kelsey.mackall, Author at A Dabbled Dwelling

A Dream Sink For Your Dream Kitchen

November 29, 2022 by kelsey.mackall

In planning a kitchen renovation there is one thing to consider that the entire space revolves and functions around- The kitchen sink. I included a huge Elkay Farmhouse Sink in my last kitchen and loved it so much that I knew I had to get another. This time I opted for a white fireclay workstation sink and when I tell you it’s a DREAM sink for my dream kitchen… I mean it.

*Blog post in partnership with Elkay*

straight on images of white farmhouse sink, gold faucet, and white tiled backsplash

My dream kitchen complete with a dream white farmhouse sink. Styled floating shelves on the wall around it

Why Fireclay?

In choosing a white sink I wanted to make sure it was durable and in doing my research I found that the durability of Fireclay was unmatched. With materials fired at a higher temperature than even cast iron, it creates a surface that is non-porous and scratch/chip resistant. This also allows the sink to be low maintenance and easily cleaned. The last thing you want to worry about with your sink is babying it! I needed something that I could carelessly bang around pots and pans in during that evening dinner rush.

Single Basin vs Double Basin

Another decision to make when it comes to sinks is single basin or double basin? Well let me be the first one to say, when you go single basin, you’ll never go back! There is just nothing that beats a huge farmhouse sink where you can bathe your babies, easily fit large pots and pans, baking sheets, and even the entire highchair tray!

Baby bathes in large white sink and plays peekaboo

large pot sitting in a dream farmhouse sink with plenty of room to spare — My biggest pot fits so easily!

My Dream Sink Experience

I’m being completely honest when I say I have never loved a sink more. It is absolutely a dream sink to complete my dream kitchen. It’s usually the first thing people notice about my kitchen and inspires many compliments!

The workstation features have been extremely useful. The cutting board comes in handy for a convenient place to wash and chop, as well as adding an additional work surface if I need it. One of my favorite parts is the bottom grate that allows me to stack dishes but still run water or wash food underneath.

Lastly, the cleanability has been a dream in itself. This sink is so easy to wipe down or scrub. A Magic Eraser has been my method of choice. I have not experienced a single stain after 5 months and we’re pretty rough on it. However I have been warned to be careful with tomato sauce so I have been mindful regarding that.

Check out the Elkay Fireclay Single Bowl Farmhouse Workstation Sink Kit HERE.

Preparing artichokes on a cutting board that fits in my farmhouse sink — Using the included cutting board to prepare Artichokes

DIY Kitchen Renovation

October 27, 2022 by kelsey.mackall

A DIY Kitchen renovation is no small task but I DID IT, and in 5 months! The kitchen was the first major project of our 1972 fixer upper and is officially my favorite room of the house. There are still a few loose ends to tackle but here are all the details and most importantly… The upgrade that made the biggest impact. *This post is sponsored by RTA Cabinet Store*

Impactful Upgrades

While we essentially gutted this kitchen and replaced everything, the most impactful upgrade of our DIY kitchen renovation was all new cabinets! The 50 year old ones we’re small, smelly, and falling apart. Either people in the 70s had a lot less stuff or didn’t design with functionality in mind. RTA Cabinet Store made my cabinet dreams come true.

Woman works on outdated kitchen demolition

Outdated kitchen with tan walls and 50 year old beige cabinets. Large soffit breaks kitchen view

Working with RTA Cabinet Store for our DIY Kitchen Renovation

We chose RTA Cabinet store because of their quality and affordability. As DIYers the “ready to assemble” (RTA) option was right in our wheelhouse. We felt this gave us the ability to work on this project at our own pace, store the cabinets more easily, and have ultimate control of the installation. Ready to assemble cabinets are also more affordable and cost less in shipping however, with the assembly responsibility, comes a bit of intimidation.

As any normal person would feel, I was nervous to put together an entire kitchen of cabinets. But I was SHOCKED at how easy it was to do. All the boxes had numbers that matched my renderings so I knew which piece I was assembling. I practically built a kitchen in 2 weekends and actually enjoyed every bit of it. See how satisfying the assembly was!

Installation was as simple as leveling each cabinet and screwing it into our wall studs. it was absolutely a DIY-able task and we saved even more money by tackling it on our own.

husband and wife bump knuckles during cabinet installation of a diy kitchen renovation

Cabinet installation during DIY kitchen renovation

DIY kitchen renovation cabinet installation

Designing with RTA Cabinet Store

Another reason we chose to go with RTA was because they offer FREE design services. Our designer simply had us submit some photos and measurements and then set up a call to go over my vision. Even though I had been dreaming up this kitchen for months, she had so many great suggestions for details I had never considered. For example, using a 6 inch stacked crown to bring our cabinets to the ceiling for an elevated look. We opted to keep the existing layout of the kitchen but we’re able to add more drawers and specialty cabinets to make this space more functional for our family.

I also told the designer that I was struggling choosing a cabinet color but that I really wanted to bring in some warmth. She suggested a few options, sent samples, and we ultimately chose the color “Weston Sand” in the shaker style. This ended up being my BEST decision to balance the rest of the white design choices.

RTA custom kitchen design rendering for a DIY Kitchen Renovation

Cabinet Quality

Anything would have been better than the original 50 year old cabinets, but when I tell you the RTA Cabinet Store cabinets are THE nicest cabinets I’ve ever owned- I mean it. I have been beyond impressed with the material, durability, and flawless paint finish. Not to mention that oh-so-good soft close! I have been able to utilize my new kitchen without walking on eggshells because I trust the strength and wipe-ability of all my cabinets. I also love how adding my own hardware made them feel even more custom.

DIY Kitchen Renovation Cost

I always aim to be transparent about any project cost. As suspected, the cabinets were the majority of our kitchen budget. As it should be since they made the biggest impact. I was thankful to be a partner of RTA Cabinet Store to offset that cost, but here’s a breakdown of our cabinet order and how that compared to the rest of the DIY kitchen renovation updates we did.

All New Cabinets: $9,337.81

Cabinet Hardware: $80.00

All New Appliances: $5295.00

Farmhouse Sink: $1,889.00

Faucet: $92.00

Soffit Removal/ Plumbing Re-route/ Drywall Repair (The only portion we hired out): $2500

Quartz Countertops: $5000

Custom Floating Shelves: $1000

Tile Backsplash and Mussel Bound tile adhesive: $900

Lighting: $250

Estimated DIY Renovation Total: $26,343.81

*Of course there were miscellaneous supplies that I didn’t keep track of and I was fortunate enough to have a large portion of the project sponsored in exchange for content.

close up of RTA Cabinet Store "Weston Sand" style in a DIY kitchen renovation

right side sink view with styled floating shelves

right side sink view with textured backsplash, floating shelves and warm gray cabinets

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DIY Mudroom Lockers

September 28, 2022 by kelsey.mackall

Projects at the new house are in full swing and creating a mudroom space is one I have been looking forward to most. While this house doesn’t have a designated drop zone, this built-in desk in our kitchen quickly became one. It only made sense to use this outdated spot to make something more functional for our family so we ripped out the desk and I got to work on these DIY mudroom lockers. This was my most challenging build to date but I am so proud of how it turned out!

I didn’t take many detailed photos so make sure to check out my Instagram highlights for more!

DIY Mudroom Locker Framing

Because I was using this existing nook where the desk was, I wanted to preserve every square inch I could. Using the wall studs as my framing was the simplest way to do this so I started nailing 1/2 inch sanded plywood to the wall to create my bottom bench and drawer boxes. *Note: I would have preferred 3/4 inch plywood for this project but it was more expensive.

I also used 1/4 inch plywood for areas like the back panel of the built-ins, the drawer bottoms, and cabinet door faces. All the sheet material was cut with my Hart circular saw. I also used 1x2s as my facial boards, nailed into the plywood. Scroll down to see the material list and cost breakdown.

woman installs back panel of diy mudroom locker built ins

woman uses circular saw to cut plywood sheet

sitting next to diy mudroom lockers exhausted — I was exhausted with lots of work still left to do!

DIY Mudroom Locker Drawers

To make these mudroom locker drawers I simply built a box out of the same 1/2 inch plywood. I also used my router to create a groove to slide in a 1/4 inch plywood bottom. They don’t have to be pretty if you’re going to add drawer fronts! This was my very first time building drawers and probably the most intimidating part of the project. It took me a full day of adjusting the drawer slides to get them to open and close smoothly. *Make sure everything is square and level from front to back, left to right, as well as up and down.

woman surrounded my construction mess adjusts drawers

DIY Mudroom Locker Cabinet Doors

For the mudroom locker doors and drawer fronts I used 1/3 primed pine. I cut the rails and stiles to size, and then ran them through my table saw to create the groove to glue in 1/4″ plywood faces. They we’re assembled using pocket holes with my Kreg jig.

Check out the cute little ventilation detail I added with a 5/8 spade bit!

I wood filled every seam, sanded the whole thing down, caulked, and finally primed and painted with my favorite Behr Cabinet and Trim Enamel in the color “Jojoba”.

Lastly, I added European hidden soft close hinges by using a jig.

woman showing Diy mudroom locker door Frame with pocket hole assembly

woman stands in front of diy mudroom built ins with arms out proudly

drilling into cabinet doors with a spade bit

DIY Mudroom Lockers- Cost Breakdown

(4) 1/2″ Sanded Plywood Sheet: $200

(1) 1/4″ Sanded Plywood Sheet $35

(8) Primed Pine 1x2s: $60

(8) Primed Pine 1x3s: $95

(1) Fluted Trim: $17

(1) Quart Bin Primer: $25

(1) Gallon Behr Cabinet and Trim Enamel (Color: Jojoba): $50

(8) Euro Hinges: $48

(2) Sets of Drawer Slides: $25

Hardware: $20

Miscellaneous Supplies: Sandpaper, nails, wood glue, caulk ect: $50-75

Estimated Total: $625-$650

While this wasn’t necessarily a “budget” project, I did some research to compare the cost of hiring it out. To build the style lockers that I did, it would have cost upwards of $1500 from a professional! This is why I love DIY… It may have taken me 3 weeks but I saved roughly 43%!

*Links below!