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Our Kitchen, Refreshed and Revealed

I am so happy to introduce you to our freshened-up kitchen!
In true Lisa-fashion, I have dragged on a project for.ever, but I think it’s safe to say this one is just about done (for 2011 anyway).

The goal was to make this kitchen as pretty and functional as possible until the day when we do a major renovation and incorporate the kitchen and dining room space into one. The previous owners did their best to remodel the 27 year old kitchen by painting the cabinets and adding Silestone countertops. If you’ve been following along for a while you know that while Mark & I truly appreciate having a quartz countertop, the color – how do I put this delicately? – made us gag. The sweet elderly couple that previously owned this abode loved a peachy colorscheme, and the bologna-colored countertops fit right in. While “bologna” is not exactly a color we wanted to use in our house, we decided to work around this element, knowing that someday we’ll have the opportunity to rip those suckers out and replace them with something dreamy. (That’s what we keep telling each other anyway. Forget about the fact that college tuitions for three kids loom in the not-so-distant future!)

While the overall look of the kitchen before was not terrible, it felt dingy and outdated. This is the truest representation of the color of the cabinetry before (below right). Not awful, just a bit tired and drab. We chose Ben Moore’s White Dove, a creamy white that compliments the off-white appliances, to brighten up the space.

Even more important than color was improving functionality. The bottoms were falling out of the drawers, the drawers didn’t slide in easily, the knobs kept coming off in our hands, and the paint was chipping everywhere. Not only did we want to refresh the space, but we wanted it to work better for our family of five.
Without further ado….

Before, at our home inspection before purchasing the house.
After:
The most amazing revelation to us is that just by changing the color of the cabinetry – which along with the walls and trim were various shades of a murky peach – the countertop color became more palatable. I’m feeling more terra-cotta now instead of bologna.

Originally, the trim that was not painted peach was natural, as you can see in the adjacent room.

We’ve painted all the trim in the house white and it has made a huge difference.
After:
Before:  you’re looking at where I was about to spend about 3/4 of my life:
After:
This before photo below is after we moved in, replaced the kitchen light and painted the walls, but hadn’t painted the cabinets yet.
It was already starting to feel like home, but I really wanted to brighten it up and make it a little less blah.
After:
My favorite before and after is this area that we’ll use as a bar when we entertain. 
 I took the doors off and painted inside the cabinets. I’m still trying to decide what color to paint the back of this area. I love seeing all our pretty glassware and having my some of my cookbooks handy in the open cabinetry over the fridge.
The real-life shot – we don’t normally keep our liquor on the kitchen counter;  I just staged it for you, my dear guest! When we are not entertaining, this nook hides our yucky but essential toaster oven, keys and junkety-junk that piles up in a kitchen.
Before:  I loved these little hardwired lights by the kitchen window the first time we saw the house.
After: the lights with simple white linen shades, illuminating the room at dusk.
A couple more afters:
I am so happy with how it turned out and feel like I can finally call this place our home.
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.
-John Howard Payne
Thanks for visiting – I’m so glad you came by!

With the hope that how we were able to make our kitchen work for us (despite bologna-colored countertops) may inspire someone else, I’m sharing our refreshed kitchen with these wonderful links this week! Thank you so much for hosting, ladies!



http://cottageandvine.blogspot.com/

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Domestically Speaking

Show and Tell Green
SYS Thurs

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Comments

  2. natasha {schue love} says

    WoW! Great job! I totally agree with you about the now-Terracotta counter tops…and is that Ina I see in the corner?? Also love the bar display, even if it is just for show! 🙂 So many great ideas…OH and the lamps over the sink? Perfection.

    Reply

  3. Courtney {a thoughtful place} says

    Beautiful! What a wonderful light and bright space to work in. I love the hardware! And the tulips are so pretty in your new kitchen!!

    Reply

  4. Rene says

    Lisa, your kitchen is gorgeous! It looks completely different and very fresh. I know you are pleased to have this behind you. Loving that light over the table.

    -Rene

    Reply

  5. d~ says

    Very pretty~ We hope to paint our cabinets white so I always like seeing what others have done, who have gone before us with a paint brush or sprayer.
    You did a great job on brightening up the kitchen and updating it.
    I love the added glass doors to the cabinets above and beside the fridge.
    Love the lantern above your table and the wall of photos.

    Reply

  8. Jennifer says

    Stopping byr from DIY by Design. Very nice work! I'm getting ready to do some work on my own kitchen cabinets, including adding glass doors and removing others for shelves. I'll be using yours as inspiration. Thanks so much!
    Jen
    Scissors & Spatulas

    Reply

  9. Lindsay says

    Looks fantastic! Love the white linen shades, the light fixture above your table, the exposed shelving and of course your beautiful cabinets! I have been dying to paint my kitchen cabinets since we moved in (mine are an orangey oak)..maybe one day!

    Reply

  10. Judy says

    What an amazing transformation. I love your new kitchen. Thanks for joining the Winter Blues Wednesday link party and sharing this gorgeous room. If you haven't already, please stop back and become a follower. Thanks.

    Reply

  17. Jodie says

    This is a fantastic transformation! The new color makes the countertops pop & the new hardware is the perfect touch! I also love the photo collage in the dining area!

    Jodie

    Reply

  21. Sandy says

    Congrats Lisa,
    You have this project behind you now.
    I love the look. It is very cozy, homey, clean!
    When can I come over and visit? We'll cook together. And use that beautiful counterspace you have.
    LUV IT!

    Reply

  22. Martina says

    WOW what a difference a little paint makes. Your kitchen looks beautiful. I love your light over the table and those sconces near your window are fabulous! Martina

    Reply

  25. Erin says

    Beautiful makeover!!!

    I painted my 80's oak looking cabinets when I moved into my house too. It's amazing what some paint and new hardware can do to a dated kitchen.

    Yours is fresh looking now! 🙂

    Reply

  26. Kathleen says

    I really love how bright it is in there now. taking off the cabinet doors and letting some of your glasses show and cookbooks was a nice touch. the hardware is lovely and everything turned out great!

    Reply

  27. Kelli says

    WOW…you guys did such a great job. We have creamy cabinets now that we want to repaint because they are chipped and just need to be freshened up. Did you sand them down at all? I absolutely adore your picture wall!

    Reply

  32. Sarah, Three Boys says

    Great job! It looks amazing. Isn't it amazing what a little white paint can do? Your kitchen has almost the exact set up as ours. I love your lights over the sink, I may have to borrow that idea. And your bar area as well rocks! Seriously awesome!!!

    Reply

  34. Flower Patch Farmgirl says

    WOO HOO!!!!! I love this, Girlie! In the first reveal picture I totally thought the countertops were new. They are gleaming and pop so nicely against all the white. And I love the sconces by the sink! Nicely done, chica. 🙂

    ps- I want a brownie with strawberries. I blame you.

    Reply

  36. Holly says

    What a difference some wonderful white paint makes! Have you thought about putting mirrors in the bar area cabinets? It would really reflect the light and make all your glass ware pop.

    Reply

  38. A Girl In Her Kitchen says

    When we bought our house, the previous owner had flipped it, which was nice for us. He had painted all the walls the same pale butter yellow, which we knew we had to get rid of. In our kitchen was an ugle teal counter. We knew it would have to go. I had already decided to paint our kitchen a lovely golden yellow color. We couldn't believe how fantastic the counter looked with the new color on the wall. It just goes to show what a little paint can do.

    http://agirlinherkitchen.blogspot.com

    Reply

  39. LouAnn says

    we have white appliances, I wondered if we painted white cabinets it would be too much – but yours is awesome! So… maybe I can do that too?!

    Reply

  40. Noelle says

    Beautiful!!!!! I love, love, love white kitchens and yours is gorgeous!!Love the sconces, love the eating area!! Love it all!!

    Reply

  46. Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says

    Amazing what some paint can do! Your kitchen is so much brighter and prettier now. I also love the picture wall.

    Reply

  48. Rene says

    Popping back in to say thank you for joining the Room By Room series. Your kitchen really looks great Lisa. I love those sconces by the window and it is really hard to beat a fresh coat of white paint isn't it?

    Reply

  50. Dixie Sargent Redmond says

    Beautiful kitchen redo. I'm collecting ideas over on Pinterest. It's amazing what changing the woodwork to white does for a room! I had (still have upstairs) dark pine woodwork. It was a beast to paint! Changing your knobs to the lighter nickel made a big difference, too!

    Reply