Oh wow...that turquoise punch !! You got me there . I love your new space. As an old home lover/owner I can identify with all you said and the reasons you remodeled. Great job... but whoo baby that turquoise....be still my heart. c

That is wonderful! I love the colors. The hutch is so pretty. The floor and countertop color coordinate so well, and they are neutral so the green and blue-green can sparkle. I also love how you staged it. The orange-red and oranges are the perfect complementary colors. Really nice job all around. Congratulations!

Love your floors, your counters and that cozy MCM dining area. And very creative "hutch" within the cabinet run, nice shot of color.

I hope you enjoy your new kitchen!

Wow...you did a great job! Gorgeous counters and I LOVE your blue hutch! Awesome!

LOve that turquoise hutch right there in the center of that run -- it is just fabulous. I think you did a great job on the kitchen, I'll bet you're loving it aren't you? Thanks for sharing.

LOVE the glass inserts and that punch of color.
Gorgeous space.

love the colors and the lighter wwod, how you did the mw, the floors, and much more!

"but whoo baby that turquoise"

love that -what color is it? looks like would be a good one to use for base cabs (wiped down in walnut) if I decide to go that way.

Your kitchen is gorgeous! I really enjoy your use of color.

May I ask about the floor? You said it was by Laurel in a pattern called Empire; any more details you can add? I've tried Googling for that and all I can find are floor stores in Laurel, MD!

TIA,

L

I like how you made such a personal stamp on the space. It's creative, warm, and cozy. I feel like I know you after seeing your kitchen, if that makes sense. Enjoy!

WOW! You got me... and I'm a big fan of what you did. Love the glass shades, the turquoise, and yummy glass insert. Truly love kitchens that reflect the personality of it's owner. Congrats!

Thanks for the kind comments! I am now b-r-o-k-e, so, being denied any further consumer gratification, compliments are all I have left.

To answer a few questions: the green/blue is called Azure Water by Benjamin Moore. It's truly a lovely color. Not candy at all, but rich. The floor tile is Crossville, style Empire, color Laurel Green --sorry about that. I had intended to do real slate, which is wicked cheap, but my tile guy said that it was hard to keep clean. If a guy is telling me that, I have to listen. Plus, the white floor I had before drove me insane. I was in the tile store holding a piece of honed slate, and I saw this stuff -- you couldn't tell the difference. Most people think it is slate, and even better -- I can't tell when it's dirty. It was $6.74 per sqf, versus $3 for slate. But I tried to make every decision with how it would wear long-term, because you have to spend so much money, and it's not like you are going to re-do it again in five years. I can't slipcover anything in a kitchen.

The blue cabinet -- I didn't show it, but it is lit inside. We installed plate glass shelves, and I filled it with all of my glassware, so the light would shine through. This was my "something different" element, and it goes with the age of the house. I looked at every picture of every kitchen ever printed at anytime, anywhere. There are many, many nice kitchens. But our budget was tight. We did all of the painting and staining ourselves -- cause that's all we could do ourselves. I price shopped everything I wanted -- really hard. (Hoods! Who knew they were insanely priced?) After a while, they all start to blur together. I tried to come up with a look that wasn't cookie-cutter, and would last. Don't know if I succeeded. Only time will tell. (Ouch.)

Anyway, I am enjoying it. For the first time ever, I have a dishwasher! We are religious composters, but having a garbage disposal for all the little bits is the bomb. I like having places to store things and counters for work space. My baking stuff is all in one place, and when I open that cabinet, I get a hit of vanilla and cinnamon.

But ya know, I was the second GC on three simultaneous projects-- I hired my own plumber, electrician and tile guy. I ordered just about everything online. We have a small old house, so every day, the contractor would tell me, Ellen, we have a little problem. We'd have to get creative about space, and I'd say: "Another episode of This Old House.."

After obsessing about every little detail for six months(to the detriment of my own hygiene), it's over (except for the payments). We are just living in it, dinging it up here and there -- already! I've moved on to second-guessing my design choices -- but then, again, on the subject of my house, I'm nuts -- I cheerfully admit.

Now, I have to fulfill a promise to my daughter -- a dog!

OMG you are killing me with cuteness! Love it! Enjoy!!! XO

I like it - especially that pretty glass - congrats!

wakefieldremolder - Was wondering ? Farmer's Market flowers ??????

Congrats on your new kitchen, love the stained glass !

It's terrific! Congrats and Enjoy!!

Great job! You must be proud, have fun cooking in your new space!

A commitment to colour!! (Happy dance) I absolutely love that blue-green cabinet. The whole thing is very nice looking, open lots of light. But that cabinet. Gorgeous.

The flowers are from my garden. I have a lot of hydrangeas, so they are good fillers. The sunflowers and zinnias I grew from seed. I only did that because the gol-darn reno took so long, I basically never got to doing much gardening this spring/summer. The nurseries were out of what I wanted by the time I got there. So, I figured, a dollar for a pack of seeds -- what the hell. They grew pretty well, and next year, I'll save some money and do it again!

WHAT A TRANSFORMATION!!!! Congrats on such a gorgeous kitchen.

And I LOVE the colors you have .... it reminds me of my Fiestaware .... always grabbing a coffee cup and saucer in the morning that is not the same color and love the way the colors play so well together.

Thanks for sharing ;)

jody

'Truly love kitchens that reflect the personality of it's owner'

me too!

Wowzer! What a wonderful renovation. I, like everyone else, love how you've personalized it for you! It's beautiful and unique. Love it!

Warm and whimsical!!! Lovely job!

How did I miss this? Such a sweet kitchen!

Great remodel! I love the floor! Love the soapstone! I love the blue/green cabinets - very unique! and I love the green color you picked-very fresh.! great job. The space planning looks wonderful.. and I hope you are enjoying your new Electrolux Range as much as I am! Great Job!

So enjoyed the eye candy and reading about your journey as a GC! I have identified with e-v-e-r-ything you have articulated in your post(made me laugh), as I also have put on the hard-hat(no DIY except vision, and checkbook), albeit a smaller project in scope. I love the warmth of your kitchen cabinets and the ss counters, and the floors compliment so well. A finished kitchen that looks pleasant, agreeable and attractive, pleasing the senses beautifully and mind aesthetically!

Looks wonderful, you did a great job creating a special space. It certainly looks like it should be timeless too.

Beautiful! And so much storage! Of course, my favorites are your gorgeous stained glass and the blue cabs. So unexpected and happy! It must be so beautiful at night when it's lit! Enjoy your new kitchen and give yourselves and big pat on the back for a job VERY well done!

Dear LRy511: I love everything about my Electrolux -- except, that ceramic cooktop is a pain to clean. I tried not to install anything too precious, because it's definitely a working kitchen. I would have preferred gas, but we have no lines on our street and putting in propane was going to add cost and force me to rip out one of my beds. I just keep a little paint scraper in the kitchen. But I do like how it's very responsive, and those gliding racks! This Thanksgiving -- no pumpkin pie filling slopping over the sides of the crust to blacken the bottom of my oven.

Dear Pamikel: Yes, I have a repetitive strain injury from whipping out the check book so many times. But, by the project's end, I still liked my contractor and all my subs. I always tell people: there's fast and good -- that costs a lot of money. There's fast, and then there's good. Always pick good, because you're going to live with it for a lot longer than it takes to get the job done....

What a beautiful new kitchen you have! Love how you used the stain glass doors and the color pop, very unique!

What a transformation! Really beautiful! What size is your tile? 14x14?

Yes, Orlando1, they are 14 by 14.

Beautiful kitchen! We are beginning a kitchen remodel in our Cape Cod style home. I love the cabinets? Would you mind sharing what type of wood and who the manufacturer is? We will also be using soapstone and slate/slate-like flooring.
All of your hard work paid off! Gorgeous!

really nice, i love the floors and your countertops. that blue hutch really makes a great statement. cozy and comfy, you did a great job!

Dear Susan 345:

The cabs were manufactured by Showplace Wood Products. They are mid-range, price-wise. The wood is maple, the glaze/stain is called taupe. The style is Bradford. That said, cabinets are like sofas: there are only so many styles and many manufacturers make some version of the same things. Then it becomes a question of: how much quality can I afford and/or who gives the best value for the price? Showplace falls in the latter category. Good luck on your reno. The process is trying, but putting a lot of time in the planning makes the construction easier and the result -- something you're happy to live with!

Thank you! I appreciate the advice. The cabinet choices are overwhelming and that helps me to start narrowing down the choices.

Wow! What a TRANSFORMATION! I love it! The flat screen tv at the table really takes you into the 21st century! That is coming from the girl who still has a "dinosaur 32" sony! :o) LOL! I really like the warm tones in your cabinetry with the sopastone! VERY well done! :o)

Dear Caprgirl105:

Well, I would have preferred a nice painting there, but had to go with the demands of the other kitchen users. I was going to hang a cabinet around it, so I didn't have to look at when it was not in use, but we were able to hang it in a way that looks clean, so -- it's okay.

Great job! Love what you're doing - fun pops of color everywhere :) Love your dining set up - very nice.

What an amazing transformation! I love the new cabinets, the recessed lighting, the range hood, the Electrolux range, the refrigerator, the area for the microwave, the beautiful counters, and your floors. What size tile did you choose? I love the pattern you choose for that tile. I also was wondering what color grout you choose that looks so nice with the tiles. Finally, that is a clever idea to have that small LCD TV in the kitchen! Love the changes and the fun!

Thanks for the kind comments.
Lynn2006: the tiles are 14 by 14. arranged in a simple brick-like offset pattern. I wanted to do diagonal, but my tiler thought it would be too busy in a cut up space. The pix are deceptive -- the kitchen looks bigger than it is. We had just enough space for everything -- but had to get a smaller radiator and ditch the french-door frig -- too wide. The grout is DeLorean gray -- a pretty common grout. If you search that term in Garden Web-- or rather do it through Google, since I seem to have no luck using Garden Web's search engine, you will see other pix of it -- usually with white tile..

Love your bright colors! We also have an old house - 1918 - and are doing a nook in the kitchen. We've completed a bench and are buying 2 small stools for other side of table, but still have to make the table. We want a table similar to yours so we don't have to clean around 4 table legs and so we have more leg space under the table. Like the idea of using the porch piece. We were thinking of cutting a trestle leg and attaching other end of table to wall. How did you attach your leg and how did you attach the other end of your table? Did you buy the piece of maple and finish, or did you have to attach pieces to make it this large?

Laurielou177: I did none of it -- my furniture guy did. It isn't one piece of maple -- but, you could probably use maple plywood and nose it to hide the edges. Contact me off-line ecliberman@cox.net -- I'll ask my furniture guy exactly what he did. I know that I asked him to make it so it could be easily disassembled, if I ever wanted to pick up the post for cleaning. The post is attached to the table by wooden cleats. I believe he cut away part of the top of the post to insert the piece of wood crosswise. The end that goes into the wall is supported by a two pieces of wood on the underside. One is screwed into the wall. Attached to that is a piece that is screwed into the underside of the table. In addition, there are three strips of wood going across the underside of the table to give the width of the table some support. The dimensions of the table top are 30.5 x 48. We had a tight space. Trestles are a good option, and look nice in an old house, but I thought they had to be stabilized by a stretcher at the bottom. I'm not sure I used the right furniture terms. As much as I obsessed about this, I'm already forgetting all the details. Email me if you really want to know.

Thanks. I'm writing down the email if I have further ?'s. The table is almost the last thing we are doing, and we have several ideas on how we might do it. Your porch post adds another possibility. I'll have to ask more about the stretcher for a trestle leg on one end. Was considering that w/other end of table attached to wall, but you're right, that might not work. Thanks again.

Beautiful!!

You've just pulled-off what every designer hopes to accomplish - creating a new kitchen that is a reflection of their client's personal style and taste while maintaining the integrity of the style of the home itself ... and thanks for the kind comments about Showplace cabinets, I agree they are a cabinet that hits the sweet-spot of getting top value for your dollar.

And, wow, acting as your own GC was no doubt a leap of faith on its own. Showplace now has a project workbook that is available from their website that would be helpful to others planning a project like yours; the workbook does have a fair amount of Showplace content built into it, but the "project conversation" part of it is great info regardless of which brand someone chooses. Here is a link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet Project Workbook

wakefieldremoldeler, the tiles are perfect for your space. I am also going to use that pattern for my tiles since despite loving the diagonal pattern in my little foyer areas, I do not want so many cut tiles with more grout. I went cabinet shopping yesterday and I can appreciate your beautiful cabinets that are trimmed with molding to the ceiling. You did a beautiful renovation! Thanks again for sharing.

Lynn2006:

Good luck with your reno -- and don't forget to share when you're finished. It's a physically, mentally and psychologically exhausting experience -- even when you enjoy it.