Cheer Up Little Kitchen

We went yet one more round of the "should we stay, or should we go?" game this past Winter.

Should we move into something a bit bigger in our general area here in Chicagoland? Should we wait it out in what we have just in case a move out of state becomes a possibility, and avoid owning two homes here in Illinois? We will after all,  rent out whatever we leave with the market like it is.

We ended up looking around a bit, and found a home we loved. But...we just couldn't pull the trigger and make an offer. We decided that would leave us with too many factors to deal with in the long run. So although our home may not be fancy, it is kind of sweet, it is ours, and we are staying.

For now.

This led me to a whirlwind of ideas for some sprucing up. We moved into our home six years ago this month! Wow-ee! And I have been in love with my kitchen  ZERO of those years. This is the first home we purchased, and when it comes to getting in over our heads, we just aren't the type. So we went pretty basic. My home, (I am going to amend that- ILLINOIS!) also has poor light. I find the light here very shadowy inside. Can you say S.A.D. capital of America?!! So I made the decision to bite the bullet and get over my fear of painting my cabinets. This has been on my mind for some time. I wanted it brighter to battle the ho-hums outside the majority of the year. Turns out, it is quit controversial. What?!! Paint perfectly good, SOLID wood cabinets? What an abomination! But I did it, and I have NO regrets! It is a very in depth and fear inducing experience when you have never done it before however.

So here we go.

The before.
I do realize that it could be worse. I just didn't love it.

Right smack dab in the middle of the process. I had a stress attack one night at about 11:00 that lasted until about 2:00 in the morning wondering what I had gotten myself into.
I did have the cabinets professionally painted. I started one section on my own, and realized the same day that this was not going to happen if I did it. The paint fumes, mess and time involved, and the four children that demand my life in general, did not mix. So, first there was the emptying of all the cabinets, removal of all doors and hardware, sanding, then the taping and covering of all things to be left unpainted, spraying of primer, (minor) blip in the plan when the paint ran after spraying the first coat (night of before mentioned freak out,) fix it job the next day, hand painting of the shells, spraying the primer on the doors out in the garage. Then the flipping and spraying of the other side, then the top coat, drying time, and rehanging of doors with all the hardware.
If you do embark on this adventure, make sure your painter is going to agree to either stripping the wood, or sanding the heck out of it, (front and back,) using an oil based primer, caulking the seams or holes in the doors, and I would recommend not paining the inside of the cabinets. I did have the inside of the upper cabinets painted, and it was a tough thing to get right. Turns out that when the Pam spray can gets bumped, and sprays your shelves, it forms a barrier to paint when applied. So it ended up taking up a lot of time. I would do the inside of the doors, just not the shelves. 

All of the things that were in the kitchen ended up in the basement for a couple of weeks. If we needed any inspiration to never move again, I think this was it. On the other hand, the inside of my cabinets have not been so neat in years.

Inside the kitchen cocoon. Hopefully she will emerge a butterfly!

The outside of the cocoon.

I then painted the walls a different color, ( Universal Khaki by Sherwin Williams.) Our wonderful friend Dr. Jared Tyson came down from Wisconsin and helped Del with the backslash.  What can I say? I don't let anyone that is not an Orthopedic Surgeon touch my tile!! :) Those are some good credentials! Jared is a good sport to work so far below his pay grade. I chose beveled edge Lanka Metra Tile in alabaster. The inspiration for much of this came from a designer named Janell Beals of Isabella and Max Rooms. I used the same tile, and wall color after I found her post about painting kitchen cabinets. You should check out her amazing ideas for the home here!

I did the grout work all by myself. Which was a MESS! It wasn't too bad, except for the constant interruptions.

And now.... The after!

Trust me, there is still a list of things that I would love to improve. I have yet to find an option I like for a light above the sink. I want to get rid of the florescent light I never use (hate.) And I would like a new faucet. I also need some kind of window treatment. But it will all come in time. For now I am just happy to have the most important aspects done!

The tile. I really, really like it.

Janell Beals points out how well the beveled edges catch the light, and they really do!

Some fun pops of color add some character.

Another of my favorite new aspects is having the inside of the doors on this cabinet removed and replaced with glass. It opens things up so nicely and gives me a place for some cute dishes and fun display items.

I put some apples in the bowl on the counter, and my apple fanatic children ate most of them before I was able to take pictures. Now there are just four sad little guys in there.

The glass has a nice pattern to it. Don't mind Oprah in the background. Walker got lonely over there while I took pictures.

I am in love with the moldings above the doors and windows my dad put in for me even more now! Wow, I am realizing I really do need a new light above that sink! Oh, and a new light plate by the sink. I couldn't find the old one once everything was put back together.

Yes, stainless steel appliances would be nice, but these still work, and it just isn't our style to throw them out when they are perfectly fine. Even I can't do it, and I am usually all about the "design." We do agree a new fridge might be in order however. Ours is very old school. I am talking about us still using ice trays people! Maybe if we are still here, even when we don't expect to be, we can replace them all. The same goes for the counter tops.

I also ordered a new light fixture for the space above the table. I am happy with the clean look of it.

 

I added another panel to the curtain rod over the door to make it feel less "sliding glass doorish."  
And finally, two new chairs for the heads of the table. I like the texture that they add to the room.

And that is about it! It has been fun. Crazy, but fun. It is amazing the amount of work even just a simple face lift is in a kitchen! I am sure Del just shakes his head when I start my scheming. Thanks for the support to do the project babe! Both mentally and monetarily! I love the kitchen, and you! Now on to the next!!