Kitchen Makeover

The kitchen is done. Oh, that just tickles me to say.

Of course, we would like to someday replace the stove with a gas one, in matching black. And then there is the possibility of tearing out the south wall to add on, but for now? Done.

It's not that I didn't like have the ceiling fan sitting on the floor in the dining room for 2 or 3 months. I did. Really. No, really. It's just that it does look better in it's new location.

The room already had a ceiling fan, but since everything else changed to light maple wood and brushed nickel fixtures, I figured the dark oak/brass ceiling fan needed to go. It has, incidentally, found a new home in Caleb's room. Someday, I plan on painting the blades to go with his room (animal prints) and I already replaced the globes to be less frilly & girly. He's just glad to get some air moving up in his room. So anyway, here is the before...And the after...

The other thing I did in the last week was to sew and hang some curtains. One of the windows had mini-blinds already, which get the job done, but are so boring. The other window was completely bare. I love open windows, so in the winter, that was perfectly fine. But, with the summer sun blazing in, they needed a covering. I forgot to take a before picture, but...
After...I actually left the blinds on, just in case I felt the need to really block some sun. But, for the most part, I'm sure they'll be left all the way up.

And as long as I'm showing kitchen pictures, I'll take the opportunity to finally display the rest of the remodel. We started this in December, I think, shortly after Abby was born. The old kitchen wasn't bad. But, there were problems. Our refrigerator didn't fit in the old spot. We had wanted to remove the dishwasher. We really wanted an island, as the kitchen was large enough for it, and didn't have a lot of counter space as is. Also, there just wasn't that much cabinet space. Add to that the fact that the kitchen was all dark oak (which could possibly be my least favorite kind of wood), and we decided to go for a whole new thing.

Some before pictures...Again, not bad. Just not ideal and not my style.

So, our new kitchen is all a natural maple, very simple/clean lines. The fixtures are all now brushed nickel.
We also opted for cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling. You cannot imagine how much extra space this gives. I absolutely love it. In fact, I have 4 big drawers and a 36" cabinet all dedicated to school stuff. Before, I didn't even have room for all the kitchen stuff.

We added an island that has a small overhang at the end. We'll probably add a stool for a weary cook there someday, but for now, it's a spot to tuck in a stepstool. The island has electricity, which is so convenient. We mounted my Country Living Grain Mill on the end and that has been truly fantastic as well.
The countertops are all laminate. I would have loved to put some granite or marble in, at least on the island, but it was just too expensive to justify it. I do like the laminate coloring though. And surprisingly, it does not look cheap.

The walls were once covered in a paneling that was, in a word, ugly. I don't know how long it had been there, but I assume it was decades old. There is no way the previous owners put that in. I've met her and have seen her paint choices elsewhere in the house. She definitely didn't choose that. We replaced it with a paintable paneling that I painted a deep chocolate brown. I was a bit worried that it might be too dark, but with the light maple, it looks fantastic. You can see it in the picture of the cabinets above.

The floor was once covered in what you might call "gym tiles". Seriously. It looked like a gym. I found some tile that look like stone with a swirling of browns. It all blends together beautifully.
And lastly, the sink is now a champagne-colored granite. I love, love, love it. It has yet to show one tiny bit of wear. And you know how stainless steel only truly looks completely clean when it is dried out with a towel? Well, water spots simply do not show on the granite. It's a thing of beauty.

So, there you have it. The kitchen is done. And it almost makes me love to cook. Almost.