10/15/10

The 2004 Kitchen Remodel

We bought our townhouse in 1995 & immediately started  updating & remodeling as we could afford it.  We did mostly cosmetic things in the first few years until we started to see some rise in property values in our area.  We had been talking about remodeling the kitchen for quite some time & The Man kept drawing plans & trying to plan what would be the most cost effective and value-added things to do.  I really had started to resign myself to just living with this pretty disgusting (but not horrible) kitchen with its shabby chic cabinets (they were originally dark & we painted them a cream color), gold formica counter tops, & harvest gold appliances (do you remember that color?).  Oh, lest I forget, it also had the dropped ceiling with fluorescent lights.  Finally in 2004, The Man was ready to bite the bullet & get things rolling on a major remodel.  We had come up with a great plan which entailed reconfiguring the layout of the kitchen, so we really had to gut the entire space.  I only have 2 photos of what it was like when we first started the tear out process.  Sorry, these are digitals of existing snapshots, so not great quality.  And yes, I was still preparing meals in this chaos!


It took about 2+ months to get it all finished & there is not one thing that we would have changed.  Even now, almost 6 years later, I walk into this lovely room & can hardly believe its mine.  I will start the tour in the spot where the refrigerator is in the above top photo & kind of work around clockwise as much as possible.  My lovely pantry replaced the refrigerator & is what you will see first.  I love it so much, I'll even open the doors so you can see inside.  The shelves all roll out -- love that!







I just love this little vignette.

I kind of had to do a little arm-twisting to get The Man okay with the white cabinets, Corian counters (called Maui), stainless appliances, & oak flooring(light honey color).  But guess what, he absolutely loves it.  We decided on the Terra Cotta paint color because we have it in the living room & it's just so striking.  We plan to eventually do some kind of tile or tin backsplash.  Everything in good time, right?

I love the solid surface sink with one side extra large & deep.  The tree just outside the garden window is  a tangelo.


By reconfiguring the space, we were able to accommodate this very large refrigerator, finally have a pantry & increase the overall area of the kitchen by several feet.  The Man is so smart!


  We did seeded glass in these cupboards & this is where I have my collection of Fiestaware, which are our every day dishes.  The small drawers below do open & hold all kinds of little odds & ends.  Love the little T.V. which swivels, so it can be seen from anywhere in the kitchen.  We put tons of lights in this kitchen because the old kitchen had so few.  The Man put rope lights inside the glass-front cabinets, lights above the cabinets in my display area, lights under the upper cabinets, pot lights in all the major zones, the fan-light & the pendant.  There are switches for everything & you can create such wonderful ambiance.

This is looking from the dining room into the kitchen.

We actually added the island a few months after the kitchen was finished.  We wanted to make sure there was enough room & there was.  We found this one at Crate 'N Barrel & it looks like it was made for our kitchen.  I love the fact that I can move it around (added pads to the bun feet).  My fav is the angle it is sitting right now.  There is a large cabinet & drawers on the other side (forgot to take a pic).

This is a floor to ceiling cupboard right next to the glass front cabinets.  The bottom is where I store a large selection of cookbooks, & yes, I use them and love to cook.  The upper area is where we keep medicines, vitamins & things the small grandchildren shouldn't get into. 

This is looking from the kitchen into the dining room & the sunroom beyond.  That's why there is such a glare.



Thank you so much for allowing me to show you around my kitchen.  It's not grand by most standards, but it has been a labor of love.  I strive very hard to have all areas of our home be as warm & inviting as possible.  Our kitchen is no exception.  I love having friends and family sit at the bar or the table sipping a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, while I whip up something yummy to eat.  My pantry is usually ready for the unexpected, so stop for a visit some time.









9 comments:

  1. I really like your kitchen. It has so many of the things I would love to have in mine...window, pull-out pantry shelves, cupboards with with glass doors...I can just go on and on...

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  2. Hi Cas! What a wonderful kitchen you have!How wonderful to get a complete makeover and get just what you want! The Man did so good! I love every element of it - your pretty cabinets, your pantry,those tiny drawers under your glass front doors, your wall color and that perfect little movable island! I can tell your kitchen is loved as it is so charming and warm feeling.
    Thank you so much, Cas, for coming to my party!
    I really appreciate it.
    You are a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great job with the remo! LOVE the glass front cabinets with the little drawers.
    ♥´¨)
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Lori Lynn ♥

    PS: I'm having a giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Terrific kitchen! We also love the seeded glass, the fiestaware, the white cabinets and dark counters. We are looking to put a new top on our island that has a fold down leaf like yours!
    Nice job, and the planning sure paid off!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the seeded glass! Adds such charm! You did such an amazing job! I love a good before and after!

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  6. Your kitchen is beautiful. I love the terra cotta wall color. I would love to have a kitchen like yours! I found you through Debbiedoo's.

    Melanie
    You can check me out at youmadethat.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, I love your kitchen. I moved into mine in mid-August and I'm about to start a mini-makeover. I wish I could do white cabinets but mine are cherry and they're still in good shape so I'm going to leave them. I am going with Corian, like you. You guys did a great job! I found your blog from Debbie's Newbie link party and I'm your newest follower. I hope you'll visit me at Cottage and Creek and follow back.
    ~Lynn

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  8. this is stunning!! i love the color choices and i love the cabinets all of it is gorgeous. love is in the details and this kitchen is filled with love. i would never leave that space. ever.


    I am hopping around through the newbie hop to welcome everyone to blogging. I love making new bloggy friends and i especially love helping new blogger grow their following.

    Stop by my blog when you have a chance. There are so many FUN things happening over on Dandelion Wishes!!!
    We are .....
    *Taking Back Monday, one Etsy giveaway at a time. Come enter to win something awesome EVERY Monday!
    *Airing our dirty little secrets with Friday Confessional. Confess, link up, feel better...I promise!
    *Keeping it positive every weekend with My Happy List. What's on YOUR Happy List this week? Post and link up...it’s a party y'all!
    *And there are crowning’s happening for Queen for the Day...finally, the royal recognition you deserve.

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I truly love to hear from you and try to respond to each and everyone. If you have "no reply blogger," I will respond in my comments section and then visit your blog as soon as I can.

Make this a great day!
Carol

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