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circuspeanutgw

Copper countertops a resale success! (retroactive reveal)

Circus Peanut
11 years ago

Well, we put our beloved bungalow up for sale last week. (A tip for the wise: NEVER allow 2 weeks to finish painting the exterior of your house yourself.) Those of you who walked me through the remodel of my kitchen 4 years ago know how much I adore it, and it's a wrench to let it go. So, despite my dislike of "reveals", here it is as a last hurrah.

I feared that my DIY copper countertops & vintage stove/fridge would turn people off, but to the contrary, folks LOVED them. We got 6 offers in the first 2 days on the market and were under contract for well over the asking price in 3. I suppose another point of this post is to point out that DIY need not be a buyer turn-off, nor is the dearth of granite and stainless steel -- hopefully a reassuring data tidbit for those considering something new and different but gnawing fingernails over the standard cautious "neutral for resale" advice.

Those who know my kitchen will immediately see that we replaced our O'Keefe & Merritt with a Chambers range for the sale. Great story: I bought the Chambers locally from Craigslist, and as things turned out, the seller was a Kitchen Forum member as well. Small world, even up here in the wilds of the Northeast! We had a laugh over the awkwardness of meeting someone in person only known formerly via an unusual online handle.

And as luck would have it, the house we purchased had a wonderful vintage GE fridge, so we were able to swap that out and keep our Liebherr, too.

Our realtor took great kitchen photos for the listings. For those who've only seen bits and pieces in my posts, here's the kitchen in its entirety:

Floors: vintage douglas fir, refinished with waterlox and waterbased poly

Cabinets: solid cherry inset with inlays, Heritage Custom Cabinetry, recycled from Habitat for Humanity and re-customized to fit the space

Countertops: DIY roofing copper and copper bar

Sink: Whitehaus 501 27" fireclay

All hardware: vintage from eBay

Faucets, main sink: Moen Aberdeen and Moen AquaPur filter in Polished Copper

Facuet, prep sink: Kohler Essex in Vibrant Brazen Bronze

Lighting: fixtures from Schoolhouse Electric with vintage glass shades

Backsplash: New England Art Tile in color Harvest

Stove: Chambers 90-C (formerly O'Keefe & Merritt 600)

Hood: Sirius 901 insert, tile & design all DIY

Fridge: 1950's General Electric (formerly Liebherr 30")

Paint color: BM Cambridge Heights in matte Aura

Again, thank you all, collectively, for the wonderful insights and advice. I look forward to depending heavily upon you as I embark on this next kitchen remodel in our new old house!

Comments (41)

  • cluelessincolorado
    11 years ago

    Sniff sniff sniff. Congratulations on the quick sale though and I can't wait to see what you are going to do with the new beauty!!!

  • nineteenoeight
    11 years ago

    Congratulations, and sigh...what a beautiful kitchen.
    Agree, it will be great to see your new remodel!
    Your copper countertops will live forever on here. Thanks for posting the complete kitchen. Gorgeous.

  • beekeeperswife
    11 years ago

    It's a little hard to let go, isn't it? Congrats on the quick sale!

    Where are you going? Far? I either missed it or forgotten if you already shared.

  • trailrunner
    11 years ago

    I can see why it sold so quickly. It has always been one of my most favorite kitchens...a true testament to DIY and creative talent. Good Luck on the next one...I have missed seeing the posts about the layout of the new house and look forward to that process too. c

  • allison0704
    11 years ago

    I missed why you are moving. Congrats on a fast sale!

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    Were you featured in any of the Bungalow magazines? I can't imagine you weren't.

    Now, where are you going and what are you buying?
    And.. I guess it's too late to help you swap out those gorgeous inset cabinets for something else I'd be glad to supply. Right?

    That was too gorgeous and too comfortable and light.
    Great job.

  • 2LittleFishies
    11 years ago

    I love that copper!! : ) Such a lovely kitchen-- Looking forward to what comes next! Congrats!

  • leela4
    11 years ago

    I have such great respect for those of you who have done your kitchens, especially DIY, and then have to move for whatever reason. You and Bee have accepted the changes involved so gracefully; I'm not sure I could do the same. We have said (only half jokingly) that we'll die in this kitchen, and because we are both retired now, work wouldn't force a move. But you never know what life will throw at you. Of course the corollary to that is the you get to design a new kitchen.

    Your kitchen is beautiful; as others have said, it's always been one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing it with us again.

  • lascatx
    11 years ago

    Why wouldn't buyers love that kitchen (and I'm sure the rest of the house)? There is nothing there not to like and so much that is refreshingly different. I think there is a fairly broad appeal for updated vintage but most folks don't have the time or patience to figure out what they can and can't do or how to do them. Cookie cutter neutral is safe and easy, that doesn't mean it is more appealing than something with warmth, charm and personality.

    Now had you done pink, black and white tile with black poodle accents - that vintage look would still find an audience, but it would have been more limited. Good luck with the new house.

  • claybabe
    11 years ago

    Ahhh, Circuspeanut, my half-twin :)

    What a gorgeous place you made. How funny the buyer was a KF member! And nice that your kitchen will be appreciated.

    Can't wait for the new one!

  • chiefy
    11 years ago

    Wow. I think the biggest compliment I can give is that there are a lot of beautiful kitchens on the forum, but most don't really move me (probably because I'm not personally a fan of the OTK) - but YOURS, YOURS I would happily have in my house and would love to work in every day. *sigh*

  • deedles
    11 years ago

    Wow. What a gem. Those are some lucky, lucky buyers and I hope they appreciate the Chambers!

    Your cabs are gorgeous, too. That timeless kitchen would have been enough for me to put in an offer.

    Can't wait to see what you do with your new kitchen!

    Hugs and congrats to you both.

  • angie_diy
    11 years ago

    Circus! That is just lovely. Even though we had plenty of tantalizing snippets of it through the years, seeing it in sum was wonderful. You should be really proud of it. So happy it is "going to a good home."

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    You did a fantastic job on your kitchen. Everything works together with your house so well that it all looks like it could be original. I'd buy it for that kitchen too. Congratulations for getting so many offers so fast. I can't wait to see your next project.

    Do you have a before picture of your kitchen?

  • senator13
    11 years ago

    Your kitchen and countertops have always been one of my all time favorites. Beautifully done. Simple. A wonderful nod to the past. Warm, and inviting. If I lived closer, I would beat down those people putting in an offer with a stick!

  • sqp1015
    11 years ago

    Oh, circuspeanut - if our kitchen project turns out half as beautifully as yours did, I'll be thrilled! Can't imagine finishing & then leaving, but I've followed some of the fascinating plans/drama for your new home. Congratulations and thank you so much for posting these instantly-clipped photos! Best of luck as you go forward on your next labor of love.

  • Donaleen Kohn
    11 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen. Feels warm and inviting. Nice light, too.

  • marcolo
    11 years ago

    Congrats. A well-deserved reward for your work and talent.

    It's sad to realize those are the last pictures of that great kitchen we'll ever see.

    Now get movin' on the new one!

  • Circus Peanut
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ooh, you know, I didn't even think of posting "kitchen befores".

    Thank you all, it's very kind of you. Allison, we're moving because we found a larger old house in a nicer part of town, so it's all good. But the kitchen in the new place .. isn't. It's a 1910 house that has never been "updated", so right now it's an empty room with cheap commercial tile and a nasty 1980's electric stove in it. More on that soon.

    Here you go. As my guy said at the time, they obviously used the baby poop color strip from the paint store:

  • sjerin
    11 years ago

    Circus, you have one of the nicest, warmest, most unique kitchens I've ever seen, and double points for making it a DIY!! Much luck and fun with your new one.

  • sjerin
    11 years ago

    Circus, you have one of the nicest, warmest, most unique kitchens I've ever seen, and double points for making it a DIY!! Much luck and fun with your new one.

  • iroll_gw
    11 years ago

    Circus, your kitchen is one of my top inspirations. Although I am inspired by anyone who undertakes the madness of a thought-out kitchen remodel. I can't wait to see what you do with your new one.

  • eam44
    11 years ago

    It's amazing - you did an incredible job on this kitchen, and I'm sure you will on the next one too! I was looking for your counter post in metalworking and can't find it. Could you possibly post a link here, or on your page? Thanks!

  • springroz
    11 years ago

    If my walnut doesn't show up in about a week, I am gonna be wrappin' this plywood in some copper, and call it DONE!!

    I have always loved that kitchen, circuspeanut, and I know the new one will be an inspiration for us, also!! Sad to think we won't see it again, though.

    Nancy

  • marcolo
    11 years ago

    I think this should be a lesson to the "nuteral and pop! of color" naysayers. If a space is well-designed, and fits the house, assaulting it with beige or cream or gray is not going to improve its saleability.

  • a2gemini
    11 years ago

    Circus - you did such a nice job on your kitchen - I remember when you posted that beautiful backsplash and your copper counter - I am sure you will have fun in the new place!!!

  • senator13
    11 years ago

    Did you strip the paint off the trim yourselves? What a project that had to have been!

  • 1929Spanish
    11 years ago

    Beautiful......and a quick sale + a better area can go a long way. I almost cried when I put my first house on the market, but the new (current) house was so much better.

    Can't wait to see what you do with this next house!

  • mmhmmgood
    11 years ago

    Circus! Those copper countertops make me swoon. I'm a bit jealous. Now I want a second kitchen so I can have a copper countertop. Your whole kitchen is lovely, congrats on a job well done and on a quick sale. Good luck in your new kitchen!

  • cawaps
    11 years ago

    Your "before" kitchen was an appalling example of what happens when people assume that all neutrals match, just because they're neutral.

    And regarding your copper kitchen, congratulations to both you and your purchasers (and other offers) for having excellent taste!

    Copper kitchen, I salute you.

  • labbie
    11 years ago

    I'm late to the party, but I have to say how much I loved this kitchen. I recall the various posts when I first joined GW and lusted over the copper counters.
    I have such a soft spot for older homes. My first house was a 1905 beauty with a challenging kitchen. We moved before we got the chance to renovate it, but now that I've found this board and redone our current kitchen I'm dying to know "what might have been" at our first place.

    I can see how your house sold so quickly, it was loved and it shows. I am looking forward to the new old house reno posts. Great job- and congrats on a quick sale!!

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    What a dramatic transformation! Did you strip the window and door trim or put in new? What a job, but it looks fantastic.

    Yes, I think a lot of people were enamored of the baby poop color strip in the early 80's.

  • onedogedie
    11 years ago

    Goodbye Awesome Kitchen!

  • boone_2009
    11 years ago

    Love those copper countertops and sink fixtures! Congratulations!

  • hobokenkitchen
    11 years ago

    I'm not surprised at all that your house was snapped up so fast - your kitchen is just lovely.
    Congratulations!

  • sochi
    11 years ago

    Congratulations on the quick sale and your move. I've been a fan of your kitchen for ages too, I'm sure you'll be sad letting it go. But lots to look forward to and your home's future owners will enjoy that kitchen for years and years. Good luck with the move, can't wait to see what you do in the new space.

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    11 years ago

    CP, I'm in Maine and had I known your kitchen was one the market, I'd have had a look in real life! Such a missed opportunity. I still hope to one day make my own copper countertop. I love the living nature of it. Congrats on the sale, I will be eagerly watching for the new house's kitchen project.

  • dee850
    11 years ago

    Circuspeanut, your kitchen has been a huge inspiration to me. I'm also DIY'ing and still considering making copper countertops.

    I think I remember a while back you mentioned in a thread somewhere that you may seal the counters so they don't continue to change. Did you ultimately do that?

  • eleena
    11 years ago

    Wow, what a story!

    Question:

    Are your base cabinets free-standing or only look like that?

    I cannot see the bottom part on the pix. Is it just well-hidden?

    TX!

  • colorfast
    11 years ago

    Circus, so glad you posted a final hurrah. While I've read many of your posts I don't think I've ever actually seen your kitchen. You know this all too clearly now that you have to give it up, but it really is gorgeous.

    Thanks for sharing.

  • flwrs_n_co
    11 years ago

    Circuspeanut, I've always loved your kitchen. I remember when you revealed the beautiful copper counters and tiled hood--so lovely! And I'm in awe that you and DH DIY'd it. Your kitchen is so wonderfully functional (open shelves by the fridge, pot rack, peninsula with sink) and warm and comfortable--perfect for a glass of milk and some cookies!

    Congratulations on selling it so quickly and at an optimum price (not surprising to me). I look forward to following your new renovation!

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