House Renovation Part II - Kitchen

The kitchen was the first renovation we took on in our now new-old, house.  Pictures speak louder than words, so I've included some photos from one of our first visits to the house.  We knew we needed to capture the kitchen from every angle so that we could start our planning.

The kitchen was clean, functional, and on the small side, but my husband and I agree that if something doesn't bring you joy, than it should change.  We cook a lot and spend a great deal of time in the kitchen so it's essential that we not dread looking at it.  We weren't prepared to make it bigger but it needed a facelift.

BEFORE

Note the square bump out next to the window...it was an old chimney!

Very shiny factory finished Cherry floors.

AFTER

Martha Stewart Living cabinets with Dunemere door style.

Marais Chair, Design Within Reach; Pedestal Table, Crate & Barrel

We painted the wood beams on the ceiling.

The first thing to go were the cabinets, appliances, and paneling.  After revealing the ancient original walls, my husband and some friends tore out the old chimney, a useless square box on our East-facing wall,  with a diamond blade saw because the mortar was too hard for a chipping gun!

We replaced the cabinets with Martha Stewart Living's very affordable cabinets in Sharkey Gray.  My nephew painted the walls in Martha Stewart's Gull, and my husband later tiled the backsplash with inexpensive white subway tile with dark gray grout called "Platinum."

I love Carrara marble countertop, and we deliberated whether to do it again, but I think the look and feel is incomparable, and a little patina adds charm.  Luckily I'm not OCD and a water mark here and there doesn't bother me.

We chose an oil rubbed bronze light fixture from Restoration Hardware to place over the island.

The last thing we did was sand and paint the cherry floors.  Their factory finish finally drove us crazy!  The floors simply were out of sync with the rest of the house.  We chose Benjamin Moore's Floor and Patio paint in Kendall Charcoal.

About the appliances:
We've put the same stainless steel apron sink in our last three homes that we purchased from an online dealer.  This time we went with a dual-fuel, six burner KitchenAid stove which we're very pleased with.

Overall, the kitchen works for our little family.  It's the opposite of the current trend towards open floor plans, but it stays true to this village colonial's original layout, and the facelift made us happy.  The colors are soothing, and allow the color of serving dishes, flowers, food, and people to take center stage.

Martha Stewart Living Cabinets are available at Home Depot.