Kitchen Makeover #2

Transform My Home


My kitchen makeover the second time around had a little, well maybe a lot more thought put into it. (Be sure to check out Kitchen Makover #1 first).  It also helps to have a few more dollars on hand when tackling a kitchen remodel. I spruced up the kitchen when we did our addition in 2007 which I will post on in the future. One major item or items is the appliances, gone is the gold 24 inch wall oven and all the white finishes on the fridge and dishwasher. We are now up to date with all new Jenn-Air stainless steel appliances including a french door fridge, dishwasher, cooktop and 30 inch wall oven/microwave. I tore out the old 24 inch cabinet and built a new one to house the larger oven which is conventional and convection, as is the microwave. Essentially we have double ovens as the microwave can be used as a convection bake oven. I purchased these at S.K. Lavery in West Hartford, I know what you are thinking, $$$$$. Not so, they were actually cheaper there than at Lowe's with free delivery and removal of the old ones. The service has been great as I have had a couple minor problems but I am overall very pleased with the Jenn-Air products. Below is a link to the store.

S.K.Lavery Appliance

This is a shot of the cooktop with four burners and a fifth warming burner. You can also see the wood beadboard backsplash is gone and replaced by a 3X6 subway tiles. It is a nuetral color and has a tumbled appearance with some color variations. I purchased this from Cortina Tile in Plainville. They have a large selection of all kinds of tile and the two women who run the place are super friendly and helpful.


Here you can get a better look at the backsplash and also the new countertop. Gone is the old ceramic tile and wood edge in favor of this high end laminate. I know it is not granite but it looks like it at a fraction of the cost. I did some research and there is info coming out on the hazards of granite with the off gassing causing some health concerns, plus I didn't have the money. One of my best friends who I grew up with fabricates and installs custom laminate counter tops in Simsbury so we did a little barter deal thus the price was right. If you are ever thinking of replacing your countertops check him out, the link is below. He is a super nice guy and has an awesome factory and showroom in an old mill building.

This is close up shot of the countertop which picks up nicely the other colors in the kitchen. It really does look a lot like granite but it is considered a high end laminate so it costs a bit more than your standard color choices. We are totally happy with the appearance and the durability so far.

Scott's Custom Countertops

Replacing countertops is one of the fastest and cheapest things you can do in your kitchen to make a dramatic improvement.

At the same time I replaced the old white enamel cast iron sink with a new stone sink. It is actually a composite material made up of 80% stone. They come in all different shapes and sizes as well as colors, I went with the cafe brown. What I found appealing is they resist scratching and chipping, they are heat resistant and don't stain. After four years it still looks new!! I also replaced the faucet with a new Price-Pfister model from Lowe's. I can't say enough about the faucet and the company as it came with a lifetime warranty. I had a couple issues and needed some parts so I called them up, no questions asked the parts were on the way.

Blanco Sinks

Kitchen Faucets

I also took the opportunity to change the cabinet hardware which I bought from Lowe's as a stock item. All the door and cabinet hardware in the house are now black. I also replaced the ceiling fixture with a hanging pendant over the island and over the table, you guessed it, black. These look cool at night with a clear glass bulb as the metal is punched tin so the light pokes through the holes. These were purchased from Irvine's Tinware. I have a link on the right side of the blog in my favorite websites.

I also removed the ceramic tile from the island and replaced it with a two inch thick wood top which I made in my workshop. It is actually three pieces joined and biscuited together with several coats of a waterproof sealer. At the time of this makeover the color scheme went from blue to black which is in keeping with the rest of the house which you will see in future posts.

Enjoy some completed photos which I hope will inspire and give you ideas for your projects. If you have any questions about any products feel free to ask in the comment section.

FRECH DOOR ADDED

PANTRY STORAGE

PANTRY WORK STATION



KITCHEN BEFORE MAKEOVER #2(same island just new top and paint)



KITCHEN BEFORE MAKEOVER #1(same cabinets just painted white and added decorative routed bead)

Kitchen Makeover #1

Transform My Home

I am going to be focusing on a kitchen project which I tackled at my house early on, about 1998 or so. The biggest challenge was having the funds to do it right, unfortunately I had to cut a few corners to save money. Down the road in 2007 I was able to fix the corners that were cut which I will detail in the next post. I will call this kitchen makeover part 1.

The kitchen was remodeled in 1968 by my parents so we are dealing with thirty year old materials. I would say the trend was dark wood and gold appliances at the time. You can see the dark wood cabinets, the gold oven, although the fridge had been replaced at some point. In the photo I had already ripped down the dark wood tiles that were glued to the plaster ceiling and put up new sheetrock.

Along with dark wood tiles on the ceiling there was also the same dark wood on the walls in the form of panelling, again the trend of the times. This was all ripped out and the plaster walls covered with sheetrock. While all the walls were open this was the perfect time to run new electrical wires for the space. During the demo I uncovered the chimney which had an opening capped that once housed a small wood burning stove in the kitchen.

You can see here a few of the shortcuts I had to take. The first one was the cabinets, although I would have preferred to replace them there was really nothing wrong with them and they were of a good quality. The old ones were dark wood and had smooth solid doors. I took my router and carved a bead in all the doors to add a bit of detail and then painted them white. The bead detail was easy, the painting not so much. First you need to thoroughly clean every surface then lightly sand and wipe clean. You must use an OIL BASE PRIMER to cover the dark wood and two coats of your finish color. I used a hi-gloss white for ease of cleaning. I must say they came out looking pretty good. The other corner you can see is I painted the oven door white with an enamel appliance paint. It was a lot cheaper than a new oven which worked fine at the time. You can also see the porcelain tile going down in this picture as well. For the backsplash I used a beadboard sealed with a penetrating sealer, corner cut number three.
Along with the dark wood ceiling, cabinets and walls, all the doors were hollow and you guessed it dark wood. I replaced these with solid wood six panel pine doors and new hardware.

The finished project photos are below. Once again this was the first makeover at a time when my wife and I didn't have much of an idea as to what our taste would be. Since this time we have gone country, really country, primitive country you would say. The changes you will see in the next post reflect that taste. The book listed at the top of the post is one that I have and recommend. It gives the basic information you need to get started with a kitchen makeover project.

Deck Construction

Transform My Home

 

Moving on to the back yard my deck was the next big project. As you can see the yard was quite barren except for the large maple tree which I decided to build the deck around. One reason that there is no grass under the tree now is that the maple tree is a Norway maple which is considered an invasive species. The tree is so densely packed with leaves that no sun at all can penetrate which in turn kills anything growing under it that needs sun to survive. Also they put out a prolific amount of seedlings, you know those little helicopter things that sprout new baby norway maples everywhere. I decided to keep the tree for the shade benefits but it also looks kind of cool with a tree in the middle of the deck. I am not proud to say but this decision did cost me trip to the emergency room, as I was trimming a few large lower limbs one of them caught me in the lip. The force put my bottom teeth through my lip which required several stitches to close the hole in said lip. Lets all remember our chainsaw safety, never use a saw while on a step ladder.

As you can see I am attaching the deck to an existing screened in porch by installing a ledger board to porch posts. The entire deck is almost 500 square feet and has three levels as the grade slopes down quite a bit in the back yard. I wound up digging seven holes for ten inch footings 42 inches deep, of course I obtained a permit so this was all inspected. The inspector wants to see the holes dug to the correct depth then he will come back for the final inspection. The Town of Farmington has all the code requirements on their website as do most towns. In the first picture I am laying everything out to make sure the deck will be square and level.

Town of Farmington Building Codes

Here you can see the framing which consisted of 2X10 beams and 2X8 joists. All pressure treated lumber was used for framing and decking. Back when I  built this, wood decking was the norm and composite material was just starting to come out but was very expensive. Not having much money at the time I went with wood which has held up well for the last 14 years with proper maintenance. The dogs, Leah and Chance are standing on the first level and then you can see the lower two levels which are beginning to have the decking installed.

Here I am beginning to install the railings on the upper levels, these I actually bought at Lowe's. It is a railing system that they sell which makes for a nice appearance

On the lower level I constructed built in benches and flower boxes instead of railings. This provides an unobstructed view of the back yard and beyond to the woods. I did not have a plan for the yard yet but always plan for the future. The height of the deck above grade in this area allowed me to do this and not have the railing. The idea for the benches and flower boxes came out of a book similar to the one at the beginning of the post.

 Here you can see how much the ground slopes, I wound up bringing in fill to raise the level so I could have those benches that you see on the left. I am building the stairs which are about twelve feet wide as I didn't want your typical three foot wide set up. I actually worked out great as the steps seem to attract guests for use as a seating area, again it allows sweeping views of the yard. I dug down and poured a concrete footing for the stair stringers to sit on which I did buy from Lowe's. Most pros would cut their own but not for this DIYer, to many angles to figure out. 

Now for some completed deck pictures. You will see my rock retaining wall which supports an area I will eventually turn into a patio. I always try to imagine the finished product in my head before I start and am happy that it usually comes out that way. I always do a ton of research in books and online to get ideas. Hopefully you can use some of mine. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comment section.