You've been busy! We're doing much the same with our old house. I feel your pain. It's alot of work. From the look of your kitchen it appears to be well worth it though. Your kitchen looks beautiful. Love that you kept the brick wall. Your counters are gorgeous and that range makes me just a little jealous. It must be a pleasure working in such a bright yet warm and charming space. Enjoy!! By the way, love the color. What is it?

What a great looking kitchen. I too suggest leaving the brick wall as is and just sealing it. I love things that tell a story and just think of the stories that wall could tell.

Oh, my...I want a kitchen like yours when I grow up! My favorite shot is of the 2 walls with windows showing your gorgeous island. I sighed. It's how I know if I need to take note - I either sigh or smile. I think I smiled some, too. :)

Your Samsung fridge is just what I wanted when I got mine - they only had Stainless Steel at the time. I have tried every trick in the book in keeping the fronts not 'runny' looking. I have to have bone-dry hands to never leave a mark. It's not just the water marks, it's others who open/close who don't use just the handle. *sigh* I do love the fridge, though. It's a real life saver for my back.

I have 2 upright freezers one of which will be in the kitchen in our new house. We plotted, planned, moved stuff but I have no choice but to put one of the freezers in my kitchen. I'm going to have the fridge at one end of the L and the freezer at the other end of the L. Oh, well. My kitchen freezer is a workhorse & function beats form on this one. The other freezer is in our entry - it will be in our pantry in the house.

Paint - can you tell me the color? Love it!

Do you have more plans for the exposed brick? Love that part, too!

Congratulations on a job very well done!

What a wonderful kitchen and story!!! I do love the brick and wouldn't change it a bit!!

Great job transforming that space!

Looks great! Thanks for sharing! I remember the saga when the workers tore up the brick! Did they get out alive? I can't remember.

Such a beautiful and warm kitchen. My dh is in Boston right now...can he come over?

Bee

Looks great!!!
BTW - what subway tile did you use? Is it white or an off-white?

Great job, neighbor!

I love the brick! What a warm and inviting kitchen. Congrats on being almost finished.

Gorgeous! Love the color of the cabinets with the beautiful granite. Love the concept that each child has their own DW. Well done!

Thanks for the wonderful comments. The paint color is Benjamin Moore HC-4 Hawthorne Yellow. I always wanted a sunny yellow kitchen. I thought this color would be too dull but it's great once it's on the walls. Usually the yellow I pick ends up too bright on the walls.

I'm keeping the brick as is for now. After we finish the other tasks in phase one I will revisit the brick wall. It's growing on me.

Bee - What a great memory. I was furious at he guy who chiseled out the brick and in tears at the time. The brick in a small part of the kitchen would have made the floor uneven in front of the sink and it stopped partly in front of the DW on the right. It is in the main travel path and would have probably been a tripping feature. I'm fine with it gone now. After that my contractor would not throw out a thing without my approval (painfully pulling old wallpaper off before demoing a wall - some wallpaper original from 1825, saving all trim, floor boards, etc. - everything except plaster). He wasn't allowed to throw out the old square nails. He left the old wood in a pile and I pulled out all the old nails. I will make some type of sculpture/art out of it. It was good I was around - they would come and get me before throwing items in the dumpster.

a2gemini - I will find the tile info tomorrow (packed away while we're finishing the office) but the info I have on my computer is it's "biscuit" - a light cream (white was too stark) and it cost $3.65/sq ft. It's from a big manufacturer - maybe Daltile. I lived with a few tiles on my counter for a week before deciding on one. I wanted to see them in all different lights and it took a week before the sun would come out that spring LOL

Wow! A beautiful, livable space! I love the brick as is!

Loads of character in a very nice kitchen!!!

Lovely and so sunny!! I love the windows, brick, cabs, and granite. You picked a great shade of yellow--so sunny without being too intense. And I'm in lust with your range!! Thanks so much for sharing--enjoy!

wowowowowowowoowow.

Hawthorne Yellow comes up again.
What a lovely color.
That's all I can say because I'm going back to revel in the changes again.

How beautiful and what character.
You're a creative, lucky person!

Pam!! It's wonderful! I'm not a big wood cab fan, but those are lovely in your space. That exposed brick makes my heart go pitty pat.

The two Tapmasters made me chuckle. I only have one, and its on the prep sink. I felt like a dork last week standing at the cleanup sink with my foot pushing at the pedal wondering why my faucet wouldn't turn on. Took me a good 10 seconds to figure it out. Fori joked with me that I'd be kicking the bathroom vanity soon. Sadly, she was correct. Last night I stood at the vanity washing my face fishing around with my foot for the pedal. Double dork! Put one on your vanity!

You've done a great job! Lots of work, stress, and decisions behind you. Enjoy your new kitchen. Btw, that before kitchen was pretty awful....

Sooo glad you finally posted Pam!! I check in every now and then and have looked for your "finished kitchen" often :-) It came out wonderful! That stove is such a great addition! Having put in Cherry/Cabico I feel your pain about dents! (eeek) I cringe everytime one of us catches the edge. "LOVE" old houses and you are doing your's proud. Can't wait to see more of your home as you work on it - please - Cindy

Breezygirl - I even kick my basement sink and other people's sink. The before kitchen is actual much nicer than our kitchen. This was the owner's kitchen on the 1st floor but we moved into the rental upstairs and rented downstairs. Our kitchen had the same layout with no DW or vent, no uppers on the range wall and only 1 small (9") cab next to the range (other side had a large radiator), red counter, white counter, frig plopped in the middle of the room and blocking light from windows, horrendous wall paper... We had to do a quick mini update because I refused to live like that until the major reno. We bought HD cabs (Ikea was still 300 miles away), DW, formica counters, sink, faucet, GD for under $2K. The cabs have been retired to the garage and basement.

Cindy - office is almost done (maybe pictures in a week) and now I'm trying to pick the colors for the billiard room and DR. Jumped on a great price for a pool table on CL just before XMAS. Originally thought that was going to be the last room finished but DH now wants it done sooner. Boxerpup's Jesse is coming today to help me with another project on a fireplace. Ran out of money long time ago so almost everything is DIY. It never ends...

So glad you posted. I have wondered how things were going. You have done a stellar job. I love the brick wall ! I kept my exposed brick too and my GC thought I was crazy. c

Your kitchen is very beautiful! Thanks for sharing :)

It is just beautiful! I love all of the colors, textures, woods -- and your appliances, sinks, faucets, etc. are amazing. It is so pretty AND functional in every way. Washable keyboard and mouse?!?!? Tell me more!

Awesome kitchen! Thank you for sharing. We also have TB granite, but no backsplash yet. I'll be waiting to hear what your bs is, because it looks great!

It's beautiful!!!!
Enjoy your new space,
Could I ask how the cabico cabinets are working out?
Thanks!

another BS question...I notice your walls are painted yellow. Does your bs read "yellow" too? It looks beautiful in your kitchen, with your TB, but I'm trying to stay away from yellow.
Thanks!

Beautiful, beautiful space! Your old house is lucky to have you.

Pam, Great job!
Terrific layout.
I really like the integration of the old brick with the subways on the backsplash.
How are you liking your Bluestar.
We've got a 36" 6 burner. It is a box of fire.
The brick wall is fantastic.
Thanks for posting.

Lovely, lovely, kitchen (I'm especially fond of yellow kitchens!)

Re runnels: did you mean the each runnel was $150, or $150 per side? Can you give details about the length, width, separation and change of depth in each runnel? I want them, but $150 each would put them out reach for me. Can't imagine why they are so expensive unless the cost reflects the risk of destroying a good slab from time to time while cutting them.

I, too, live in a mid-19th c house and feel a strong sense of caretaking about it which trumps all else. You have done a good job there - and I know how hard it can be.

L.

Thanks for all the great comments. This kitchen and renovation is a labor of love.

tile - 3 x 6 subway American Olean in Bisquit. Every time ANYONE came into the house I would ask them what tile they liked and why and kept a running report for over a week. People thought I was nuts. Not one tile won in all lighting conditions (night, sunny, overcast, afternoon, etc.) but overall the American Olean came out the winner. I lucked out since it was reasonably inexpensive.

The tile is a very very light cream. I don't think it looks yellow-y. When you look at it quick I see a soft white - no yellow. If you look longer you see cream. I brought over 20 tiles home to find the right one. White tile was just too stark for me.

Legallin - wireless washable keyboard and mouse is from sealshield and you can supposedly buy from Best Buy, Walmart, etc. My DH found it - he's a software engineer and does his research. I have not sent it thru the DW yet.

kmmh - I really wanted Crown Point cabinets but couldn't afford the price. I got a great product with Cabico. My contractor thought I paid a lot more for the cabinets than I did - he loved how well they are made. He was very impressed with them. (Cabico is semi-custom cabinet manufacturer out of Quebec) My disappointment is how soft the cherry is. I never had cherry. I have many scratches, dents and dings. I was not expecting this much. I had maple before which is much harder. This kitchen gets a real hard work out and I have very young nephews here a lot. My kids cook a lot too starting at age 8 and don't necessarily respect things as I would.

willtv - I love my bluestar. My kids are having a tough time adjusting though. They keep following the food directions and I keep reminding them not to use the called out strength of the flame - especially on the 22K burners. They keep having to scrape food from the bottom of the pan. Eventually they will learn. I've been burning up wood spoons too. Because of food allergies and cross contamination I sometimes leave a wood spoon draped across a pan. The high flame/heat output can char a spoon. I'm on my 3rd set in 2 years LOL. I also LOVE my fan. For 1600 cfm - it's unbelievably quiet - less noise than my old recirculating fan. I was a bit worried with the talk of make up air and air pressure. Recently I had a free home energy audit and they measured the air pressure drop with all the fans going on at once. My HVAC systems are closed so it shouldn't be a concern. There was a small drop but not much. Of course with an old house it's not airtight.

liriondendron - my fabricator charged $150 for EACH runnel for a total of $750. Quotes from mutliple fabricators ranged from $250 to $1300. some charged per runnel, others for the entire job. There was a $4K price difference from the low end to the high end from the fabricators for my job using the same 2 slabs. I was out of the country so DH made the decision on who to use. Not my choice but I accepted it and they did an OK job. I have no seams so I wasn't as worried.

My runnels are 15" long and 1/2" wide. Measuring across the 5 runnels is 8.5". Next time I would add another runnel and make them a little longer. It's hard to measure but it looks like it's 1/8" deep at the sink and it's a gradual slope.

Here is a link that might be useful: Washable keyboard and mouse

The second I saw the brick I was hoping that it was going to stay --Yay!!

The kitchen is wonderful -- and I also like that you have a white fridge in there. I have given up on my stainless fridge. When we do the remodel, it will be banished to the mudroom and I plan on getting a white counterdepth.

lawjedi - personally I don't like stainless refrigerators and I'm fine with the white. We had our contractor create a niche behind the frig - 5" or 6" deep. The space came out of the back stairway which was over 3' wide. we can now have a full size frig but be counter depth. This is a main path and depth was a real concern. Kids are constantly playing with the frigits- marbles and magnets - on the bottom of the frig. It's great fun and teaches math and science. The white doesn't show all the hand prints.

Nice! Your kitchen is so warm and inviting!

I have a completely random question. Your doorknob we see a glimpse of in one of the bottom photos, is it antique pewter? Who makes them and what's the finish? I'm asking because when I told our lighting girl my plan to paint our interior doors charcoal or black, she said there's antique pewter hardware that would look really good and not disappear like ORB or black would and not be so stark like silver. Yours looks muted like I imagine that would be.

Love:
- the brick
- the layout
- the AMAZING corner of windows
- the sandwich making station
- the colored (red?) range!
- the wineglass alcove and pantry to be

Nice, nice, nice! I'd say "Enjoy," but it sounds like you really know how and are well underway!

What a warm and inviting kitchen. I especially love your red/or wine colored range! I love your backsplash, your granite counters, and your wood floors.

Thanks so much for sharing your pics and a bit of you/your house's story! Absolutely beautiful job. Love the yellow, love the old brick, love the red range...so many things to love really. It's warm, cozy and invites you in for a sip or two (or more?!) of whatever wine is for the tasting...

And THANKS for the link to the washable keyboard and mouse. They may find their way into my house down the road!

Thank you for all the warm comments. Without your help the kitchen would not even be close to what it is.

babs711 - I had to really search for the HW answer (and I'm still doing it). The bathroom door knob is a Schlage knobset - I think in antique pewter (great guess). They have a lot of different finishes (15). For my mudroom I used Baldwin door knobs from capecod brass. Baldwin also comes in a lot of finishes but a bit pricey - capecodbrass.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Schlage door hardware finishes

What a great new space! I totally LOVE your cabinet color, it's so rich and warm and looks fantastic. Also love the range, the wonderful chandelier over your island, the great island itself, your faucet choices and so much more. Congratulations on a great working kitchen that looks beautiful too ... form and function so nicely blended together.

Love all the windows and natural light! Your color choices are so warm and inviting. So beautiful!

I adore all the windows and the brick... FANTASTIC! The layout is outstanding, love the floors, the cherry, and granite choice. BUt...OH... that brick!

Thank you for all the great comments. It warms my heart on this cold day. I'm glad everyone likes the brick. Originally DH sanded it and we were going to paint it. It was a low level task so we never got around to it. So many people who come here love the brick. As the owner of an old house I would look at it as another task on my endless list to make the house more presentable. That style with paint peeling or showing thru - I have that naturally though out the house without trying (LOL) Yes, it may look nice in a new house but here I normally sigh and add it to the to do list. Here's one place it will stay. If we knew we were going to keep it we would have sandblasted it before the kitchen install to even it out a bit more. I did paint the brick behind the sink the same color of the tile - another reason why I went with subways. Not the same size but similar. Thanks again.

Love the whole design, and especially the brick. Keeps it from being too perfect - sounds odd but it's one of the hallmarks of Japanese design, that nothing should be perfect. It makes your kitchen unique and individual!

You have married the old with the new divinely!!!

I don't know if you had intended originally to keep the brick but it looks like all your materials were picked to incorporate the brick. Wonderful kitchen to treasure for years to come!

If you have time can you tell me the distance countertop to countertop from your prep sink to your range counter. TIA

aloha - we were severely limited in the width of the kitchen. That brick wall is 18" thick and on the other side (behind the range) is a stairwell and then a garage. Counter to counter is 37 1/4" and end of range to counter is 34 1/4". We mocked it up for a few weeks. I never had an island before and that was very difficult. I walked into the kitchen and boom - an island blocking my path.

Now I LOVE my short distance to the range. It's a turn and pivot. I'm NOT a small woman and many times there's 3 or 4 people helping out with another person on the range side of the island. It's not a problem for us. Sometimes with guests there's a jam on the other side of the island with people milling about but it still works for us. If I had all the space in the world I would still keep the tight aisle between the range and the island but widen the aisle on the other side. I use 4 to 6 burners at once most nights and the turn and pivot is key for me.

Great job! It looks both functional & beautiful. May I ask where you found those ventilated onion & potato canisters? I love the look of fruit sitting out but I don't want to stare at my onions & potatoes! LOL

Gorgeous! I love old homes and you did a great job in keeping the warmth and adding modern touches!

In my old farm house my husband I painfully chiseled the plaster off of the chimney in an upstairs bedroom to expose it's character. It had already been done in the lower level in the dining room, but if it hadn't we would have done that project too... it adds so much character, life, and warmth to the space. I encourage you to leave it as it is... put a transparent layer of protection on if you are worried about the lead paint in the kitchen, but otherwise... let it shine :)

Bostonpam, great job. Love the cherry cabinets. We just did them as well and I just warned DH that they can be dinged - hopefully he'll be careful. We've got lots of food allergies over here as well so I understand about planning your life around them. Love the brick and it has such a great "Boston" look. Also love the granite you chose. Everything looks wonderful!

Thanks for all the positive reviews.

Natebear - another GWer gave me the website for the canisters from chefscatalog.com See link below. Now I have to figure out a way to store my tomatoes. Right now they're on the counter.

suziqzer - I would love to see your pictures of the fireplaces and the mantels you used. Another room had a wall covering the fireplace. When the contractors were here we had them take the wall down. That brick was never suppose to be exposed but we will probably keep it as is. We may have to clean it up more. Not as pretty and "clean" as other brick walls. I have to figure out a mantel. All the other fireplaces on the 1st floor are marble or another stone (possibly slate - trying to figure that one out since it's painted and I will eventually strip it). I think the stone mantels in our house give a more formal presence and this FP does not have it.

dallen11 - tapmaster and soap dispensers really help a lot in the kitchen with food allergies. I can easily wash my hands 10 times while preparing dinner. We're always worried about cross contamination. I have 8+ cutting boards so I never run out plus plenty of knives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fresh Valley Canisters

Beautiful! So warm and inviting--I can hardly believe that is the same space! Well done!

Hello Pam,

Your kitchen renovation project looks great! Are you still experiencing issues with your Pella back door with the triple lock? I'd like to put you in touch with our Customer Support Specialists to see if they can help with that. Please call our Customer Support Specialists at 1-800-374-4758 or e-mail at pellawebsupport@pella.com. If you e-mail, please include your full name, contact information, your concerns and purchase location, if known, and photos of the door in your home in the e-mail. We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck finishing your renovations!

Sincerely,

Hillary B., Pella Community Manager