Kitchen {Remodel}

So since last September, we've been renovating the new {old} house...starting with the kitchen.  It's been a long road, with lots of ups and downs, but its been worth it.  We found several things out once we opened up the walls and ended up replacing or moving more than originally planned, but now at least we know it's been done right.

Kitchen {Before}

I know, I know...You're thinking that looked pretty nice!  We thought so too when we saw these MLS pictures...but you didn't get the same feeling when you saw it in person!  They had taken a galley shaped kitchen and remodeled it sometime in the 80's/90's.  We think there had been a kitchen fire because we discovered singed rafters.  The window as actually too large for the space, and not centered on anything.  The refrigerator and oven was hanging out in the middle of nowhere, the appliances and most of the cabinets had seen better days.  They had done a quick paint job on everything to stage the house to sell.

We took the wall out that separated the kitchen from the formal dining room.  You can see the transition by the change in flooring...that's where the wall was.  But woo-hoo!  The beginning of the open floor plan!

Yep, up to the rafters...not gonna lie...I was starting to panic right about here!  Most of our friends thought we were crazy at this point.  And this is what it looked like through Christmas.  Needless to say, we didn't have a tree.  But we DID have a Christmas mouse...or a few.  We never had a mouse problem where we lived before.  It was dairy country so everyone had cats...up here, no cats because of coyotes, which apparently don't eat mice.  So on Christmas morning on my way to the temporarily-placed-refrigerator to get milk for my coffee (which was now stationed on a plank of wood, in what was supposed to be the family room...{blow off the dust before pouring}...) was a poor little mouse stuck to the trap...bye-bye little mouse...Merry Christmas...yuck!

The cabinets were removed, along with the large windows and most of the drywall.  We had to trench the slab to move the plumbing for the sink to go in the island.  

If I didn't mention the dust factor before...let me mention it now!  Everything...and I mean EVERYTHING was covered in either cement dust or drywall dust and the attic had that paper pulp blown in insulation so there were pieces of that EVERYWHERE.  This is why I didn't unpack anything, but it didn't really matter...even my shoes all the way down the hall were coated in drywall dust.  In hindsight, I'm not sure if I'd ever live in a house while doing this large a reno again...but if you decide to...God be with you.  We ate out for months!

Finally I was able to start to see things come together.  New casement windows, drywall and the start of the custom cabinetry.  The pressure was on to find counter tops and backsplash.

We chose a light granite this time and I love it.  Marble or quartz just wasn't in the budget for the amount of counter tops we needed, so this was the next best thing.  

The back splash tile took forever to come in because of the dock strike.  We went with a tumbled marble subway tile in crema marfil and then a combination of honed and polished stack for the inset.  (My palm branch from Palm Sunday...I was having decorating withdrawals!)  And yes, we were approaching Easter by now...but there were lots of other things going on at the same time, so it normally wouldn't have taken this long just for a kitchen.  Since the family room, formal dining, living room, hallway, laundry & powder room all kind of connect to the kitchen now, there was renovation going on in those spaces, as well.  

We opted to paint the cabinetry...for cost reasons and because I just like painted cabinets better!  I absolutely love the color.  It's not really tan and not really grey.

We had the island painted a pretty french blue and although there was much dilemma as to the color choice, I love it.,,so much in fact that we painted the pantry door and laundry door the same color.

The finished product.  {swoon}  I love all the drawers and counter space.  I made the little pinch pleat valances out of a pretty fabric from the French General.  I was hesitant on the crank out casement windows because it meant that the screens would be on the inside, but I love them.  You don't even notice the screens because they're such a fine weave.

The side cabinetry with plate rack and double oven (guess I have to cook now!).  The glass front cabinets have bubble glass in them to match the bubble glass in the island lights.

The pocket door to the laundry room.  We used an obscure glass with a ribbed texture.

Love it!

I've never had a big pantry.  This one is glorious!  It has lots of storage - perfect for all my Virgo-organizing-tendencies.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's finished in ship lap that wraps around to the formal dining room wall.  And let's not forget the barn door!  

Kitchen {After}

So there you have it...I'm glad this stage is finally done.  I'll show you the rest of the renovation soon!

Until next time...

~ Mary

The Empty Nest Move

It was time to say good-bye to an old and faithful friend...

This has been our home for the past 21 years...the place we raised our boys, had countless scout meetings, youth group swim parties, entertained our friends, and spent every last dime making it our own.

But it was time to move on - the boys were gone and 5 bedrooms just seemed empty, not to mention I never really wanted a two-story to begin with.  So for 21 years I had tolerated the stairs, but there just has to be a single-story out there somewhere calling my name!

Viola!  Hello single story.  Built in 1968, it's been updated slightly through the decades, but we can't wait to get our hands on it and make it our own.  We have big plans ~ we'll see if the old wallet will let us bring them to fruition!  We're rolling up our sleeves and getting busy. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures along the way, so you can enjoy the journey, too!

Two big projects are planned right away.  (Before pics are from the previous owners - not my furniture)

The kitchen is getting demo'd and expanded to allow for an entry into the family room.

{Family Room}

Once the original garage, it's been converted and a new garage was built off the front of the house.  But entry through the laundry room makes it still feel like it was the garage.  Plus, you are completely closed off from the rest of the house.

Right now you have to walk through the laundry room (through that pocket door) to get to the family room.

The kitchen is through the door but will be expanded out into what is now the formal dining room.  The entry to the family room will be on the wall where the picture is hanging.

The bookcase wall is the backside of the dining room wall with the picture - where the new entrance will be.  The laundry room door in the corner will be walled up.

Next, will be creating a larger, more functional master bathroom with a tub and a much needed closet.

{Master Bath}

While it appears to be updated and modern, it is not functional.  There is no counter space...at all...none.  The drawers appear to be deep, but in reality they have huge fronts, but really shallow insides.  The bottom drawer doesn't close all the way because the plumbing is hitting the back side of the drawer.  And did I mention the floor takes a dip...in several places.  And don't get me started on the lighting...or lack there of.  The previous owners were pro's at making things look good on the surface but weren't done quite right.  Oh yeah, and every faucet (including the washer/dryer hookups) are backwards.  Hot is on the right, and cold is on the left...people!...hot is always on the left and cold is on the right!

Stay tuned for a crazy ride!

Until next time...

~Mary

Oak Dresser {Before & After}

Another great thrift store find.  It was dirty and creaky and wonky but the drawers were dovetailed and it was solid oak.  I fell in love with the possibilities of this little chest of drawers.

I decided to go with a little daring color!  I love this oregano green.  I waxed it with a dark wax and sprayed the hardware dark.  It couldn't be cuter!

I think it would be darling in a kitchen filled with dish towels and linen.

I'm feeling so accomplished making headway on the projects piled in the shed.

Onward to the next!

~Mary

Pine Dresser {Before and After}

I found this dresser at a local thrift store missing all the knobs.  Solid pine and in otherwise good condition, it was too good to pass up.  I love, love, love the color and I think the glass knobs are perfect.  I almost spent more on the knobs than I did on the dresser...didn't dawn on my that I needed 12 when I bought the thing!

It's found a new home in the beachy section of the shop - $145.  I think it needs to go home with you!

On to the next piece!

~ Mary

Table and Chairs {Before and After}

I recently inherited my mom's 1973 dining room table and chairs with matching china cabinet - more like nobody else in the family wanted or needed it, so it exited the moving truck right into our garage.  It was my mom's pride and joy.  The table top hardly ever saw the light of day and every time we ate at it, she had it padded with flannel and multiple table cloths for fear anything might happen to it.

The original seats were covered in a gold damask stripe, which had definitely seen better days, and the foam was disintegrating underneath, so I knew for sure I was going to reupholster them.  If it was going to stay in my house,tho...it had to have a makeover.

I decided not to paint the table top - even tho it got marred in the move (sorry mom!), it was just too beautiful to cover up.  So I buffed it with some paste wax and covered up the dents as best I could.

I painted the apron edge and legs with a couple coats of creamy chalk paint I mixed myself with some leftover house paint.  I accented the inner channel of the legs with a creamy yellow.

I roughed it up with a little sandpaper and finished it up with paste wax - first natural, then dark...another coat of dark because it wasn't quite how I wanted it, and then ended with another coat of natural.  

Love it!  On to the chairs...

I removed all the seats and took to prying up all the staples.  (Yes, I'm working on my kitchen counter...there might be an old movie on and I wouldn't want to miss it!)

I used the same cream paint on the chairs...

 ...and roughed them up, as well.

I wasn't crazy about the color of the caning...should I paint it cream as well?  Make it darker?  Live with it?...I had some leftover espresso paint and decided to go darker.  I was afraid of not being able to cover well enough with the cream and having a blotchy outcome.

I finished with the same multiple coats of paste wax...1 down, 5 more to go!

I found a great fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby that picked up all the colors of my kitchen...plus the chevron pattern was a little homage to it's 70's roots. Now, I do not claim to be an upholsterer.  I know my way around a staple gun and can work the corners just fine, tho.  I replaced all the foam and batting, too.

Trimmed the excess...

Phew!  Done...and then I had a problem...

The original cushion was boxy with piping on the top and bottom edges.  I didn't want it to be that formal, so I didn't replace the piping.  But when I went to re-attach the seats, there was a gap at the bottom and I could see the top edge of the wood...no bueno!  Back to Hobby Lobby!  I found a great hemp trim that fit the bill and 40% off baby!

I reattached all the seats...love!

It took me what seemed like forever to finish this project...but it turned out even better than I expected!  I had the red parsons chairs for years, but they were tucked away in an extra bedroom.  I just swapped them out for two chairs and yep...that's it!

I hope my mom would be proud.  I know she wasn't crazy about painted furniture (let alone her pride and joy!)...but I'm sure she's thrilled that it meant enough to me to keep it and now it will be used and loved by my family for years to come.

Until next time,

~ Mary