like your house, my house too suffers from Too Much Wood :) I admire how your cabs are stained a different enough color to not blend into the walls and lets the kitchen be its own distinctive space within the paneled walls and timbered ceiling. I really like your re-use of the old upper cabinet with the new beautiful hutch and LOVE your re-use of the window as backsplash above the range--what a nice view while cooking!

And you still get to look forward to your new range at some point, too!

cheers

What a wonderful, warm, inviting, and personal kitchen. I love seeing such well-planned spaces that are not cookie-cutter. The custom hood is beautiful. All of the disparate elements combine to create a space that's lovely and friendly and goes so well with the rest of your home. Great job!

Thank you for sharing this huge transformation, what a gorgeous kitchen!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and the pics of your beautiful remodel. Thanks for taking the time to write it in a way where we truly felt like we were taking the journey with you. Your contractors all did a fantastic job and what a pleasure to see people who take such pride in their products!

Fantastic transformation, Bellsmom. The "one-butt" model had its own charms, but the newly open interior vistas are terrific.

As someone who is rarely enthusiastic about granite, I have to admit that your brushed black pearl makes my pulse race. Ditto the old wall cabinet, which you have ensconced perfectly, for maximum effect. Congratulations.

Remodelfla, I want to underscore my new understanding of the importance of the GC. He personally knew and respected the sub-contractors (plumber, electrician, floor guy, exterior siding guy) who did such beautiful jobs. He oversaw it, organized it. He loves best of all to build houses, but in today's market, will take some remodels. Whatever he does, he loves doing the detail work himself, working alone. I had no idea how important he would be.
When I read posts from people with poor experiences with remodeling, I treasure him all over again.

So fabulous to have a window over your sink AND range! I love the old cabinet and pewter sconces! Sounds like you had a great crew working for you.
Enjoy!

"The tile guy worked three and a half days on it, laying the tiny pieces of tiles meticulously one by one around the window over the stove."
I want him, seriously, can I have him?

Bellsman - I love your kitchen on a number of levels but mainly because you made it yours. I like that you adapted the floorplan for your specific limitations by putting in an island so that it is close to your work area and then just leaving an aisleway on the other side, I like that you reused the window, the cabinets are beautiful and you designed them to fit your pottery, the bookshelf potrack is an idea that I can see being copied by others and no, you didn't put in too many pictures because you told a terrific story along with them.

Your story unfolded so nicely along with your pics, feel free to present a sequel! I agree with you about the GC, we had a terrific GC as well who kept an eye on the budget, the workmanship and the timeline for the project. When you have a good one that you can work with they can be worth the extra cost. I feel badly for those who have a negative experience with their GC.

Amazing transformation ! I love the way you incorporated the paneling back into the new kitchen. You managed to blend all you had with the new and make it seamless.

Your GC is an artist. Good for you and I hope you get that new range sooner than soon !! c

I second remodelfla... what a lovely post. I so enjoyed the stepwise "nuggets" as I followed along. I especially like your unique stove "backsplash," which I'm sure will be bookmarked on GW for many future renovators. And your Eli Lilly cabinet is so neat (good place to store prozac!) I'm so happy for you and your wonderful space... you seem like somebody who deserves it!

Love your kitchen and your whole house it's so warm and cozy, yet stunningly beautiful at the same time. As much as I love your structure I especially love the kind words you have about everybody who worked for you -- which isn't completely surprising in light of how you actually checked in here to be sure it was o.k. to post a lot of pics before doing so -- I think graciousness is your middle name, Bellsmom, or maybe your first, who knows. :-)

Anyway, glad you posted so many pics, they were a real pleasure to look through. And I hope the way you've told the story of your kitchen "catches on" around here -- how fun to read about it -- I feel like I was there, too!

Bellsmom,

I love your warm and inviting kitchen --
congratulations on a majorly wonderful renovation.
And thanks for your detailed and compelling description of your choices and the design process.
I love your warm wood cabinets topped with Black Pearl granite (which I also have, but my BP is honed).

What I love best: your potrack/book shelf.
It adds the perfect "let's roll up our sleeves and cook" vibe to your wonderful kitchen

Oh, I love the brushed granite! Makes me want to run my hands over it...and the pot rack--it gives the whole space a warm and comfy vibe.
Congratulations on a job beautifully done, enjoy your new kitchen!

Cj

Gee Garsh, how to respond to all of you? Gigi, if you live in my area, I'll get you in touch with my tile guy. I STRONGLY recommend him.

Kris ma, I think most people have posted at intervals before the finished product is born. Since I didn't, I was able to do a single announcement. It was fun to write. And (blush) thanks for the compliment.

Blfenton, I may post pics of the changes elsewhere in the house that grew out of the kitchen remodel. Not major expensive changes, just shifting of purpose and furniture.

Yeah, francoise47, the pot rack/bookshelf is a real workhorse. I love it, and I love having all those nice patina-warm copper (a pleasant way to say not polished to pink) and iron skillets handy. And think of the empty drawers I've gained!

Trailrunner, I really did want it to look like part of the 70+ year old house, not like a new remodel. I love white kitchens (that white Zen kitchen on GW is one of my all time favs) but I couldn't see one here. Thanks for supporting that decision.

Bellsmom

I had to look back as I didn't have time before to take it all in . I had to look more than once at the window behind the cooktop . I didn't realize that it wasn't a picture :) Very nice !!

I love the pot rack/book rack...probably my favorite thing...well except I love those sconces . Very nice with the wood pieces.

Then the main room...wow...I would love to see better pics of the soaring ceilings and skylights !! Wow...love the beams. You say the house is 70 yrs old. Great craftsmanship. Is there a story behind the house ? Have you always had it in your family ?

What part of the country ? I can imagine the starry sky through those skylights. I know how much I love the moon through all of ours. We have 7 ! You know I love them for sure.

Thanks for your answers in advance c

Wow! I love how you maintained the feel of the original space but yet modernized it and made it better. Enjoy!

P.S. I think your window over the sink is nice and I love the peek a boo window over the range.

Bellsmom,

What a beautiful kitchen you've created! I am in the midst of putting in a cherry kichen myself and I love your choices.

I hope you don't mind, I have some questions for you about some of your materials. I was toying with the idea of a dark granite surround and lighter, busier island granite but was afraid of what it would look like. I can see from your pictures, that I have nothing to fear, yours is stunning!

Could you please share the name of the island granite? If I read your post correctly, you used brushed granite on the perimeter and polished on the island? Ingenious! Do you love the contrast of the two finishes? And does it still flow together without the island jumping out at you? Would you combine the two finishes again if you had it to do over? I really love the idea and am strongly considering it.

Also, what is the gorgeous backsplash tile you used? Love it! Congratulations on such a beautiful kitchen, it really gives me hope that I can pull off a nice kitchen,too!

What a special kitchen. It looks so warm and friendly (and inviting--not sound cliched!) with just enough style to make it interesting! Enjoy!

I like in particular the window over the range and that you reused the same fixture over the table.

abfabamy
Wow, thank you for the compliments. I certainly am enjoying the kitchen.
The island granite is polished Dry Leaf. I suspect it goes by other names as well. In all the granite warehouses we looked, this was the only slab of Dry Leaf. I suspect many others have the same general characteristics that drew me to it: a lot of contrast but not large scale veining, warm colors that picked up every color in the room, a sort of crystalline depth. A quick google search found a slab or two that looked pretty much like mine. At least their pictures were better than mine.

Yes, I would do it again in a minute. I really like the contrast of the two. I would not, however, put a polished granite under windows that get as much direct sunlight as my west-facing windows do. The dark brushed granite works much better there.

One of the reasons I used two granites was that I used two woods. The brushed Black Pearl that is on the cherry cabs looked dreadful on the dark walnut island. I like the two woods very much, perhaps because it brings some variety into the oak universe of floor and wall.
At least for me the island granite doesn't jump out.

The tile is an American Orlean tile, Costa Rei. I forget the color name, but it is the second from the lightest. I would have preferred a somewhat lighter and cooler tile, but I really loved the strong linear look and the only lighter one in this series was much too grey to work for me.

Hope this helps.

What a fantastic transformation! I esp. love how you took us along on your kitchen journey -- the pictures and descriptions were *fabulous*. Major kudos to you. So much happiness in your new, beautiful, functional, lovely space!

wow. so much to love.

I think my favorite is simply how the kitchen seamlessly flows from the rest of your home. it really "matches" in an updated way.

and I love, love, loved your range backsplash window. :-)

thank you for sharing.

Oooo I like the teapot cabinet and the Eli Lilly one and the square hood over the square window (OK, most usually are, still), and the variety of textures within the all-wood format, and colors too. Plus that pot-book-rack. I bet that weighs a pretty tonne or so. What did you use to afix it?? Please tell me a lot of very, very long screws into, dunno, steel - maybe you welded those screws into the steel beams? Geesh ... all that cast iron.

I think my favorite part is the long view past the rocking chair and the chintz to the swagged tiffany-style lamp. I hope there are some beans simmering somewhere.

Thanks for the smiles.

What you finally envisioned and accomplished is amazing... Amazingly beautiful, amazingly warm, amazingly full of character...Wow. I LOVE the brushed granite and so many of your touches. The window behind the stove is wonderful. The overall feel of your home, and now how the kitchen flows from it, is so great, I don't even have words...

Wow, what a thoughtful remodel this was. Sensitive to the home. I especially felt that the extra beam belonged there more than the old wall had.

If you had not told us your disappointment about the window, I never would have guessed. Both windows go down to the same level, so it looked well-planned.

"What a wonderful, warm, inviting, and personal kitchen. I love seeing such well-planned spaces that are not cookie-cutter. "

I couldn't have come up with better words for your new kitchen!

your gc IS a treasure - as are his subs. so happy you found them! I had a builder once who came in under budget - AND was finished a month early. He used local Amish men - great workers who take pride in their work. Finishing a month early was awesome - since I was due with my 2nd baby a month later - it gave me time to refinish his dresser and set up his room!

It is so beautiful!! Great job and thanks for sharing!!! Love your granite choices and everything else, too.

WOW! Unfortunately, I don't have time right now (traveling) to comment on all of the many things that I love about your kitchen, but had to at least make a brief comment about how stunning, welcoming, and wonderful everything is!

I don't want to repeat what others have said but it is true! What a cozy, warm, welcoming space you have now! It will be such a pleasure entertaining and cooking now for sure. Enjoy!!

Aliris,
Yes, getting the racks up was a challenge. The GC first thought just long screws were enough to hold them up. I questioned it, he tentatively hung one, and I started to load it.

After a few of the very heavy copper and cast iron pots and skillets--I hadn't even begun with the books--he stopped me, took the rack down, put two long 2 x 6 boards behind the wall in the pantry on the other side, fastened them to every stud, then used lag bolts to fasten the racks through the walls and the heavy boards behind. When he finished, he promised me I could safely take a nap on it if I wanted to check it out.

Your kitchen is just perfect: a beautiful marriage of function and form.
Could you please provide more details of your backsplash? Maybe a closeup picture?

Congratulations and Enjoy!

Sharonite,
I'll post backsplash info and pics this evening. Right now I can't photograph it because the sun streams in the window and washes everything out.

Great job Bellsmom! Your layout looks very similar to the latest iteration I am considering. I'd love if you could look at my thread and give your input.

We also have a one-butt kitchen and it can't even be that big of a behind. It's getting harder for me already being pregnant and I have another 4 months to go!

I know prices are variable by area, but can you give me an idea of how much it cost to have that wall knocked out? Was it load-bearing (looks like it was)? I adore that brushed granite - I will be bookmarking that for the future. Gives that muted look of soapstone but the benefits of granite. Great find.

The pharmacist in me loves that Eli Lilly cabinet :)

Here is a link that might be useful: threegraces' latest brainstorm

I LOVE this! So cozy. Love the way you mixed the woods. Love the window placement. Where did you purchase the pot rack? Thanks for the description on how the GC reinforced the wall to support the rack. Love the brushed granite and the fact that it will kill the glare. Great idea. Do you know what stain was used on the upper cabinets and the island? How do you like the microwave in the island?

CCinTX, Thank you for the comments.
The stain on the cherry perimeter was Cordovan, which was a bit redder than I wanted, but I know it will darken a bit. The stain on the walnut island and the hutch is Espresso. Don't know the maker of the stains. I really like the walnut stain. I had seen alder stained with this, but it tended to appear blotchy. The walnut took the stain beautifully. I hated staining it, but needed the contrast to the oak.

I love the microwave in the island. I envisioned the island as the prep area, and having the microwave there is perfect. It is also close to the fridge. The whole island works even better than I hoped.

I was lucky to find the pot racks at Overstock.com for less than $100 each. BB&B carries the same racks for nearly $200 each.

I hope your who experience is as great as mine was.

I love the reddish Cordovan stain on your cherry cabinets and the style of the doors. The overall look is warm and welcoming and pretty. Thanks for sharing.

Threegraces,
I looked up what the GC charged to demo the retaining wall and put in the support beam. It was $2,400. I have no idea if that is a typical amount or not. There were additional charges for rerouting plumbing and electricity, but those are combined with the total plumbing and electrical charges for the entire kitchen, so I can't include them. I did look at your plan and respond to it on your site.

Wow that is really wonderful! It looks like it belongs there, and that is a sincere compliment!

I love love love your little window "backsplash" over your range, that corner cabinet where I spy an enticing display of filled jars, your pot rack book shelf that says "lots of good homecooking done here", the Eli Lilly cabinet with surrounding sconces, your ROCK-mmmm mmmm mmmm, and just the whole overall feel of your home! All of it--FAB!

You have done an amazing job! Congratulations and happy cooking!

Bellsmom,

Your kitchen remodel has retained the character of your beloved home, with marvelous improvements! I just love the window to the world over the stove... what better inspiration than that... to cook up something that mirrors the season! That view at my stove would prevent me from walking away from what I have on the cooktop and prevent that dang smoke detector from alarming..(Disclaimer: Very, very bad behavior, don't do this :) All kidding aside, love the island with microwave, brushed counters, and cabinetry, but most of all that stove window, oh my!

WOW...great job!!!

Re: the window over the range. As suggested by the GC, the glass in it is tempered. May also have some heat resistance, I cannot remember. If you want to try it, I don't think you would want to use regular window glass there.

I do have a friend with a small kitchen and an interior wall behind her stove who used a mirror for her backsplash. Like me, she finds it easy to clean. Unlike me, she has cracked it a couple times with heat from a large pot at the back of the stove. Since she loves the light and space reflected in the mirror, she just replaces the mirror.

WOW! LOVE LOVE LOVE the backsplash window above the range! So cool and so smart to do it that way. What a cool house!

I want to live in your house.
BEAUTIFUL
And your kitchen is so very cool.
I hope you are keeping the light over dining table.

ENJOY!

Bellsmom, I love the transformation, the way you were able to use the different woods and make them blend so well together, it's just magical. It looks so warm and inviting, and such a nice change from the usual white. (even though white is what I'm doing)

Do you mind me asking about your support beam? Is it just finished, or did you wrap it in something and finish it? I couldn't tell, but am very interested as we have a support beam as well.

Congrats!

Baltra
We definitely kept the light over the table. My father rescued it eons ago from an uncle's barn loft, and it hung over my parents table for years. Not what I would have chosen if I were shopping new, but like the corner cab and the table itself, it simply HAD to be in the kitchen.

susied3
I love white kitchens, too. I just could not imagine one in this house.

The support beam was made from narrow laminated plywood. Stamps on the sides of the support beam prevented just staining them, so the GC faced the bottom and sides with 1 x 12s ripped to the correct width and then stained to match the other beams in the room.

I am surprised at how well it blends in. It is actually a couple inches deeper than the other beams.

Wow! What a lovely, functional, warm place! I really love the beams and the backsplash and the cabinets. Thank you for sharing.

Sharonite
I sent the backsplash info to you, but thought others might be interested in it. The backsplash is porcelain tile by American Olean. The pattern line is Costa Rei. The color is the second lightest in the series. Tiles are netted, 20 inches wide by 12 inches high, each strip from one-half to maybe one and one-half inches wide. Because the only tiles in this color line with a bullnose edge are the two inch by 10 inch ones, we could not wrap the thin tiles around the window as I had imagined.
Here are some images:

Bellsmom, what brand range is that? Did you have any issues with it? Hold long have you had it? Nice kitchen BTW! Love the island!

Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful!
Could you possibly provide any more detailed dimensions (like you did for the island)? It appears to be about the same size as the space I have available and I might be able to just copy your design! My imagination is not very good for these things, but seeing a kitchen like yours that I just adore makes me think there might be hope... Any counter lengths and /or cabinet sizes would be very appreciated.
Thanks
m

KALI--Thanks for the compliments. I love the island, too.
The range is a Jenn-aire, about six years old. I do NOT recommend it. The broiler is unbelievably wimpy, and the burners, even the so-called high heat one, are too low powered for me. It will be replaced as soon as I can afford to do so. Right now my range fund has ended up being used for emergency dental surgery for our grandson!!

FARFROMHOME--I will post the cabinet maker's final renderings for you tonight or tomorrow. The kitchen is 11 feet and a couple inches wide and 20 something feet long. I'll check dimensions and let you know. I am happy you like it.