The Complete Kitchen Reveal

For the most part, the major renovations we do around the 1820 are done in phases.  Not using the word “major” lightly, but budget does come in to play, and so do the decisions.  Think about it, for any big project to be successful, everything needs to be well thought out simply because that decision, hopefully, will be around for a long time.  Then, the budget has to be factored in and all that good stuff.  Time is a factor and some other nitty-gritty details.  So when we set out to begin phase whatever (I lost count) in the kitchen late spring, we were geared up and focused.  I’m happy to share today the reveal of this phase of our kitchen renovation and I’ll share with you the kitchen projects down the pipeline.

We started the renovation with the floor.  Ironically, the linoleum tiles that were there were the same exact tiles my daddy had in his office in the 70’s.  An eyesore to say the least and when I went to remove the floor to reveal the beautiful original wide wood planks, there was a hidden layer of asbestos tile.  Letting sleeping dogs lie, we decided to cover the floor and we found the next best thing.  The walnut finish brings out the crispness of the white walls, and makes the eat in area along with the cookbook corner, look and feel cozy.

As you know, I had dreamed of having concrete countertops in my kitchen for decades.  Though I did entertain granite and quartz, in my mind nothing would win over the concrete.  With the help of our handyman John, he and I built the countertops together.  The mess was intense – what with all of the dust and concrete drips, we had tarp paths taped down and plastic hanging in the kitchen – the entire house had to be thoroughly cleaned from floor to ceiling.  Just the same, all the vacuum bags, rags and mops I went through, the concrete countertops are so worth it all.  By doing the concrete countertops ourselves, we saved $5300 based on the estimate I received from a professional that I reached out to originally.  Somehow knowing that makes these countertops look even prettier.

The sink that had been refinished, moved around and then refinished again before being installed, is like a toad that I kissed to become a prince.  I wanted a farmhouse sink, and I upped the ante and found an original one from 1940 on Craigslist.  Old meets new with the bridge style faucet and the measurements couldn’t get any closer to fitting the sink under the window.  The only downfall, the basins are deep, hence holding more dirty dishes.  Meh, small price to pay.

The old ox yolk light fixture that everyone kept hitting their heads on has now been replaced by vintage galvanized fixtures that hang over my prep table.  Such a pleasure to have good lighting and to be able to fully see the food that I’m prepping.  Plus, the new placement of old light fixtures just makes sense now.

We finally have a backsplash, and the white glass subway tiles are timeless.  Before I started the tile project, I decided to make way for a pot filler faucet.  Originally it wasn’t a must because I was worried about plumbing costs and the cost of the faucet itself, but the more I thought about it, this faucet was a luxury I wanted to have.  So. Worth. It.

Three months down and another phase of our kitchen renovation has been completed.  Next up, building a hood for over the stove (because who really wants to smell last nights dinner for a week) and building in our refrigerator.  Not sure of those timelines, but for now, I’m going to enjoy this latest reno.