I’ve gotten a couple of emails over the years asking about our experience with Lowe’s stock cabinets - specifically the Diamond Now Arcadia White Shaker Cabinets. First and foremost, this post is not sponsored by Lowe’s (or anyone for that matter). When I was researching these cabinets for our first kitchen renovation years ago, I couldn’t find any detailed reviews for the Diamond Now Arcadia Cabinets, so if you’re in the boat I was in, I hope this helps!
I'm really excited to share this DIY today. It is one of those projects that gives you a lot of bang for your buck and a trick we have used in three projects now (with great feedback!). Since so many of you found my post on how to add trim to create a shaker style cabinet useful, I figured you may feel the same about this little project. This DIY X trim cabinet makeover is perfect for islands, but it also works well on vanities and even flat-panel doors.
I am not sure why, but installing cabinets in our DIY kitchen renovation really intimidated me. I thought it was going to be really difficult to line them up, make sure they are level, etc. We realized though that installing kitchen cabinets yourself is actually pretty simple. Here are a few tricks we learned while installing ours.
One of the my favorite things about the Myrtle House were the beautiful, gigantic old wooden windows. They let in so much natural light and were one of the few original details of the home left in tact. When it came time to finding window treatments, however, I may have cursed those over-sized windows since it proved impossible to find standard drapes or curtains.
When you are selling your home, the importance of staging is often down-played. In my opinion, staging is incredibly important when selling a home, if not completely necessary. Think of it like a job interview. When you are going to interview at your dream company for your ideal job, you are going to present the best version of yourself, right? If you show up in your PJs with bedhead, it's going to be hard for an employer to see you fitting in at their company. The same goes for buyers. The majority of potential buyers will have a hard time seeing through clutter, wild paint colors, and outdated finishes, even though you know the house is a wonderful place to live.
When selling The Brooklyn Street House, we had zero furniture. And needed to stage on an itty bitty budget. ASAP. Luckily, my parents graciously let us have a chest and dresser set from my mom's childhood. It was also mine growing up. The set was showing it's age, but the construction was solid and we decided to spruce the pair up with paint and hardware. Refinishing furniture makes me nervous (the outcome is often a gamble), but I am thrilled with these!
