Kitchen Remodel Part 1

My word guys.  Why do I get myself into HUGE projects right before season starts?  I am a glutton for punishment apparently.

This go around- it's the kitchen.  The Dreaded Kitchen.  I don't talk much about my kitchen.  Want to know why?  I fucking hate it.  That's why.  Literally everything about it- I hate.  I don't have enough storage.  I hate my side-by-side refrigerator.  My backsplash was a "temporary fix" until I upgraded my countertops to Carrara marble...eventually.... as I always put it.  I would get a glamorous backsplash at that point to go with my beautiful new stone countertops.

Well.... ten years later..... and nothing has changed.  So lets rewind.

When I bought the house- there wasn't an option for white cabinets.  It was oak or darker oak.  Both of which were awful.  But the darker oak was an upgrade.  Why would I pay for an upgrade when I knew I'd be painting the cabinets?   What started off as this...

Turned into this...

Let me point out a few things.  One- the paint color is antique white.  Put that next to bright white appliances?  Your newly painted cabinets look dingy.  Two- the ends of the cabinets and island weren't wood.  They were a peel and stick faux looking wood.  So when I went to paint them, I couldn't because it was basically what you'd put into your drawers to line them.  Vinyl.  Fucking vinyl.  A co-worker at the time had just designed a billiards room in his house and had a bunch of leftover beadboard which he offered to me for free.  So obviously I took it.  You'd be surprised what I'd do for some free shit.  So now my dingy white newly painted kitchen headed straight to country kitchen with the added beadboard.  I know, I SCREAM country kitchen.  Also- see the bottoms of the cabinets aren't painted?  Yeah, same vinyl.  And yup, you guessed it, they are still like that.  I never put new boards there and painted them to match.  TEN YEARS LATER.  Cuz I hated my kitchen.  

I swapped out light fixtures.  Tried to make this kitchen prettier.  I added a backsplash, that like I alluded to above, was temporary.  Just needed something to cover the walls until I had the money to redo the kitchen.  

I mean, it matched the wall color so at least there was that.  

But still.... hated it.  

Until now.  And the kitchen remodel is NO WHERE NEAR FINISHED!!!!  But I already love it.  It's so me.  It's exactly what I was going for.  Minus new counter tops.  Minus new cabinets.  I smartly talked myself out of that.... at least for now.   HAH.  No- I'm really not trying to do a $30k reno.  Mama doesn't make THAT much money.  

My aunt called me to let me know that she and my dad were coming out for a visit.  We all know what it means when my dad comes out to "visit."  He gets put to work.  Sorry dad.  (not sorry).  I get to hang with my family, get a general contractor, pay him in carrot cake, and get pretty new things.  I win.  I always win in this scenario.  I mean, I make a really freaking good carrot cake.  But not worth all of the work they do when they are here.  

My aunt said- start your list.  

Well I started a list and it was just a bunch of little things.  Things I could easily do myself.  Not anything I needed my dad to help me with whatsoever.  So I started with my "wish list" of projects.  New Kitchen went straight to the top.  I'll be honest though, it was really the only thing on the list.  

I had about a month to get everything figured out.  Since I talked myself out of new countertops and cabinets, I needed to find a backsplash that went with the existing countertops.  Then I needed to decide on cabinet color.  I should state up front- I am SO NOT LOOKING FORWARD to sanding and painting my cabinets.  RE-PAINTING my cabinets.  But I wouldn't be a DIY girl if I didn't throw a little sweat equity into the equation.  Like my friend said- "if only we had unlimited budgets to redo our kitchens."  Preach girl. 

I went scouring for backsplash first with my swatch of the countertop.  Yes, 10 years and I still have the swatch.  I found a few options, got a few opinions, went with the one I loved and everyone picked.  

I bought all 42 sheets they had.  Just in case.  But the best part?  It was on-sale from $14.98 a sheet to $7.99.  Half price, bitches!  It's not too noticeable in the photo but it alternates between shiny glass to an almost etched/brushed finish.  Here is the photo from the website- although it looks blue in this photo- it really is gray.  It at least gives you an idea of the alternating tile.  

Now onto cabinet color.  Guys I really wanted to do teal bottoms with white uppers.  But if you saw my FB post about it- I'm just so over the teals and aquas.  I've had this color scheme since my apartment in Florida.  If my house is turning 10 years old, then it's at least 14 years since I've had aqua.  I'm done.  Besides the fact that everyone and their mother is doing aqua and teals.  If you remember, I took down my Mason jar lights because everyone started doing them.  I don't want what everyone else has.  

My top two bottom cabinet color choices were navy and charcoal gray.  I just love navy kitchens.  Look them up on Pinterest.  There are some really gorgeous kitchens.  But my problem with navy was that there was nothing in my lower level that was navy.  Now navy would probably go with aqua and teal.  But I just couldn't convince myself.  I felt like I'd have to redo my living room, which would then cause me to redo my dining room since they all flow into each other.  That isn't happening. So I grabbed the leftover paint from the upstairs bedrooms and rubbed it on the bottom cabinet to see what it looked like.  I was sold.  Charcoal it was.  

Oh and the best part of the whole reno?  Actually what officially started the reno?  My dishwasher started to leak.  Like water pouring out of the bottom.  I said to myself way back 10 years ago- that once one appliance kicked the bucket, I was going stainless.  Ladies and Gents- here was my excuse!  I mean, I could have probably paid a guy $80 to fix my leaky dishwasher... but STAINLESS.  No brainer.  

Shortly before July 4th Lowe's ran an appliance sale.  Like 40-50% off plus rebates, plus giftcards, plus 0% financing.  Well I did my homework, picked out appliances, went into the store, and made my purchase.  What would have cost me roughly $5100 ended up being $2649 including tax. Almost half-price.  Now that's what I call a score!  Now- I'll be honest.  They aren't top of the line by any means.  I wanted stainless, I wanted good quality, I wanted something that when I sell my house I can say are new.  But for myself, I wanted pretty stainless that fit my lifestyle.  I don't need $10,000 in appliances.  I cook but I'm not a chef.  The best part about the appliances is that I got $100 in rebates, I sold my existing refrigerator and gas range for $450 so basically I paid $2k for new stainless appliances.  Not too shabby.  

Anyway- as of right now, nothing is finished.  I'll go into way more detail on each project once they are finished.  The appliances have been installed and are beautiful.  I'm so glad my dishwasher broke.  HAH!  But I can't show you the appliances without showing you the backspalsh and I don't want to ruin that reveal.  The island is the real beauty in the kitchen right now.  Well, three sides of it at least.  I had an inspiration photo that I showed my dad and boy did we knocked it out.  The front still needs to be sanded and the doors/drawers are partially sanded in my garage.  But the three sides that are done- I absolutely love.  Preview pic below.  

Hunter and Snickers wanted to be made famous.  Hi Pups!  

But this at least gives you an idea of the color.  It's actually slightly darker in real life.  But so pretty!  

I'm hoping to have the island and the tile grout done this weekend.  Then if I have time, the bottom cabinet doors/drawers are coming off and getting sanded.  I want to see the gray in it's entirety.  I have a feeling I'm going to absolutely fucking love it.  And I'll probably appreciate it way more that I did it myself, than just purchased new.  Probably.  I mean, if I had the unlimited budget.....  :)