Bring on the Color! Bring on the long Awaited Change!!!

When we bought our home, it was like buying an addiction to home improvements!  We knew it was the way we could afford a home in the country, so we did it....and it had a basement.  The basement was absolutely what made the deal for my dear husband.  He hailed from Minnesota, so the thought of having a basement in Texas, thrilled him.  We bought the home, did the absolute must improvements and started saving for the next years iprovements.  That's what we have been doing now for five years.  It's been fun and a lot of work!

 

Probably the thing I disliked most about my home, was the kitchen.  I spend so much time in there, that it seemed like this year the project really needed to be the kitchen!  What could I do, and still stay within the modest budget we set aside?  If you look at the magazines they say a "modest" kitchen remodel is upwards of $10,000!  Well, my modest redo, was not anywhere near that price range!  I looked and looked for ideas.  Combed the home stores, websites and bought every magazine about kitchens I could get!  What colors?  What counters?  What could I do with my cabinets?  What to do?  Every night Paul would come home and I would tell him.  Okay....I've got it figured out for real this time!  With glazed over eyes, he would dutifully nod.  (honestly, he didn't care if it was red cabinets and black counter tops or black cabinets and white counters! )

At last I figured it out!  The cabinets would be white.  The paneling would be yellow.  The counters would be butcherblock and the back splash would be painted beadboard.  Did I tell you, I hate painting?  Oh yeah, I do!  I used a product by Rustoleum that transforms cabinets.  It really does!  It was the best paint I have ever used!  Thirty-three doors later and help from some friends, they were painted! 

When we pulled off the paneling, it wasn't pretty!  It was moldy and more than time to be replaced!  The warped counters came up and voila, things are really beginning to change!  The kitchen of my dreams is well on it's way!
 

I loved this faucett.  The first one we put it, wobbled and I didn't think that three boys would be very careful with it, so it went back to the store.  This one is much more sturdy.  Finally, I have a sink, that when I clean it, looks clean!  No more brown chipped enamel for me!  

It took a while to get this far on the kitchen, but it was so worth all the $5 pizzas that we had for a couple of weeks! 

I kept the original hardware.  I just couldn't part with several hundred dollars for hardware!  I decided that it was fine and I could use the extra money to hire a little help with the kitchen!  It was sooo worth it!  Two days after we finished the kitchen we took off to Minnesota to move Paul's father out of his home of 24  years.  It was a tough job, but it was so worth it to see his father happy and safe. 

To keep my kitchen within it's budget, I bought some of the butcher block from a friend who had bought it and never been able to use it!  I also bought the bead board from another friend who had not used it!  When you are looking at a project, it's often good to ask around and see if anyone has the materials that you are using.  

The butcher block counters are treated wood from Ikea that all I had to do was smear on a food safe oil!  Talk about easy!  

Now I can truly be a Proverbs 31 woman!  I have a beautiful new kitchen to prepare food for my household!  

Hilltop Blessings, 
Sheri