The Kitchen - After

The kitchen has been a total transformation from start to finish.

What I remember most about working on the kitchen initially was 'What have I done?'

Once I started taking the many layers of contact paper off the walls, part of me just wanted to get a hot glue gun and put it back.

Then, Spackle saved everything.

I don't think we will ever be done with the kitchen exactly.

Small changes, a little at a time.

Now, this is what the kitchen looks like.

Well, sort of, exactly at this moment the top of the table is cluttered with junk, there are dishes that need to be put up, a skillet with grease in it needs to be dumped and washed. But at just this moment I have my back to the kitchen, so the mess doesn't exist.

Did you see the hunky new refrigerator?

That was more of a necessary buy instead of a luxury purchase.

The weekend we were at the food show, our frig decided to give out.

But I'm secretly happy it did.

It has so much more room and came all nice and clean!

I really didn't want to put anything in it.

So, just a peek of how far the kitchen has come.

Contact paper removal.

Newly 'sticky tiled' counter top with painted cabinets and trim.

Re-painted cabinets and trim

Move in

New floor, new refrigerator, new shelves in the back corner (courtesy of Mr. Z)

We have some plans for the sink unit and the bare space above the stove.

Brown Trim

Last week we made the trip home for Thanksgiving and worked in some Little House renovation time.

My project Wednesday was to re-paint the trim and cabinets.  Before we began the extensive renovation process, this is a peak of what it looked like.

A little spackle (my favorite!) and paint...

It was a MAJOR improvement...but being a girl someone who would like things to be the best they can be, I wasn't satisfied with the color I had picked out.

So, that's what I needed to take care of last Wednesday.

I found black bread color from Kilz, but just had it mixed up with latex semi-gloss paint instead of Kilz primer.

It took longer than I thought it would, but it turned out great!

Just a tip, dark paint is much less forgiving...

We also added a piece of painted trim to the back of the countertop.

I found a strip under the cabinets that had gotten missed during our painting before...

Perhaps leaving it 'sun-burst' yellow wouldn't have been so bad...

The Kitchen Makeover

Here are some before and after shots of the kitchen.

This is after I had already started tearing down the 50 years worth of contact paper that covered the walls and was peeling. Unfortunately parts of the walls decided it really liked that contact paper and was not going to be separated. Ever. I am a little thankful this happened because if it had not, I may have never discovered my deep love for spackle. I think it is marvelous. There is a hole or ugly spot, fill it it, and smooth it. Amazing!

Luckily for me, there was a LOT that needed spackle.

It was rough, but soon I had a semi-smooth wall.

More to spackle!! Mawmaw put laminate floor tiles on the counter and for the back-splash. They have gotten old and stained, and 50 years of Louisiana weather has not helped their sticking ability. So off they came! (with more of the wall)

(The sink unit--we believe is vital to the structure of the house...as in, if we try to replace it, we think the house may collapse. So it will stay.)

I also discovered that standing on a step ladder, head half way in a cabinet, painting is not ideal for brain cells

But at least I'm smiling while I do it...or is that a bad thing. Delirium, psychosis, hysteria...

But at least my cabinets are looking good! Left: primed, Right: primed and painted

Taping:

Cabinets and countertop:

Sticky tiles over sticky tiles...

Windows:

Look at Mawmaw's beautiful roses...

Amazing what new mini-blinds can do...

So, from this...

To this.

And this...

To this.

Later I decided I didn't care for the color I picked for the cabinets and trim. I decided to re-do it a little darker.