Wow, wow, wow. You must be so excited. Love the incorporation of the carriage style garage doors. The corner cabinet 'transplant' is definitely a huge success. Can't wait to see pictures as things come along more and more.

Wow, those are really beautiful transformations. Although I do have to add that the before kitchen if very pretty, what countertops did you have in the before?

Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy you're much more spacious kitchen. I really like how the sunroom turned out. It has lots of character. The carriage doors are gorgeous. I can't wait to see more pics.

Thanks guys...
littlealexa--yes I actually love(d) my little kitchen in many ways. Major functional flaws not apparent in the aesthetics: one wall of base cabinets was only 18" deep in order to fit all three major appliances in the room (when we bought the house the refrigerator was located in a different room!) Refrigerator and dishwasher could not open at the same time. The fridge wall consisted of: fridge and one 12" base cabinet and 12" upper! 12" of counter to the right of the stove...on and on...We were actually going to try to reuse the cabinets in the new kitchen but they were so many tiny and custom sizes that it turned out to be a ridiculous ambition. Bathroom was a better spot. Anyhow, original counters were Formica laminate in the color "Ivory Brushing" It's actually very pretty close up--kind of light beige to pink brush marks...but at about year 7 or 8, we had a lot of dings--we're hard on things. We're going with soapstone this time, where dings can be considered "patina" and not damage :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Formica Ivory Brushing

Here's a pic of the old kitchen cabs going in to the master bath...
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FABULOUS! There's nothing I like better than seeing an older home get a complete re-hab! You should be very proud, you have done a lovely job. Keep the pictures coming!

You have certainly done a great job using what you have to advantage. I love the way you have incorporated all the beautiful original features in the remodel. I do remember the post about the builtins. It turned out great. I love those garage doors too ! Keep posting we love pics ! c

Wow! Now I know why you couldn't get together with us last month...you were busy with this! (Just kidding!)

I love your sunroom conversion...I think it's my favorite part. The MBR & MBA will be so nice. I was wondering about the garage doors when I looked at the pictures (I usually look at the pictures first...then read the text!)

Great job!

Great job, it looks beautiful. Love the color in your sunroom, could you share brand and color. Can't wait to see everything finished!!

Wow, that is really great! I especially like the converted sunroom - the built-ins and colors look wonderful. Keep showing us your progress, please!

Thanks!

Paint colors:
I pretty much stuck with the Affinity fan deck of colors from Benjamin Moore (Aura Paint)
The sunroom-now-dining-room is "Wind Chime" AF-465

I agonized over the right green (there are so many nice ones in the Affinity line) and am so happy with the way it turned out--the same color will be in the breakfast area and kitchen which all open up to that same space...
I'm happy with the way this particular green looks with the green-blacks in some of my furniture and the soapstone, as well as with the natural woods. It also looks great next to cranberry/red accents!

Bedroom is "Constellation" AF-540
Master Bath is "Boudoir" AF-190
All the trim, ceilings, anything white, is "Mascarpone" AF-20

One other color not appearing in the photos yet is for the main living area, hallway, stairwell, etc. "Frappe" AF-85 It's a light beige with yellow cast--looks amazing next to the green.

I'm going to look at soapstone slabs this afternoon--yay!

The renovation is beautiful. And the sunroom transformation is truly spectacular. Those corner cabinets are so special--I'm glad you had a contractor who cared enough about the original house materials to make everything work. Can't wait to see the next set of photos.

Echoing the above comments- Love love love that sunroom. I want one!!!

OK, now I gotta get off this computer and get back to working on our house!

Your pics are inspiring!

berf...Do you have any pics of your of your soapstone? I think that I had read you were going w/GM org PA....I am having a week long battle with my self on whether I want PA or Emerald Sunshine...I need to decide by Mon morning...HELP!!!

Shanny-so sorry to just be logging in now and I fear missing your deadline. My soapstone has not been installed yet, but yest I'm going with GM Original PA. I actually went to visit my slabs this morning :) I don't have pix...sorry. I looked at a lot of soapstone months ago and found myself consistently going back to the PA...
I have never actually seen Emerald Sunshine (at least not by that name) so can't speak to any differences/similarities between the two.
My cabinets arrive Thursday, intall over the course of the days after that, and countertop templating on the 23, install on the 31st...so I'll have pictures then!

Kindly,
B

Well, I made my decision.....Gr Mt Org PA!!!!I told my fabricator that if I tried to call and change my mind to ignore my calls. It was a tough choice, but like you I kept going back to it. My guy started fabricating it this morning...I think. He said that he will be installing no later than next Monday...an end in sight!

What does your stone look like? I am having a hard time remembering what my slabs looked like (forgot camera)

Can't wait to see you kitchen, everything looks great so far!

Shannon

LOL! i thought you were talking about 1600 pennsylvania avenue!

Shannon-Congrats! The original pa I chose is pretty consistent with all of pa slabs i've looked at. Very consistently grey/black (a slight green tinge when wet/oiled) and light to medium veining with the occasional "dramatic" vein. It was the hardness, consistency of color and blacker rather than greener color that sealed the deal for me...
My husband and I had about 12-15 different samples at one point in the spring which we went to town on with a meat mallet and other implements trying to damage...the pa held up the best.
post photos as you go--we'll trade notes!
B

Wow--it's looking absolutely fabulous! You must be so excited to see it coming together. I LOVE the built-ins!

If I remember right, you had some real layout challenges with your whole first floor. How did you end up solving those problems?

Thanks for remembering holligator--we did struggle. In the end it was, like anything else a series of compromises...
We really had to examine our priorities but also I just sat back and watched the family and where everyone gravitates, how we operate...and used that to decide how to use the space. The "Big L" that consists of the kitchen, old dining room, old sunroom is now all opened up. Our biggest questions had to do with where to put the various components within that space--kitchen/dining/breakfast and bar--and we were toying with moving the front living room just to make it more confusing!
Add to that the commitment to keep the builtins (thereby HAVING to reserve two corners for that)and there were no perfect solutions.

The architect was strongly urging me to let go of my attachment to the builtins, as their elimination did provide many more options for use of space--it's the only thing I think he was way off base on. He was technically correct but totally missing the intangible value of those things. It became a joke between us really--every idea he had I'd be saying"but what about the builtins?"

I'm so glad we saved them.

Anyhow, I'm rambling. We kept the core of the kitchen in its original spot but once the wall came down we were able to push everything out a little to make that area a bit bigger, add a peninsula...and we went with the table-height bar/breakfast area on the opposite side of the peninsula. If I recall correctly, that idea got mixed reviews here --due to the perceived wasted space behind those seated at the bar and that "dead corner." Due to other savings we were able to actually put a bank of cabinets back there for a drybar, though...so now I'm really happy with that whole space.

Window placement-existing and new was also a challenge. We decided to spend on really nice windows for that front "sunroom/dining room" rather than spend money on trying to reconfigure window placement in the rest of the "L" (all the original windows, save one, are set very low--only 25" off the floor--so negate base cabinets there!) and decided to keep a tall hedge that is there shielding the view of the neighbor's wall. I thought the window in the hedge, or staring at her house would look bad in my original posts, but now that we've done it--the tall green of the hedge (about 7-8 feet from the outside of the window) is a very pretty element.

I decided to put the big table and dining up front there because it is the most light filled area of the house and we gravitate there for just about everything. By preserving it for that, and not erecting the kitchen there, it shares more light with the existing living room and kitchen/breakfast area.

The living room remains small in its original footprint, but we changed the traffic flow a bit and with the wall down it certainly seems bigger, and I'll have a few more, if not many, furniture placement options than I did before.

All of this of course is hard to imagine without drawings/pictures. I need to dig out the drawings and post them back up here with some of the final pictures. It really is like a completely different house!

Thanks for asking...

It'll stay mostly boxed up until tomorrow when my contractor is here to start installation--but I couldn't resist busting a few boxes open!
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Here's the bookcase for my cookbook collection:

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And here's the set of uppers for the dry bar area--will eventually have glass inserts on the doors:
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And here's one of my two groovy 9" pullouts which will flank the range:

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I love them! I was very nervous because going with natural cherry seemed like a bit of a risk--but at least so far--exactly how I'd imagined they'd be.
Delivery was a snap, too. Yay!

B

Those are BEAUtiful! I love natural cherry. It's one of woodworker DH's favorites, so it's what we had in our last house. I just let him have his way and he made a great choice. They only get better with time.

The dog does not look impressed!

PS Good to 'meet' another Christian homeschooler. (I read your post on the 'tell us about yourself' thread just now) Will you use your nice, bright dining room space for school? That's what we do. :-)

Here's the exterior "before"
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And here it is today...
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And here's an exterior shot of those "garage doors" (now windows to the master bedroom)...they'll have big black iron handles at some point here soon...
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The cabinets are beautiful. Do you mind me asking who the manufacturer is?

Hi Cindy-I am very pleased with the cabinets. They are by Brighton. I bought them through Cabinet Discounters in Columbia, MD. Using my own contractor/installer. I am very very pleased with the quality and value. As with most any cabinet order, there have been a few minor glitches, but all minor and all resolved very quickly and appropriately by the terrific salesman who worked with me. (Matt Simms)We aren't 100% installed quite yet, but so far, so good.
They are a fully custom line, which was a big help in the design, and still more economical than Dynasty (semi-custom)Blumotion (softclose) is standard, plywood boxes, dovetailed drawers. In person, the factory matched the wood grain across adjacent drawers and bookmatched certain veneer pieces inside the glass front cabinets..all very cool.

I had Omega Dynasty cabinets before this, which were also fabulous--but could not afford to outfit my entire new (larger) kitchen in that line and still have money left over for counters, etc! I have found the Brighton to be quite comparable in build to my Dynasty cabinets. Only time will tell about longevity (My Dynasty are still very solid and in fact being reused in the bathroom).

I've certainly seen nicer cabinets, but not at my price point.

Here's another view from today--no hardware, light rails, or other trim yet, and there will be glass uppers over the peninsula. A table-height bar will go on those funky supports you see sticking out at the moment (they templated for my soapstone today!) It will have a free form teardrop/rounded airplane wing sort of shape to it that I came up with (and that has given all the installer types fits--but will be great when it's done :) )

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Best,
B

Here is a link that might be useful: Brighton Cabinetry