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 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.
Kitchen back splashes are often afterthoughts of a renovation or remodel. People tend to focus on flooring, cabinets, appliances, and countertops, then use the backsplash to tie it all together. I think backsplashes are pretty important since that is one of the first things that grabs your eye. A lot of back splash options can get pretty pricey, though. Mosaic and specialty tile can run $20 a square foot and up. These seven trendy tiles will cost you less than $5 a square foot and you won't have to sacrifice on style or quality.
I think when people hear the phrase "kitchen renovation" they (and their bank accounts) start to sweat. Notoriously expensive, kitchen renovations can cost upwards of $20,000. When it came time to finish out the kitchen for the Myrtle House, we didn't have a set budget (though I knew it would be way less than $20,000) - it was more of a "let's do this for as little money as humanly possible" kind of situation.
Do you ever find a product that you love so much, you want to tell everyone about it? Like almost in an annoying, yes-you've-told-us-1000-times way? That is how I feel about our new laminate countertops. We chose the Formica 180fx Calacatta Marble style and it is for sure one of the best selections we made during the renovation of the Myrtle House.
As you may have spied from the new dining room photos, the new kitchen now connects to it. Before, the old kitchen was towards the back corner of the house (now the master bedroom) and not in the best location. The new kitchen space was once used for storage, but it is in the heart of the home, has the big double-sided fireplace, and connects to the back porch (a soon to be al fresco dining area), so it seemed like the perfect spot for a new kitchen. Another bonus - it is the biggest room in the house.
