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myrealnameismama_goose

Vintage, salvage, low-budget, DIY kitchen in progress

I've posted on only one thread in Home Decorating, so apologies to auntjen for the partial hi-jack.

After seeing her thread on vintage kitchen vignette's, it's wonderful to find that there are others who love vintage style. I'll link my thread in Smaller Homes, but here are a few pictures of the high points:

Vintage cabinets from an old high school, with black marble counter:

DIY barrel hood made from an old feed bin:

Refrigerator cabinet with re-used parts and salvaged lab-table countertops:

Reworked cabinet for display:

And a vintage stove, used for storage:

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen thread in Smaller Homes

Comments (25)

  • DLM2000-GW
    12 years ago

    That's fabulous! I love what you've done - off to look at your link.

  • leafy02
    12 years ago

    Neat! I'd love to have countertops made of the old science tables from my high school, and those glass front cabinets are terrific.

  • emagineer
    12 years ago

    So glad you posted the pics and link for the transition of your kitchen. You are one talented lady. I want the range hood...keep looking for something to restore. And I'd be exhausted with all your work done and continuing...never a complaint heard from you. Creativity abounds.

  • cliff_and_joann
    12 years ago

    Terrific, I love what you achieved. good job!

  • bonnieann925
    12 years ago

    It's a wonderful kitchen, so full of charm. That stove is fantastic!

  • deeinohio
    12 years ago

    What a great and unique kitchen! And, one you certainly won't see copied anywhere else. This is what keeps me coming back every day to GW -- to be able to see spaces like this. Thank you for sharing.
    Dee

  • alex9179
    12 years ago

    Goody! I've been waiting for this. I'm so inspired to get to work on some of my projects. The range hood is incredible. I love the different cabinets, everything is so neat.
    You know what I really like? That it is a work in progress. That is soooo my house and it's nice to see that other people do the same thing!

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all so much! The kitchen remodel has been going on for almost a year, and the adjacent DR/playroom addition (which prompted the kitchen re-do) has been almost finished for three years. It's now the workroom for kitchen projects, as well as the playroom, but the kitchen and gathering place that I've envisioned is taking shape. So, to all of you who are working on projects, Hang in there!

    A pic of the workroom area, it's currently much worse:

    Opening into new addition. We cut the counter in place, hoping to save counter and cabinets on both sides, but then decided to replace the counters, and one thing led to another...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to pictures of new addition, off kitchen

  • PRO
    Diane Smith at Walter E. Smithe Furniture
    12 years ago

    lab-table countertops...I would love to have a kitchen/laboratory!

  • eandhl
    12 years ago

    I love what you have done. The old school cab, marble, old pieces in the open cabs & the old range all look great.

  • Oakley
    12 years ago

    I'm curious as to how much storage space you had in your kitchen before the remodel? Now you have a ton of storage!

    Using the old stove for storage and looks is an excellent idea.

    LOVE the green you have in your kitchen. The green alone is sooo vintage. lol The colors that goes with it are endless.

  • gsciencechick
    12 years ago

    Wow, what an amazing story! Your kitchen is awesome and totally original. The bin range hood is so creative and it looks like a high-end one.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all--I'm so glad you're enjoying the pictures and the stories behind all the projects.

    The house was built in the 1920's, with only one small closet downstairs (under the stairs), and three even smaller closets upstairs, built into the eaves. The PO had added a nice master suite and bathroom in the early 1980's, with a 13 foot run of closets, where my hubby and I stored our shoes and clothing, as well as holiday decorations, extra blankets and other junk that had no other place in the house. We converted attic space to another small bedroom, half bath, and two more under-the-eaves closets, then added a laundry/sewing/craft room which included a huge salvaged school library bookcase, and a few clearance wall cabinets for storage.

    The kitchen had 21 feet of cabinet space which included two blind corners, top and bottom, and a 12" deep pantry. For a lot of folks that would seem to be adequate storage, but some of the wall cabinets were only 15" tall (we supplemented with open shelves). The drawer boxes constantly stuck, and shed sawdust into the cabinets below, so we had to wash all the pans and dishes before use. Living in the middle of farmed fields, we often had mice in the base cabinets, so perishables had to be kept in the wall cabinets or in glass jars, and again, everything had to be washed before use.

    The current storage in the kitchen is more functional, more efficient, and cleaner. The counter on the old school cabinets is only 24" deep, so I pulled the drawer bases (opposite wall) out to 27". It didn't add cabinet space, but added 3" to the counter depth, which is really good to have in front of the microwave, for landing space beside the fridge and stove.

    It's definitely quirky, and I've tried to include the cost of materials to show how one can have a functional, pleasant work space, with a low budget. And besides--finding a vintage treasure to re-work is so much fun!

  • emagineer
    12 years ago

    Now I'm glad I told on you. Pleased you posted. Have been following Mamagoose since the beginning of this transformation and there is always another surprise she comes up with.

  • tinam61
    12 years ago

    Love your ideas! That vintage stove is to die for!!

  • mahatmacat1
    12 years ago

    Absolutely vintage fabulous!

    Question: where did you find the old high school upper cabinets and the lab counters? Those counters are hotly contested items where I am -- they're snatched up as fast as they're pried loose...

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you, emagineer! :)

    I live in So.Ohio--the vintage cabinets were purchased from a flea-market vendor (advertised on craigslist) in Williamsport, who told us that they were from a school in the Circleville area.

    The lab tables were only $20.00 each, purchased from a church near Yellow Springs, and we were told by the minister that they came from a high school in Springfield, when two schools were desegregated and consolidated.

    And the stove has the best story--I bought it for $50.00 in West Jefferson. It had a paper sticker from an antiques store in So.Carolina, but it was manufactured in Portsmouth, about 20 minutes from where I live. It had mud in the rolled lip at the cabinet bottom--I'm almost certain it was in So.Ohio during the '37 flood. I remember stories my grandfather used to tell about the flood--I was always fascinated.

    I want to say that it has been wonderful hearing from everyone who loves vintage pieces. Thank you all for looking at my pictures and leaving such enthusiastic comments.

  • HIWTHI
    12 years ago

    I love what you've done so far, all the unique ways to reuse old things. It shows ingenuity, good taste, imagination and guts. All the qualities needed for a well decorated home. Look forward to seeing more. Good job.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    HIWTHI, thank you for the kind words. I've enjoyed the challenges of re-working and re-using the old stuff, but right now I'm having a little trouble integrating the old with the new.

    *******************

    I've added this to my kitchen thread in Smaller Homes and received some good advice, but since it involves paint colors I'd like to know if anyone in this forum has something to offer.

    When I was planning the kitchen 'refresh' I had in mind that the fridge cabinet and the cabinet on either side would be green, to tie the fridge cab into the base cabinets. Then I decided to put an open shelf to the right of the fridge cabinet, in the same style as the vintage-style rounded shelves beside the sink, and the open cookbook shelf, seen in these pics:


    I painted it white, to match the other open cabinets, and to tie it into the older cabinets that remain on either side of the stove, but I'm wondering if it would look better green. Another GW member suggested painting the edges green, and I'm considering that option. Also considered using wallpaper on the back, to break up the big white mass.

    Pics of the offending cabinet, on the left (upper cabinets on the right are staying, the base cabinet and countertop will be replaced):




    The white is OK--I can live with it until the kitchen is finished, and make a decision then. Give me a hammer and a jigsaw and I'm good--solving this paint dilemma...not so much.

    Any suggestions?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen album

  • IdaClaire
    12 years ago

    I am so in love with what you've done! I can't stop looking at your pictures. I greatly admire your DIY skills ... when you're finished, will you come re-do my kitchen! ;-D

  • biochem101
    12 years ago

    I can never get enough of your kitchen.

    Thanks for posting it over here too!

    :)

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    auntjen, that would be soooo much fun! And you can coach me in color selections. :)

    biochem, thank you, I think I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel--one more wall to go.

    OK, during the break :) I tried the wallpaper idea with a roll of border I found at a Restore--it reminds me of vintage table cloths and tea towels. I cut a few pieces and stuck them on the wall with water, just to see how it looked:


    This wallpaper just makes me smile, but I wouldn't care for it on the wall--wish I did, but, no. What do you think of using it in the cabinet? BTW, that phone cord going through the cabinet is my redneck solution to not moving a phone-jack six inches to the right. ;)

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Mama goose- I like the wallpaper! It's so vintage and looks great with the shelves :)

    Are you planning to paint any of the other upper cabinets green? I like the white doors, with the green knobs, but they really jump out against the green surround. Are you plannig to use that same look, on the uppers around the stove? If not, maybe paint the area around the doors white or the doors green. While I like the two tone, I think it might look nice, tied in with other areas of the room. Just a thought....

  • oldhouse1
    12 years ago

    mama goose, What an absolutely fabulous and creative kitchen. Your hood is genious. Your kitchen is so filled with personality and I have a feeling you are to. Love, Love, Love it. Keep up the good work.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    oldhouse1, thank you! I've been back to look at your beautiful kitchen several times. Your encouragement is appreciated.

    lavender, I'm planning to keep the older cabinets around the stove hood, and on the sink wall, Adobe White. The kitchen doesn't have a window proper, and I like the way the white cabinets keep things light--I'm leaning toward Adobe White for the beadboard, too. ML in Smaller Homes mentioned painting the cabinets to the left of the fridge white, so I'm considering that option to balance things.

    I can't make up my mind!! Here's an inspiration picture I found, don't remember the source:
    {{!gwi}}

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