My House Tour - Kitchen and Family Room

Jul 30

Hey y'all! Welcome to the new House Plus Love blog! This is where I'll be sharing my journey of my first home and the tips and tricks I have learned along the way! I hope you will continue to join me on this adventure in the days ahead! I've got big plans that I can't wait to share!!

Today I thought I would share more about the space in my home that received the most attention and...blood, sweat, and tears! The kitchen was the room in the house that was in the worst condition and honestly the one that scared me the most! Kitchens are difficult...so many pieces and details to consider! And this particular space needed to be completely gutted...and that is exactly what we did! All the walls were taken down to the studs! We even removed a wall to allow for the "open concept" kitchen and family area. I also knew that I wanted to include an island and the wall had to come down to accommodate my plan!

Once we had the walls down, the space was rewired and new insulation was installed! Then the original wood paneling was put back in place! I LOVE painted paneling, so I wanted to keep the "walls that came with the house" and just give them a fresh coat of paint (color: Benjamin Moore, Paper Mache)! After I painted all the paneling, we had a new sliding back door installed and new flooring! I chose a laminate floor that mimics gray weathered wood. Next up came the cabinets! Oh the dreaded cabinets! I ordered my cabinets online from IKEA! I wanted a custom look at an affordable price point. I also wanted a modern cottage feel. IKEA was the winner and I am SO glad I made that decision! I LOVE my cabinets!! The only thing is, they are not for the faint at heart!! They were delivered to my house in 120 boxes!! My sister and I spent an entire weekend assembling each cabinet ourselves! Once each cabinet base was constructed, my Dad secured them to the walls! I'll have to write an entire blog post about IKEA and their cabinets! I am a pro at this point!! Then came the appliances and countertops! It finally looked like a real kitchen!! The kitchen was my one hold out for moving in! I refused to move into the house until the kitchen was DONE! It was a great motivator to get it accomplished and it felt great to move in with our largest renovation project complete! Lastly, I added all my "pretties"...my favorite part of course!! I love how the space turned out! It is my favorite spot in the house and the place I spend most of my time!! Thanks for stopping by! I'll be sharing more very soon! Stay tuned!

Photos by: Summer Ennis from Mobile Bay Magazine feature.

Mark Rippstein

Mark Rippstein is the co-founder of R+R Creative Co.

Before graduating from Santa Clara University with honors in Business Marketing, Mark developed a strong work ethic at his parent’s scientific research company. Starting there in his early teens, he jumped in wherever needed, from sweeping floors and counting inventory to soldering circuit boards and setting up trade show booths...he even launched their first web presence in 1996. After working for a couple dot com companies in Silicon Valley and a Dutch bank in Switzerland, Mark spent over 10 years at Google forming and overseeing diverse and dispersed teams and projects. It was through his travels during that time that his appreciation for travel management, especially for trusted and knowledgeable advisors, grew into something that led him to Casto Travel. As Casto’s Director of Marketing, Mark oversaw their online presence, making sure that those who have an experience with Casto, including those working at Casto, had a clear understanding of their values and services. By leading their marketing efforts, Mark was tasked with keeping everything on brand, accurate, and secure. His primary focus was on their websites and their social ties. Mark also provided oversight when it came to having a clear, consistent and positive brand message, particularly pertaining to customer satisfaction, lead generation, and recruiting.

Mark joined his wife, Carla, to build a different type of marketing consulting company. With R+R Creative Co, their objective is to bring clarity, sustainability, and accountability to their projects.

Throughout his years of working on the web, Mark has become an advocate for clarity, consistency, and security. He believes that we should all strive for excellence and going beyond expectations...especially when it comes to working with others.

Find out more at: linkedin.com/in/markrippstein

https://www.randrcreativeco.com