Monday, November 2, 2009

Kitchen Before and After


I'm joining in on the par-tay over at Thrifty Decor Chic!  I completely forgot about it so I am posting this late...should have done it last night, but falling asleep on the couch at 8 o'clock kind of got in the way of that:)
So, without further adieu....
The kitchen BEFORE:

I should mention, however, that I have no pictures of the before before of the cabinets.  I painted them this green with an antiqued finish in 2005.  Before that they were your standard tract home oak ugliness.  The finished product was the result of FOUR coats of paint....primer, paint, antiquing glaze, and a clear coat.  They WILL NOT be re-painted any time soon.  Thankfully, they look fabulous with the AFTER kitchen.

We also tiled the floor in 2005.  I am the resident grouter-extraordinaire.  Oh, the roosters!

 
For some reason I always ended up with too many colors....I wanted a more neutral, warm, rustic feel.  This is what we came up with.
The kitchen AFTER:


 
 
We basically changed the counter tops and backsplash.  We went with a maple butcher block that we were able to order through a local supplier, Charles McMurray Co.  They sell wholesale only, but my dad was able to order for us with through his business.  The tile on the backsplash is tumbled marble.  I loved the way each piece had striations of color.  We also added this "ledge", for lack of a better term, all the way around the kitchen.  Just wanted some interest in the design.
 
We added a new farmhouse sink and this little cutie....

Yes, our sink is a mere two steps away from the stove, but why not add a pot faucet when you can?


I decided to leave the butcher block unsealed so it would develop a rich patina over time.  I just fix spots and spills with a little 220 sandpaper and apply mineral oil (for food safety) every so often.


 
I will leave this post at the photos and, if you are interested, I may post the breakdown of what we did later.  We still need to get rid of the grody florescent lighting, but that another project for another year.... Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave any questions or comments or contact me via email.
Also shared with Between Naps on the Porch....

Special thanks to Lori for taking some of these AFTER photos for me!  For those of you visiting from Kimba's DIY Day, Dave did the tile work, counter tops, and installation of all appliances and sink and faucet.  I painted the cabinets and grouted and gave my opinion:)

31 comments:

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

Tamera: This is beautiful!! I LOVE the cabinets and that tile works perfectly with it!! And the faucets I also love!

I just found your blog and am a follower!!

Lou Cinda :)

Leen said...

Nice job on the cabinets, they are gorgeous! I love the butcher block counter too :)

****** "M" said...

Beautiful kitchen Tamera!
I too am in love with your faucets. Mine are leaking all over the place and hubby wants me to order new ones i like. Would you mind sharing your source?
Good luck on the transom by the way. Guess you saw by today's post, I may be a bit mirror biased ;)

Heather of the EO said...

I love it. I love the simplicity of it and the cupboards are making me drool. Lovely.

dee dee said...

Your back splash is stunning! Love the look of the counters. Your kitchen turned out soft and inviting! Great job... Dee Dee

Natasha in Oz said...

This is a gorgeous kitchen-I love it! It has a beautiful warm and welcoming look. I think we have the same tastes in kitchen sinks!I have also posted pictures of my kitchen renovation for the last couple of met Mondays!
Best wishes, NM.

KatBouska said...

I love it!! And I love that huge sink!!

cindy said...

Fabulous! Love that color of your cabs, and the butcher block and farm sink really make the room. Painting cabinets is a pain for sure, but the alternative is so cost prohibitive. Great job!

Beth@The Stories of A to Z said...

It's beautiful! I love you cabinets. I would never think of going with green but I really like it. Nicely done.

Anonymous said...

Hi Tamara! Oh, I love your kitchen! Those cabinets you painted years ago are just beautiful! Love the wooden countertops! And that farm sink! I've always wanted one of those. Your backsplash is gorgeous! Great job and I know you're just loving it to death.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Amy @ Renovation Innovation said...

Just wanted to drop by and say thanks for commenting on the chandelier lowering post on my blog. Great job on painting your kitchen cabinets - we need to repaint our outdated cabinets that we inheritied with the house, and it is going to be a BIG project (we have 80 linear feet of cabinets - yowza!!)

Janis@White Alder [Home] said...

Great job on the kitchen, it looks wonderful. The counters are great and your taps are such a nice contrast.

Thanks so much for checking out my blog today.
Cheers

Shanty 2 Chic said...

LOVE your backsplash and LOVE your sink!! So cute!!
~Whitney

Cathy Miller said...

I love your tumbled marble..and I want a pot faucet so, so badly. And a new sink, just like yours. Very pretty final result!! Good job!

Ashley @ AshleysBusy said...

I love those new countertops...wish I could sell my guy on them, he worries about their durability. I love them anyway, so natural and rustic. :)

Unknown said...

You must truly enjoy your time in that kitchen. What a great space. I am going to click on your "Follow" button and you can do the same if you like what you see at my blog.

Unknown said...

Beautiful! I love the neutral look with the colorful cabinets. The backsplash is fabulous!

Miss Mustard Seed said...

The finishing details in your kitchen are beautiful! I love the pot filler, the tile, and the farm house sink Beautiful job!

Kammy said...

Super nice - I love the ORB faucet ! We had ugly lights too before our kitchen remodel - I feel your pain !
Kammy

Katie@Yoga Gal said...

Fantastic job on the cabinets! I know how hard that can be, I have been working on my daughter's cabinets for 3 days and they don't look nearly as good as yours! Very awesome kitchen.

Free Art Printables said...

Very nice! Love the sink and the tile!

Delightful Dwelling said...

It looks gorgeous! I love the counters and the backsplash, but most of all I adore that sink and faucet. They are so pretty!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

WOW! This is fabulous. I love the new counters and flooring with the green. Your faucet is pretty awesome too. :)

I'm hosting a November Decorating Dilemmas Party that goes up tonight at 10 pm (ET) and will be up all day tomorrow. This post would be an awesome addition as a SOLUTION. :) There will be another Giveaway for participants too. :) Hope you can stop by again!

Anonymous said...

Changing the backsplash and countertops made SUCH a big difference. Really softens the look and makes the cabinets shine! Jealous of your faucet :-). As ALWAYS, great job!

pk @ ROOM REMIX

Tim said...

Your green cabinets do look so great! The change of the countertops and the backsplach does add such a warm feel to your kitchen. Beautiful!

-Angela

Tim said...

Your green cabinets do look so great! The change of the countertops and the backsplach does add such a warm feel to your kitchen. Beautiful!

-Angela

Katherine @ Grass Stains said...

The butcher block tops are GORGEOUS! They really make the cabinets pop and look more updated. I think you made some brilliant choices ... congrats!

staceykt22 said...

I absolutely love your kitchen!!
It really is perfect. Good job!

Lorie said...

I LOVE the butcher block counter tops!! It is all beautiful!

Embellished Bayou said...

I love the butcher block countertops, they look lovely with your green cabinets.

Lettered Cottage said...

I HAVE to share your before and after on our blog! Pretty please, pretty please! :-)

It looks AMAZING, you did a FANTASTIC job!!!
Layla