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