4-Step Kitchen Sink Makeover and Giveaway

We’re hoping to put our house on the real estate market soon – my husband has changed jobs and we’re moving back to Sacramento – I’ll be sharing more about this process over the next few weeks – it’s an exciting, but challenging shift in our lives! As we get ready to put our home up for sale, we’re looking critically at the key areas to share all the potential this house has to offer with potential buyers. The kitchen is one of those key areas, particularly the sink. Today, I’m sharing a 4-step kitchen sink makeover that will make an impact in any home! When we built the house, we put in a gorgeous farm-style sink, which I have loved every day that we’ve lived here. It was time to add some color and warmth around it because, even when all the dishes are washed and put away, the sink was still looking a little lackluster. Time for the 4-step makeover! STEP 1: Upgrade your sink faucet! I think this is the number 1 change you can make (short of replacing the whole sink and countertop!) that can completely transform the look of the kitchen sink. I jumped on the opportunity to install this absolute stand-out of a faucet – the Anabelle by Moen – in Mediterranean bronze. It definitely has a presence at the kitchen sink without overwhelming it. It looks natural, yet upscale and makes a huge difference! It is also available in Spot Resist stainless steel and it includes a soap/lotion dispenser. This faucet incorporates the handle right into the base, which I find convenient and aesthetically pleasing. The faucet swivels fully from side to side. What is especially great about this faucet is the retractable, flexible hose and spray head. It pulls out easily from the end of the faucet, has a button on it to turn on the sprayer or pause the stream of water completely, and it automatically retracts smoothly back into the faucet when you let go. You can’t see the hose at all after it docks itself, keeping the design sleek and classy! This “Reflex” technology is a must-have in my opinion! STEP 2: Now that you have a beautiful, new sink faucet, it’s time to continue with the kitchen sink makeover! Your next step is to refresh the caulking around the sink rim! If you have caulking to seal the space between your sink and counters, you’ve probably noticed that it gets dingy and yellowed over time. Do you know how simple it is to fix that?

• Simply use a flat head screwdriver to loosen up the old caulking and peel it away – some areas may peel away easier than others. You do not need to remove all the caulking – simply make a space to brighten it with a fresh coat.
• Be sure the area is dusted away and completely dry.
• Then, use painter’s tape to tape off the counters and the sink, leaving just a small space between for the caulking.
• Run a bead of waterproof indoor/outdoor sealant (I used bright white) around the sink rim.
• Use your finger to smooth the caulking flat and fill in the space.
• Immediately remove the tape for perfect straight edges along the caulking and allow it to dry. The caulking usually needs a good chunk of time to dry before you can use the water – adhere to package guidelines.

STEP 3: Add curtains to the window. You can sew full curtains, a short valence to go along the top of the window, or add some café curtains, like I did here. Use a pop of color or keep the curtains more subtle. These café style curtains were easy to put up with a tension rod and took less than an hour to sew. Find the full curtain sewing tutorial here. STEP 4: Add accessories. You don’t need much. A fresh houseplant or pot of herbs goes a long way to brighten up the kitchen sink area and make it look fresh. Set out a tea towel. I also love my vintage scale – sometimes I top it with a flowering plant, like a small orchid, or set my kitchen staples on top. Keep the accessories to a minimum and your kitchen sink will look inviting and functional! Now, it’s time for a giveaway! If you’d like to be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, which will get you well on your way toward a new kitchen sink makeover, just leave a comment below and let us know which Moen faucet is your favorite!

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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

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This sweepstakes runs from 5/4/15 – 5/31/15.

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