Birmingham DIY Home Makeover: Part Two

South Cypress
by South Cypress
When Wes and Erica moved into their new Birmingham, Alabama home, they knew almost immediately that they wanted to do some serious updating to the space. In a previous post, we showed how Wes updated the flooring with a new oil-rubbed hardwood. Today, we'll show you how they overhauled the kitchen:
This project was featured on http://renovation1500.com
The kitchen when Wes and Erica moved in
The previous kitchen featured a 4 x 4 tile countertop with a similar backsplash. Though it wasn't horrible to look at, cleaning the tile and grout lines after each meal was far from ideal.
The kitchen prior to renovation
Wes and Erica wanted a countertop that would be more functional, and potentially add more sitting room for entertaining guests. They decided this was the ideal time to refresh the whole space with a new backsplash and appliances as well.
The new countertop and appliances
They decided to add a beautiful new solid granite countertop to the kitchen to replace the tile one. This new counter top is a huge improvement on the previous one-both functionally and aesthetically! They also added a new sink and oven to match their existing appliances
The new subway tile backsplash in progress
After researching different options Wes and Erica decided to install a classic subway tile backsplash. They went with Storka 5th Avenue Ivory 3 x 6" subway tile. Wes undertook the installation of project himself.
Wes installed the new backsplash himself
Wes says that one of the things that he learned during this project was to make sure that you have enough tile to finish your project before beginning. Due to a miscalculation of the square footage, Wes ended up being short on material which delayed the project part of the way through installation. When the mortar was wet, the tile shifted uniformly across the entire backsplash, but with part of the project being delayed he found it was very difficult and time consuming to align the newly installed tile with the tile that had already dried in position. Luckily, Wes was able to make it work!
MAPEI Silver unsanded grout
Wes used MAPEI Silver unsanded grout for the upper part of the backsplash. For the bottom horizontal grout line, Wes used MAPEI silver unsanded Keracaulk to repel moisture. This protects against any spills that a kitchen backsplash may need to endure. He also applied two coats of Dupont Grout Sealer to all of the grout once it had dried.
Moulding trim to finish the backsplash
After installing the tile, Wes decided to install a small moulding trim piece along the outer edge of the backsplash. This helped give the project a completed look while aligning the vertical edges of the backsplash and eliminating a small gap between the backsplash and the upper cabinets. What a great idea for finishing the backsplash!
The finished kitchen
The finished renovation! Wes and Erica love the ageless look that comes with the classic ivory subway tile. Subway tile has been used over and over again since the 1900s, so it won't fall out of fashion anytime soon.
Storka 5th Avenue Subway Tile
Wes and Erica did a great job of keeping the kitchen light while accenting the traditional whites with the stainless steel and nickel in the appliances and hardware.
The finished kitchen
Their new counter extends out an extra ten inches to create a bar seating area. This increased their dining capacity from 10 to 14 people, which means that they are now able to accommodate a gathering of nearly any size!


To see the entire project as well as a completed project sheet, check out the full blog post at http://renovation1500.com/birmingham-diy-home-makeover-part-two/
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