Tags
2009, after, Before/After, curtains, house tour, kitchen, painting, tile
Some friends have asked what the rest of the house looks like so I thought I would slowly but surely share the rest of the house. Mason and I have really turning this house into our home.
I thought I would start with the kitchen. I’m not starting here because it is the heart of our home or because it was our first big project together on our first anniversary (though both of those are true). I’m starting here for a much more practical reason. Any day, the little man will be mobile and we are going to have to baby proof the heck out of this sucker. I wanted to capture it like it was always intended to look 🙂
I really regret not taking any true before pictures. The only one we have is this one from move-in day.
The walls were originally a greyish greenish beigeish. It was a great color with all the knotty pine, but just not the look we were going for. All the cabinets and trim were stained. Original cream(?) laminate counter tops and old appliances. The dining area had been staged as a sitting area with a flush mount light.
Most of the “before” pictures are after I had painted the walls, started painting the trim, and changed out some lighting. It also has the addition of the amazing island that my dad made. We love it so much! It inspired the look of the rest of the house.
Colors Used-
Wall: Valspar Drizzling Mist
Cabinet Paint: Valspar White
Cabinet Hardware: From knobs4less.com
Countertops: Zodiaq Quartz in Meteor Grey
The fridge wall made a huge difference! The far left section of the cabinets was kept and just painted. The rest was ripped out and my dad made new custom cabinets that he and I designed.
The microwave garage is awesome. The cabinet below the microwave garage has pull out drawers that were made to be the right sizes to hold the KitchenAid etc when the time comes to clear out the bottom of the island. To the right of the fridge is two tiers of sheet pan/cutting board racks and the bottom is a pullout trash can.
The M&M on the bookshelf is the cake topper from our wedding. A few holes drilled in the shelf and the toppers slide in place. You can also see the wall that I took all my pregnancy bump photos on. It is one of the two places that gets seasonal flair in the kitchen. The hanging plaque changes to be seasonal wreaths, etc. You can also see how the kitchen opens up to the family room.
The sink area got its own set of improvements. The original kitchen had a board across the sink area uniting the two cabinet sections and a nasty florescent light behind it hiding these great holes. Patching and a new light and curtain have transformed the space.
Faucet: Delta
Light: Lowe’s
Curtain fabric: Braemore Lily Pad
Backsplash: White subway tile from Lowe’s
Here is the other place that gets seasonal flair. I change out my little salt and pepper shakers. Right now that are chess pieces but sometimes they are pumpkins or kissing Clauses or snowmen, etc.
The stove area has one of my favorite accents: the glass tile. Since we went with a really economical while subway tile on the majority of the kitchen, I was able to splurge on the area behind the stove. It’s a beautiful accent that glimmers and gleams in different light. Would it be better if the stove was a slide in and not freestanding. Yes, but I didn’t want to give up the awesome double oven option. (Note: I’m not taking a picture where you can see the full oven and cooktop because then you would know what a messy cook I am)
Tile: Green Penny Rounds from Susan Jablon
Stove/Oven: Magtag Gemini
Hood: Broan Allure Series
The seating area has its own flair. The chairs were my parents’ when they got married. The husband and I sprayed them years ago before we moved in our apartment and have kept them because we love them so. The table was an old desk at my parents’ house that has its own worn character that we love. The teacher in me loves the chalkboard.
So. There it is. Our kitchen. It has its own sassy flair and makes me oh, so happy. I spent a long time making the decisions for the room. We learned a lot along the way as we demoed, painted, tiled, painted, and painted some more. I think it’s a pretty amazing transformation for four figures including new counters and appliances. We love to share it with friends and family over a good meal or a get together. And I have loved sharing it with you.