The Never Ending Kitchen Reno

[shipperx]

So, it's been a year. Since the kitchen is currently clean (which is a rarity in and of itself) and now 99% complete, I thought I'd post pics.

Comments

[silverusagi]

Pretty!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[hazel75.livejournal.com]

Dude, I want you to come to my house and help me!! Looks fantastic!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Maybe I should mention how looooooooong it's taken. I think I bought the floor tile two years ago and yet I still have cabinet lights to install and painting to go.

I'm not particularly fast. :)

[fishsanwitt]

I'd like one too :)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I just wish there were magic fairies that would come in to clean it at night. :)

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Is that slate or vinyl looking slate on the floor? Petzi Sis had vinyl looking slate on her kitchen floor, it looked really good.

That's an impressive island, is it custom?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

It's actually slate. But they quarry the stuff only an hour north of here. And I get a construction discount through the brick company that ordered it for me because they do so much of the school work we do at the office.

I will say that slate is far and away the most difficult thing I have ever laid. (Just noticed that can sound a bit dirty). Anyway, porcelain tile? Hardwood? Vinyl tile? All much easier and faster to do. Slate was hell. No wonder the material is reasonably cheap but the labor cost is huge. It should be!

And lucked out with the island. I had been considering doing a composite of premade unfinished cabinets from Home Depot or something and then painting them myself. I had even priced it, as well as priced it at a cabinet company. Then one day I walked into a funky little furniture store in Homewood and there the perfect size stood. In black (which is what I had planned), and it would be the same price as the premade unfinished from Home Depot and cheaper than custom, and wouldn't require the additional cost of buying a 48" countertop. So basically, it was bought delivered whole from the store. :)

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I really love the backsplash you chose and how the island contrasts with the cupboards, but also carries in the dark wood of the hutch in the other room.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

The cabinets (and appliances for that matter) are the original cabinets. The kitchen was originally sort of an 'L' shaped galley. I ripped out my laundry room (now it's just a laundry closet with doors in front of the washer dryer) for the extra space. So only the island is new (other than the aesthetics of new paint, new floor, new backsplash and countertops, etc.). It would be really, really iffy matching 12 year old cabinets, and since I had black appliances anyway (and I like the contrasting look) when I found a black island with a wood top at a furniture store, I snapped it up. As you can see from the original cabiets, I had virtually no cabinet space to begin with. :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

That's lovely - I am very envious.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Have been tinkering on it incrementally for over a year.

[calturner.livejournal.com]

It looks gorgeous!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's taken some tinkering.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

I love the backsplash! I know it's been a lot of work, but it's really turned out beautifully. And I so envy the size. Mine is teeney!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Mine was teeny too. Mine basically went to where the clock is now. Having more room is definitely nice. :)

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Gorgeous, and looks like a great workspace.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

It took tearing out the laundry room, but yeat, the extra space is really nice to have!