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Done! Mid-budget, Time-crunched, DIY Kitchen

16 years ago

I think I'm finally ready to call it done!

Budget was 15-20K - we came in at 17K (3500 for appliances, 3500 for granite, 6K for cabinets, 1300 for flooring, 2500 misc materials, paint, hardware, sink, faucet, labor etc)

We had one month to plan and one month to execute, then we moved in with 3 toddlers. All the big stuff except the counters were done by move-in date - counters went in a week later. The final details - paint and hardware and accessories - took months to get done :)

Before:

After:

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Comments (38)

karenfromknoxville
16 years ago
Hi,

Wow!!! You did a great job on an amazing budget! I don't know which is more impressive, your kitchen or how well you were able to work within your budget!

Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen and some money leftover to buy some champagne and enjoy it!

Karen
cpang74
16 years ago
It's great! Good job under such a quick deadline too!
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pbrisjar
16 years ago
That's really nice.

Details? Please?

I think you have the green I've been dreaming of for our great room remodel.
rmlanza
16 years ago
I think I'm most impressed that this beautiful kitchen was DIY and with 3 toddlers! Awesome job, congratulations! Such an inspiration!

Robin
caligirl_cottage
16 years ago
Details please! Looks great and amazing budget and schedule! Wish I could say the same....
metromom
Original Author
16 years ago
I'll try to post some details later - kids are waking up right now. I do know that the green is BM Raintree Green.

And I forgot to say, THANK YOU to everyone who helped me all the times when DH would say "ok, I'm going to put the sink in tomorrow" and I'd come running here and say "what kind of sink should I get?". Thanks all.
igloochic
16 years ago
I love it. It's very clean and crisp and yet homey in a good way :) I particularly love that pendant you have over the table. Do you mind sharing the source???
neeter3148
16 years ago
Beautiful. I'm very impressed with your ability to keep such low budget AND get it done in short time with kids!
Congratulations. Please provide details... countertop, wall color, flooring and tile sources.
Thanks!
alywa
16 years ago
Ditto on the pendant light over the table... I think that would look perfect in our space. Where did you get it / brand? (Please!)

Great job on the project!
fran1523
16 years ago
Wow. You did a wonderful job in a short time or any amount of time for that matter. It's a great looking and up to date space. Enjoy.
don_chuwish
16 years ago
Gorgeous! I love the simple clean look that somehow still says 'upscale'. My favorite part is the Easter eggs tho, nice touch!

- D
louisianapurchase
16 years ago
Awesome!!!
User
16 years ago
Beautiful, classic look - you won't have to remodel for a while! As others mentioned, it's an impressive job on its own, let along that you were able to get it done while caring for 3 little ones, too! Bravo!!
mountainbasketmaker
16 years ago
I love the little pendants over the sink. What are they and where did you get them???
malhgold
16 years ago
Looks terriffic!!! Job well done. Nice, clean and modern.

Which brand of cabs?
metromom
Original Author
16 years ago
OK some details --

Cabinets are Merillat Masterpiece (style=Capri). Very happy with them.

Counters are honed Absolute Black granite. I love the look but they're a maintenance nightmare.

Floors are prefinished hardwood - Shaw Fairfax oak with an antique cherry finish.

The pendant over the table is the Trey Pendant from Crate and Barrel. I spent a long time looking for something that style at a reasonable price (it was $200) - there's not a lot out there. Although as soon as I installed it, Pottery Barn came out with a similar one.

The walls are BM Raintree Green, trim is White Dove.

The pendants over the counter and the ceiling light are cheapies from Lowes, I don't think I even paid attention to what brand.

Sink is Ticor from Galaxy Tool Supply

Faucet is Hansgrohe from lowes

Tile is just plain white ceramic subway tile, can't remember if it's from Home Depot or Lowes. I think I've blocked a lot of memories from that month!!

Thanks again for all the help I received here.
rhome410
16 years ago
Nice. Very nice. Impressive change of personality!
raehelen
16 years ago
Very nice.

Another before kitchen that I thought was the 'after' till I saw the real after pics.

Why are your counters a maintenance nightmare- good for people to know why? (Well, at least I want to know :>)
kitchenkelly
16 years ago
That is fabulous!
mommycooks
16 years ago
That looks so wonderful. The black counters and the white cabs look so soothing - bet you just love coming in the kitchen when the kids are down for a nap. And the green is GREAT!!!

Super, super job. You'll have lots of people asking questions, for sure! Enjoy - and thanks for sharing!
stretchad
16 years ago
Fabulous! I too would like to know why honed granite is a nitemare for maintenance. I love the look but want something easy to maintain too.
pdxgal
16 years ago
Can I hire you???? Seriously, not only does it look great but you stayed in your budget and did all of this in a month! I'm so impressed. Wow!!!!
jejvtr
16 years ago
Metro - ? now suburban mom -
We should all be taking some advice, lessons from you and dh
DIY, 3 toddlers, underbudget - isnt there a few oxymorons in there;)

Very nice - lovely transformation - enjoy your new kitchen!
cat_mom
16 years ago
Sure, make it look easy! LOL! Nice job!
neesie
16 years ago
How interesting, you moved the sink from under the windows to an angle facing your dining area! I bet you have saved yourself many millions of future steps to get a glass, etc. off the dining table to the sink. I would never have thought of it! Looks wonderful, enjoy!
tinahollywood
16 years ago
Just BEAUTIFUL! Congratulations! The absolute black honed -- I'm just about to say "yes" to it. My stone guy tells me they can put an enhancer sealer on it that will minimize (tho not eliminate) the finger-printing issues. What do you think?
lily1342
16 years ago
Great job, very well done! It looks like you have the wall ovens where the fridge space used to be? What used to be on the wall where the cooktop and fridge are now? What kind of appliances did you get? $3500 for those great-looking appls - that's wonderful! I think you did fantastic on your cabinets too - love those (I almost got some v. similar). What a nice dining area too. It looks like you can have your kids sitting at the table and only need to turn you back on them when using the oven. Beautiful classic kitchen.
debbie_2008
16 years ago
I too want to know how you got your appliances for $3500? I just paid out close to $9,000 for mine! I am not replacing cabinets or floor, and mine is costing me what you paid, IF not more. I'm thinking $18,000 to $19,000 all said and done. I'm thankful the cabinets my cabinets are good as is my floor. My floor might not be my first choice, but it works.

Yep, I to wanna know where the appliances were in the old lay out too. Is the fridge and cooktop across from the counter dividing the main kitchen area from the nook?

Your new kitchen is lovely. And, I needed you to shop for me! You did good!
chris_5
16 years ago
Wow! Nice job, and congratulations. Necessity seems the mother of invention.
amcofar
16 years ago
Your choices look great together. I, too, applaud your decision to move the sink to the corner area. Great job! Enjoy your wonderful new kitchen!
cheri127
16 years ago
Your kitchen looks terrific. I love the fixture over the table and the green walls. Why is the honed absolute a maintenance nightmare? I'm considering it instead of soapstone because I don't want too much maintenance.
metromom
Original Author
16 years ago
Re. maintenance -- this is what they look like most of the time:

In this photo, DH just cleaned up the dinner dishes and wiped the counters down with a wet sponge. You can see the back-and-forth motion of the sponge if you look at it right. You can also see lots of little drips and dots of water and oil that won't come off until I clean it with granite cleaner and dry it with microfiber. Then it'll look AWESOME -- but the first time someone comes and pours a cup of coffee, they'll look bad again. I did a lot of testing of my sample and was prepared for what fingerprints and water drops would look like, I just didn't realize how *often* (in a busy household like mine) we drip on and touch our counters. Basically, I would need to clean them with granite cleaner 10-15 times a day if I wanted them to look good all the time. Caveat: mine are sealed but not enhanced, because I like the gray color. Enhanching them to black might help; I can't speak to that.

Re. appliances, my main steal was a GE Profile microwave and wall oven unit for $900 on clearance at Home Depot. LG fridge was somewhere between 1000-1500 (I added lifetime maintenance after reading horror stories here) and Whirlpool dishwasher and cooktop for 400 each. Garbage disposal free from DH's parents and cheap venthood.

Layout -- the only changes we made were swapping the positions of the fridge and wall oven, since the fridge was jutting out into the room and we didn't want to spring for a counter-depth fridge, and then we moved the sink to the corner, which got us more workspace and more cabinet space, with unintended benefits in terms of efficiency of loading/unloading the dishwasher and the fact that I'm facing the kids if they're at the table.

Good luck everyone!
paul_ma
16 years ago
I'm curious how you chose where you mounted your drawer pulls. I agonized over whether to mount to the rails or in the panel of the drawer. I finally decided to put them in the middle of the panel (both horizontally and vertically.) But they aren't installed yet. (Soon.) So I don't know for sure how I will like them.

So how do you like them where you have em?
tinahollywood
16 years ago
Thank you for posting the close-ups of the Absolute Black honed countertops. They are beautiful. And as my mother always says, "it hurts to be beautiful!"
mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
16 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! Congrats! You did an awesome job!
debbie_2008
16 years ago
metro...I have heard good things about LG fridges. I was getting one to the tune of $2800 (discounted to that). I changed it today to a kitchenaid. I loved that LG but the kitchenaid will be better for size. I did love the fridge, but it was full depth and going to be just too for mey fridge space. You got a great deal on yours.

Maybe its good I opted out of the LG IF they have known problems.

I was getting a kitchenaid wall oven UNTIL I did a search in the applicance form. Talk about problems!!!!!!!

I don't have the choices some have since I have no need to replace my cabinets. I need to work with the space I have now.

Your kitchen looks great!
cheri127
16 years ago
Thanks for the detailed explanation of living with honed absolute. I'm so spoiled with the granite I have now which hides everything (to the point where no one wipes it down but me because they can't even see crumbs).
clg7067
16 years ago
Really nice! Great example of what can be done for not a lot of money. You're my inspiration, now! Except instead of white, I'll have natural maple cabinets.

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