I'm excited to report that we are 90% finished with our farmhouse kitchen renovation! The Mister and I have been working in diligent fits and spurts (as time and money have allowed) since January of last year. It has been a long, sometimes stressful, but very rewarding process, throughout which, I am proud to say, that these Do-it-Yourself-ers did ALL the work with our own two hands!
Here's the quaint little kitchen BEFORE we began renovating:
Wall-to-wall knotty pine wood paneling, linoleum stick-tile flooring, no pantry, no dishwasher, minimal storage, dated laminate counter-top, tiny sink... oh yeah, and what's with that weird beam in the middle of the room?
Notice the basement door on the right side of the refrigerator (Guess what? we moved it!)
The tiny stove was bent in the middle so nothing cooked evenly (I may have knelt on it once when trying to reach something in the upper cabinets... ahem). Even Albus, the cat, looks sad and confused in this dark and dated kitchen.
We had a huge TO-DO list and this is what we've CHECKED-OFF so far:
*Replace old, white appliances with new, stainless steel appliances
*Replace linoleum tiles with wood laminate flooring (beautiful mahogany finish)
*Move basement door to recess refrigerator and add new cabinets/counter-top between stove and refrigerator
*Replace overhead wooden light fixture with stainless steel fixture
*Install a dishwasher!!!
*Install new farmhouse sink (large enough to bathe a small child in) and new fixtures
*Add slate tile back-splash behind sink
*Replace old counter-tops
*Build walk-in pantry with floor to ceiling shelving and overhead switch-operated light
*Reface all cabinets and doors --- paint white
*Add multiple electrical outlets and replace old wiring to bring up to code
*Deep clean and reuse current stove-top hood and fan
*Install dry-wall over wood paneling throughout kitchen
*Paint dry-wall (Buttercream with Eggplant accent walls)
*Replace all cabinet hinges, hardware, and pulls (brushed nickel finishes)
*Paint all trim and moldings white
*Build additional counter-tops and cabinets between stove and refrigerator --- paint white
*Mount microwave on shelf above new counter-top
*Add window treatments
Kitchen-in-Progress
(90% finished with renovation):
Don't you just love wood on the floor so much more than on the walls?
Notice the door on the left? Since we couldn't move that beam in the middle of the room, we incorporated it into our new walk-in pantry that features floor-to-ceiling storage.
I just love this slate tile backsplash! The eggplant accent walls play up the purple brown tones in the slate so nicely.
Moving the basement door access out of the kitchen and around the corner allowed for a recessed refrigerator and extra counter-tops and cabinets between stove and refrigerator.
A handmade owl tea towel, purchased from Zen Threads on Etsy
and a colorful print from Artful Escapes add finishing touches to this handmade kitchen.
DOING THIS WEEK :
*Restore, sand, prime and paint original crown molding... scratch that... not
able to reuse existing molding
*Purchase and paint brand new molding
from our local lumber mill,
Siewers.
We picked out a wider molding with a little more pizazz than the original crown molding had. We will carry the new molding throughout the downstairs of the house as we continue our renovations (the living room is next).
STILL TO-DO:
*Install crown molding
*Install vertical trim along exterior pantry walls
*Install floor trim
*Paint behind and install trim around recessed refrigerator
*Replace windows with energy efficient and historically accurate wood windows $$$
*Add built-in double trashcan cabinet on left side of stove
*Complete final touch-ups
and eventually...
*Remove baseboard heaters and install HVAC system and vents in entire house $$$$$
Total Cost of Kitchen Renovation:
$5000 ($2800 went to new appliances, mind you).
Not squabbling over whose turn it is to wash the dishes anymore:
PRICELESS.
