First big remodel job - kitchen - and having a nervous breakdown!

14 years ago

Hi everyone! I'm not new here per se - I've read the gardening pages for quite some time.

My hubby decided to do something nice for me and 3 weeks after I had my second major surgery in a year and a half, he ripped my kitchen down to studs! My house was built in 1900, the kitchen was last updated around 1960. We had ripped and stain linoleum, stained and chipped formica with a backsplash with a chrome edge, the stove was butted against the wall that leads to the basement stairs, the cabs were old pine board with 0 design to them (and old handle holes someone tried to patch up). I only had about 5 usable feet of counter space, and only two cabs for food, with one door for large pots, lids on a rack on the wall, pans on a rack, and the rest of my spices and staples in an old Seller cabinet we refinished. I used a rolling 1980's microwave cart for the microwave, glass baking dishes, and plastic wear storage.

The kitchen is about 10 X 11 and has two doorways that break it up. One window, centered on the outside wall, and a corner that is the chimney stack which was cemented over and the wallpapered!

So here's where we are - we're poor folks compared to alot (I was one of the lucky ones - I worked in the WTC on the 91st floor, lost my job, but have my life - so I'm not complaining) - so we're doing alot ourselves and trying to save a penny here and there.

Did the demo ourselves. Re-studded where needed as the old 100 year old studs were not true and ready for new sheetrock. Hired a plumber to come in and cap lines for now, they moved the old supply lines for the second floor that ran on the outside of the exterior wall to the inside of an interior wall, and moved my gas line to across the kitchen to get the stove off the corner.

Electrician came in and wired for the stove and a over-range microwave, new ceiling lights (all I ever had was a center fan/light combo that didn't light the room very well), new outlets, isolated the fridge circut, new wiring for new GD, DW and hot water dispenser. Also put in three way dimmers, and wiring for under cab lights, and two boxes for lights over window/sink.

We bought a floating floor in a really nice tavertine look alike pattern from Home Depot and will install that over the 1/2 sub floor we put down.

Cabinet were purchased at a local place - sort of a builder's warehouse place - and got a great price on all solid wood, upgraded hardware cabinets + granite couter top install, and heavy duty stainless steel (14 gauge) double sink all for $3700.

The cabinets comes in on Saturday.

I've been walking around with a picture of them and a piece of the countertop trying to match things. Ugh!

We bought a fan from Lowes that is simply a stem with a revolving fan - very cool looking and we need it since it is a small kitchen and we do not have central air. But it only came in antiqued bronze. Ok, so the cabinets are "cinnamon spice" (www.avltrading.com), and the granite is a pretty black speckled brown/tan/gold kind of color. Antiqued bronze works - so I got lights in the finish. I'll get the Price Pfister faucet to match, and a new faucet for my hot water dispener in the that as well.

We're tiling the chimney in 2 X 2 sheets of tumbled marble.

My Kitchenaid stove is stainless, my mw is stainless, DW I'm getting (Electrolux) is stainless, the new fridge in a few months will be stainless - i think this will all still work well together - the mix of stainless and antiqued bronze since I've seen it in about four different remodelling mags - but what do I do with the backsplash? I was thinking, since I did all the taping and spackling last night and there are MANY spots that this kitchen is just not plumb - bead board. So what color do I paint it?

I am so overwhelmed.

If I knew how to post pics, I would show you what the cabs look like, and the granite and the lights...

*sigh*

I won't get thru this alive.

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Comments (7)

steff_1
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You will get through this, especially with all the help you'll get here.

Beadboard sounds great and I've seen some very pretty pale blue backsplash colors with the type of kitchen you are describing.
chris45ny
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It's so much easier to get input if you have pictures to post and also a rough diagram on paper of your layout. There are so many talented people on this forum and I'm betting you will gets tons of advice.

First, read the thread "Read me if you're new to GW kitchens" by beuhl. As you scroll down, there's a section that tells you how to upload and post pictures. You open a free account with a site like photobucket.com, upload your pictures to that site, click on the picture's HTML code to copy, then you paste that in the body of the message. Numbers/letters will appear and when you click on preview your picture should show up in the message body. Then if it's all good, hit submit and there it is!! Sounds a lot harder than it is.

Your kitchen sounds very nce from your descriptions. Can visualize stainless and antique bronze. If you could post pics of a piece of your tile/floor, a picture of your granite, the cabinets, and the marble the experts here can help with the backsplash. My advice, without seeing any pictures, would be to pick a nice, warm tan/cream color that would look nice with the granite and cabs. Or maybe a light gold?? So many things you could do. What colors are in the marble??

Take a deep breath-you seem to be doing just fine and you will have lots of support here.

Glad to hear you are ok. We had friends who worked in the WTC and they got out in time too.
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jsweenc
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Falling asleep reading threads so I know I missed something. I'll go back and read tomorrow in detail, but in the meantime, I did catch your last sentence and I have to say...
YES YOU WILL!!! Many of us have done/are doing it and are still here. We'll walk through it with you, and you can always fall back on the gratitude you expressed in still being alive after 9/11.

Hugs

ps - I will have a beadboard backsplash. Good choice! One less thing to decide, but even more, I think it will look great! I'll post pictures whenever it's done.
jterrilynn
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi, I dont really have a lot to add about the backsplash choices but your kitchen sounds very nice. My concern is your health, how you feeling? Stress can do a number on ones health so is it possible for you to get everything up and running, take a breather, and then choose the backsplash? IÂm not trying to insinuate anything itÂs just that you mentioned the major surgeries so I got a bit concerned.
rufinorox
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
No need to stress... you're far along already. We're in the same boat poor folks trying to do whatever we can ourselves. I know it was 3 months ago we started our DYI kitchen demo and never saw an end in sight. We are now almost 100% complete and I can't believe I made it thru it. Here's where we were...

here's where we are now ...

SO hang in there ... it will all be worth your hard work. I know it was for us. And remember keep coming back to the forum. There are wonderful people who have wonderful ideas. I'm glad I did.
bobb_2010
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Don't let the contractor pressure you that's what I say. YOU CONTROL YOUR TIME. This is suppose to be fun, AND doing it rushed/wrong can cost u more.
jrueter
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
terry,

I'll say it again - hang in there. There is a lot of support here - both for advice and pep-talks. You will get this kitchen done. and it will be worth it. Some of us just have more colorful stories when it is all over, that's all.

And after all you have already accomplished - and you have already accomplished an awful lot - don't let the backsplash be the thing that makes you crazy! There are loads of people on GW who have left the backsplash for much later. No one will judge you here if you get everything functional, get moved in and spend some more time finding the backsplash you want. (I do love the beadboard, though)
While you are deciding, kick back, give yourself a pat on the back for all you have gotten done so far, pour yourself a favorite beverage and flip through the finished backsplash slideshow at the link below. My kitchen is just about done, and I still enjoy flipping through it to see the gorgeous choices and creativity people have. Thanks to starpooh for setting it up!

First big remodel job - kitchen - and having a nervous breakdown!

Comments (7)

steff_1

chris45ny

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