Wednesday, August 1, 2012

My New Countertops -- From Drab to Fab!




Before

It is a sad reality of life sometimes that when we are moving that we fix up our home for a buyer.  The things that bothered us when we move into a home....that we think we will fix up, we sometimes never get around to....until we ourselves are in the seller's position.  I didn't like green countertops when we were buying the home, but they were other things about the home that I loved, so I ignored the countertops.  As time went on, there were other more important things to spend our money on than countertops.  Needless to say, my old countertops were not a great backdrop for my food pictures. 


After


When I new that we were going to sell our home, I called my sister Jacqueline, Purple Chocolat Home, and asked if she could help me stage my home. She immediately said, "Well you are going to have to get rid of those green countertops!" She backed up her advice with action because she and her husband own a company called Whitewater, and they manufacture and install countertops. They have a new man-made, internationally marketed, product, called Tyvarian. It is a solid suface countertop that provides the look of natural stone, but doesn't take on stains, and scratches can be easily sanded out.  They have lots of gorgeous colors available.  Thanks Jacqueline and Kirk for our new countertops.

I love how the new sink fits in so perfectly.
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One of my favorite features of the countertops is the what I termed "the big boy edge."  It just really gives the kitchen a more dramatic feel.


I love the peaceful feeling that the countertops bring to our kitchen.  Lately, there hasn't been a lot of cooking or baking going on in the kitchen -- moving has a way of sapping your energy.


I did make some sugar cookies and cupcakes for my son's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, and I loved rolling out the sugar cookies on these solid surface countertops.

Moving Update:
Our home was under contract, an inspection was done, and an appraisal was begun, but not finished and the buyer backed out.  We are now back to square one.  My husband leaves, solo, on the 8th of August for Virginia.  The seller decided that he didn't like the area,  and even though he accepted a position here, he wanted to try to move somewhere else as soon as possible; he decided to rent instead of buy.   This area, as my children say, is a "jeep-n, fish-n, hunt-n, camp-n, 4-wheel-n, dirtbike-n, hike-n" kind of place.  There is little night life for a single guy from the city.
Thanks for dropping by to view my new countertops.

Posted with the following:

MM

20 comments:

Leslie said...

Hi Joni, I've missed your blog posts! I didn't realize you were selling your house. I love the new countertop a lot! I'm going to research that material b/c we're thinking about new counters in our new house, too.

Haha, the description of the area you live sounds like where I grew up, and I love that kind of place!!
Blessings to you and looking forward to hearing from you again,
Leslie

Anonymous said...

oh joni, so sorry about the fallen through contract! I know how you feel since it has happened to us a number of times as well and it is disheartening to say the least. But enjoy your new beautiful countertops while you wait for the next one!! anne

Anonymous said...

Joni,
The countertops are great! The first thing I noticed was the edges too....love them!
God bless your home sale..with our last home sale the first seller backed out too. Stressful. I will be so happy for you when your house sells. May it be SOON!

Barbara F. said...

Oh Joni, first, I've missed your posting. Second, everything happens for a reason, and I am sure God has this covered for you and your family. Your counter tops are lovely and I have not heard of this type. It's the buyer of your house that backed out right? Not the one in VA? Wishing you all the best, xo

Bonnie said...

Oh Joni, So sorry about the bump in the road. I do love your countertops. I think so many of us are in the same position in that we fix up our homes to sell. Enjoy those counters while you still get to and we'll think good thoughts and prayers on selling the house soon.

Anita Diaz said...

Oh Joni, I am in love!! I want them too!! They are just gorgeous!! I have laminate with tile on the edge, and even though the house is about 4 years old, they are so scratched. So happy for you!!

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Yeah, this can happen! You don't fix things and when you finally do is to put it up for sale!! They do look fabulous and your sis Jacqueline knows her business..lucky who buys your house now! Good luck on the sale.
FABBY

Alycia Nichols said...

Aw, man! Dude didn't do his homework before getting your hopes up? That's nuts! You would think he would have investigated whether or not it was the kind of environment in which he would be comfortable before making an offer on the house. Doggone him! Well, I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that another buyer...one with a better decision-making process...comes your way soon. Meanwhile, the countertops are looking FABulous!!!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Fabulous redo - so nice of Jacqueline and Cptn. Kirk to help out like that. Love the new counters - they, together with the shiny new stainless sink, make the space look so much better!!

Debbie said...

It was great to see a post from you, Joni, and I LOVE the makeover. The counter tops are gorgeous! It does make a world of difference in there. You have a great sister.

And I'm so sorry about the buyer backing out. That happened to us too, and I was so discouraged. I hope you update soon with good news about a new buyer for you!

Michelle Wilkes said...

Hey don't lose hope about the house! It actually sounds just like the kinda place we'd like to live...

We had those same EXACT green counters in our old home. I lived in it for 7 years and never changed them! Ha Ha... maybe if I'd seen your new ones I would've done it!

Jacqueline said...

Your photos are great. It does give a peaceful feel to the kitchen and I love your thick edges too. Hopefully they will help someone else fall in love with your home. Sorry it fell through!

Sue said...

The new countertops are beautiful! Oh, how I would love to re-do mine in my tiny kitchen.
I got a kick out of your children's description of the area:)
Good luck with the sale of your home, Joni! It only takes ONE buyer!

Danielle's Sweets said...

Good luck Joni! I'm sure another buyer will be along soon. Especially with this lovely kitchen! Enjoy it while you can : )

Danielle xo

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

HI Joni, I have missed you! You are SO RIGHT about doing things we always wanted to do for ourselves for the BUYERS!!!!!! That is exactly where we find ourselves too! I keep saying to Joe, why didn't we do all this for ourselves????:):) Your new counters are SO pretty!!!! That was so wonderful of Jacqueline and Kirk to provide them for you! I hope you get a new contract soon. That is SO disappointing. We don't even have any lookers right now and our realtor keeps saying it is because it is summer and it will pick up in the Fall. I sure HOPE SO!!!!!!!!!!!! XO, Pinky

An Oasis in the Desert said...

Your countertops look great now, & you have a lovely kitchen. We had always done the same thing, put off doing things to our homes until we were ready to sell. That is until this time. We moved into our current, & hopefully last, home exactly a year ago. Although there was really nothing majorly wrong with this house, we've been doing all those extra things that are just making it that much nicer for us. We are retired, so I know how we choose to spend our money is different than someone who still has children at home. I wish you much good luck in selling your home & finding one in your new locale.

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

We missed your posting, but understand perfectly how much time and effort it is to prepare a home for selling. Decisions can be very stressful. I am so sorry your buyer backed out. Your new counters are beautiful. It is sad, but true, most people wait until it's time to sell their home to fix things or renovate. Good luck to you!

Robbie Marinero said...

Well, with the new countertops in place, you’ll definitely find some pretty fascinated buyers – that I’m sure of. In fact, it’s a good thing that you had the time to change the countertops of your kitchen. The new ones definitely outdo the old ones. It looks like they’ve been cut out of granite!


Robbie Marinero

Chase Conely said...

Awww! That is a big improvement from your old green countertops. It’s just sad that you get your kitchen renovated for a buyer and not for you. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll have a pretty kitchen in your new house. Good luck with the relocation!


Chase Conely

Gloria said...

Hi - haven't haven't been blogging! But came to say, your new countertops are so pretty, enjoy them for awhile at least! And I just said a prayer for you that you find a new buyer. :)
Best,
Gloria

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