DH here. Will try to post befores. My sweet lady is down early with a nasty cold.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Wonderful! It really looks gorgeous.

A realtor just went through my in-laws' 30 yr old house and suggested many changes to spiff up the house, but threw up her hands about the oak kitchen with almond laminate and said, just clean it and leave it. Yours is such a great inspiration pic of how their kitchen could be improved for resale.

I hope your extra rest chases the cold away!

Thanks so much you guys for all the nice comments. It has made my morning. And thanks DH for posting that before pic. I will have to dig through and find an original before, the lino floors, brass hardware, wallpaper, etc. This kitchen has been all DIY, but just not all at one time.

marcydc I got that clock at J.C.Penney, I really like it, because you can see it from the kitchen, or the family room, as long as you have the time set the same on both sides. (The batteries have gone out before on only one side) I think it would work well to disguise your DH's big new TV. LOL.

dianalo thanks for mentioning the hardware. Originally, the pulls were set in the middle of the doors??? Very odd looking. With all the trim, we really couldn't put knobs on the doors because they would have been set to far into the door panel. I found these on overstock, and think they work well.

flwrs n co That is actually a regular cooktop. I wish it were induction, they seem really cool. Originally, we had a cooktop with the ceramic burners. Only 2 worked, and they only worked on high or off. The cooktop was the first thing we replaced in the kitchen.

I will look for an original before pic, but I think they are on a disc, not cd.

OMG those cabinets are adorable! I love that you did white for the uppers and black for the lowers. Came close to going that way myself. The floor looks wonderful! Enjoy!

You did a really good job getting all those warm colors to just "melt" together. I think it looks great.

Wow...just fabulous. Great job of blending materials and the colors are wonderful. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

What are all those beautiful paint colors?

Looks excellent! Love the cabinets!

What a big improvement with the painted cabinets. I love your colors - the dark ones look so rich. You floor tiles are beautiful too. A great transformation - enjoy!

What a gorgeous warm and inviting kitchen. Fabulous job! You have pulled everything together beautifully. Enjoy!

Thanks again guys for all the nice comments. I really did get so many good ideas on this forum and others on garden web.

Rhome410 the extra sleep did help a lot. DH made dinner last night, fed the dogs, and took the pics for me. I feel better, but am now left with this awful cough. yuck.

The slate floors I really like, but would probably never do again myself. It took us about 3 months to install because we only had one day off a week to work on them. But, they don't show footprints, dirt, fur, and are pretty much indestructable.

gsciencechick There are a lot of different colors in this room. The upper cabinets are BM mascarpone, the base cabinets are SW Sealskin. The wall color is Behr pecan sandie, and the ceiling is EK faustovian gray, the trim is BM white dove. I pretty much have the faustovian gray and white dove throughout the rest of the house.

Oh, I forgot the teal color on the inside of the buffet and the small family room wall is Behr mermaid net.

Really beautiful job! What a huge difference. So glad DH posted the before pic. Congratulations and enjoy your new space. Oh....I really like the dining area with the bench. Lots of nice, unique touches.

Wow you are really talented, love everything!

I found a before picture to add.
This is what the kitchen originally looked like.

Beautiful!! I really like the dark lower cabinets and white uppers. Everything looks gorgeous!

Hi magglepuss..

I just want to add my comments to the others...You have a lovely home and a flair for decorating..I really like the glass in the cabinet doors. The whole place looks very warm and inviting!

KA:)

Love, love, love your new kithcen ..... especially the slate floor!!!

Love the bench in the dinning area! Details please! :-)

magglepuss - it looks great! Congrats! Enjoy your new space :)

DH here. One color not previously identified was that on the bulkheads above the cabinets. It is Behr flat wall paint, color is toffee crunch.

Thanks for the comments! I dragged my feet on this project thinking " if we paint these, we can't go back ".

I can't imagine going back to what we had! The difference is beyond words. She's got a good eye.

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm thinking of dumping every idea I had for this, because it is so beautiful. I love the colors, and the way they repeat. I've never seen black and white look so serene. Above all, we must know - what is the name of that slate, and where did you get it?
TIA

What a wonderful job you did! It looks beautiful.

What a beautiful kitchen!! Do you mind sharing your process for painting the cabinets?? Did you clean with TSP first, then sand? oil primer? how many coats of paint? Did you use semi-gloss? Sorry for all the questions, but I am getting ready to start this project in my kitchen....painting oak cabinets white, and would appreciate knowing your process and any advice. If mine turned out this nice I would be so happy.

I just wanted to say that I love it as well. it's really, really wonderful and many congratulations to you for having the vision and follow-through to accomplish this. Yay!

What a wonderful transformation. Even better when you see the old kitchen. Amazing what paint can do. Love the black lower cabinets and your wall color. Great job!!!!

Thanks again. You guys are really giving me the encouragment I need to tackle my master bath.

Lyvia the slate is from All American flooring. It is the multi colored slate that is sold many places. What we did different though is used dark gray grout. Usually this slate is seen with oatmeal colored grout, which is very pretty, and makes each piece of slate stand out. We kind of wanted the floor to look less geometric. Also, we used a high gloss sealer. Usually with slate a matte sealer is used. We have used matte as well, but I really like the high gloss.

rysmom the bench in the eating area is a church pew. I found a 10 ft. church pew on craigs list for not much money. DH cut it down to a workable size. The bench part that was cut out, is being used by neighbors.

najohnson Here's what we did. We did use tsp, and then we sanded. Many people have used deglosser instead of sanding with good results. When I read that primer had to be applied within a certain timeframe of applying deglosser, I decided to sand instead. I used 2 coats of primer then I sanded the doors lightly. I used a sanding sponge from Home depot. The primer I used was water based BM fresh start. I used a gray primer on the base cabinets. The white color is BM aura paint in satin, the base is SW sealskin in semi gloss. (This was not the original plan, but we could not get the SW paint to colormatch with BM). Unfortunately, I had to do 3 coats of paint. I was so concerned about not having drips, that I think I put the paint on thinner than I normally would. Also, I sanded between coats of paint. This was a quick process with the sanding sponge and microfiber cloth.
I covered my DR table with plastic. Then got an old lazy susan and placed a small sturdy box on top of the lazy susan. Then, put a door on top of that. It made painting the doors so much easier. After painting I used small wax covered drinking cups to hold up the doors. I bought a box of 300 cups for not much money. Hope the info helps.

Beautiful! great job!

Please tell us more about the counters. They are so pretty they're making me reconsider laminate. Would love a close up picture of them too (hint, hint).

Very nice!

Your kitchen turned out great!! Love the 2 tone cabinets, backsplash, and floor. Very warm and welcoming. Enjoy and hoping you're feeling better. How nice that DH made dinner!!

Verrrry nice! Love the black and white mixture of cabs, and the white uppers with glass are so charming!

Congrats on an amazing job! Enjoy!

Thanks again you guys for all the nice comments.

chris45ny I am feeling much better, thanks so much for asking. I'm well enough tonight to enjoy a glass of wine. (that's important)

krabbypatty (love the name) the countertops have a beveled edge. We got them through Lowes, but I found out later that if you look online you can find the contractors they use to make them and cut out the middleman. They came to our house to measure and then installed after they were made. We also ordered them with a "flat deck" so they don't have that little ledge that goes up on the wall. I believe the name of the laminate was travertine.

Magglepuss, thanks for all the info. It will really help when I start my project. I am definitely inspired my your kitchen.

My goodness...that backsplash and "travertine" countertop look very rich paired with the dark bottom cabinets and white uppers. Your kitchen looks so warm, especially with those pops of deep orange in the drapes and pillows. Very inspirational.

DH here. Gratifying to read all the kind posts.
To expand on some points queried earlier, the exact name of the slate is Indian Multicolor. We got the church pew from craigs list, but got our leads from www.churchpews.com. Our neighbors used the part of the pew we cut out for the seat of a pickup truck in a ratrod(google it). The cake platter is actually a dual use item. Take the top off, turn the base over, turn the top over and replace on the base, and it is a punchbowl. Can't remember where she got it, but very handy. Thanks again for all the nice posts.

Love your kitchen. What a happy place you've created. I love that slate and it goes so well with your other selections. Isn't it amazing how painting the cabinets makes such a change! (I did that with one of my original bathroom cabinets.) We had slate floors for a long time and loved how functional they were! Congratulations on your beautiful kitchen!

Love the kitchen. It is so cozy and warm. May I ask did you remove the panel and put in the glass or have new doors made? Also did you paint the church pew or restain it dark? Amy

What a transformation! You did a great job pulling all the colors and details together. Enjoy your new finishes and the satisfaction that you did it!

Thanks again guys for the nice comments. It has been such a treat opening this thread and reading your kind words.

najohnson good luck with your project. I know it will turn out beautiful. Please keep us posted on your progress.

doonie It really is amazing how much color can change the look, but also the feel of the space. Also, the glass insets have helped make the space feel so much larger. And yes, I love how easy the slate is to maintain.

Both - we did remove the panel but had a glass business cut and install the glass after we painted them. We weren't sure how to remove the panels, and had a hard time finding information on it. What my DH did was use a jigsaw and cut out the panel about 1/2" from the inside door frame. Once you get that panel out, you can see the rabbet joint holding the remainder of the inside panel. Just pull out the extra wood. Now, your frame is left intact, but with a "channel". On the backside of the door, router out a space for the glass to sit. It does not have to be very wide. I hope this explanation makes sense. Also, the church pew is painted not stained.

Oh my! The before was adequate but incredibly bland.

The after is stunningly rich. I like the way the slate floor has tones from everywhere in the house.

I have searche JCPennys for that clock and I can`t find it! Can you give me some more information? Did you get it at a store or online? Company name?? Thanks, Laurie

I'm so sorry you can't find that clock at jcpenney. I didn't buy it recently. I checked my clock, but all it says is made in Taiwan. I did do a search for "double sided railroad clock" and I got this site. I will add the link. They also had one at Bed Bath and Beyond, it was much more ornate than mine, but maybe that would work for your room. Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Railroad clock

That's an incredible transformation! You did a fabulous job. The paint elevates the dated cabinets to a really elegant and classy level. I love that floor, what a great job!

Cj

Magglepuss, you and DH have some mad DIY skills and great taste to boot. Everything ties together beautifully. Bravo!

Excellent job, thanks for sharing! I think I'm going to go ahead and paint my lower cabs a darker color--been wanting to do that for some time--too chicken! LOL

Where did you get the wood counter top, love it! Thanks!

Thanks again guys, we are really enjoying the "new" space. I really like how our very trimmed out and dated looking cabinets, look so much more modern now.

catkin I totally understand. I was a big chicken for over a year on something I knew would have to be an improvement. By the way, although I love the white uppers, and really need that light color to brighten the space, I really like the black base cabinets. My DH who was much harder to convince that black would be ok, really likes the black base cabinets.

The wood counter top is the original buffet top. It is the same oak as the rest of the cabinets. We just didn't paint it.

I absolutely love the "feel" of this space! This is very similar to what I'm trying to achieve (we're just starting the planning process). The wall colors and fabric choices are similar to what I was thinking about.

We're going to do a slate floor, but DH insists on using locally quarried slate which is black. We both decided we want stained maple cabinets, so I want to try to work in the warm colors based on the color of the wood. I wish the slate DH wanted would have a brown tone to it. oh well.

I really like the light fixture of ther kitchen table, can you tell me where you got it? The church pew bench is genius and I really love the throw pillows. I want to do a banquette seat against some windows, but I wonder if a free stand "pew" bench would be a better idea. hhhmmm...time to do some more thinking :)

Absolutely beautiful - I just visited this forum because I plan to paint my old cabinets, and am inspired by your "after" pics!

You and your DH are a class act. This is an exemplary space because of your vision and skills.

what an incredible transformation. You h ave both done an amazing job in making a so-so space into ont eat is spectacular and i am sure so much fun to work in and be in.
Just shows what you can do as long as you have the good "bones' to start with.

i also love the effect from the dark grout. so simple and yet it makes the look much more elegant and upscale.

I am also in love with your clock and am starting a search for something similar.
(have been relying on the clock on the stove as i have not been able to find something i like - lol )