Finally! New kitchen in old farmhouse, lotsa pics!!

11 years ago

Over the past year plus of our project, as a constant lurker and occasional poster, I have found GW an amazing resource. I have always been so inspired by your photos and beautiful kitchens, I am getting around to posting mine. We have finally finished our kitchen project (mostly, still some undercab lighting & sconces in FR to add). Ours is a 100 year-old farmhouse. We did a tear down, rebuild of the original kitchen, which included the laundry and family room as well as a master bedroom/bath addition (will post those pics in other forums). The original kitchen was 15x11' with a 7' ceiling and had last been updated in the 60s, except wallpaper and appliances in the 80-90s. We are a busy family of four - 2 kids, 2 professionals, so casual cooks wanting a space for family to hang out. We wanted our new kitchen to look like it had always been there, while reflecting our desire to gather and our personalities (time spent in Mexico led to our tile selection, for instance). Kitchen is now 20x18'. The very small "family room" space is intentionally small for two reasons - 1) we could not bump out any farther and 2) the house has a large living/dining room which we had previously fixed up (we've been here 8 years). It has been the perfect spot for kids to play and friends/family to gather before a meal. Well tested during the holidays and the kitchen and space worked beautifully!

Will describe the bits as we go . . .

Original kitchen:

Here you can see original window and back door of house, with horribly built addition added on:

Primary storage - a little over 1x2' pantry!

View from dining/living room:

And horribly built "family room" addition:

The view we could never see through those small badly placed windows:

And the new space . . .

A few details:
Walnut butcher block on island, Rohl prep faucet

Richlite in Blue Canyon on perimeter counter, primary sink Rohl with Rohl Country Kitchen Faucet (sprayer to come after inspection . . .):

Kobe in cab hood (louder than I expected at 3 sones, but works great!):

Custom cabs in cherry:

(That white door next to broom closet leads to back stairs that could not be moved)

Solution for wanting chalkboard somewhere (removable contact paper that won't damage cab finish):

One of my favorites, sealed compost bucket on door:

View looking out back (taken on a cloudy late afternoon, but still lovely):

New view from widened doorway into LR/DR:

All dressed up for the holidays!

More Details: flooring is American Olean River Moss, backsplash tile also American Olean subway with Mexican Talavera tile from tierrayfuego.com (also where all fireplace tile is from), trim is all fir recycled from our old rafters, pendants are Pottery Barn, over sink light Rejuventaion, all knobs as well as pantry pulls are Restoration Hardware, bin pulls are Kennedy Hardware, fridge is Whirlpool, Range GE (double oven w/convection), DW is old Kenmore (with $30 "stainless" magnet to turn black front stainless - but is now dead so getting new one this week . . . ), stools from World Market. If I am missing anything, please ask. Thanks to everyone here at the fabulous GW for your help! It has been a challenging process but we are thrilled with the outcome!

Comments (34)

vsalzmann
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WOW. Gorgeous. I love a brown cabinet and black countertop. As a biology major, reminds me of a lab!!!
jakkom
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great job - amazing view, and LOVE the walnut top on the island!
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Thank you all for the feedback! I really appreciate it! Holly321: the space is 15' long (+ WC which is 5x3.5')and 6.25' wide. We had that icky plastic shower as well and were so glad to get rid of it. I think you could easily trade your shower for a washer+dryer - either stacked with a sink and cupboard to one side or side by side w/counter above for folding/storage. I find a lot of newer W/D are too high for me to have a counter above be useful (and I'm tallish). My in laws have that set up and it doesn't really function well for intended purpose. Our W/D are actually the same brand from different years so, while they are meant to stack they are not meant to stack on one another. We had our counter fabricator extend the Ecotop over the washer and set the dryer above, with a bracket on the wall behind to support it at the back. It works great! I don't have much counter space for folding, which was intentional as we have never done that in the laundry room, mostly b/c we couldn't before, but we'll fold while watching TV at night instead (then DH helps when he might not otherwise!). ;) colorcrazy: Thank you for the compliment! I do not yet know what I am doing for the cushion. I have three seat cushions I need to have made and haven't even begun yet. I am considering a dark brown as I think the chocolate is a nice contrast with the white and blue, and would be practical in a potentially messy space. Or a fun pattern! As you can tell, I love color. Piping sounds like a nice, finished touch. Ideaas welcome! Thanks again.
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Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for the continued ideas and photos! It is so great to see similar rooms and see how they work! As for the small window, I do think I am going to get stained glass to hang there. I think that would help hide the ugly white section that divides the window. I got samples of linen today for curtains. I was settled on cream that would match the wall. My idea was to use an obi as a tie-back to bring in color. Not sure. Anyway, the stock quickly depleted so I'd be cutting it close with the yardage. RE: fireplace placement-- I agree,it totally looked fake in the corner, too. I saw a blog where someone built up the wall for her corner FP to make it look real, but that involved drywall and seemed too complicated. Long ago, before we got this fake FP, my original idea was to get a REAL (antique/vintage) mantle with the top on it, and just cover the window, and then put in a box that way. It seemed too hard to do (not really any more $) at the time since decorating is pretty much last on the list of priorities. A few weeks ago I asked DH if we could try moving the FP to see, and he said it was so heavy, would be a lot of work, etc. (gave me the runaround). He was pretty shocked when he got home this week and I'd moved it myself. He asked me how I did it. Like I said-- it took all of MINUTES. This is why I need time to do this stuff myself. Then it gets done! Eventually, I would like to get the antique/vintage mantle like I originally wanted, but that will have to wait. (Maybe we'll have moved to a house with a real one by then!) It is still too much white furniture in the room. Covering the chairs would make a big difference, but I don't have the $ to pay someone to do it, and I don't have the time to do it myself. So, it will have to wait. Guess what DH said today? He said (all on his own) that he thinks this arrangement works. I am shocked. Normally he says nothing! Anyway-- here is my list of ideas, sort of in order of priority. Have no idea how/when I'd get this done. 1. Curtains. Still thinking of linen with the obi tiebacks. For some reason am fixated on eventually getting orange or coral velvet curtains for fall/winter. 2. Pillows. Want to get navy, aubergine, and coral/persimmon/rust. Some Ikat pillows have all of these colors. I want some throws, too. 3. Paint table. May eventually replace it with a round wooden one, but the smaller oval I have gives us more floorspace and we don't have to use coasters when it's painted. :) 4. Slipcover chairs. Not sure with what since I would not want anything too heavy to compete with the sofa/LS, but would have to be sturdy enough to withstand so many people. Thinking microsuede for practical reasons, but still seems heavy. 5. Cover inside of middle section of bookcase with fabric. I am thinking of chinoiserie fabric. I would put fabric in the top sections with pattern, and then something solid behind the TV. 6. Get doors for tops of bookcases. (I am not sure how I'd ever have time to do ALL of the inside of the bookcases . . .and have yet to find baskets that would fit in the shelves.) 7. Add trim to bookcases. Paint in a color that complements middle section. 8. And of course, continue to look for accessories for the mantle and inside of bookcase, as well as stained glass for window when I have the $. Oops. Forgot about artwork. Went looking for frames today for the girls' artwork, but none were on sale. May get some vintage ones instead. There are other little things . . .like I need to change the lightbulbs in the lights on the mantle (want something amber, maybe one of those flickering ones), get a different light switch, etc. Whew. This is a long process!!!! Again, thank you so much for the ideas and encouragement. Your enthusiasm keeps me going!
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Sorry all. I just got around to taking more photos following some of your suggestions. Let me answer a few questions... I switched the old dining room rug with the one in my family room. The new rug is a dark brown background with ivory, gold, sage and pumpkin. The ceiling height was 9 ft. We determined the size we wanted the center rectangle to be, drew the dimensions on the ceiling and attached 2x4's along this line. He then attached 1x6's vertically to the sides of the 2x4's and then that was covered by the same crown that the dining room had previously. He then used a sheet of thin veneer and cut the pieces for the bottom of the beam which resulted in a slight reveal. Pipdog, you can come for dinner anytime. Just bring lots of photos of your beautiful family room. First I switched the plates thinking they might work better on opposites sides. Then I removed them completely, along with the hydrangea. I removed the shades from the sconces but they just aren't attractive (to me) without them so I put them back on. I didn't try it with the chandy but I will soon. I'll need to look for something new for the center of the table and the buffet. The mirror is just leaning on the buffet for now. It is meant to be hung horizontally so will need new hangers on the back before I can raise it. with the plates reversed... But here it is now....
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Southernstitcher and mamalynn - I am thinking of adding in a strip of glass tiles into the tumbled travertine, so I might work the blue in there. happyladi - I forgot to mention that I do plan on adding hardware! I am torn about the finish, though. I chose the light fixtures before I knew I'd be getting SS appliances and now I am not in love with them and am thinking of replacing them. Not sure what finish to choose for those and the hardware, though. desertsteph - I am certain they will all be shaking their heads at us in 20 years! That silly leg wasn't even screwed in from below. It had one screw in it through the cab above it. I am 5'5" tall and there is 16" of space from the top of the counters to the bottom of the microwave. I have no trouble putting things in or taking them out. It's actually almost the same height as an OTR one would be. That shelf isn't my favorite part of the kitchen, but I'm dealing with it. Once we get a matching microwave, I think it will help more. I've also considered asking a cabinet maker friend to build a appliance garage door for it, but I'm not sure about it. patsyklein - I am really happy with that rounded edge since I was worried I'd be hitting my hip on it if it was squared off. We used Carl Beuhner Countertops in Salt Lake City for the fabrication and install. My only complaint is that the deck of the sink where the faucet is installed doesn't seem very heavy gauge. It's my fault for not asking to see the sink they agreed to provide, though. Right now the faucet can rock a bit. It's securely attached to the deck, but the deck flexes, if that makes sense.
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ppbenn
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Big Beautiful change! I'm loving the cherry cabs and that island is great with the cherry. I am so glad to see your tile on the floor I've been trying to find a visual for something similar and there it is! Thanks!
Love the fireplace nook and those chairs! Where are they from?
Great that you used the fir for trim - big job but looks great with your gorgeous views.
I want your yellow cow... ;)
blfenton
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a difference. Love the windows (the view and the frames) and the walnut countertop and the book shelf on the side of the fridge and the openness of the floor plan. It looks really well thought out both in function and aesthetics. Nice looking kitchen.
motherof3sons
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Beautiful! Love the kitchen, finishes, small family area, and that view - what can we say about the view!!! Have fun!
AboutToGetDusty
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Stunning! What a transformation, enjoy :-)
enduring
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Glorious" is the word that came to mind as I browsed your pictures. It is truly beautiful and perfect.
taggie
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow, absolutely beautiful! I love the cabs, and your bookshelves are wonderful. The new windows looking out to your view must make the world of difference too. And the chalkboard in your pantry cab door, that is so clever!! Congrats on your fabulous new kitchen!
gwlolo
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Love your countertop and the schoolhouse lights. I cannot believe how spacious it all tuned out to be. Our guys did a great job!

Can you share details on the chalkboard contact paper? How is our rohl sink working out? Did you face any issues with the deep flange?
badgergal
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Fabulous transformation. You must be so thrilled to have all that room and being able o see the great outdoor scene too. Love the cherry cabinets, the bookshelves and the island. Great little fireplace sitting area too. Congratulations on a job well done.
cat_mom
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Fabulous! And, oh, that view!!!
sloane529
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you all! It feels so good to hear feedback after so long planning and plotting (and second guessing!).

ppbenn chairs from World Market (and the cow is from Target!)

GWlolo see link for contact paper from Office Depot. I love my sink. It is primarily for dishes and I still cannot believe how much it holds (it's the 30'). Love being able to put a griddle or cookie sheet in no problem. It's a little low for my tall DH but I like the height for scrubbing. I'm sorry to be dense but what is the deep flange?

Thanks again!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chalkboard Contact Paper
crl_
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is an amazing transformation!

How do you like your richlite?
annkathryn
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Lovely! So many pretty elements, the warm wood is gorgeous.
sloane529
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
crl - we are loving the Richlite. It was one of the hardest decisions, but knew I did not want granite and was willing to live with patina issues in an old house. Soapstone was a close second to Richlite/Paperstone. We liked this color better than Paperstone and install was reasonable (though we live in WA where the stuff is made). It really is a navy blue, though looks more black in pictures. It definitely patinas, and quickly (area around the sink gets paler quickly, but no water spots or rings). I'd describe the patina as more a mottled appearance - areas of heavy use get paler, areas with things dragged across will show marks. However, that all disappears and it becomes a beautiful, more uniform deep blue with a rub-down of Real Milk Paint Soapstone Sealer/Wood Wax. So I think some of the "scratches" are just in the finish not the counter. I've had no major issues so far (3 months living with it), love the look and warm feel, and will wait to see how often I wax it!
Weedpuller1954
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Your kitchen is beautiful and the view of the mountains is lovely!!
Could you tell me where you got the compost pail? It looks huge. Is it bigger than a gallon?
susiemw
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WOW, gorgeous kitchen. Great job. WOW!! I'm excited for you.

Susan
Linda
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is beautiful! Such a well organized and aesthetically pleasing plan! The view is amazing! What mountains?
Enjoy -- you did good!
gsciencechick
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Stunning, warm, and so inviting! Wow for the view. This is a fantastic transformation.
kelhuck
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks so cozy. I feel like curling up in one of the chairs with a book from your awesome bookshelves!
localeater
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You have created a really warm, welcoming, beautiful space. Congratulations and enjoy it.
I love(and covet) your big broom closet. I don't get that until phase 2 of our project and we need to save up. Can you tell me its width?
Can you give me any information on your desk chair? It is perfect.
How do you work with your on the door compost bucket? I compost a lot! Do you pull the inner bucket out and bring it to where you are prepping, or do you scrap into it while it is on the door? I love the idea but don't know if it would work for me, I am less of a scraper and more of a scooper- LOL. Plus I need to sort compost for bunny, chickens, and just compost- ugh.
crl_
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you for the richlite review!
istyleit
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
wow! beautiful! love everything and love, love your view!
schmaltzy
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Gorgeous!
Is that Baker or Rainier?
If it's Baker, can you PM me if you decide to move? I think I'm in love
with your space. It looks fantastic, and also very practical as a pet friendly dwelling.
Nicely done!

Beth
mamadadapaige
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a REMARKABLE renovation... I can only imagine that this is a life altering change for you. I love your view and that you can see it now and love all the wonderful storage you planned. So beautiful.
sloane529
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks all!

weedpuller: the compost bucket is huge - 15L or about 3 gallons. I don't let it get too full though because it gets heavy (not to mention smelly, though only noticeable when the door is open) and I worry about the weight. It is from Rev A Shelf, see link

localeater: I love the compost bucket. We compost everything, no garbage disposal in our house. It is under the prep sink on the island and I scrap into the sink then gather it up to throw in the bucket. Easy. The bucket pulls out to be carried out to our bin. Also, the broom closet is 2' wide, 3' deep and 6' tall and functions beautifully (especially after not having one for so long!). The chair is from PB Teen, Vintage Wood Swivel. Well constructed and comfy, as well as (I agree, if I do say so myself) a perfect fit for the space!

Beth: Thanks!! It's Baker and we're not going anywhere anytime soon ;) We did all this work on an old house we love because we hope to be here forever! :) And yes, our pup loves it too!

kelhuck: That is just what I love to do in the space, time and kids allowing! Book storage was actually a big part of the planning for our book-loving family.

And yes, mamadadapaige - life altering is right! Sometimes I still can't quite believe it.

Thanks again! Your compliments and interest mean a lot to me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pull Out Compost
TxMarti
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Absolutely gorgeous! Did you add on to your space or did taking the wall out make that much of a difference? I love all your storage, and places to put every single thing.

What a great view you have. I like the doors and window you put in to take advantage of it too. I haven't heard of Richlite before. Is it solid color all the way through?
beekeeperswife
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Gorgeous!!! And the views!!! Enjoy cooking and living in that warm space for many years.

Make sure to come back and report about the counters after you have lived with them for awhile.

Wowzer.
Bee
deedles
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow! Beautiful, beautiful! Your cabs are gorgeous and so is everything else. Love that cookbook shelf and the lights, too. An amazing transformation and what a beautiful view! I know you're enjoying it already! Awesome...
rhome410
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WOWOWOW! Nice. What an amazing transformation and good use of the space and your view. Such a nice style suiting your farmhouse, too. Beautiful cabinets, and I love the island design and seating area. So many of us here on the forum from WA. From your views, I'm guessing you're up north?

Enjoy your new space!
a2gemini
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sloan - Wow - that is amazing! Love your view, your counters, your backsplash, floor, cabinets. I agree, I want to line up for your house! Well, on a cloudy day our view looks about the same - just when the sun comes out - we still don't have a mountain.
I will come back and ogle more!
Congratulations!
Mizinformation
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi, neighbor! Ah-mazing. Way to un-re-muddle that addition. Bookshelves! Storage! Cascades! Bookshelves! The view of Baker looks like something from Whatcom, maybe the Birch Bay-Lynden Road or over on Loomis Trail or the Badger, but your view out the back looks more Everson-ish (is that Sumas Mountain?) or even Skagit-y. Did I mention I really love your bookshelves? Definitely going to email you re. your local cabinetmaker. Have fun with the new digs!
sis2two
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh my gosh! The transformation is amazing! What a beautiful and welcoming space! And the view isn't bad either. Great job.
sloane529
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
marti8a: We literally did a tear down old part of house/rebuild new. Working with 100 year old walls and beams to move things where we wanted would have been an engineering/building nightmare (let alone $$!). The previous back of the house had 3 different wall depths on one side and 4 different roof lines (like many an old remuddled house with stuff stuck on here and there). We tried to make it one big square and simplify the rooflines while adding a dormer for space & aesthetics(in master upstairs). See pics:

Before

During

After:

Still have a lot of landscaping to do (& excuse the tile guy's hose & the shoes - still trying to find a place for everything!) . . . and eventually will have a deck all the way around . . . for now just happy to recover and live in the space for a while (master to be done in next 2 months)!

Also, see link for more info on Richlite, which is a sustainable recycled paper product that is solid all the way through.

Here is a link that might be useful: Richlite

Finally! New kitchen in old farmhouse, lotsa pics!!

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