It’s been awhile!  I’ve been busy with many projects and will post once all are complete.  I did want to add more pictures of the kitchen that Dave from Kitchen Concepts took.  So here they are.

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Jeff found the bar stools that fit perfectly in the opening.  They were tough to out together but, we did it!

So happy to say that the kitchen renovation is complete!  After a few weeks of moving everything back in we can say it’s complete.  Here’s a peak of the finished work.

The funny thing about this remodel it looks so good, now every room has to rise to its level!  Next on the project list, the laundry room.

Well..almost.  But we are getting closer.

When we moved into the house, we noticed there really wasn’t a pantry.  Oh sure, we had closets that we used for the pantry, but, both were small and didn’t really work well.

So we decided we needed to carve out a space and remove the fireplace.  The fireplace didn’t work well anyway and the cost to improve it surely wasn’t an incentive to keep it.  Out goes the fireplace!

We also removed a closet that was in the Laundry Room to make the new pantry more spacious.  It was a catch all for stuff that should have been in the garage anyway.

Drywall, texture and paint next!  It’s getting there.

I added the brick wallpaper….that was fun!  And really not hard to put up at all.

Now comes shelves, trim caulking and repainting.

More patch, paint and more braces and trim….

Next, the wine racks!  We looked all over the place for cool wine racks.

Jeff found them on Etsy (Island Woods and Design).  They were made to order per our dimensions.  There are 16 hooks on each rack.  We bought three.  And wine to go in them!

Last, but, certainly not least, the door!  We wanted a barn door look without the barn door.  Jeff found the brackets at Krown Hardware in Portland.  I repainted the door and Jeff found the handle to match all our handles in the kitchen.

After we bought the cabinets, I knew we were going to have a cool looking hood.  I just didn’t know how it would look.  I knew once it was placed it would bring a finished look to everything.

So this is where we started from.

It’s a well used kitchen I’d say.  Love that it’s getting a makeover.  First things first, removal of cabinets and counter.

That’s quite a change in a little over 2 weeks!  Next, the tile comes off.

Tile is tough.  Not an easy task to remove a backsplash.  The tile was green and a mixture of other colors.  When we painted it the Divine White color (which isn’t really a white…more like a beige) it went ok with the backsplash, but not great.

Next in our makeover recipe we add new drywall and texture.

Stir in some paint and cabinets.

Add the tile and stove.

Now for the part you’ll really like!

Almost there.  Can’t wait to get the cardboard off the counter to get the entire effect!

I really never thought that a wall could be dressed, but, it’s a thing!  So far the walls have been textured and painted.  It’s now time for molding.  We really wanted meaty molding because the room is so big.  We were looking for something like this Image from “Little green notebook” for the base trim.

After a few conversations with Ed, our General Contractor, we came up with this.

The new molding replaced a smaller 5″ molding we first installed when we moved in.  We were just going to add to it but decided to replace it with the larger  7-1/4 inch molding.

The last time we had molding installed, we opted for no quarter round.  I’m happy we decided to add it, it gives it a much more finished look.

After it gets installed, I’ll have to apply another coat of paint on the base;  I only put one coat on and it needs at least two.

We have moved many different times.   We’re talking double digits here.  And no, not because I’m running from the law!  New jobs or new homes drive our wanderlust.

There’s nothing like moving day.  It’s so exciting.  Promises of new adventures; new cities to figure out and truly live in.  But, moving is stressful.  You think with all those moves one would get used to it.  But you can become good and packing boxes or organizing a move, but, there are always elements that are out of your control when it comes to moving.

We decided to have our appliances moved in and boy am I glad we did.  The movers we chose were awesome (Big Al’s Moving).  Probably the best movers I’ve ever worked with (we’ve moved ourselves quite a few times, so we are included in the mix).  They were careful, gave suggestions and were all round good people.

The appliances we chose are heavy duty.  The stove weighs in at a hefty 750 lbs!  750 lbs! They moved that weight.  I couldn’t watch.  But they placed it in it’s spot and it looks like it’s always been there…without the tags of course.

This one has a griddle for all those hot cakes we’ll be making!

The refrigerator is a monster too and once again, I had to leave the room.  Couldn’t watch them move it in to place.

They must have thought I was crazy running in and out of the room.  That’s where the stress comes in.  Since the floors were finished, they warned me about finishing them BEFORE the appliances because, you know, something could happen and it gets scratched.  Plus, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt lifting this stuff.  I know, I know, they do this for a living and they know how to lift, but, still, anything can happen.

The big appliances came as well as the smaller items; microwave, dishwasher and compactor.  The hole for the microwave just seemed WAAAY too small and I didn’t think it would fit.  REORDER!

I kept walking by it when the microwave thinking, there’s no way.  NO WAY.  But, yes way.

Looks so good.  And to think we weren’t even going to have a microwave!  The plan was to put it in the island.  We rethought it and realized we didn’t want to have to bend down to microwave something all time.  We’d like to stand, thank you very much, when we get our radiated food.

The dishwasher we purchased is Asko.  Now a 2011 commercial shows people bringing their dishes over to wash them in the Asko Dishwasher.  I hope to he#$ no one brings there dishes over to clean.  Hey, I’d do it, but, it would be weird and uncomfortable.  Plus, I have a hard time getting my dishes into the dishwasher to clean, so why would I want to clean someone elses….getting all their food particles mixed up with ours…yuck…but I digress.

Did I mention we were redoing the floors?   Did I mention it was quite an under taking?  But, it will be worth it.  I guess when the floors are finished it’s just a few weeks ’til the finish line, right?

Just as a reminder, this is what we started with.  When we bought the home, there was carpet and light maple floors.

The first time we had Kips Hardwood in, they weaved in new maple and stained and finished coated with a Satin finish.

First time finishing.

When we decided to remove the wall and add a new kitchen, the floors had to change too.  So once again, more hardwoods are applied to the floor and weaved in.

Same process.  Sanding, staining and this time we wanted a semigloss top coat.  The finished product looks great!

You know when you really aren’t sure about something, so there’s apprehension and anticipation grows.  I think that’s exactly what I was feeling about the counter tops.  Really not sure how they would look again the paint color or cabinet color.  Plus, with the discussion about where to put the seam, not sure about the granite we choose.

The day to install the counter tops is finally upon us and it wasn’t a simple under taking.  Our island is quite large and both pieces weren’t tiny.  But, within about 3 hours, all the granite was installed.

This is the first section.  Pretty nice so far.

This is the area where the stove and hood will be.

And last, but, not least, the island….still covered!  More to come!

Thoroughout this entire process, I really thought, by the time the backsplash goes up, we’ll be just about wrapped up.  Put a bow on it and drive to the party.  But, it’s really not the case here.

Some of the cabinets were sent incorrectly and we are waiting for them to be installed so, the tile work can’t really be completed until then.  But, at least one side can be completed.

The set up is nice, we have a covered porch so that he can set up outside yet be close to the action.

We decided on a Florida Tile, Retro Classique Lily.

It is a great quality tile.  Doug, the tile professional said that the finish is really nice.  The weird thing about this tile, are the sides.  Some are uneven and when you go to out grout in, it will look uneven. I think they look great so far though.  I guess we’ll see when the grout goes up.

They layed out the frame for the potfiller and are working from that to put on the wall.

Slow and steady hands completed the project.

What’s a thrawl you ask, well, it’s stone slab or shelf used to keep food cool in a pantry, in the days before refrigeration.  So I guess it’s really not a stone slab, more like a brick wall.  But, still pretty thrilled with it.

Jeff saw a brick wall and wanted to incorporate that into the design.  So, what better place than in a pantry. It’s not real brick, mind you, but a wallpaper.  It looks quite convincing.

Jeff found it on Amazon.  It’s a Faux Rustic Wallpaper in Grey and White.

This is all he had to go on.  Oh, and the finished look.

So, he ordered it and so happy he did.  He ordered three rolls, just in case we made a mistake.

I remember the brick wallpaper from the 70’s like this…

And there was some the look “real” and paintable.  This wallpaper isn’t that at all.  It seemed ok on the price, around $40.00 per roll and quality seems great.  There are some rolls up to $160.00 and probably more, but, for one wall, in a pantry, hidden by pantry shelves, this was good enough.

It only took a few hours to put up.  After measuring the wall, cutting the sheets from the rolls, and filling the pan with adhesive, it went pretty quickly.

The level helped out a great deal and laying it out to see exactly where the repeat was on the bricks helped also.  I just had to make sure the debris on the floor was wiped off thoroughly before I added the adhesive.

The final piece was a little tricky because it needed to be trimmed before and after it was hung.  It went pretty smoothly.  I put a piece of trim at the base just to envision trim on brick.  The finished wall looks really good and a lot like real brick!  I’m so glad Jeff thought to do something different.