Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Metamorphosis of a Kitchen: From “Heartburn” to “Heart of the Home”

The kitchen renovation at the house in Hooterville is almost done.  (Day 1 can be seen here.  Days 2, 3, 4 & 5 can be seen in this post.)

On Day 6, my kitchen guy laid my wood laminate floor and finished up some little details and then his role in the project was complete.

Hubby and I are  still  working on the new  lighting,  backsplash and the painting. 

I wish everything was  finished and all prettified  but  nevertheless,  I’m going to join the “Heart of the Home” kitchen party Shelia @ Note Songs is hosting and reveal what has been accomplished.  I’ll also be linking up to the 92nd Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch, and Saturday Nite Special #57 (The White Edition) @ Funky Junk Interiors.

WARNING:  Picture laden post ahead.

If you are new to my blog,  this is the  “before” photo of the kitchen at the house in Hooterville.  Trust me, it looks a whole lot better in this picture than it actually did in person.

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My hubby really didn’t see anything particularly wrong with the old kitchen.   “Orange” and very rustic aren’t really my favorite color or style,  but my issues with the kitchen went far deeper than its appearance.  The layout was terribly inefficient and the cabinets were poorly constructed so let’s just say I might have stomped my foot and told Hubby I wasn’t cooking in this kitchen everyday for the rest of my life.  ::wink wink::  

End result:    the whole kitchen was gutted so the appliances could be relocated to make the efficient and pretty, light, bright kitchen I longed for.

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And here it is,  just one week after it was gutted.

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Remember, our new lighting is not in yet so please ignore the ugly homemade light fixture which is still hanging around from the old kitchen.  It really sticks out like a sore thumb now and unfortunately, it managed to find its way into most every  photo I tried to take of the new kitchen.   When that fixture comes down, I told my hubby I want to throw it on the burn pile and rejoice as it is reduced to nothing but ashes.  Burn baby, burn!

Allow me give you a little tour of each side of the kitchen.  I didn’t opt to have a lot of fancy features built in the new kitchen but I will point out a few special customizations I asked my cabinet guy to incorporate. 

The sink wall “before”…

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and the sink wall “after.”  

Not replacing the island really opened up the kitchen and made it feel so much more spacious.  I’ve always wanted a kitchen with an island but it just didn’t work in here.  I know I won’t miss walking circles around it every time I move from one side of the kitchen to another.

(See what I mean about the hanging light getting in the new photos?)

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Psssst…do you see that darn hanging light again?

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Here’s just one example of how poorly constructed the old kitchen was.  Unfinished plywood bottom in the pantry and ooops, I think somebody mis-measured because look at that gapping hole between the dishwasher and the pantry.  Or maybe that was suppose to be for cookie sheets?

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I think I’m going to love the  pretty new pantry with fully adjustable shelves and a place on the right to store my broom, mop, and electric broom.  There’s even an electrical plug in the cabinet for the electric broom charger.

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I was fighting the sun shining in  my naked window when I was trying to photograph the new Moen faucet with a pull down sprayer so this picture does not do this lovely faucet justice.   Since we have “righties” and “lefties” in our family, my cabinet guy suggested installing the handle toward the front, instead of to the side. 

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I do a lot of cutting, chopping and food prep right next to the sink so I had a black surface saver cutting board  with a black stainless steel frame mounted into the LG Hi-Macs solid surface countertop.  I have two of these surface savers in my kitchen at the house we are in the process of moving from  and LOVE them.   It’s a great convenience not having to pull out a cutting board every time I want to cut something but these surface savers also do double duty because you can set hot pots and pans on them too.

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Second wall…“Before”

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Second wall…“After”

The refrigerator will be relocated from its previous location on the sink wall to the  open space on the left side of the cabinets .  A trash compactor will slide into that open space on the right end of the lower cabinet.  I’ve had a trash compactor for 30 years and it’s a “absolutely must have”  convenience for me.  I think I’d give up my dishwasher before I’d give up my trash compactor.  :)

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Third wall…“Before”

Did you notice?  Whoever installed these upper cabinets didn’t even get them centered on the wall.

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Third wall…“After”

Built-in wall oven at eye level.  No more stooping to check on food and no more hot air rising up to blast me in the face every time I bend over to take something out of the oven.

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Below the built-in wall oven is a cabinet with 4 pull out drawers.

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4th side (open to family room)… “Before”

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4th side…”After”

A smooth surface cook top was inserted into the countertop and a raised half wall was built on the back side of this bank of cabinets to help keep any cooking spills or splatters in the kitchen.

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Under the cook top, there are three pull-out drawers of varying depths for pots, pans and lids.

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To the right of the cook top is a corner carousel to maximize storage in what would be an otherwise dead space.

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The photo below is the view standing in the doorway to the breakfast room, looking back through the kitchen.  I mentioned in my last post that once the cabinets were installed, I didn’t like the way that far  wall between the kitchen and family room stuck out into the pathway.  I don’t know why I didn’t notice the wall before with the old cabinets.

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A little hacking, sawing, relocating the light switch to the family room side of the wall, a little dry wall and…

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Voila!   Cutting the wall back 8 inches ended up being much better!  In a perfect world, I would have liked the wall cut back even a few inches more  but that would have opened up a can of worms with potential structural issues.

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So there you have it…my almost done kitchen remodel.  I think I’m really going to enjoy cooking in here for many years to come. 

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Okay, so now I want to give a shameless plug for my AWESOME cabinet guy, Rodney Ford of Ford Refacing.  If any of my readers in the Tampa Bay area of Florida are contemplating kitchen or bathroom cabinet refacing, new cabinets, countertops etc., I HIGHLY recommend Rodney (813-659-0124).

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He’s fast.  He won’t leave your kitchen  in an unusable state for weeks.    He demo’d the old kitchen on a Friday and the following Friday, I was putting food, dishes, etc., back in the new kitchen cabinets.    It went quickly because he  had already built all of the cabinets,  countertops, and the frame for the half wall in his shop  before he came to tear out my old kitchen.  He (and one helper) worked steady from 8:00 a.m until after 5:00 p.m. every day with only a 10 or 15 minute lunch break.

He’s meticulous.  Super meticulous.  I saw absolutely no evidence of shoddy work or shortcuts anywhere.

His prices are extremely reasonable.  More like dirt cheap.  From Rodney I  got custom made cabinets with extra features like the pull-out shelves under the oven  and the corner carousel,  crown moldings, solid surface countertops, an extra deep stainless steel sink, the half-wall, and he installed the wood laminate floor, all for $8,000 less than another company was going to charge  just for cabinets and countertops alone!   

You will be seeing more of Rodney’s work on my blog in the coming weeks because he’ll be building cabinets for two of the bathrooms at the house in Hooterville.

52 comments:

The Charm of Home said...

Beautiful makeover. Love how light and airy it is now.
Sherry

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

Oh Girl I'm doing my Happy Dance for you...How beautiful this whole kitchen turned out...I know your beyond thrilled with it...Now it don't look like hooterville any more ha ha!! Just love it girl and so happy for you...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

KimMalk said...

I enjoyed all of the before and after steps in your kitchen. When I saw your handyman taking out some of that wall, I thought how valuable a good handyman is. Imagine my surprise when you said you are in the Tampa Bay area. I am too! One of these days when we actually have some extra $, we want to redo our kitchen. It looks good, but the quality is just not there. I'm so happy for you that you got a beautiful new kitchen. Blessings to you.

Allison Shops said...

What a nice change! You're going to love using your new kitchen. It's much brighter and cheerful.

Lira is beautiful! Off to explore her more. I hope you'll drop by Atticmag and see our kitchens - it's a three for one!

Allison
Atticmag

Unknown said...

Oh, Shari ~ I am picking my jaw off the floor ... just beautiful. Don't you just love tearing things apart & redoing them!

Have a beautiful eve ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

Olive said...

It is a beautiful kitchen. I love the white with small touches of black. The price is extremely good! I know you will enjoy it immensely. hugs♥olive

deb said...

It's really looking gorgeous!

SmilingSally said...

Hi Shari,

I love your kitchen; what a transformation! Thanks for sharing.

Check out my book giveaways.

Debbiedoos said...

WOW what a great transformation. It is amazing to see the difference in white. Looks great!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

My, the black & white of your reno is striking. You must love working in your kitchen now.
I'm glad we're not the only ones that found things not square, level or built right.
So far all the kitchens I've seen are huge, but sooo nice.
Judith

Unknown said...

Beautiful makeover, love the black and white. You will love the pull out drawers, I have them, they are the best! Your kitchen looks so bight and cheerful now. Thanks for sharing.
Sandy

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Love your remodel. The kitchen is wonderful. So bright and cheery and you have a ton of wonderful storage. Very pretty. Hugs, Marty

Carolyn said...

Beautiful! I love the transformation!!

Hugs, Carolyn ~ Cottage Sunshine

Lori Lynn said...

Amazing what a coat of white paint can do!
*´¨)
¸.*´¸.**´¨) ¸.**´¨)
(¸.*´ (¸.*´* LORI LYNN *

Anonymous said...

OH, Shari! Your remodel looks fabulous!! Your kitchen turned out so beautifully! Now, I thought your make shift light was a cool pot rack! Maybe that's a thought! :)
Your cabinets and countertops look so pretty! You have a wonderful eye and your special touches really makes your kitchen you! Thank you so much, Shari, for coming to my party!
You are a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

bj said...

O, you are getting an absolute stunning new kitchen. Just beautiful.

Unknown said...

Now that is an amazing transformation! I love it! You did a great job documenting all the work that was done. Your new kitchen is really beautiful!!

~Liz

Susie @ Step inside my home said...

What a great job you did on your kitchen. It looks so clean and fresh! ~Susie

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

What a fabulous makeover! You've taken your kitchen to a whole new level and it's beautiful!

Cindy said...

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! It's a dream kitchen, I love the pop of black knobs and pulls against the white doors. I look forward to seeing more!
Hugs, Cindy

Unknown said...

Oh!! So wonderful transformation! Love it in white!

Hugs
Charo

Natasha in Oz said...

Wow! This is going to be some kitchen! I loved seeing all the before and after pictures that chart your progress. This has really been an amazing transformation!

I hope you enjoy it for many years to come!

Best wishes,
Natasha.

The Inspired Nest said...

Your remodel is beautiful! I especially love that pantry, but did you really have to brag and rub it in that you have an outlet in there for your vaccum? Really? You must be in heaven! I am embarassed that an electrical outlet has made me completely envious of you! Again, it is beautiful!
Lacy

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Shari,

No matter why or how this design came about; you got a fabulous kitchen now!!! Very practical and so light with all white cabinets and the beams off the ceiling. That thorn in your eye, the lamp will eventually be gone as well.
I'd love to ask you where your guy got the front panels from? Is there any brand or name to it? Love to get that info from you!

Congratulations and now the joy of cooking after all the cleaning and fine-tuning has been done.

Sunny greetings from Georgia,

MariettesBacktoBasics

pam said...

It is all beautiful!
Isn't it amazing how that 8 inches really opens up that space.
What is the first thing you are going to cook?
pam

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

What a change. Beautiful!!

Adrienne said...

I'm loving what I see! Your new kitchen is absolutely fantastic!! Can't wait to see it all finished - and you moved in. Thanks for sharing it all with us.
~Adrienne~

artis1111 said...

Great kitchen. I love seeing the before and afters. Kathy

Christie said...

Coming over from Note Song! I love 'Heartburn to Heart of Home!' So funny! The transformation is amazing and the space incredible! Three Pixie Lane

Elizabeth and Gary said...

The kitchen is turning out beautifully! I love your white cabinets and how open everything is. Looks great!
Have a sweet day, hugs~Elizabeth

Nanette said...

Very nice. Love the new cabinets and the layout seems a lot easier to deal with. Nice and bright!
Valerie

Anonymous said...

Wonderful makeover. You did such a lovely job.

Pink Roses and Teacups said...

Just beautiful Shari! Love it!!

Patti said...

Hi, I think this is my first visit to your blog. I'm visiting from the Heart of the Home party, and I love what I've found here, so I am your newest follower.

I LOVE your new kitchen!!! I LOVE white cabinets!! And I absolutely love that counter saver surface. I have never had one of those, but I can definitely see the HUGE bonus that they are.

Have a lovely day,
Patti (Fill My Cup with Beauty)

All That Glitters said...

wow! beautiful kitchen!

Marilyn said...

Absolutely wonderful!! ♥♫

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Your new kitchen is going to be wonderful. I love white kitchens and you seem to have added all the little extras, like the outlet in the cupboard! Linda

Cynthia's Cottage Design said...

HI Shari,

How wonderful your kitchen is looking!! Oh you are so going to love cooking in there, it really looks incredible! The transformation into white has opened up the whole space and what a great backdrop that will be for all your pretty things too!

I'm so excited for you, it's so much fun making a space your own!

Beautiful Kitchen!!

Thanks for stopping in and leaving me such sweet comments too! Big Hugs, Cynthia xo

Bring Pretty Back said...

LOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE it!!!!
Shari, your kitchen is so beautifl! I would love a cutting boeard like you have built right in. great idea.
Have a pretty day!
Kristin

Jeanne said...

Oh, I love your new kitchen It doesn't need to be completely finished to see the improvement is stunning. Great choice in cabinets. Your kitchen is so much lighter and efficient to say the least. When it is all decorated you will have to post it again.
BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN AND LUCKY YOU.
Hugs, Jeanne

Kim said...

Am totally in love with your kitchen! I even sent the link to this post to my hubby :) We hope to build in the next year or two and I'm collecting ideas. Won't be able to do everything I want because we live overseas so some things just aren't available but we'll be able to do things here we couldn't do there (granite countertops are common and CHEAP). So it all balances out :)

Unknown said...

I love your kitchen. Which is really additive and magnetic. White Kitchen cabinets is mine one of the favorite color. Even I have also renovated my kitchen with this cabinets. Good to share your luxurious kitchen.

Anonymous said...

Looks terrific! I think both you and I were going for the same look!
Now we can enjoy!

Margie said...

Oh, dear, you have the kitchen of my DREAMS! How lovely! I laughed at the title of this post! My poor kitchen is definitely in the "Heartburn" stages! But I'm afraid a little painting will have to do for me for a while, although that alone will be a VAST improvement!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

What an amazing transformation. You kitchen is a dream. Love the white and the molding looks fantastic. I bet you are thrilled! Really beautiful! Hope you have a wonderful week - Visiting from BNOTP. ~ Stephanie Lynn

gena said...

Love all the details - just a perfect blend of beauty and function !

thanks for sharing,
gena
www.thehouseonlavenderhill.blogspot.com

Donna said...

What a difference. You did such a great job with all you picked out.
Love the new pantry and all the neat extras. (jealous here :)

D

hilary@oldhousetruelove said...

fantastic transformation! so fresh and clean! ;)

Lindy said...

You should be so proud of your kitchen. It's awesome! Every corner of it!

One Shabby Old House said...

Shari, Your kitchen is just wonderful. It will be fun to dress it up and cook.

Late Bloomers said...

What I want to know is, what is the floor?
I really love my vinyl 'wood' floor in the kitchen and that is what I want to put in our bonus space. Hubby disagrees. Maybe what you used could be a happy medium?

By the way I am an avid furniture painter, and dog owner, and I also have a horse I adore after whom my blog is named:
Solongfarm.blogspot.com

Come visit!

Cheryl said...

Awesome redo!

Cheryl

http://ldsmomtomany.blogspot.com/search/label/Kitchen%20Remodel