Tales from a Kitchen, the BIG reveal
By: Kristen Shelton
This is it! The post you've all been waiting for: the final reveal of the kitchen, well, almost. I thought we could do a big push over Labor Day and finish the last 5 percent of work (hanging curtains, picking out a cafe table, etc...), but I think we're over making decisions right now, plus I bought the wrong size curtain rod (I hate when that happens). So get ready, this is a pretty long post. (Big drumroll...)
What do you think? A big improvement, right? Check out the before pictures
HERE. I love all of the countertop space. Seriously, I had three cooking projects going yesterday and I never ran out of room.
I think this may be my new favorite area, mostly because it contains my four favorite additions.
(1) Sam's dad built and installed the plate rack because we had to move some shelves around. It came out better than I imagined and adds such a fun layer to the kitchen. Also, it fulfills some of my desire for open shelving which wasn't exactly practical for a house full of boys and mismatched dishes. The upper shelf still needs a little work (it's missing something; i've yet to figure it out), but I love this space.
(2) This weekend, we bought the rod from Ikea and started playing around with what to hang on it. We still need to make another trip, but I'm pleased with the beginning.
(3) I also really like the backsplash. Thanks to my friend Mamie we just used beadboard as our backsplash. And Sam's mom had the genius idea of mixing some of our white paint into the green to make a lighter color. If I can say so, it really looks great. Plus, it's high gloss so if anything splashes it will just take a simple wipe down.
(4) And finally: the cabinet lighting! It's never super dark in the kitchen, but the lights make chopping and mixing much more fun. Ok, moving on to the other side...
Isn't it crazy how the light changes? I should know this (!), but I waited until the last minute to take pictures. It's still missing a layer over here. I have these great white letters that spell "eat & enjoy" and I need to hang a few more art pieces. I want to get some small ferns and put in the white pots also. The faucet is such a plus. Please tell me that you love it as much as I do. All of a sudden washing dishes is fun!
This may be better light. I love how warm the kitchen feels in the late afternoon. The countertops and counter lights give a soft glow that makes you want to cook. We added a basic ceiling fan because the kitchen does get hot--especially with the grill and oven on. And the paneled ceiling is such an improvement! Last night my sister came over and mentioned how big the refrigerator is, and I finally realized exactly how much better it is. Right now it is basically holding: three containers of OJ, three gallons of milk (out of date, i think), coke, lemonade, 65 bottles of sauce / marinade, lettuce, cilantro, eggs, and a bunch of other stuff. And that's not even the freezer side. The doors look pretty naked right now, but we are going to hang curtains (remember, too long of a rod?), and I'm really happy about them.
Ok, so here's the last (unfinished) side. Between the refrigerator and the doors, there is some space and I really want to make it a breakfast nook / small table area. I looked at Ikea (the king of small space savers), and I didn't find anything that I fell in love with. But I'm going to look around our local stores and flea markets because I think something older would look better. Maybe even something metal. What do you think? Have a great resource for small spaces? I'd LOVE the help.
Final take away lesson: Projects will always cost more and last longer than you budgeted for. Unless you're a pro. And we're not.
So that's it. The kitchen is finished. Well, almost. It took a lot of work and a lot of help from family and friends, but I think we're well on our way to becoming established DIY-ers. Stay tuned for our next project--the bathrooms. Estimated date: 2010 (or earlier...if I ever get over the kitchen fatigue).
