Welcome to The Crumby Kitchen Remodel Part One: Meet Our New Faucet! We’re updating our dated ’80s Formica kitchen into something modern and bright!
This post was sponsored by GROHE via Millennial Blogs. All opinions stated are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!
Abe and I love to take on DIY projects…sometimes more than one at a time. That’s usually our downfall because we both suffer from squirrel syndrome, and can lose interest quickly. Or we just get wrapped up in starting another one. (For example – we demolished our master bathroom over a year before our wedding, and didn’t get the remodel finished until the week before the I Do’s!)
We’ve been talking about doing a kitchen remodel for yeeeeears, now, but have put off the big stuff (cabinets, countertops) and just taken it on piece-by-piece. We’ve replaced appliances and put in new floors, but never really tackled a large chunk of it all at once.
Necessity is the mother of invention, isn’t that how the saying goes?
The Before
I still live in the house I grew up in.
After my Nana passed away 12 years ago, I was blessedly willed my childhood home. No mortgage, no rent – 21 years old and I had a paid-for roof over my head. Not many young adults get that lucky.
That being said, the house was built in 1978. It’s coming up on its 40th birthday, so you would expect there to be all sorts of little problems cropping up here and there. We’ve replaced the siding on the outside. All of our carpet is now hardwood. Every room has been repainted numerous times.
We’ve taken the home from my younger years and turned it into our own. I’ll make sure that’s a whole chapter in my autobiography one day.
Why A Remodel?
So, the week after Hurricane Irma, in addition to there being a small hole in our roof (spoiler alert: we’re getting a new roof,) our kitchen faucet broke.
Not completely, but let’s just say hot was cold and vice versa, and some periodic wrench work was needed.
By pure coincidence, the following week we were approached by GROHE, the world’s leading provider of sanitary fittings. Based in Germany, the company has been named by Fortune, among others, as one of the “Top 50 companies that are out to change the world” based on their design innovation, excellence in engineering, and commitment to sustainability.
They make some awesome, beautiful faucets, I must say. The kind that change people’s lives.
The Faucet
I would never have thought of buying a faucet that works with the tap of a foot. Now that I have one, I don’t know how I lived without it.
No one really thinks of a kitchen faucet as an inconvenience. BUT how many times have you grabbed the handle with raw chicken juice or cake batter all over your hands? And do you remember to disinfect the handle right away?
The GROHE K7 Foot Control Touch Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet is the key to greater mobility in the kitchen. You would be surprised how practical being able to just tap your foot on the (discreet) activation plate is – voila, water!
In the days since ours was installed, it’s greatly exceeded our expectations. I was afraid it would be too bulky and cumbersome, but it’s beyond user-friendly. Not to mention the matte Supersteel option matches our appliances perfectly.
The After
This is part one in our remodel series because – in true Squirrel Syndrome fashion – we’re also finishing up a complete renovation of our master bedroom. (Serious business, we even knocked out walls, guys.) Thanks to GROHE, we were able to begin the kitchen and can finish it at our own pace once the bedroom is complete.
Abe and I are fairly handy when it comes to home improvement projects, but we wanted to make sure this baby was perfect. We had a professional plumber take care of installing the faucet, freeing us up to tackle more of the bedroom project.
We’re going with a black/gray/white theme through the entire kitchen. In addition to the faucet, we’ve painted the walls, and replaced doorframes and faceplates, and laid temporary countertops (just to see how brighter ones look) until we order our new white granite ones.
We got a beautiful black quartz sink that’s practically deep enough to bathe in. So happy with it.
As far as the backsplash goes, …would you ever guess that it’s peel-and-stick? I did some research on what I wanted to install, and I loved how easy the self-adhesive sheets sounded. When the package came in the mail, I almost thought I didn’t get my full shipment. It took about 6 hours to fit it, but I love the results!
Really not looking forward to doing the rest of the kitchen, though.
So…What’s Next?
Giant white floor tiles, new lighting, countertops, a new kitchen island, and a cabinet overhaul.
My Papa built all of the cabinets himself when he and Nana moved down here from Rochester, and they are HUGE and so functional.
We plan on painting over the dated ’80s Formica with a either dark or white laminate paint (haven’t decided,) then installing some new hardware and shelving for two reasons. (1) Sentimentality. We’ve removed and replaced so much in this house, I feel like we’ve removed much of the memory of my great-grandparents. I love the idea of keeping the cabinets Papa built, therefore keeping him in the house.
And (2) new cabinets are PRICEY. We’d rather sink that money into another squirrel project.
OH! And the new roof. And all new windows! But those aren’t in the kitchen. And will be done by the pros. Because we’re not that crazy into construction.
DIY projects make me feel immensely productive, so I can’t wait to tackle the next section! Any suggestions on businesses or products you love that would fit in our new kitchen? Let us know in the comments, and keep your eye out for part two!
Wanna see my inspiration? Check out my Pinterest board – it’s constantly growing when I find new stuff to love!
Batman & Goofy. Don’t diss my style, y’all.
Nichole says
It looks great so far!
Erica says
Thanks Nichole! I can’t wait til it’s all done!
Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos says
That faucet is genius – I always hate the chicken juice dilemma so this is brilliant! I am loving the look and I totally understand about the sentimentality. Can’t wait to see the whole kitchen when it’s done 🙂 Looking good with the changes you have made so far!
Erica says
Thank you Aly! I swear, I wash my hands so much more often when I’m handling chicken. Salmonella stigma, I guess. Even with the few changes we’ve finished so far, it’s made a world of difference in there! It’s gonna be so bright and gorgeous!
Sky says
I laughed at the first picture because that’s the exact faucet in my grandma’s house too. And it’s a mess that sprays water EVERYWHERE. Your new one looks AMAZING. I had no idea that faucets with a foot activator were a thing! Can you also turn it on “normally” or is it foot-only? Definitely a great touch when, as you said, you’re cooking with raw food…or you just don’t have an extra hand free!
Erica says
Thanks Sky! Yes, it has a temp control handle (on the right), and a button on the nozzle to toggle between the stream and the spray. The foot control is a handy little addition, for sure!
Jessy says
Looking awesome so far! You’re also giving me alllll the sink envy!!
Erica says
Thanks Jessy! You can come visit and use it anytime! LOL
Rebecca Hubbell says
Woah, that is one pretty faucet and it looks so sleek with that black sink! Kitchen remodels are such an undertaking, but it will be so worth it once it’s done! Good Luck!
Erica says
Terribly looking forward to being done with it already, but the shopping part is so much fun in the meantime!!! Thanks!
Donna says
Ok I never thought I would say a faucet is beautiful, but this one is!!! I would LOVE a kitchen remodel (including a whole new sink set up as ours sucks)!! I love your pajamas btw 🙂
Erica says
LOL don’t be hatin’ on my DC/Disney mashup.
Chef Dennis says
Your kitchens looking good Erica! I can’t wait to see it when you get everything you want!
Jenni says
Ooooooh! Now this is a gorgeous sink and faucet!! IT works with a pedal?! I am totally in love!!
Raquel says
The new faucet is beautiful! We are going to remodel ours next year and loving this inspiration!
Chris Huston says
I absolutely LOVE that faucet!! It’s perfect for just about anything you need to wash and it fits perfectly in your sink!
Char Ferrara says
Ahhhhh!!!!!! I LOVE it! It looks so great! We’re in the middle of setting up my outside kitchen at the moment and I have sink and faucet shopping on my list. I really really hope I can find something like that here!
Christine says
You’re giving me faucet-envy! Your kitchen is looking super awesome!
Trang says
What an awesome faucet, I’ve always wanted one like that! Looks like something from a fancy chef’s kitchen. Good luck with the rest of the renovation, I’m sure it will all be worth in the end. Can’t wait to see when you guys are done working your magic 🙂
michele says
We’re doing the kitchen at our house starting in January… honestly, I haven’t ever heard of a foot operated faucet and Im such a germphobe with everything… but now I HAVE to go check this out! Super cool… your kitchen is looking fantastic!
Shelley says
Wow I love it! We’re about to start a kitchen remodel *if* we can finished with all the choices LOL! I’m excited for you can’t wait to see the rest!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
You are so talented! You have done an amazing job on your kitchen remodel! Love your new faucet – beautiful and practical! And that sink looks perfect for the faucet. ?
Cheryl @ Pook's Pantry says
That faucet is the bomb! I hate the one that is in my kitchen. Your remodel looks awesome, so excited for you!
Patrick says
It’s looking really good. I also think it’s wonderful that you’ve been able to take your Nana’s house and make it your own. So nice.
sosan lili says
Wooooow, that one looks so sleek with black sink! …i really Love it ..thanks for sharing.
Alex Turner @ cozyhousetoday says
The faucet is looking so amazing. I was thinking about redecorating my kitchen as well. The remodel is too good!!