Kitchen Revision

Things have been a little nuts around here lately. In the never ending quest that is updating my late 70s home, we've recently entered the no man's land of kitchen remodeling. Of all the things I've wanted to change in this house, the kitchen has been the one to stare me in the face. 

From the original cabinets, complete with super shiny varnish,

to the faux butcher block counters, complete with burn marks,

to the dropped ceiling complete with the world's ugliest lights (one of which only worked when it felt like it, both of which let off a mind-numbing hum),

to the blue? grey? green? tile adding to the overall cave decor...  

Well, I was ready for a change. Thanks to my mom's love of a good house project, not to mention her willingness to supply funding for this crazy endeavor, we were ready to go.

And done. Let's go get a drink. 

Hmm, I'm not sure the cats approve of the new aesthetic. Thomas is such a perfectionist. 

Did I mention we do our own demo? By which I mean we arm my husband with a sledgehammer and tell him not to break anything he's not supposed to. 

I got into the act a little bit this time. Let's say, hypothetically of course, that you've been a teensy bit frustrated at work lately. A sledgehammer, some safety goggles, and some ceramic tile that's just begging to be busted up is a surprisingly healthy way to deal.

Just don't blame me for your sore arms and back the next day.

As with everything, though, Rob prefers a power tool. He took over the tile removal the next day with this:

As you can see around him, he enjoyed himself in a most productive way.

After that it was time to call in some professionals. Remember that giant mess we made?

We had an A/C guy replace that duct, a plumber reorganize some pipes, and an electrician rewire almost everything and add some outlets. Then a handyman came in to put up drywall as needed. This is how that process looked:

As you can see, we couldn't get rid of the drop ceiling entirely. We compromised with a 2 inch drop instead of the previous 2 foot drop. My mom has since closed off that opening and floated over it. 

Since we were replacing tile, we carried it out into the hall. 

This is the closet under our stairs that I'm planning to repurpose for larger pantry items.

Time for the first run of new tile. But wait, first I have to tell you about my brilliant idea and why people shouldn't listen to me. I was watching HGTV (this is how it starts) and I saw a kitchen remodel where they found linoleum under the ceramic tile they removed. Rather than rip up the linoleum, they adhered hardiback (concrete boards) to the floor and put new tile over that. Hmmmm, less scraping of linoleum pieces, leftover thinset, and remnant adhesive? Sign me up! The downfall to my plan has been that we, of course, have to cut the hardiback to fit each space. It took my mom and I an entire day to finish the hall. Stupid closets with your corners and small spaces! So here is what the tile looks like after you cover up my brilliant scheme.

I am so repainting the front door. The industrial grey is killing me. Actually, I want to repaint the walls in the hall and living room to coordinate with the new tile, but I'm told I have to finish this project before I plan the next. Do you see how I'm always being held back?

Onward, to the install of cabinets! Here are (dark, taken at night) pics of the first side to go up:

Oh, how I love that cherry color. Plans still to come include install of the granite countertops we ordered, picking and installing a backsplash, picking and installing handles on the cabinets, retexturing the ceiling, finishing the floor, installing the new light fixture, and generally putting things back where they belong. I'll post more pictures soon. In fact, the second half of my cabinets are being installed as we speak. 

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the wonders of eating out, microwave meals, and the convenience (maybe) of having my refrigerator set up in my dining room.