Sunday, April 15, 2012

Kitchen Finale...


Pretty cool, huh?  This kitchen is now up to date with a bit of "throw back".  Starting with the cabinets...a gallon of white paint (custom mixed), painted inside cabinets a cream (same color as the walls) for contrast, took most of the upper cabinet doors off & made curtains for a few cabinets to hide tupperware, changed out all hardware including hinges  Changed all lighting fixtures and sink faucet, new appliances, beadboard backsplash (over existing butcher block formica that ran up the wall!), added freestanding piece for extra space for TV and to hide trash can, added 4-drawer chest & painted it black and added same new hardware as on the cabinets, and layed peel & stick flooring on a diagonal.  My husband made the faux wood shutters and we made the farm table together (a separate post to follow later about how to make a farm table like ours). I bought a lot of my pieces at Queen of Hearts Antiques & Interiors (my favorite place to shop!).  I got bargains on everything, in fact, the flooring was free!  They kept sending me the wrong tile and before I knew it a full credit was back in my bank account and then I received the correct tile!  I purchased the chairs for $100 for a set of 6 then painted & recovered them.  We also added crown molding throughout.  Minus the new appliances and furniture, the renovation cost about $300.  Also, we added under-the-cabinet lighting from Home Depot.  This lighting creates the perfect ambiance.  I would suggest it to everyone for their kitchen.  Other decorating accessories I purchased at thrift stores and yard sales.  This was my first project in my home and I talked it with force!  A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this remodel but it was well worth it.  I love it every day!!!!!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The beginning of my remodeling journey...

BEFORE
Starting with the kitchen...

BEFORE
I purchased my 1979 Cape Cod home in November of 2006. When I walked into this house I saw great potential and I immediately pictured what I could do to make this house a home. As you can see in these pictures of the kitchen, it looks like the 1970's threw up in here!! The light fixtures, hardware, appliances, floor, cabinetry, faucet, YOU NAME IT, was old and outdated. I could not wait to get my hands on the guts of this house. The bones were good...it just needed some TLC (and a lot of elbow grease!!). I saw this opportunity as a big challenge and one that I was very excited about. I didn't know where to begin because I had never taken on a project like this but the thought of rolling up my sleeves and diving in feet first was super exciting!! My goal was to keep the cost low but produce a stellar kitchen, and that's just what I did! The pictures of the amazing transformation will follow in a couple of days.....