The New Kitchen

The last time I posted photos of the kitchen, it started out looking like this, and then turned yellow. However that was the mini-makeover I gave it to make it functional, and in the last few months it has turned into what it was meant to be. A beautiful kitchen!

This is how it was - a white box with cabinets up WAY too high on the wall, a non-functional pass through (except for the cats - they loved being able to jump across the sink). The cabinets were also worn out - the sink cabinet came out in pieces - and not because it was ripped out menacingly. It was that bad! Also, notice the WHITE laminate floor which showed every speck of dirt, the ugly bathroom tile sheet glued to the wall, and the cherry on the cake was the institutional drop ceiling complete with flourescent light fixture.


So we ripped it all out - everything left the room except the stove! Even the refrigerator was in the dining room for a while. A lot of mess and a lot of work - but totally worth it. Above you can see the paint color that was chosen originally. It was a disaster - it was supposed to be a Tuscan terra cotta, and it turned out to be more of an NBA basketball. Live and learn - I got a better color later.

Remember the passthrough? These are photos of it's demise. It got framed out and drywalled. Please keep in mind that we are doing this ourselves - there was no contractor on this job!

We had thought about saving the sink, but as you can see in the bottom left of this photo it was a lost cause - the drywall dust and gunk got all over it, and I was not going to clean that off. Everything has a lifespan and this thing was done.

You can also see where we ripped out the old chimney (not functional). All that got drywalled as well.

Above is the lovely sink, which gives you an idea of how much crud was floating through the house. It was a chore simply keeping the dust down.

Here Julius is inspecting the new hickory cabinets, as well as the hole in the flooring where the sink cabinet used to be. Neither he nor Franklin were very happy about the renovation.

Here's the hole in the ceiling where the chimney was - and the steel framework is still up from the drop ceiling. Nasty stuff -

When the drop ceiling was removed, it looked like a scene out of 2012 - this faultline in the kitchen ceiling was always there - under the drop ceiling.

This is the new ceiling - white painted beadboard and 1x2's framing it out. Nice, eh?

The new light fixtures were a good choice. They're copper and brought much needed light into the space.

This is the new sink, cabinets, and backsplash. The dishwasher is also new, and I have a garbage disposal again! Two of the greatest inventions ever!

Notice the new oak hardwood floors, paint color, and cabinetry. This all cost a small fortune, but was totally worth it. I plan on making flour sack curtains for the window, but they have not been made yet.

The part of the wall that was covered with the old bathroom tile board was so damaged from the glue that we had to put up white beadboard around the bottom half of part of the kitchen. It fits in rather well, I think.

The chain on the far wall is the weight for the skeleton clock that is hanging up high on the wall. Recently the copper pot on the floor was moved a bit to the right and the cat's bowls are there, but other than that it looks the same.

Now if I can only keep it this clean!