1.24.2011

Kitchen Renovation: Total Recap

With the recent house crashing post, it got me thinking about my own kitchen renovation.  And although I kept you updated on the steps throughout the process, I noticed that I had never done a full start-to-finish post; a true before and after.  [GASP]  I know, I know.  I'm a slacker.  I guess I'm still new at this whole blogging thing.  Rookie mistake....
So without further ado, here is a quick recap of the full kitchen transformation:

February: Here is what our kitchen looked like on move-in day.  Purdy, huh?





March/April: It wasn't long before we were tearing out the floor, ripping out the faux ceiling beams, pulling up countertops, and knocking down walls (between the kitchen and dining room).  We also removed all of the cabinet doors in anticipation of painting (which we decided to do after weeks of pricing out brand-new cabinets at several different stores.....but ultimately, we didn't want to give up perfectly good all-wood cabinets if we didn't have to).  In lieu of spending $10,000+ on cabinets, we splurged and spent $1,500 to have someone come and professionally paint the cabinets (since they were pine and I was worried that the white wouldn't cover well).  Best decision I ever made.  Yes, I could have done it myself, but it saved me SO MUCH time. 
Note: the painting package didn't include the INSIDE of the cabinets, so I decided to paint them myself since I didn't want to see the yellow walls every time I opened up a cabinet. 




May/June: It was already looking SO much better, but we still had a long way to go.  We decided to install recessed lighting since our ultimate goal was to brighten up the space.  We brought in an electrician for this job, but it was pretty inexpensive considering we installed a total of 7 recessed lights, had them re-wire the lighting over the future island for two pendants and put in place wiring for undercabinet lighting (which we still haven't done yet....oops).  I can't remember the total cost of this update, but I remember it being very reasonable.  Also, during this time, B (and our dads) built the island.  I included some of the during shots, but I should really have B do a separate post on how he did this exactly. I was honestly gone for a few hours that day and when I came back it was done.  TA-DA!  We also decided to have some cabinets built along the entry way wall for extra storage and a future mudroom.  In hindsight, I would have definitely had B install them rather than paying a carpenter to do it, but ultimately we wanted to make sure they they would be able to hold a lot of pantry items since we are big Costco people!!  Better safe than sorry!











May/June cont'd: Another big project during this time was to build a sink base that could accomodate a 300 lb. farm sink (YAY)!!  I definitely need to have B do a post on how to build one of these, since we googled it for quite some time and couldn't really find any awe-inspiring tutorials.  Most people probably buy new cabinets when they are doing this sort of renovation which already come equipped to handle the weight of a huge sink, but ours certainly didn't.  B pretty much took the whole cabinet apart and started from scratch.  See the photos below for a quick step-by-step on the process (and click here for more information on choosing a farm sink).   












July/August:  5 months into this project and we still don't have a working sink, actual floors, or a stove....but we are getting there!!!  Our next step is to cut a whole in the side of the house and install a slider.







July/August cont'd: As you can see in the photos above, we had to bring our new fridge into the house through the rough opening in the wall.  It wouldn't fit through any of the other doors, so this was the only way in.....even with the doors off!!  This baby is never leaving!!  And you can also see in the photos above that the painting process had begun and our cabinets were transforming before our very eyes!!  Once the painting was finished, everything seemed to fall into place.  The granite was installed the next day and the floors came in a few days after that.  Things were really starting to move along (see here for more details)....




July/August cont'd: And as soon as the floors were dry, we installed the appliances and light fixtures.  It was a FUNCTIONING KITCHEN!!!  YAY!

August/September: Our next steps were to add the cabinet knobs and handles, paint the walls, and install the vent hood...
  









October/November: This probably could have been done a lot sooner, but as soon as the kitchen was functioning I lost all motivation to tile the backsplash.  It was just such a daunting task for me that I waited and waited until it was almost too cold to use the wet saw outside.  On one nice weekend, I tackled it (see here and here for more details).....





December: After all was said and done, there was still one lingering project that I wanted to complete.  So on one Saturday morning, I decided to buy some materials to finish up the mudroom.  I brought them home and begged B to install it.  Without expecting him to jump right on it, I ran out for a few more errands and came back to this.....





YAY!!  The kitchen was officially done.  8 months later, but EXACTLY the way we wanted it (and in the price range we wanted as well)!!!  If I had to do it over, I wouldn't change a thing.....well, except for maybe choosing to get pizza most nights rather than salads when we were ordering takeout.  Ugh....maybe we worked off the extra pounds with all the work we did though....haha.

So there you have it, a full recap of the biggest transformation in our new house.  And just to satisfy some before and after cravings, I will throw some in before I go.  Enjoy!!








So what do you think?  Have any of you done a big kitchen renovation as well and lived to tell the tale?  I would love to see or hear all about it.  Any thoughts, advice or wisdom to those considering a kitchen renovation would also be wonderful!! 

Oh, and I'm linking up to these parties:

DIY Showoff DIY Project Parade
Remodelaholic Anonymous 55 Blog Link
Thrifty Decor Chick's March Before and After Party
Element Interiors Whassup Wednesday Party

77 comments:

  1. Amazing, great imagination for what can be done. ;-)

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  2. WOW!!! What a beautiful and amazing transformation!!! Have you thought of submitting these pictures to a DIY blog or magazine? You should!

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  3. This is GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!!! I love it!!

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  4. Your kitchen is beautiful! I enjoyed seeing it from start to finish. I've saved a picture to my inspiration file!

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  5. This incredible! i love the farm sinks and the colors you picked are beautiful!

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  6. Wow! What a transformation. From the hardwood floors to the custom cabinets, you did a fantastic job. Talk about a dream kitchen.

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  7. What an absolutely gorgeous kitchen! I adore your countertops, that is the exact style I am hoping to get in our teeny kitchen some day. Awesome job!

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  8. That is a great transformation. I loved seeing your whole process. We are just finishing up ours, we just have little bits left, and it is way funner coming over here and looking at yours. I love everything about what you did. I love the fact that you did alot yourselves. I had a chuckle when I saw you wearing flip flops while painting the back of the cupboards. I also noticed in the other room the curved doorway witht all that nice embellished wood above it...yummy too. I know myself what it is like to live for many many months in a renovation..it is very frustating and difficult. To all of you involved in your renovation: It is grand, and you probably are pretty pleased when you walk in that kitchen every day.

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  9. absolutely FABULOUS! Wow, I love it! I'm sure you are enjoying the new kitchen! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Beautiful kitchen! You did great. I understand about paying someone to paint. Sometimes it's more about "getting it done" than "doing it yourself". $1500 is a good amount to not have to deal with the mayhem, in my opinion. I just paid someone to paint the trim in my house. Because it took them half the time and I could work on my own business projects.

    I really do like to do things myself but life doesn't always allow the inevitable learning time it involves. Kudos!

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  11. Wow! This is just lovely. I love it all - the white, the countertops, the backsplash with grey grout, the sink.... plus tons of storage. Thanks for sharing! (I'm dropping by from Remodelaholic.)

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  12. What a renovation, your kitchen looks great! Job well done! I'm Joy your newest follower from Thrifty Parsonage Living.(visiting via Remodelaholic).
    I'd love to have you stop by my blog for a visit.

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  13. This is absolutely gorgeous. I'm a huge fan of white kitchens, as I just remodeled mine in a color palette very similar to yours. I still haven't done the backsplash, love your subway tile.

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  14. Love your transformation! Came over here from remodelaholic, Looking forward to checking out your site! ~Lori

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  15. Your kitchen story is very inspirational. This past year I paid my sister and her boyfriend to fix up our kitchen. We just got a new sink, faucet and counter, painted the walls dark yellow and the cabinets white. Then we had laminate wood floors through out the house. We also had the hallway and bedrooms painted too. I was lucky because I with out a functioning kitchen for just a few days. I can't imagine how you did it for so long.

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  16. Wow- a lot of work went into this, but I love the vision you had and the end result is spectacular!
    Enjoy-

    Jami
    www.AnOregonCottage.com

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  17. Wow does not fully express my reaction to the transformation so I'll have to really emphasize it: WOW WOW WOW! this is a beautiful kitchen. I love that you thought to leave the cabinets and have them painted. They look brand new. I'm seriously impressed right now.

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  18. The walls that you took down... load bearing walls? If I may ask how much did it cost to knock them down? We're in the process of thinking about talking about redoing our kitchen ;).

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  19. Wow, wow, and WOW!!!! That is an amazing change! I love everything you did! We are in the middle of a kitchen redo, and I can't wait to have it done! I hope ours turns out half as nice as yours did. :)
    Beth.

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  20. Wow- Love it! We redid our kitchen too upon moving into our home 1 year ago. JUST finished the backsplash, and no, still have not completed the under-cab lighting or the fluorescent lighting conversion, but we're getting closer. I love my kitchen and spending 90% of our time in there its a good thing! Great job!

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  21. wow! what a transformation. BEAUTIFUL!!!!

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  22. This is one of the best projects I have seen. Unbelievably gorgeous!

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  23. Gorgeous, you created my dream kitchen. Cheers!

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  24. Swooning. Looks great! I bet it's wonderful to have a functioning kitchen again! Enjoy!

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  25. Love everything about it! What an amazing space! My own kitchen needs to be done and yours is an inspiration!

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  26. I am so praying my jealousy right now! JK, I am actually trying to convince my husband to let me paint our kitchen cabinets too, so THANKS for the inspiration!

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  27. WOW WOW WOW WOW! Stunning renovation! I'm stopping by from JAG. It is PERFECTION! Great job!

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  28. Holy cow!!! It is just stunning! Iknow what you mean about the tile. We just tiled our bathroom floor and it was a whipping! I really want to tile my backsplash with the subway tiles but I can't seem to work up the strength or "want to" for it! I can't wait to explore your blog! Come visit me and see my kitchen transformation!

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  29. I can hardly believe that's the same kitchen - amazing job! Love it!

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  30. Absolutely stunning transformation! You must be so proud.

    I also redid our kitchen in blue and white (http://theperfectlyimperfectlife.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-blue-heaven-kitchen-part-tres.html), though we weren't knocking out walls and building new islands.

    Congratulations on your success!

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  31. Thanks everyone for the super sweet comments on my kitchen. I really appreciate it!! After all of that work, it is so rewarding to hear your positive feedback! It's people like you that inspire me to do these projects, so I'm really grateful for your support!

    And to answer a question from an anonymous poster last week: Yes, it was a load-bearing wall between the kitchen and the dining room, so we had a contractor install a support beam instead of trying to tackle it ourselves. The total cost for that project (including materials) was around $1,500. A little steep, but totally worth it. I would never recommend tackling jobs that could affect the structural integrity of your home without consulting with a professional first. Good luck with your project if you decide to go ahead with it!

    Thanks again everyone for stopping by and commenting!

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  32. OMG...I have no words! I so want that mudroom in my home! Can you come over and do some work for me?!?!?! Consider me your newest follower! I would love for you to drop by my blog sometime! You are AWESOME!

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  33. Visiting from Just a Girl. BEAUTIFUL job!! We're knee-deep in our kitchen reno right now, and I'm so inspired by yours! Can I come bake some cookies in your kitchen? You can come to Oahu and finish mine! Free room and board! ;)

    I'm becoming a follower and definitely marking your pics. Maybe I'll print them and stick them to my rusted fridge to motivate my butt to keep working every day!

    Aloha,
    Charlie

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  34. Heather,
    Thanks for the cost breakdown for the load wall! I'd say 1,500 is a fair price to keep your house standing ;). I keep coming back to your pictures - everything is simply beautiful and I'm inspired!

    Robin (anon ;))

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  35. Holly wow! This is fabulous, I'm in love with your kitchen, perfection! you did an amazing job!!
    Thanks for sharing with us!
    XO
    Kristin

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  36. Ooooohhh! SO PRETTY! You guys did a great job! I really want our kitchen finished, but don't want to live in the renovation. Kudos to you for living in a kitchenless house for months!

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  37. I am so glad I read your whole post, you got this done in a timely fashion! I am getting ready to post on my blog about a bathhroom, we ripped down to the studs in 2007, and we just got it mostly finished this week. Talk about being patient! Come see, http://the4rsRamblings.blogspot.com

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  38. Your kitchen turned out beautiful!!!

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  39. This is crazy good and a great post on the progress. Bet you love being in this fantastic space.

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  40. WOW WOW WOW!!!! Amazing difference! And i thought 6 weeks was bad without a sink, but you must have won an award for the longest non-operational kitchen!! COngrats - this kitchen looks awesome. You'd never know those aren't new cabinets. :)

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  41. Hi Heather, I would love to feature your kitchen on my "Bountiful Kitchens" blog page. email me at Abountifulkitchen@gmail.com if you are interested, I'll link back to your blog as well. thanks! Si
    http://www.abountifulkitchen.com/

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  42. Whoa! That really was a very long process you've been through to transform it into perfection, but it really is a job well done, and it has a feel of walking in a set of a home cooking show.

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  43. That is gorgeous! Good decision on changing the look of your kitchen. While the old one looked quite decent, it was a bit behind with the times. White is a great color choice, too.

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  44. I agree, it's good that you got rid of that kitchen from the Middle Ages, haha. Good work, it looks like the kitchen will stay like that for a long time.

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  45. Thanks for such a knowledgeable post. All the points are very clearly defined. Whole work is appreciable.

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  46. Now THAT is an updating of a kitchen! I usually go for faux ceiling beams but the clean look of the white cabinets it was a wise choice!

    Alan http://www.owtraditions.com

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