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| First off thank you everyone who was so sweet and helpful when I was having fits coming up with what to do with this kitchen! It is not 100% finished because the DH unexpectedly lost his job halfway through! Eventually we would like the base moldings finished, crown on the cabinets on the left and baskets in the open pantry.
Since the DH was job hunting during the whole reno, I ended doing almost everything in this kitchen myself with the help of two of my friends (also ladies who had never done any kind of construction) so it was a huge learning experience from start to finish! The first three pics are before and the rest are afters :) Originally it was a dining room attached to a galley kitchen which we expanded into a larger eat-in kitchen and moved the dining room to our sunroom.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by three_daisies (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 14:35
| Incredible! You have great style and taste. I really love the black cabinets. It's very hard to believe that this kitchen reno was under $1500- shocking!!! Give yourself a huge pat on the back because you did *really* good. :) Enjoy your new space! |
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- Posted by momof3kids_pa (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 14:37
| That is a very very well spent $1400. I love the black with butcherblock. and the big ole double farm sink. Really awesome! |
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| So sorry about your dh. Congratulations on your kitchen!! I can't believe the changes. So absolutely stylish and up-to-date and beautiful. Well done! |
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| Your new kitchen looks really terrific. I can't believe how you could transform it so completely with so little money. Congratulations! I hope your DH finds a job soon. |
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| Wow- I love it! Great job! |
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- Posted by riverspots (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 14:49
| Nice. I like the crisp black and white contrast and the way the wood counters contribute warmth. It looks a lot roomier without the fridge across from the stove. I'll bet it's easier to work in, too. |
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- Posted by biochem101 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 14:50
| How cute! Kudos to you for all that DIY! I had to scroll back and forth to figure it all out but that is the best $1400 reno I've ever seen. :D Love how you turned the one cabinet sideways over the fridge, and the metal insets in some of the doors are really clever. You put Design on a Dime to shame. This is better than most of those inexpensive updates I've seen people do on TV. Enjoy! |
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- Posted by biochem101 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 14:50
| How cute! Kudos to you for all that DIY! I had to scroll back and forth to figure it all out but that is the best $1400 reno I've ever seen. :D Love how you turned the one cabinet sideways over the fridge, and the metal insets in some of the doors are really clever. You put Design on a Dime to shame. This is better than most of those inexpensive updates I've seen people do on TV. Enjoy! |
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| All I can say is WOW!!!!! What an unbelievable transformation. Love the curtain under the sink. Love the black with the wood counters. Great job! Enjoy!!! I wish your DH luck with his job search. I lost mine a year ago, so I know how it feels. |
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| Excellent job - my favorite part is how you took that sink with the awful flourescent light that looks like punishment to stand at and turned it into a space that looks cozy and fun, and is a great end-of-room focal point. |
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| Great, great job, that looks amazing. Congratulations on a job incredibly well done! Those are two good friends indeed! |
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| That is AWESOME!!!!!! I love it. From 'ok' but kind of yech to stylish, elegant, classy, cute, and with character. You all did such a wonderful job. You have a great eye and wonderful creative vision to have been able to see this result from what you had. It almost brings tears to my eyes to see the difference. You must feel amazing everytime you walk in. And I hope DH is able to find a job soon, so you can really relax and enjoy. |
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| No way, this is an amazing transformation for the price!!! I love the added touches of the brackets under the wall cabinets, the metal inserts, the hanging galvanized buckets with plants... you really did a lovely job pulling it all together! You and your family must be thrilled with the result. |
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| That's incredible. It looks fantastic. I can't believe how much you did with $1,400. I'm telling all my friends who say they can't redo their kitchens. |
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- Posted by bmorepanic (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 15:13
| Good for you, its brilliant. |
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| Wow, just wow. You did a beautiful job. Congratulations! |
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| VERY well spent $1400. You should check out the blog The Lettered Cottage- remind me a little bit of yours! Goes to show black paint can do to transform that old oak! Fantastic! I love your brackets btw! |
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| Your "after" is so cheerful and full of personality. I keep going back to look at it and keep noticing new things. |
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- Posted by kermit4777 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 15:41
| Absolutely stunning! Great job and incredible transformation on that kind of budget! You should be proud! |
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- Posted by tracie.erin (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 15:51
| Wow, how gorgeous and warm. I love the classy black cabs paired with the beadboard and butcherblock, and especially the mesh cabs - what is that by the way? The best part is the the black makes it feel bigger. |
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| What a wonderful transformation!! It has a great feel to it. I love all the little details. |
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- Posted by firsthouse_mp (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 16:04
| Super well done! I think everyone here agrees you stretched that $1500 as well as could ever be asked of anyone. Love it!!! Black is awesome!!! |
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- Posted by wickedstari (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 16:06
| What an amazing transformation and it didn't break the bank! I have to show this to my mom who has oak cabinets. She will be inspired! Thanks for sharing! ~Stari |
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| What fabulous ingenuity! You did a great job -- I, too, had to go back and forth between the pictures. I found it hard to believe that it's the same place. Who needs kitchen magazines when there are people with your creativity on GW? |
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- Posted by chicagoans (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 16:37
| That is fantastic! So many attractive and clever details. Tell your girlfriends we all love it! Where did you find the bracket with the 4 hanging pots that's over the door? I'm looking for something like that and it's clever where you hung it. I hope you DH has found something new or will very soon! |
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| Good Job! It looks so good. This is such a great example of what can be done on a budget. |
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| Beautiful!! I am so impressed you did most of the work yourself. I love the black & the countertops! Great job & enjoy your new kitchen. Hope DH finds a job soon. |
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| WOW! Looks great! As others have said, I admire your ingenuity and DIY capabilities. You must be so happy with your new kitchen - enjoy! Eliz |
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| That is absolutely wonderful! I see that you shopped IKEA---love that! You must be absolutely thrilled! I cannot believe that is the same space! Such a clever design and use of space! It DOES remind me of "The Lettered Cottage" blog. Love, love, LOVE! |
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| Wow!!! Outstanding job! :) |
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| That is incredible! I hope you are just gleaming with satisfaction!!! It is beautiful. |
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- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 17:43
| Oh my, it is absolutely charming! My favorite thing....besides the beadboard and the brackets for the upper cabs and the open shelves to the left of the sink and the metal inserts in the cab doors.....whew.... HAS to be the way you built around your fridge. A tall tower of open squares is quite stylish, and can be used for anything. Being close to the doorway, I can see it being a "staging" area for things you are accumulating to take somewhere, give to someone, return library books, and all that stuff if you don't have a nearby mud room. And I love the intimate table for two, with a window view no less. Your kitchen can take the strong black and keep right on humming. You are probably dazed from all the work you did to get the project to completion. Are you already thinking of what you'll tackle next? That looks so good, what are you inspired to do now? Congratulations. |
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| Wowzer. I absolutely love everything you did. Details, please! |
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- Posted by vampiressrn (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 18:34
| Dayum...you girls kicked bootay!!! I love the black cabinets and the beautiful counter tops. Nice reno for the price...looking forward to seeing more of your great work. |
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| Wonderful job!! Those open shelves next to the fridge are great and the metal inserts. I would never think to paint a smaller space black - but it really works. Excellent! Enjoy and I hope your DH finds a new job. |
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| I am in awe. That is one of my favorite kitchen reno's that I have ever seen. It proves you don't need a lot of money to get an entire new look in a very boring kitchen. It is no longer boring, it's a total WOW!! Fantastic job! |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 19:36
| Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement! We are a young couple in our first (and hopefully forever) house, a small cape cod cottage style and we hated the kitchen, I am very proud of how it's turned out! Here are the sources for everything for everyone who has been so kind and interested! Countertops - Lagan beech butcher block from IKEA My friends were truly amazing, I think we surprised ourselves! We've learned a lot about leveling floors, old not square walls, plumbing and demo! |
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| I really admire the transformation you've accomplished. The metal grille cabinet doors are especially cool, and overall look is unique and very stylish. |
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- Posted by marthavila (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 22:02
| Although I'm late to the party, I'm no less enthusiastic about the wonderful job you have done in totally transforming your kitchen! You deserve all the kudos and more for taking a very small budget and even smaller kitchen to the top of the class of inspiring kitchen makeovers. Congratulations! |
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| Wowza, well done! Congratulations on your new space! |
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- Posted by sw_in_austin (My Page) on Fri, Feb 26, 10 at 23:40
| Really amazing. I love the black with the butcherblock. The curtain under the sink (I used burlap for curtains in our new kitchen -- cheap and great texture). And I really love the metal door inserts. Clever and cool looking. Congratulations on a job extremely well done. |
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- Posted by honeychurch (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 12:28
| Love the sink and skirt, also the black color really pops the countertops and the metal door inserts--very fresh! |
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- Posted by swspitfire (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 12:44
| Great, great job. Congratulations on a beautiful transformation! Those are two very good friends.... I had to keep looking back and forth to review the changes- it is fabulous! |
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- Posted by gsciencechick (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 12:56
| Wow, just beautiful! I love the richness of the cabinets and how everything just looks so great together. |
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- Posted by kitchenconfidential2 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 13:18
| You are amazing! You created a beautiful kitchen. Some people just have it. You're one of them. Way to go. I think I will save this thread for inspiration. |
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- Posted by writersblock (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 13:21
| You did a great job! I always love seeing kitchens where ingenuity counted for more than cash, and yours is a prime example. |
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- Posted by cali_wendy (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 16:48
| Wow! Can't believe what a transformation you achieved on a limited budget! Amazing! Love, love, love it! I have so many favorites: the black, the sink and cabinet with the skirt, the brackets, the mesh inserts in the doors and the refrigerator wall! Moving that refrigerator made a huge difference and I can't believe how well that new refrigerator wall turned out. You and your girls should be sooooo proud! |
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| I'm so awestruck, mere words can't convey my admiration for the magic you've created. Well done! |
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| AMAZING!! Love it. Good for you for painting the cabs..they were in really good shape! |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Sun, Feb 28, 10 at 15:22
| I forgot to ask! As you can see in the "after" pics, the original terrible fluorescent lighting is still up (mostly because of the now-cut budget) but we are still thinking about what to put there. Our ceilings are 8' and these lights (3 of them) have to be high enough not to run into. We're looking for something unique, farmhouse/classic/rustic for ambient lighting without spending a bundle...there are so many geniuses of design on this forum...any ideas? Thank you so much! |
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| I'll echo everyone else's compliments. Your new kitchen looks beautiful. It's so much nicer than the original and I am really impressed that it was all DIY. I love the sink, countertops, beadboard and, of course, the black cabinets. Enjoy! (And I hope your DH can find a new job soon.) |
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| What a beautiful transformation! Below is a link to a barn lighting company. I haven't used them, personally, but I've read many positive reviews. I think they carry a lot of styles that would look great in your gorgeous kitchen and nicely complement the light over your sink. |
Here is a link that might be useful: barn light electric
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| Fantastic transformation. You have wonderful friends. I love your creativity, the dark cabinets with the floors, the skirt around the sink, the wood color counters with the dark wood... all just stunning. Thanks for your inspirations. ~boxer |
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| I don't remember who it was...but someone wanted to do black cabinets and white appliances...and many were nay-saying. I would contend that your kitchen proves them wrong. BRAVA! melanie |
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| You did a fantastic job! It looks like you spent way more money than what you did. I have added a link to a light that I thought was pretty and somewhat matched the style you are going for while still keeping the galvanized theme and matching the style of the light you put over the sink. I also love that you have a hanging basket over the table, though it looks like it is green plastic. I would re-pot the plant in a galvanized bucket and hang it with chain. You did an excellent job and I hope your hubby finds a new job soon! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Light
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- Posted by honorbiltkit (My Page) on Sun, Feb 28, 10 at 21:55
| Bravissima! I think what you decided to do with the refrigerator is sheer genius; you got it out of the space it dwarfed but didn't leave it looming forlorn elsewhere. The whole thing is just brilliant, and a badly needed inspiration for those of us who are trying to transform small kitchens with limited resources. So you may keep "enigma" but you have spectacularly outgrown the quandry part. Hope that the economy starts treating you and yours as well as you deserve. |
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| Congrats! I love this-loving the shirted sink. Good luck to DH. |
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| Have to add my congrats to your inspiring remodel. My DD & SIL are (fingers crossed..) soon to be owners of a Cape w/ a kitchen similar to your "Before." I have made them aware of this link. Love so much of your design, but especially the black cabs/brackets & beadboard backsplash. |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Thu, Mar 4, 10 at 0:20
| Yay for capes! I'm trying to decide if the overhead lighting should be more farmhouse or mix it up and go a little vintage...any thoughts? Thanks! |
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| Awesome job! And though it wasn't part of this reno, I LOVE your floor tile - do you know what they are? I want to re-tile my floor in the next year, and those fit the bill! |
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| Really great job. It just goes to show that you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a fabulous kitchen! Such an inspiration! Kathe |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Thu, Mar 4, 10 at 15:44
| sandsonik, the floor is the one thing that the previous homeowners had done, we do have extras and all it says on the bottom is "made in Italy". I would imagine that they probably got it at Lowes or Home Depot or something. It has a pinkish hue and is hard as a rock, I hope you find what you're looking for! |
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| What a great transformation! You should be very proud on everything you did. I love the dark cabinets and the sink area. |
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- Posted by lovetoshop (My Page) on Thu, Mar 4, 10 at 17:10
| looks great! Where did you buy your barstools? Thanks! |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Fri, Mar 5, 10 at 23:25
| lovetoshop, I actually got them from a friend who bought them at some going out of business place. I'm sorry I don't have any more info for you! |
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| What a phenomal rehaul for the price!!!!! VEry impressive. It really does look lovely! |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Sat, Mar 27, 10 at 23:25
I was thinking about these lights for replacing the flourescent ones, does anyone have any thoughts on these? Are they toooo old fashioned or just vintage enough? I can't make up my mind :)
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| enigmaquandry, You did an amazing a transformation on a limited budget! I love the black cabinets that update the look of the kitchen. I love the counters and the beadboard backsplash. But most of all I love the wall you built around the refrigerator. You and your helpers should be so proud of yourselves doing such a great job! Thanks for sharing. Hoping your husband finds a job soon. |
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- Posted by debrak_2008 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 28, 10 at 8:28
| Moving your refrigerator was a great idea. Your kitchen looks brighter now with black cabinets! |
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| You should be so proud! It is BEAUTIFUL!!! |
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| Enigmaquandry, I wanted to add my congratulations to everyone elses. I keep coming back and looking at it! It looks like you've taken the best possible route with your options and really made an amazing transformation. SO well done. You should be very proud. Do you have over cabinet lighting on the left? LOVELY! |
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- Posted by honorbiltkit (My Page) on Tue, Mar 30, 10 at 12:41
| enigmaquandry -- If you want a diffused light at the ceiling for your kitchen, I think the schoolhouse-y fixture is a great choice. If you want to preserve the warm cozy look of your wall-mounted farm light, however, you might want to look at a similarly designed fixture (i.e., with an opaque hemispherical shade, so that the light is more focused downward) or recessed lighting. I recently bought a very reasonable pendant from Lowe's to go over a table where people both work and eat. It has the advantage of being able to be installed at different heights. I plan to put in a bright bulb and a dimmer switch. Whatever you do, I am sure it will be the cat's meow. You have the eye as well as the resourcefulness. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Inexpensive hanging
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- Posted by evilbunnie (My Page) on Tue, Mar 30, 10 at 20:09
| OMG, I love your kitchen. I think that's tremendous, and courageous! And I think that schoolhouse fixture is perfect, but I may be biased because I have 2 of them in polished nickel. I bought from Schoolhouse Electric, and they are a great company, and they give great light. Beautiful job! Reminds me of Layla's kitchen at the Lettered Cottage. |
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| Wow! What a wonderful transformation! I love the black & white color scheme, the farmhouse sink with the burlap curtain under it, the wood counters, open shelving, etc... everything!!! and on a budget, no less! You and your friends should go into business together! Congratulations and I hope your DH finds a job soon. Enjoy your new kitchen! |
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| I hate being late to the party, because it's mostly been said already! But I'll pile on anyhow: Black was a bold move and it paid off big time for you. What an awesome look you achieved!! I love that faucet, and I really like the pot rack. (OK, I'm a sucker for pot racks, I admit it). It adds the right amount of charm, without being overwhelming. What an amazing transformation, and all the more so at only $1400. That's just unbelievable. Don't tell my husband, OK? ;-) Cj |
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| Great transformation! |
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| I am beyond words! I LOVE IT! You guys had some really cool ideas and that kitchen has such character. You should be so proud!! I know I would be. Amy |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Fri, Apr 30, 10 at 19:24
| Thank you so much everyone who has been encouraging and asked about the hubby's job, I'm so pleased to say that after three months of looking he is finally EMPLOYED!!!! Thank you again for your thoughts, I'm thrilled and finally we can get started on some more projects :) |
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| Beautiful kitchen! I think it's all been said so I will just add "Ditto!" to all the above. Very inspiring. Congrats on the new job, And can't wait to hear about your new projects! |
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| Hmmmm.. how did I ever miss your awesome remodel? I suppose I should search for the word "done", not just the word "finished"! Anyhow may I add your kitchen to the Finished Kitchens Blog? It's not often we see such a wonderful transformation on such a low budget! |
Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Category Checklist
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Sun, May 2, 10 at 17:20
| starpooh, that would be great! I filled out the linked form, I hope that works, let me know if it doesn't! |
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| I look at this kitchen EVERY time that it comes back to page one and it only gets better. Good to hear about the new employement and good luck! |
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- Posted by prairie-girl (My Page) on Sun, May 2, 10 at 23:29
| What a wonderful transformation! Thank you for the inspiration. It's so neat to see what folks can do on a limited budget. I particularly like your sink/curtain. Very sweet! Enjoy your 'new' beautiful space!! ~Missy |
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| Bumping this awesome remodel! |
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| enigmaquandry - This is exactly what i want to do with my sink.. I also plan to use the Domsjo double sink.. but wondering how to alter a sink base to make it fit???? |
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| Stylish and cute - on a shoestring budget. Excellent job on colors and updating the look. Neat way to make the frig work. |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Fri, Jul 2, 10 at 0:51
| joyjoyjoy, this sink is so heavy I didn't think a customized cabinet would work for it. We just bought the Ikea cabinet that is designed to support it. Since we didn't have ikea cabinets otherwise we used the skirt instead of buying doors for them. The cabinet was only about $40 I think and if you had a sink cabinet before you could probably retrofit your previous doors on it. Trust me, this would be waaaaaaay simpler than trying to support this sink without it! Good luck and remember to get the little drains with the domsjo sink! |
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| okay I will do that too. I just figured ikea boxes cant be any stronger than "real" wood cabinets but I suppose its made to fit so its best. I thought about having either a skirt or mismatched cabinet under the sink - so maybe once I'm up there i might find a door style that will work. Thanks! |
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| oh.. can you tell me what faucet you have? super cute!! |
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| Your work in this kitchen is amazing! Bravo! The punch for the price is unbelievable. You should be very very proud. |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Sat, Jul 17, 10 at 16:10
| joyjoyjoy, I got the faucet off ebay from a seller with a lot of them (I'm sure you could find it if you looked on there). However I really wouldn't recommend it, it's not very good quality and we will probably replace it in the not too distant future :) |
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| What black paint did you use? |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Thu, Aug 5, 10 at 22:25
| pinch_me, the place mistinted my color three times so I ended up with a "custom color" let's say :) It is really dark though, there's no gray in it really. It's an oil based paint in a semigloss finish so it's really easy to clean :) |
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| Oh how lovely. I really like your faucet and the way your farm sink goes with your appliances. |
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- Posted by roseofblue (My Page) on Fri, Aug 6, 10 at 0:30
| Your NEW KITCHEN is fantastic and charming, now everyone will be asking you to re-do their Kitchen! Wish you were nearby, we can use your help and our budget is not much more! Congratulations for all your creativity, you should be featured on a DIY show! Rose |
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| fantastic kitchen! i LOVE the black cabinetry with the butcher block counters! it looks great! you really changed the look and feel of your kitchen and WOW under $1,500 - that's amazing. i agree with the others - better than Design on a Dime! |
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| You did a beautiful job!!! I am amazed at how much you accomplished for the money spent!!! KUDOS to you and your freinds! Could you tell me more about the drawer looking thingy (technical term there :^) beside the stove?? Many thanks, J |
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| Magnificent! |
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- Posted by enigmaquandry (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 10 at 2:11
| Jaybird, that was a gift from my mom, I guess the best way to describe it is it's a shallow drawer with a cutting board on top...super useful for coupons! |
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- Posted by gocelts330032 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 10 at 3:45
| Beautiful job! The black cabinets are great, and I also like the vintage light you're considering. By looking at the before and after photos I would never imagine that only $1400 was spent. Wow!!! |
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- Posted by red_eared_slider86 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 3, 10 at 15:23
| Came here from a link on another thread, and just had to say that you did a fabulous job! I, too, LOVE the black cabs! Bravo! |
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- Posted by dirtymartini (My Page) on Thu, Nov 4, 10 at 10:13
| I am also here from a link from another thread. I don't usually post on old threads, but had to say I am in absolute awe. You should have your own TV show, because you not only did great work, but you were very creative. Looks better than some very expensive kitchens! |
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| I used to have those tiles in my dining room. Mine were Italian and no, they weren't Box store specials. I had more money invested in that tile and installation for that one room than I had all the other downstairs rooms combined. Not elcheapos. |
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