The Kitchen.Is.Done.
Ok, here we go.
This is the original kitchen. The full extent of the countertop is what you see here, and a little farther on the right, just covering the dishwasher. That was it.
The oven was so small that you could not fit a full-size cookie sheet in it. The stove, as you can see, had a (mostly worthless) jenn-air grill on one side, and 2 crappy electric burners on the other side.
The cabinets were original. Painted, but still old. The drawers stuck, and the maddeningly, the sink was not centered under the window. It’s hardly the worst kitchen in the world, but we had completely remodeled the kitchen in our old house, so this was a step backward, and we lived with it for nearly 8 years.
Here is the stainless prep table we used for extra counter space and a breakfast bar for the kids. I got this last summer and it significantly improved the functionality of the kitchen. In fact, I loved it so much that I said I would not be willing to put in a new kitchen unless we included an island/breakfast bar area.
The refrigerator was sitting in front of the original exterior door, which was redundant, since somewhere along the way a sliding door had been installed in the dining room (just feet away, as you can see). This allowed us to put in a cabinet to use as a pantry.
As you can see, due to very limited storage space, we had stuff sort of packed in all over the place. This side of the kitchen was basically empty. A neighbor has this same setup, and they have a small table and chairs in this space, so I guess it was originally intended to be an eat-in kitchen.
I made a short video of the project from start to finish.
You can also visit the entire Flickr Photo Gallery with even more photos.
And here we are, all finished!
Oak Flooring, Ikea Abstrakt White Gloss Cabinets & Black Walnut Countertops
Let’s walk around the kitchen…
This is the Ikea Praktfull Pro A51 Gas Range
Backsplash is a stainless steel panel we ordered & had cut/bent to fit
Dishwasher is a Whirlpool we bought several months ago
Open shelving are Ikea Brackets w/Custom black walnut shelves
Light over sink was a vintage find from the Boomerang Room
We did not buy a new sink. I liked our old sink, and although undermount/single bowl sinks are all the rage these days, I just couldn’t justify a new sink since I always liked this one. It ended up looking really great.
Faucet is Kohler Simplice and I LOVE it.
Fridge is Whirlpool-made Ikea counter-depth fridge. Also, LOVE.
Lighting over bar is Murray Feiss Beso Mini Pendant
I am planning to get a Charley Harper print for the wall above the bar.
Pantry cabinet with pull-out drawers. LOVE.
Pull out trash & recycling? LOVE.
Also, this is a good shot of the gorgeous grain in the black walnut. We ended up treating them with polyurethane instead of mineral oil. I could not fathom cutting on this gorgeous wood, so we do use cutting boards and treat them like a tabletop. They are so beautiful that I don’t mind being a little extra careful with them.
I don’t know if I mentioned this in a previous post, but we were incredibly lucky to happen to start this project just as Ikea had it’s 20% off kitchens sale. Doing a little bit of the work ourselves helped, too, as well as the incredible price we got on the countertops. (Thanks, Joe!!) Our budget was quite tight for a total remodel (about 16K of equity) and incredibly, we went over by less than a thousand dollars.
This project was fun, stressful, and ultimately extremely rewarding. Not only do I get to live with this kitchen every day, I get the satisfaction of knowing that the I did 100% of the design and layout. I tweaked our plan SO many times and worked through every potential problem to come up with the perfect layout for us, and so far I do not have a single complaint.
Thanks so much to those of you who offered your encouragement and support through the project. It really took over my life for a couple of months, but I am so happy we finished when we did, because now I can get outside and enjoy this amazing weather!
Damn girl. That's a mighty fine kitchen you have, there.
So glad you finished your last 1%! It looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
Thanks, Lynn!
Oh my gosh!!!! I am so very happy for you Becky. You are so artistic so I have no doubt at all that the skcehtes you came up with for the new Thanksgiving set are all gorgeous. Will this set have your name on it? I have every intention of buying your set sight unseen. Congratulations. You are such an inspiration to me and to so many other women.Mary
FABULOUS!
Thank you, Jess. <3
it looks amazing! i'd love to hear how you like the walnut countertops over time!
Thanks, Jen! Will check out your blog, too. Toronto sounds awesome!
Awesome!!! Looks fantastic.
Thanks, Lady! Miss you!
Great tips, Vicki! I already telakd with my wife about this video, and she loves the idea of using a lazy susan, and she likes the bleachers too, so it’s easier to see what’s in the back layer of the cabinet!
I love, love, love it! It turned out great! The organizing in the pantry makes me want to sing! The countertops are grand, great handles for the cupboards, floor looks wonderful!! It is amazing when you do a kitchen how much it changes the whole look of the house! A+++ to a job well done! It makes me want to do mine!
Thanks, Shannon. Happy to be motivating! And happy to be DONE!
Absolutely beautiful!!! Enjoy.
Thank you!!
looks great! At first I saw the first BEFORE picture and I thought it was the AFTER picture and I thought…ohh that is different! =) hehe. The real AFTER picture is awesome. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and if I am in Ohio be prepared for me to steal your pantry with drawers!
Courtney
ha! yeah, the only thing i really did in the before pic was paint the walls orange but it just never felt quite right.
you can come visit my pantry anytime, but you may not have it!!
Patti-It's gorgeous! I'm so happy for you!!
Thanks, Missy! When will your house be done?
lol at your hot mess self! I have that huge whey protein pdweor jug too! looks much better girlie!!! above the bottom shelf where you have the juicer etc. it looks like you have enough room to add a shelf if you wanted just a thought. You know I am always looking for more space!
I love love love kitchen remodels! Beautiful!
Oh wow! Your kitchen is so awesome!
Amazing! I like this thousands of times!
We're going to put in some vinyl and are looking for someone to install. Do you think your flooring guy would do that? If so, could you give me his number?
Thanks Kirsten! I'll ask him and let you know!
WoW! What a transformation. Love the stove & the pantry!!WoW! What a transformation. Love the stove & the pantry!!
thanks, chris!!
Wow! Your kitchen looks awesome – want to design ours?!
actually, i've been thinking about venturing out toward designing for other people. Let me know if you are serious.
Looks great! I love the counter top and the detail you used with the breakfast bar by returning it to the floor. I have a similar idea for when we redo our kitchen.
Hi! Your kitchen is beautiful! I am in the planning stages of renovating my new kitchen and considering the Ikea Praktfull range you have. It looks like an awesome range. Can you tell me how you like it and if you've had any problems with it? Thanks!
Hi Erin! Sorry, I got slammed with a bunch of spam and your comment got buried in there. So far I am really happy with the Praktfull Range. It's gorgeous, with really simple functionality. I did have a problem with the door seal getting cut (by the door?) and having to be replaced, but the service guy came out quickly and it was an easy fix covered under warranty. I will say that my old stuff was SO OLD and practically felt like camping, so it wouldn't take a whole lot to make me happy. But I think that it's a really great value and looks fantastic in the kitchen. A tip: Ikea only has one 36" range hood, and it looked a bit too industrial for me. I ended up finding this one http://www.amazon.com/Line-Stainless-Mount-Range-… and have been really happy with it!
Thank you so much! It really helps to have a review from a real person. And thanks for the tip on the hood. That's a really good price too! I'm pretty sure we're going to go with the Praktfull. Again, your kitchen is awesome! I hope ours turns out as nice.
Hi Patti,
I am also doing a kitchen remodel and plan on using the Praktfull range, I was wondering how you made the stainless backsplash for behind the range? You said that you had it bent – is that to cover the gap at the back of the range to the wall? How far off the wall does your range sit? This is the one question that I have yet to figure out. Great looking kitchen, congrats on getting it finished.
Oops, I sort of abandoned this blog and didn't see your comment till just now. Yes, my contractor knew a sheet-metal worker and was able to have it made. it's just a straight sheet with about a 1" bend at the back to cover that gap between the stove and the wall. it's worked out perfectly! Also, I was told the steel was bulletproof, so I suppose that could be handy in certain situations.