Friday, December 16, 2016
Sunday, March 2, 2014
OMG ... The Kitchen, Part 5 (billion)
There will only be one more kitchen post ever. And it'll be really short because all we need now is a new stove ... because ... (drumroll) ...
it's finished!!!
We finally got new countertops, sink, and faucet! We've been looking for a while, but not really looking. So, after Christmas, we went out one Saturday to get quotes. First up, Stone Center ... and well, they had the right color granite on special until the end of January. So, we hopped on it. But we had some unexpected projects pop up during the remodel (big, BIG, surprise, right?!?!).
First, we had to have a general contractor out to shim our cabinets. Being that the house is old, and the previous counters were laminate, we were pretty sure the cabinets were NOT level, which they need to be to install granite. And, just as we suspected, the cabinets were not level, so the guy came out and leveled them ... leaving us with jacked up cabinets, sitting up to 1/4" higher than our floor with little shims stuck underneath. It did not look good. So, we added molding to the baseboards (cutting, sanding, caulking, painting). Unexpected, but in the end they looked good.
Second, we had to live without counters, sink, water for about 3 weeks. The contractor demoed everything to shim the cabinets, but the granite takes a couple weeks to prep. It was not fun. Lots of wasted paper plates, no dishwasher, hard to cook. I did a lot of crockpotting with crockpot liners for two weeks. And, our refrigerator had some not so appetizing food by the time I was able to clean it out and wash the tupperware! (I could not imagine what this would have been like if you had a family with kids ... probably a lot of pizza!) I did create a make-shift counter with a large board to set the microwave on, which helped a bit. Beforehand I made some large batches of soup to freeze and eat, which turned out to be a great help as well.
Third, the counters were installed. They looked great. New sink, new faucet.
Fourth, the contractor came back the following day to replace all of the plumbing. We had running water and a working dishwasher again!! I think that people don't realize how much they use the kitchen sink until they don't have one ... I know I didn't. I mean, just to rinse your hands, glass of water, pour something down the drain, make ice cubes (I know this is not MOST people, but we still make ice!).
BUT ... we didn't have a granite backsplash installed on the counters, so I had a lot of work to do on the backend. It has taken me 2 weekends to complete ... but it's finished now. I re-wallpapered the walls using the same beadboard paintable wallpaper that we had in there before the new counters (but without the backsplash, it had to be removed and re-done). Also, then we had to add a molding piece to seal the counters to the wall. We did think about a tile backsplash ... but our walls are so jacked up it would have taken SO SO SO much work to level them out to get the tiles to lay right. Plus, with the beadboard & granite, one more texture would have been a lot!
Then, I added a molding backsplash behind the counters. We ended up with a 4 1/4" decorative board to paint white and blend in. It looks great, but took some work. Installing it was pretty easy ... but painting, caulking, sealing the counters, patching, sanding, and re-painting is some work ... especially leaning way over the counters when your waist is below counter level (I'm short). So, basically everything got a fresh coat of caulk and paint (walls, baseboards, door moldings, backsplash). And, all the work paid off because everything looks great.
Finally, I switched out all of the light switches and outlets. Previously, they were mostly almond color, and though we had switched out most of the covers, the switches were still blatantly, in-your-face light brown and just looked unfinished. It's amazing how something as little as clean, white switches and outlets can transform a space.
And, now, here is the finished project (and some before/during pics for comparison!).
It's already SO much better to cook in.
Actually it is really just all together better to be in and walk through.
It's better.
DURING ...
AND FINISHED ...
it's finished!!!
We finally got new countertops, sink, and faucet! We've been looking for a while, but not really looking. So, after Christmas, we went out one Saturday to get quotes. First up, Stone Center ... and well, they had the right color granite on special until the end of January. So, we hopped on it. But we had some unexpected projects pop up during the remodel (big, BIG, surprise, right?!?!).
First, we had to have a general contractor out to shim our cabinets. Being that the house is old, and the previous counters were laminate, we were pretty sure the cabinets were NOT level, which they need to be to install granite. And, just as we suspected, the cabinets were not level, so the guy came out and leveled them ... leaving us with jacked up cabinets, sitting up to 1/4" higher than our floor with little shims stuck underneath. It did not look good. So, we added molding to the baseboards (cutting, sanding, caulking, painting). Unexpected, but in the end they looked good.
Second, we had to live without counters, sink, water for about 3 weeks. The contractor demoed everything to shim the cabinets, but the granite takes a couple weeks to prep. It was not fun. Lots of wasted paper plates, no dishwasher, hard to cook. I did a lot of crockpotting with crockpot liners for two weeks. And, our refrigerator had some not so appetizing food by the time I was able to clean it out and wash the tupperware! (I could not imagine what this would have been like if you had a family with kids ... probably a lot of pizza!) I did create a make-shift counter with a large board to set the microwave on, which helped a bit. Beforehand I made some large batches of soup to freeze and eat, which turned out to be a great help as well.
Third, the counters were installed. They looked great. New sink, new faucet.
Fourth, the contractor came back the following day to replace all of the plumbing. We had running water and a working dishwasher again!! I think that people don't realize how much they use the kitchen sink until they don't have one ... I know I didn't. I mean, just to rinse your hands, glass of water, pour something down the drain, make ice cubes (I know this is not MOST people, but we still make ice!).
BUT ... we didn't have a granite backsplash installed on the counters, so I had a lot of work to do on the backend. It has taken me 2 weekends to complete ... but it's finished now. I re-wallpapered the walls using the same beadboard paintable wallpaper that we had in there before the new counters (but without the backsplash, it had to be removed and re-done). Also, then we had to add a molding piece to seal the counters to the wall. We did think about a tile backsplash ... but our walls are so jacked up it would have taken SO SO SO much work to level them out to get the tiles to lay right. Plus, with the beadboard & granite, one more texture would have been a lot!
Then, I added a molding backsplash behind the counters. We ended up with a 4 1/4" decorative board to paint white and blend in. It looks great, but took some work. Installing it was pretty easy ... but painting, caulking, sealing the counters, patching, sanding, and re-painting is some work ... especially leaning way over the counters when your waist is below counter level (I'm short). So, basically everything got a fresh coat of caulk and paint (walls, baseboards, door moldings, backsplash). And, all the work paid off because everything looks great.
Finally, I switched out all of the light switches and outlets. Previously, they were mostly almond color, and though we had switched out most of the covers, the switches were still blatantly, in-your-face light brown and just looked unfinished. It's amazing how something as little as clean, white switches and outlets can transform a space.
And, now, here is the finished project (and some before/during pics for comparison!).
It's already SO much better to cook in.
Actually it is really just all together better to be in and walk through.
It's better.
DURING ...
 |
| my make-shift counter |
 |
| He was able to leave the counters near the stove, so we had coffee & crockpots! |
 |
| Wallpapered ... not painted |
 |
| Here you can see the installed wallpaper ... top & right side have been painted. It's a great invention! And, I can say the old stuff came off very easily too. |
AND FINISHED ...
And, for fun & reference ... when we first moved in till now ...
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Outside work is way better in October!
So ... we've been getting projects done around here again. And, since it has been a long weekend and I'm tired, I'll just show you.
Stuff you get to see:
The porch is painted.
3 weekends.
1st weekend: stripped, sanded, primed (x2) the porch; did some concrete touch-up work
2nd weekend: painted porch (x2), painted front lattice around porch
3rd weekend: painted lattice in front of house, and repainted lattice around porch; 2nd concrete touch-up work.
Still to do:
Also, the back hallway doors are now black. It's a high-gloss gel paint, and I thought I'd love it ... but I'm only so-so on it. But, it's growing on me, and I've got too many other projects to do. This one is already checked off the list, so it's just going to stay checked off the list.
We also updated all of the under-cabinet lights in the kitchen, thus making use of a wall switch that has been dead since we moved in. And, these lights look good, but mostly I just like that the switch is finally doing something!
And, as a final treat ... we went back to Natural Bridge State Park in KY this weekend. We were hoping the leaves would have changed a bit more, but the weather has been wacky, and there are a lot of evergreens; so not as vibrant of colors as we hoped, but still a great day trip!
Stuff you get to see:
- Outdoor porch/lattice painted.
- New shutters hung.
- Back doors painted.
- Kitchen lights updated.
The porch is painted.
3 weekends.
1st weekend: stripped, sanded, primed (x2) the porch; did some concrete touch-up work
2nd weekend: painted porch (x2), painted front lattice around porch
3rd weekend: painted lattice in front of house, and repainted lattice around porch; 2nd concrete touch-up work.
Still to do:
- Paint the door
- Paint the pillars
- Paint side of stairs (because the paint on the concrete/bricks you see in the pictures was not painted by me!)
- Finish concrete touch-up
- Paint the lattice on either side of the porch (pieces to keep people from falling off the porch)
- New furniture, house numbers, etc.
Also, the back hallway doors are now black. It's a high-gloss gel paint, and I thought I'd love it ... but I'm only so-so on it. But, it's growing on me, and I've got too many other projects to do. This one is already checked off the list, so it's just going to stay checked off the list.
We also updated all of the under-cabinet lights in the kitchen, thus making use of a wall switch that has been dead since we moved in. And, these lights look good, but mostly I just like that the switch is finally doing something!
And, as a final treat ... we went back to Natural Bridge State Park in KY this weekend. We were hoping the leaves would have changed a bit more, but the weather has been wacky, and there are a lot of evergreens; so not as vibrant of colors as we hoped, but still a great day trip!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Hi there.
Long time, no see.
We haven't been up to much house-wise, so I haven't been on here much. But, we did have a great spring for plants; and we did get a little ahead of the outdoor work already this year, so we thought we'd share some pictures.
The winter was so mild, that I ended up planting tulips in January! And, I wasn't sure if they would die, or grow, or what would happen, but they all bloomed and looked amazing!
(Also, on a side note, we have bird 'friends' again, so my hanging baskets look like crap. I will not be hanging any flower baskets again after these birds leave. period.)
We planted grass on the back yard hill side of our yard. It has grown in pretty nicely for the first year.
Then, we added a vegetable garden to the patch next to the driveway. We thought we'd just plant some bushes, but it was just such a primo spot for vegetables - almost all full sun throughout the day, and we were able to craft a pretty genius watering system. And while the weeds are out of control and hard to keep up with (since we've had about the best season ever for everything outdoors to grow!), we are starting to get some pretty impressive vegetables. And they taste great!
And finally, on a non-house note ... we had a trip to see Mumford & Sons in concert cancelled, so we went and bought bikes. (I mean, we've been thinking about this for a while, but the financial timing of the cancelled trip just was too perfect to pass up on this purchase!) They are great bikes, and we've been riding them all over the neighborhood! We even went to get gourmet Sweet P's popsicles today, which were a great treat in this 90+ degree weather!
We haven't been up to much house-wise, so I haven't been on here much. But, we did have a great spring for plants; and we did get a little ahead of the outdoor work already this year, so we thought we'd share some pictures.
The winter was so mild, that I ended up planting tulips in January! And, I wasn't sure if they would die, or grow, or what would happen, but they all bloomed and looked amazing!
(Also, on a side note, we have bird 'friends' again, so my hanging baskets look like crap. I will not be hanging any flower baskets again after these birds leave. period.)
We planted grass on the back yard hill side of our yard. It has grown in pretty nicely for the first year.
Then, we added a vegetable garden to the patch next to the driveway. We thought we'd just plant some bushes, but it was just such a primo spot for vegetables - almost all full sun throughout the day, and we were able to craft a pretty genius watering system. And while the weeds are out of control and hard to keep up with (since we've had about the best season ever for everything outdoors to grow!), we are starting to get some pretty impressive vegetables. And they taste great!
And finally, on a non-house note ... we had a trip to see Mumford & Sons in concert cancelled, so we went and bought bikes. (I mean, we've been thinking about this for a while, but the financial timing of the cancelled trip just was too perfect to pass up on this purchase!) They are great bikes, and we've been riding them all over the neighborhood! We even went to get gourmet Sweet P's popsicles today, which were a great treat in this 90+ degree weather!
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