mine were about 2' x 2' sections).

Here's a quick overview of what I would do in each section (sorry no pictures, as you can imagine its hard to take photos while working with grout). I started by spraying the tile with a light spritz of water, then I would apply the grout, work it into the grout lines, then come back with a sponge and gently sponge off the excess. It took 4-6 passes with a sponge to get all the residue of the tile surface, followed by a buffing of a microfiber cloth. I made sure to change my buckets of water frequently to keep everything as clean as possible. It wasn't hard it, but you do have to be careful not to let it dry anywhere you don't want it. There were a few times I would spritz my grout with water if I needed a little additional working time.  If you are interested in using this style grout, I recommend watching this installation video: Fusion Pro Grout Installation Guide  (FYI, this is not a sponsored post, they don't even know who I am, but I wanted to try this grout and let you know how I liked it...which I did!!!) 

I'm also happy to answer any questions you might have about using this style of grout, just email me or leave a comment!

Here is a before and after of the grout install.

I'm so happy with the decision to go with white grout! I was really nervous that I would loose some of the texture of the tile if everything was the same color, but not true!! I'm sure it would've looked great with a gray as well, but the contrast would've been too much for me. The white also works perfect with both counters - the wood & concrete!

Next on the list is caulking the tile around the cabinets and counters as well as changing out all the outlets to white (the almond is not working with the white tile!) We also need to add our shelves (!!!) and finish trimming out the island.

Oh, and here's a little before and after to see the difference tile makes!

The end of this kitchen remodel is in sight!! yay! You can see were we started here: Painting the Kitchen Cabinets

Oh, and feel free to pin the image below to reference later!

Thanks for stopping by! More kitchen updates to come!

DIY Reclaimed Wood Countertop

Finally its counter time!!

Considering that we anguished over this dang island for months and months, the actual counter top took hardly any time to complete (except the clear coating process, but more on that later). 

After we finished the concrete counters, we were not looking forward to doing the same thing on the island, it was time consuming and messy and I was really wanting to bring some wood tones back into the kitchen. The only problem was I didn't want to buy new wood and reclaimed wood can cost a pretty penny. So basically our counters have looked like crap for the last few months. 

Suuuuper classy....

I was starting to think we would never get new counters, when a trip to see family in N. Idaho yielded us a ton of old wood. It was all just laying in the woods at my mother-in-laws house. I showed it my husband and before I knew it we were hauling it home with us! 

Yay for FREE wood, moss and all!

Once we had our wood it was time to get to work!

Step 1: 

We removed the old counter...(since I'm married to super hunky strong man, ours just lifted right off)....buh bye laminate!!

Step 2: 
The old counter had a framed out section that extended out to make a bar. For our plan we needed to eliminate it. Justin used a saws-all to cut it off flush with the cabinet base.

We opted to leave all the other counter framing in place (all those 1x2s) since they were already level. There were a few boards that came loose when he lifted off the laminate, so he glued and stapled them back on as well.

Step 3: Next we added a layer of MDF, extending the bar side a couple extra inches to create as big of countertop as we could fit in the space. Our countertop surface area was too big to accommodate just one sheet of MDF, so each section was glued and secured with the nail gun,

We made sure to leave enough room for the reclaimed wood that would be coming next.

Step 4: 
We sanded, cut and began installing the reclaimed wood. If we owned a planer, this would've been perfect time to use it, but sadly we do not. Instead, Justin sanded each board and then using a metal straight edge and a circular saw, cut each side so it would sit tight against the board next to it. I wish I had photos of this, but it was one of the more intense parts of the counter top install. Lets just say, he wasn't able to get a straight edge until we bought the biggest, baddest metal level I've ever seen! My tip - make sure your straight edge can't flex from side to side. There are several straight edges out there that will extend and those will not work if your boards are really long. 

Once the boards were prepped, we glued and nailed each one into place.

When all the boards were installed, we sanded until everything was smooth and level.

Step 5: 
After the top boards were installed, Justin cut boards for the edges. We decided a mitered edge would look the most professional. He also added a board to the underside of the counter so that it would look finished from underneath too! Again everything was sanded so it was smooth when you run your hand over the joints.

By the time it was all said and done we had nice thick looking counters!

 Step 6:
We needed to fill the knot holes & gaps between the boards. This is a case of do what I say, not as I do! We tried several methods to fill the imperfections on the counters which led to fail after fail. So frustrating! Normally we would just do wood filler, sand, then stain the whole counter so everything matched. but in this case we didn't want to cover up all the cool imperfections or change the color of the wood. Even though I wasn't planning on staining, we still wanted the counters to be easy to wipe down. We tried filling the imperfections with the clear coat (way to runny ), then plain wood glue (hoping it would dry clear - it didn't dry at all).  Finally I filled each and every crevice with wood filler, sanded it smooth and then went back in using a tiny paintbrush to stain just the wood filled areas. It was a pain in the tushy, but it did the job. We should've done this to start or bought a clear epoxy kit, but hey, live and learn right!!

Step 7:
The last thing we did was apply our sealer/ clear coat. For this step we chose to go with  Minwax Spar Urethane in a gloss finish. We considered a lot of other options, including the highly touted Waterlox, but in the end we decided to go with the Spar because my husband had used it a lot when he used to work in a stain shop. Spar Urethane is often used on bar counters, so it should to stand up to a few kids and some novice home cooks! I should note that we do not plan on using our counters as a cutting surface.

When the first swipe of clear coat went on I about fainted - it was SOOOOOO pretty! There is a slight amber tint to it which brought out all of the beautiful warm wood tones in the boards. I had seriously considered going for a grayed wood look, but with our current floors and all the other grays happening in the kitchen the warm wood was perfect! (We even plan on updating our already made over fireplace to coordinate!)

Unfortunately, coat number two didn't go on quite as easy. I did a light sanding with 220 grit paper and then started to apply another coat. Part way into that coat, I started noticing tiny bits of dried clear coat were being left on the counter. Chunks of it! I was so mad!! Luckily another light sanding took most of it off  and I bought a new brush to do what I hoped was the final coat. Due to the nature of old wood, it ended up not being the last coat the counter needed. I again cleaned my brush really well and when I went to do my final coat it started leaving crap on the counter AGAIN!! Can you imagine how I felt! GAH!!!!

So that's where we are at on our counters. I have since done another light sanding, but I haven't been motivated to do the FINAL final coat. I did a little research and came across some tips on applying spar urethane with a rag, so might give it ago next round!

Despite all the mishaps with the clear coat, there has been one good thing to come from all this extra sanding...

... I've decided I'm a huge fan of the matte looking counter over the glossier counter!! So whenever I do the final (praying its the final) coat I will use a matte finish instead!

So,...here we are today...a mostly done counter that I love the heck of!  Even though it is not technically finished, it is working quite nice for our family. It wipes up super easy with my normal kitchen cleaner. Not to mention, its just so pretty to look at!

Oh, I forgot to mention, before we started this project we measured our stove to make sure it would still fit with the added thickness of the new wood. It did, but just barely...so if you decide to tackle something like this, MEASURE!!!!

We still have a ways to go in the kitchen, tile for the walls, floating shelves on the island side, repairing the island, adding counter supports and finalizing the paint color of the island. I talked about the options for it in this post: Picking and Island Color

Want a quick look at a before and after of the island?

Before...

...after paint...

...with new counters!

Wish me luck, I plan to start tiling this weekend! 

UPDATE: The tiling is done! Check it out HERE

Picking a Cabinet Color- Kitchen Island Edition

What?

You say, "Amber, didn't you ALREADY pick a cabinet color?"

Why, yes. Yes, I did....I wrote about my process for picking a cabinet color and I also talked about the plans I had to finish up the space when I showed you the reveal of our freshly painted cabinets....

BUT....

(there's always a but...isn't there?)

After finishing our island counter top something just felt off. (more about the counters later this week!!)

It was feeling a bit disjointed, and in all honesty, when I painted the island the first time, I knew I might be painting it again, but I needed to calm the space before I could make a big decision about it.

So, in attempt to make a decision about the island, I played around with the Sherwin William Color Visualizer & Photoshop to give me an idea of what my top two color choices would look like. FYI, this not a sponsored post with Sherwin Williams, I just love the color visualizer tool!

So first lets review the island as is (these pictures are pre new counters, but it should give you an idea of the space)...

As you can see, its white right now. I love how light and bright it feels, but with the new wood top I'm having trouble relating it to the other half of the kitchen with the concrete counters.

My gut is telling me to paint the island dark gray/black.  I pulled EVERY color sample you can imagine and laid them out on the new counter.

I weeded out the non contenders right away. Too gray, too green, too light, too dark....you get the idea! I kept coming back to the color Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams.

Next I uploaded a photo of my kitchen into the Color Visualizer and selected the area I wanted to change to Iron Ore. I'm totally smitten with the color! What do you think?

Obviously real life it will look different, but I love the dark two toned look of the island area. I'm even thinking of painting the pantry door in the background - well, all the doors in the house actually, - the same color. Or maybe that will be too matchy matchy...oh, the decisions!

Now, as much as I love the dark gray, people keep suggesting I paint the island a fun color. I hesitate mostly due to the fact we plan on listing our house for sale in the next 6 months and I'm not sure a colored island will have mass appeal. I also don't necessarily want to pigeon hole myself in to a color scheme, but since I do love color, I decided to do a Photo-shopped version using the same color that I painted the laundry room cabinets. Since it was an "oops" paint I don't have a name for it, but I do have the color code:

Here it is photo shopped onto my cabinets...

KINDA loving it....like A LOT.

Gah!  What do you think about it?

I won't make a decision until I finish the back splash, so in the meantime I would love you all to weigh in on the topic! You might want to check out my Kitchen Redo board on Pinterest to see what I've been pinning, but other than that, lay it on me! I really want to hear your opinions!

Painting the Kitchen Cabinets - Primer + Paint

That's right...18 months after moving in we FINALLY started on our kitchen!!!

This is what our kitchen looked like when we moved in....

LOVELY reddish-brown oak cabinets. eh.

How We Updated a Kitchen in 6 Days for Under $900 : Part 2

Its no fun seeing afters if you haven't seen the befores!  You can find the whole story here:
How We Updated a Kitchen in 6 Days for Under $900 : Part 1
It took us 6 days to totally revamp my mother-in-laws kitchen. We painted cabinets, refinished the counters, added a new back splash and updated the flooring all for under $900. You can find the total cost break down at the end of the post!
Now, without further ado, I give you...

Kitchen Afters:

Want to know a little secret? We didn't get a new hood vent, we painted the old one!!

I love that we were able to keep all the original brass hardware! I think it ties in perfectly with the new back splash!

I'm still in shock that we were able to make such a huge change in such a small amount of time! We didn't get every little detail done, namely outlet covers (still in search of the right ones) and a few trim pieces, but crap we did this in less than a week!! You might also notice that the kitchen update spilled over into the attached laundry which didn't get done either, but holy cow...
THE KITCHEN!!

After I came home, my mother in law found a cute little island from Walmart that fit perfectly in the space. Taking out the peninsula cost her some counter space, but the addition of the island gives some of it back and keeps the floor plan flexible! We included its cost into our totals below along with incidentals like rugs and even the gas to pick up the pantry. Most of the decor in the kitchen was shopped from around the house and was no added cost.

(New Island Photo courtesy of my Mother in Law)
Also not included in the price tag... margaritas and coffee!
Kitchen Update Cost Total:

Paint. Brushes, etc.   71.99

Light fixtures:  154.25

Flooring:  137.32

Countertop:  17.98

Backsplash:  181.93

Craigslist Pantry:  67.22

Island:  129.00

Rugs:  27.97

Total: 

 787.66 + tax 43.66= 831.32!!!!!

Now, I can't wait to hear what you all think!
How do you think we did? 
A side by side shot may refresh your memory...

and the other side...

I'm so happy that I got to help my mother in law realize her dream of a new kitchen. She is such a amazing woman and I love her like crazy!!
I also want to thank you for stopping by! 
I love getting your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment, it makes my day!