Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Pure Craziness in the Kitchen...is Over! Sort Of!

I love my house.
I hate my house.
I love my house.
I hate my house.
It is really nothing against the house.
I remember when we were looking for houses
and the Realtor pulled up in front of this house.
I declared  - out loud even -
"I want a house like this one."
Of course when I said that I assumed I would not have to wait years and years to upgrade some of the uglies. The biggest ugly was the kitchen and you could see it as soon as you walked up to the front door. It needed a #makeover! We wanted to do something to it, but as it would happen property values at that time were nose diving all over, so we knew we needed to be WISE!



This kitchen was completed, including appliances for under $12,000.
The nly thing I woud do differently was get a different kitchen faucet -
and I hope to add a Delta Faucet with Touch20 Technology one to this kitchen soon

The OLD kitchen...lovely, eh?
 
It was really hard to say good-bye to this tile! NOT!
 
So what's the problem?...this house is older, our other two homes were newer. This house is mid-1950's construction. Much of the charm had been remodeled away in the '70's. I am not quite sure how many different additions this house has...still! I thought the first project we would tackle was going to be the kitchen - you know the heart of the home - well, 5 years late, we finally got around to it. Windows, hardwood floors, decks, grass, and unfortunately 2 hot water heaters and a sewer line came first.
  ***************
Will I ever get to the point? Yes, the kitchen is done...almost. I still need to patch some walls and trim the window...and find my window treatments - I have no idea where they went. I hope to add some bun or other decorative furniture feet, and I keep going back and forth about glazing the cabinets - I was totally sold on it but now am rethinking it. Hopefully I will call it done-done by the end of the year...we {he - as in hubby} move slow up here!
NEW Kitchen!

When we set out to do this I got estimates for a complete gut and remodel. I was appalled at the price and it was not even "the whole enchilada." The contractor liked my ideas, but he even told me it was easier and cheaper to "just move." Back to the drawing board!
Nice Paint job, eh? An armoire used to hide that bad paint job!

Ultimately, I came to my senses. I wanted my kitchen to go with the rest of the house, but I am happy...We are not and will not be doing a full remodel. We are updating and renovating what needs to be done. I do not want people to walk into my house and say "WOW! Nice kitchen," and be thinking the rest of the house looks like crap." My ultimate goal from the beginning was to make everything cohesive...so here we are today.
 ***************


Here is what we did and how we saved money:
*Kept the boxes for the cabinets and the existing layout {it was fine, it worked} and hired the most awesome-est cabinet maker ever to install new wood doors and rebuild our drawers {they were just boxes} ad put them on rollers.
*All new appliances. Including a new microwave that I did not need. I have a one year old microwave for sale of for free...anyone...anyone??? 
*New granite counter tops and a new tile backsplash {hubby hates my selection...oh well!}.
*The cabinet maker built a magnificent pantry - I was using a Pier 1 armoire I bought at a garage sale.
*New sink and faucet...no I did not get my farm house sink for multiple reasons. Possibly to be explained later.
*I did not paint the cabinets myself...almost but I had read so much about lacquering that we decided that was the best option for us. Which leaves me at the to glaze or not to glaze decision.
*New knobs and pulls
*Added under counter and can lighting.
*Finally had the outlets upgraded so we will not electrocute ourselves.
 
I did not do or "get" all of the fancy schmancy upgrades or additions I wanted...BUT the whole thing cost me less than what cabinets alone would have cost and I did not just throw it all out...I repurposed! The change is amazing! I am glad I waited...this is the kitchen we are supposed to have. If I would have done my kitchen 5 years ago when I was still fighting with this old house, it would have been a mess....I had to learn to love my house and embrace it's character first!

Did you notice the lack of accessories...
I stink at accessorizing the kitchen...
anyone have any suggestions?
And what about the glaze...
I am taking votes from my fabulously stylish friends here...to glaze or not to glaze?

I also added a few accessories...
like bun feet to make the cabinets feel like furniture 
and pretty painted flour sack towels
Signature

I leave you with this...
not what you want to see in a new kitchen!
Or an old one!
This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

58 comments:

  1. Your kitchen looks wonderful. You were so smart in waiting to renovate and to make your kitchen fit with the rest of your house. Love it! I probably would do the same thing with the glaze - wait for a little while. Then you will know the right answer on what to do.

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  2. I really do love your new kitchen and think it was well worth the wait as you learned to love the house. My niece has a similar journey. Her house is was originally built about 100 years ago, but she has had to
    UNrenovate down to the bones before she can build back its orginal character.

    Amazing what people considered an "improvement" over the decades, huh? Yours truly is an improvement, and you deserve a pat on the back.

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  3. Your kitchen looks great! Nice work :)

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  4. Holly it's gorgeous! Love the white cabinetry and the light color of your countertops! And I think it will really come to life with your accessories. (Your children are so helpful with the monkey stickers!) I'm a big fan of simple countertop accessories like a cookbook on a stand and some potted herbs (maybe in colorful pots?) by the window. I hope you and your family have lots of happy times in this room - the center of a home! Enjoy!

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  5. Holly your kitchen is fantastic! Not only does it look beautiful it truly looks like an major upgrade in comparison to the old. You must be so happy!

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  6. Love it! The cabinets and counters are gorgeous.

    We redid our kitchen ourselves {insert husband} and it saved us a ton of money and I got what I really wanted. Isn't it amazing what they charge? We had that jolt of reality when we got estimates to do our patio ~ yep, husband took that one on too when I told him I was going to need his life insurance policy to cover the project :)

    PS ~ Monkey stickers really make the counter pop!


    Jo

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  7. It has turned out very nice. It is hard to wait and I like how you decided to keep it in line with the rest of your house! I like the glazing but it is hard for me to do it to something that looks so nice, clean and newly painted!!

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  8. Holly it look gorgeous!

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  9. I am astonished at how you know what to do. We have to change carpeting, and I havent' been able to make a decision in 5 years!

    How do you know???

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  10. Wonderful, Holly! I can relate to so much here. My house (at least the oldest part of it) dates back to 1931. The biggest challenge has always been working with the charm while still updating...especially considering that there have been 3 additions, one our own, since '31. Nothing here is easy...just last week we put in a new sink (to replace that last new sink we installed that cracked) The stats: 3 sinks, 4 faucets, 2.5 days...incredible!!

    I love what you did. I don't think the cabinets need glazing, at least from what I can see. And, by accessories, I assume you mean a cohesive "theme" of some kind...I have absolutely no doubt you will come up with something perfect that reflects your personality. I also love what you said about how the waiting is what gave you the kitchen you really wanted...a good lesson in that :)

    I would totally take you up on the microwave if I was local :)

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  11. The kitchen looks great, but I had to laugh at the stickers on your new countertops....that is SO something my kids would do (or have done)! It drives me nuts! Baby oil works pretty good at removing the residue btw.

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  12. Hi Holly,
    Your kitchen is wonderful! I love the new cabinets, and the drawer pulls are perfect! To glaze or not? Well, I personally love the way glaze looks, but I really love your cabinets the way they are now! Plus, it sounds as if you are more than ready for the project to be done, and that's just one less thing you would have to do. You could always do it a year or so down the road, if you decide to!

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  13. It looks amazing! What a great transformation! LOVE the look!

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  14. it's gorgeous! i love it. wishing you much happiness in your new-ish kitchen

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  15. I love your kitchen!!! We have been remodeling for several years. We have several things that need to still be done. New counter tops for one........still have old cream ones (30 years old) yuck. Need new stove and an over the top microwave. My stove just won't break and my microwave is pretty new. Why is it when you hate something it last forever?
    I would not glaze..but that's just me.

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  16. Hi.

    I love your new kitchen, gee I can't understand why you would want to get rid of the old tile? It was so lovely! lol. Total sarcasm there!

    Love the monkey stickers too. Aren't kids great?

    I found you on TTA and look forward to reading more!

    www.aspiringmillionaire.com

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  17. GORGEOUS! Makes me feel like it's possible to redo my kitchen in the same way!

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  18. Holly, it looks great! You guys did a great job!

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  19. Hi Holly!

    I'm a new follower from the Tuesday Tag Along! I love what you're doing with your house- and your kitchen remodel looks great! I had a house once with tile counters and I couldn't wait to get rid of those darn things. They were always dirty no matter how much I cleaned them!

    Lucy's Human
    http://lucyshuman.blogspot.com

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  20. WAY TO GO!!! It looks fabulous! And I'm so happy to see all the 'after' pics! I love that style of handle and it goes so well with the white cabinets.

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  21. It's absolutely gorgeous!!!!! really great job, congrats. Do you miss that caramel tile yet? :)

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  22. I really like your new kitchen! The granite is so pretty! I vote for the glaze on the cabinets.

    I just cleaned away all of the dust from my quickie kitchen redo. I will be posting pics soon! I just have to finish putting it all back together. Hopefully, I won't be finding any stickers!!

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  23. Hi Holly,
    Are you sure you want to glaze? I think your kitchen leans towards a modern style from the looks of the photos. Hmm...glazing what color glaze did you have in mind? Where you thinking about doing it in a antique type similar to mine?

    You could put groups of three potted greenery herbs, some stone-ish style chunky bowls with fruit in them to accessorize. A picture of your family to the left of the stove with a basket to collect junk that seems to always end up on those sorts of spaces... A picture in the corner left of the sink setting on top of a few pretty cookbooks. If the outside is non matching cover them with wrapping paper or craft paper :) Hope this helps....

    Hugs,
    Shanna

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  24. Anonymous11:33 AM

    It's lovely. I think everything is perfect, not over the top, very modern, yet probably fitting for your home. It looks amazing, like everything you do! You have such a vision!

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  25. I like the decisions you made and I'm a smidge jealous actually!

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  26. Holly, it looks awesome!! You guys did a fabulous job! I'm so impressed. My parents just did a redo on their kitchen, and I KNOW how pricey that can get.... so props to you on doing a lot of it yourself! I wish I was that handy.

    I love the look of a really cute plate on a stand in the kitchen, and a unique teapot on the stove. I also love a fun cookie jar to add some warmth! My absolute favorites are from Mackenzie Childs...... You might have to get the stuff online... that's what I do. These items make such a statement!

    Teapot.... (On my wish list)

    http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/Tableware/Courtly+Check+Enamelware/Courtly+Check+Kitchen/Courtly+Check+Enamel+Tea+Kettle+-+3+Quart.axd?keywords=tea

    Cookie Jar (I have this one!)....

    http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/Kitchen+Bath/Courtly+Check+Enamelware+Collection/Cookie+Jar+with+Enamel+Courtly+Check+Lid.axd?keywords=cookie+jar

    They have awesome serving platters that you can display on a stand.....

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  27. it looks amazing. that was a seriously odd countertop that was previously there. eek.

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  28. I think it's beautiful!! I love that you repurposed instead of remodeled. The cabinets and counter are beautiful. It looks so light and bright. I have kitchen envy. Mine's a cave. ;)
    As far as the glazing, I think I'd live with it just a bit longer before doing it. That way you're really sure. Just a thought.

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  29. Congrats, Holly! That's so exciting. Our kitchen in our condo is so small and outdated. I can't wait to move and have a bigger more functional kitchen and oh yeah some closet space. You should be proud. :)

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  30. What a fab job! I am sure you will find the right things to personalize your space, you sure have had no problems with the rest of your house. It will be Hollyfied in no time :)

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  31. I love it! I want to redo mine so bad. The floors are bleah, the counters are tiled and the cupboards...well they are old. Ours was built in 89 though. So it is a younger house than yours.

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  32. PS I've got something for you at my blog.

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  33. SO lovely!

    Hey - thanks for going through that construction for me! My bags are almost packed, so I can be there by Monday to move in! ;)

    LOVE it!

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  34. gorgeous kitchen redo holly!!!

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  35. It looks so beautiful! Have you posted it on Rate My Space? Wait...scratch that idea. I don't want you becoming addicted to HGTV.com and not having enough time for blogging!

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  36. Anonymous8:18 PM

    Your newest follower from Tuesday Tag Along http://thethingswefindinside.blogspot.com/

    Looking forward to checking out your blogs.

    Happy Tuesday! :)

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  37. Anonymous8:18 PM

    Your newest follower from Tuesday Tag Along http://thethingswefindinside.blogspot.com/

    Looking forward to checking out your blogs.

    Happy Tuesday! :)

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  38. I love the upgrade and changes! I want a new kitchen.... A lot of work and suffering, but well worth it!

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  39. I think it looks great Holly! I love the white cabinets and the contrast with the pulls and the counter tops. It all came together quite well!

    I don't know anything about glazes.

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  40. Anonymous11:24 PM

    I LOVE IT!! it looks so good!!

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  41. Totally jealous of your kitchen. Come take this linoleum for me, I think you're brown tile is better! Then again, maybe not.

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  42. Holly, I can't believe I missed this yesterday. You know how long I've been waiting on this. Lovely!!!!!I think the not accessorizing now is a good thing. Gives you time to get a feel of what you want.

    I just have one question. So, instead of taking everying out, you refaced it? The cabinet doors etc.? Our kitchen is outdated too. When we got an estimate it was like adding an addition.

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  43. Yay! The kitchen looks AMAZING! I love it!

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  44. SO Happy for you that it's finally done!!

    It looks absolutely beautiful! No really...LOVELY! Minus the monkey stickers on the granite of course.

    When my parents re did their kitchen a few years ago, they did the same thing. Repurposed the cabinets they had, it was GREAT!

    I am along the lines of the no glaze. But, that is just me. So, take your time, since there is no rush, the right thing will come to you.

    Thanks for posting the pics. Before and afters are my favorites, and I've been waiting for this.

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  45. Your kitchen is gorgeous Holly! Love that the Monkey Bean added her own special touch!

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  46. please tell me those stickers came off w/ some Goo Be Gone!

    I am speechless. You've done an incredible job. I don't know how you do it. Seriously.

    You.Are. Amazeballs!

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  47. Yay! I've been waiting not so patiently to see these pictures and here they are; Beautiful!!! I LOVE what you did. It's a complete 180. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous new kitchen!

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  48. Yay! I've been waiting not so patiently to see these pictures and here they are; Beautiful!!! I LOVE what you did. It's a complete 180. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous new kitchen!

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  49. Gorgeous Holly! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  50. lol, love your writing style...so funny. :) And...WOW!! Your kitchen is such an amazing difference. It looks incredible. Very clean, current, and pretty.

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  51. Your kitchen looks great - and I love that you stuck to your budget and didn't go overboard! It looks perfect.

    Chelsea

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  52. I was thinking of you this a.m., and then your post came through later. I had this strange sense of relief when I read your choices. Blog-o-sphere seems to be overrun with overdone & elaborate everything. I love white cabinets, and between it being YOUR house and your remodeling outcomes, anyone would surely feel welcome!

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  53. It's awesome, Holly! We have an ugly kitchen. Same thing. Old house. Other priorities. Small budget. I loved reading your journey and your kitchen looks beautiful - just the inspiration I need to tackle an affordable DIY new look to ours (seriously - linoleum floors, orange oak cabinets and a blue laminate countertop - sooo ugly!). Great job!

    R

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  54. Anonymous5:01 AM

    Holly, your cabinets and your entire kitchen look wonderful. I love the cabinets just like they are. I would not change a thing.

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  55. Anonymous4:05 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  56. It looks beautiful!

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  57. Oh, it looks beautiful! I have so many "issues" with our house, and a lot of it centers around the gold handles on our cabinets, the yucky laminate countertop that shows every. single. mark and the flooring. I want to try a DIY of the kitchen b/c we're on a budget, but I'm scared too :)

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Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation! I sure hope you come back for more!