each year, we try to pick a big home improvement project to do around here. last year we skipped it because the year before we had done new floors throughout the whole first floor, remodeled the downstairs bathroom and got all new light fixtures. whew...that was a lot!
this year, it was a tie between the kitchen and our bedroom. because we weren't really sure about what we wanted to do in the kitchen, we were set on re-doing our bedroom with new furniture and possibly new flooring. but, the more toby looked at the numbers, the more he wanted to do the kitchen instead. enter his sales pitch. there's a reason he is in sales, i guess. he can make a case for just about anything he wants. once, i was on board, we actually hired a designer. we knew we were in over our heads with big decisions like countertops and backsplash and such.
here we go!
okay, so this is about the best before picture i have of the kitchen. it's dark and there are about 10 different shades of brown in here. this is why we wanted to lighten it up. after the wood floors went in, everything seemed so dark and dull. we wanted to brighten it up.
we started by having a guy come in and build up the cabinets. they are really tall, but the ceilings are really high too. i didn't need any more storage up there (i can barely reach the top shelf even on a stepstool), so it was just boxed in.
and toby wanted to get rid of the breakfast bar on the island. so, he started on that project right away.
i could already tell that i was going to love it. we don't have crown molding anywhere else in the house except the front room, which technically is a dining room. so this was a nice addition.
time to start removing the old appliances.
out with the old microwave, in with the new!
i just thought this looked so funny. as the new fridge was being delivered, i had to run an errand and when i left, it was just sitting on the street in front of our house.
okay, that's better. right where you belong!
we love it. it had a drawer between the top and the freezer that we put all the kids stuff in. now, they have a drawer in the fridge and a shelf in the pantry that is all theirs and they can both reach everything!
oooooh, shiny! the best part is that the bottom of the microwave is not peeling off...fancy.
time to prep for paint. also, the breakfast bar is gone!
the paint guys tented the room to keep most of the spray in one area.
and, there are the cabinet frames all bright and shiny.
and with the doors back on...oh boy, it is getting brighter in here!
countertops be gone!
the new countertops are in! we chose a quartz that is very light and bright, but also very durable.
we love how it looks like marble, but it is way more durable.
and we have a deeper undermount sink now.
and a new fancy faucet. who knew picking out faucets could be so difficult?
while we are at it, let's just paint the whole house grey? minus the bedrooms and bathrooms, of course.
curtains go up...we've never had them in this room before.
and finally, our kitchen is all put together. it's hard to see in this picture, but we chose a hexagon backsplash that is incredibly beautiful. i just love all of it!
we are still working on some of the finishing touches, like art, rugs and accessories, so when those are done, i'll put up some more pictures. we are also doing a mini-makeover in the living room and front room, so i'll add those pictures in too when we get that done. yay for light and bright, amiright?
