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weedyacres

Finished kitchen (thanksgiving week DIY remodel)

weedyacres
14 years ago

A year and a half ago, we DIY remodeled our kitchen in a week, and we're finally done. :-) Since we enlarged the kitchen into the breakfast nook area, we planned to bump out a wall to add on a new nook area. There were some delays in that process, which didn't start until last July, but we just got final inspection approval last week, so I'm finally ready to post finished kitchen photos. In the meantime, we also dressed up the dining room with wainscoting and walnut floors, added a bath and laundry room upstairs, and built a sunroom (connected to the breakfast nook). Oh and re-did the mudroom, powder room, and pantry.

The original thread, in case any of you weren't around then, is linked at the end.

So here we go:

Before was builder-grade oak cabinets that I sold to a coworker for $1000 after putting a few in the garage; black-and-white speckled laminate countertops (couldn't even give that away on freecycle), gray berber carpet (yikes!) and not nearly as many cabinets as could have fit there.







And here are the afters:









The view of weedy acres from the breakfast nook.



Our cat Nemo's favorite spot, though she likes barking at the birds and rabbits as opposed to ogling the lake.



And a shot that shows the remodeled dining room.



And some detail shots of the backsplash:





And the mixer stand

OK, and here are some details. Total cost was about $34,000.

Cabinets: Kraftmaid Parkdale door, vanilla bean glaze, purchased from HD (found a great KD there).

Paint: Sherwin Williams "Nomadic Desert"

Floor: Rialto Beige porcelain from Lowe's, Spectralock Mushroom grout

Heated floors: Warming Systems

Backsplash: Matte biscuit ceramic subways and 6x6s by American Olean from a local tile store, with bronze liners from Home Depot. Spectralock Almond grout.

Granite: Terra Brazilas

Range: GE Profile double oven (love it), bought from HD

Wall Oven: Fridgidaire convection, bought on ebay

Fridge: Whirlpool, bought from Lowe's

Dishwasher: Maytag, bought from HD

Microwave: GE, bought from Lowe's

(None of the appliances are high end, so I haven't included model numbers or anything).

Hardware: Birdcage knobs came free with the cabinets, we spraypainted them bronze. Birdcage pulls are "twisted wire D pull" from hardwareaccents.com. Bar pulls from moderndanish.com

Pendant lights: Portfolio, from Lowe's

Nook drum pendant: Forecast lighting Urban Oasis pendant from littmanbros.com

At some point I'll decorate/accessorize. But amidst all our continuing remodeling, keeping it clean is about all we can muster.

Here is a link that might be useful: GW thread of our kitchen remodel

Comments (35)

  • holligator
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've often wondered whatever happened to your project. I followed your Thanksgiving week DIY undertaking with great enthusiasm, and I'm so glad you posted this follow-up!

    Your space is just beautiful, and you have what looks like an enormous amount of storage now compared to the old setup. I'm still impressed with your DIY skills and tenacity. Your view is gorgeous and it's wonderful that you now get to take such great advantage of it. Congratulations on a job well done!

    P.S. I also love your kitty, who looks like an older female version of my brand new kitten. :)

  • megpie77
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW! I love love love it! What a transformation. I especially love the cabinetry surrounding the frige. I love the colors in your kitchen. I too am having white cabinetry put in. I bet you just love it. Congradulations and enjoy!

  • zeebee
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I can't even believe that's the same space. You really maximized the layout and made it beautiful too - your cabinet color and granite look fabulous together. Great job!

  • janefan
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really beautiful! Love the light fixture in the breakfast nook!

  • katienic
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Simply Beautiful! Everything flows so wonderfully together & you must be absolutely thrilled with all the storage space!

    I also really like your bronze pencil tile definition. I can't be sure from the photos, but does it have a twist to it? If so, it is a lovely echo to your birdcage pulls, which are btw outstanding!

  • nhbaskets
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amazing transformation! The wall of cabinets with your refrigerator is to die for. I'm jealous of your (and kitty's) view from the breakfast nook.

    Great job!

  • susanlynn2012
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What am amazing transformation! I love the Rialto Beige Tiles and maybe I will consider them again with same lot numbers on the boxes for my kitchen when I am ready to do the kitchen with big and small tiles like you have that look great. I also love how you have the microwave off of the counters but not so high that I could not reach it since I am very petite. I love the cabinets and the way everything goes so perfectly together with the backsplash, the light fixtures, the counters, and the neutral coloring. Thank you for sharing your finished kitchen.

    I wish I lived closer to you and if you husband had any time I would hire him to help me with my house since you both really are amazing at having an eye for design as well as being so talented.

  • loves2cook4six
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Stunning. I am so glad I popped over to kitchens today and get to see the finished results in all their glory.

    I remember the original thread and I am most impressed that you did it yourselves. What an achievement.

    I love your backsplash. And I love your eat at bar and the work station next to it with the desk at the same height.

  • sweeby
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GORGEOUS Weedy! What a wonderful transformation.

  • momj47
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, what a terrific new kitchen. I was wondering how your remodel went, glad to see the finished project.

    Enjoy

  • rhome410
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kitty has the best spot in the house! What a view and what a gorgeous transformation. I hope you are enjoying it 24/7. You did a wonderful job. Love, love, love the fridge/oven/micro/pantry wall.

  • plllog
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Weedy, the kitchen is as gorgeous as expected from what you posted at the time, but I don't remember that amazing view! (Of course, midsummer makes a difference...) I'm not generally a view person, but with that panorama framed just so in that window, I think I'd be standing there all day ogling the lake and pointing out birds and rabbits for Nemo to bark at!

  • peytonroad
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice kitchen, huge!! Great KD for sure, Your granite is gorgeous! Is it called something else?

  • desertsteph
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    man did you get a ton of storage space put in there! super! i love your floor - if i could have tile, that's exactly what i'd want...now if i could find something like that in vinyl...

    what a super job - and great view.

    do you live by me? I could use the help next yr...

  • dinkledoodle
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A stunning DIY. Looks 100% pro. Congrats!

  • cat_mom
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm still amazed at the great job you guys did--to have just a fraction of the DIY talent on this forum! I remember when you'd posted pics at the beginning of the process. Very nice!

  • janwad
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the update! I remember the original threads well. Nice job.

  • bgoss123
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow!! Your kitchen looks fabulous. I am jealous. Hope my remodel looks as good as this one.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm in love with your kitchen, your kitty and your view! And, OMG on your DIY skills and energy (I went back and read the Thanksgiving threads)! I'm very impressed. You certainly have earned a huge chunk of sweat equity.

  • rubyfig
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hard to believe that is the same kitchen. Amazing is an understatement. Congrats!

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for all your kind words. You guys are the best support group ever!

    katienic: Yes, the bronze liner is a rope/twist.
    peytonroad: I don't know of an alternative name for the granite.
    desertstehp: If we are done with all our remodeling next year, maybe we can come help you out. Oops, forgot we've got to start working on clearing out and re-designing our 7 (weedy) acres. :-)

    You guys have nailed 2 of my favorite things in the room: the tons of storage (yes, I have empty cabinets) and the view. Though the view from upstairs is even better: we made the nook 2 stories, and the upstairs attaches to our master bedroom. Sometime I feel so spoiled.

  • Buehl
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    About time :-) I remember when you were working on it and we were all waiting each day for the update!

    Everything looks wonderful...view, cabinets, storage, cat...!!! I also really like the desk & eating area...the desk is the perfect place for a laptop w/o getting in the way of eating or other projects on the bar.

    BTW...you're the reason we have birdcage pulls & knobs in our kitchen. When we realized cup pulls wouldn't work for us, I had no idea what hardware to get....then I saw yours and knew they were the ones! Thanks so much!!!!


    As I recall, there was also a bathroom thread, wasn't there? I don't suppose you could post your "finished bathroom" pics as well....???

  • homey_bird
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weedyacres, this is a fabulous remodel! Total transformation. Congratulations on the vision and the execution. Very neat job!!

    Enjoy the space, and best luck with your rest of the remodel.

  • sapphirestitch
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I keep going back and forth between the pics of the "before" and "after"...it just doesn't seem possible that you could fit so much more in that same space!

    It all flows together so nicely and the colors are calm and peaceful...a very lovely room, you did a great job.

    I am intrigued by your diagonal corner upper cabinet to the right of the range has a door that doesn't open all the way down. What sort of nifty storage solution or design feature lurks in that space?

    Nemo is a beautiful kitty, BTW, I love her markings and sweet face. We used to have a cat who "barked", too...my friends thought I was bit nutty when I told them that. But his prey-watching noises were definitely barks.

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alas, sapphire, no nifty storage solution lurks behind that panel, though I've thought I might hang a paper towel roll behind it.

    Here's the story: I wanted a raised cabinet on that corner, with a tambour below. Max cabinet height is 42", so my KD originally lowered ALL other uppers to 36" so the bottoms would be flush. I wasn't willing to give up that much cabinet space, so we decided on a spacer between the upper and the tambour, with a small "drawer front" to trim it out and make it look purposeful.

    I decided after we started putting the cabinets up that I didn't like the corner tambour (counter space hog), but still needed to fill in the space. I couldn't just leave the jog in the bottom, because the light rail under the corner cabinet would butt into the adjacent cabinets' doors. So I did the spacer: carefully scribing a piece of filler to bridge the two adjacent cabinets evenly for the light rail; painting the mitered edges; and adding some scribed skin on either side. The "drawer front" idea didn't work because the glazed border part is too wide.

    So there you have it, another vagary of remodeling/kitchen design.

    As for the Jack & Jill bathroom photos, it's been done since Thanksgiving except for the shower doors. Still laboring over whether to pay $1100 for 3/8" frameless or $434 for DIY 1/4". And I'm unwilling to post while we're still using a shower curtain (it's a guest bath, so isn't getting a lot of use). Hopefully this won't take us a year and a half, but I'll try to make a decision soon. I do love how it turned out.

  • rhodora
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I LOVE your kitchen! So beautiful -it would be my dream kitchen if my budget would allow! The telephone area is a great touch! I wish I had room for this!
    I'm in the process of doing my kitchen and I think have very similar taste. Do you mind letting me know what faucet you have? Is it the Delta Saxony?

  • boxerpups
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow what a beautiful place.
    Elegant and fresh. I love the white cab and the soft taupe
    walls. The granite is lovely and the detail on the
    cabinets are amazing.

    DIY? You need to go into business. This is a work
    of art. It appears Nemo likes the kitchen too.

    Great job.

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The faucet is Price Pfister Marielle.

  • scrappy25
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really wonderful, so many great ideas! Can I ask about your tile- the Rialto Beige- does it come in that small and large tile pattern, or did you have to create that?

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The Rialto Beige tile comes in 16x16, 12x12 and 6x6. We used 16s and 12s and put them together in the pinwheel pattern shown.

  • marthavila
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gee. Gosh. Golly. Wow! I am so glad I finally opened this thread to see what was inside! Like others, I remember when you were working on your kitchen and I also remember being so impressed with your DIY energy and skills. Seemed like you had brought us pretty far along in the process and then you just disappeared! To be honest, I didn't open this thread right away because I thought it was one of your older threads being revived (Yes, I now realize that it does say "finished kitchen" and the start date is June 19, '09. LOL). At any rate, let me repeat that this is one fantastic job you have done and I am so glad to be seeing the finished product! Love everything about your new space, especially how you achieved an increased sense of spaciousness even though you have put more into the kitchen! Also loving that view and Nemo! Congratulations!

  • lesmis
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I totally missed this post too! Your kitchen is wonderful and the fact that you did it yourselves is amazing! I love your finish choices everything looks great together. Those chairs are really cool and of course the kitty is the best accessory of all!

    Enjoy!

    Kat :)

  • starpooh
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! What a wonderful transformation!
    I can't wait to see what you'll accomplish on your 7 weedy acres if you put the same energy into them as you did your kitchen.

    One question for you... may I archive your kitchen in the Finished Kitchens Blog? I would also like to include some of the information about how you did your DIY.
    If it sounds ok please submit the FKB Category Checklist to give your permission.

    Thank you!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Category Checklist

  • frank59
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kudos on a beautiful job!! Thanks for taking the time to offer pics.

    I'm really liking some of the ideas and design cues presented. For one, I didn't think that the mix of knobs/handles and styles of handles could be used successfully, but works quite well.

    BTW, best to go thicker the better with your glass shower enclosure and nothing less than 3/8". Pricey, but worth the look and you need that show of substance with frameless. One of the other things I had to consider was the color of glass to use (whether to go with the standard green hue or the pricier blue).

    Oh, Nemo is a cutie for sure!!;)

  • susanlynn2012
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weedyacres, again I am enjoying viewing your beautiful kitchen loving all the changes you have made including the beautiful tiles installed in a pattern and that gorgeous view. Thanks for sharing the pictures and sharing the grout color and brand.