And here are a few before pictures:

It's hard to tell from these pictures, but the before there was NO space to move. All the aisles were way too small and there was no eat in space at all and very little usable counter space. Just trimming back the wall that now enters into the clean up area (where the lovely track lighting was) made so much difference!

I love it! We are starting demo on the kitchen and hall bath in our 1925 French revival house tomorrow. And we have a blue and white kitchen with marble counters planned. So it's particularly nice to see how beautiful yours is!

Oh my gosh!! I was looking at the after pics and thinking, that butlers pantry looks familiar. Then I saw the rest of the space and said, nah, must be a different one.

When I got to your before pics I couldn't believe that is actually the same house!!! Holy cow what a difference!!!

Beautiful!

really lovely! congratulations!

Beautiful!

Wow, what a difference from before to after. I especially love your butler's pantry and that beautiful wallpaper!

Wow! Just wow. :)

I remember when you were asking for lay-out advice. And now you're done already?! Wow!

Love it! I especially love the cab color and wall paper in your BP and that you kept the space intact. I love the banquette and your marble counters, too. And your wall color (love blue)! I can't believe it's the same space. You certainly did homage to your home's era. Well done!

It's all fabulous! And I love how you worked with the little idiosyncrasies, that make it totally 20's-evocative but ready for modern use!

Perfect kitchen for a 1920's house. We used to own an art deco era home. The original kitchen hutches were in the basement. While they were stand alone cabinets, not like a modern built in units, yours captures the feel of them. Mine were painted white.

I covet your butler's pantry.

What a transformation! Spectacular job! Enjoy!

OMG!!!!!!! Your project actually popped into my head the other day and I was wondering if you had started yet. I also remember well your horrible before kitchen and all the tweaks to your planning. It was an exciting project because the rest of your house is so beautiful that it was a shame to have an awful kitchen in it. And now you don't. You have a beautiful kitchen that also looks functional and fun to be in. I knew it was going to turn out great but it is even better than I imagined. I don't know where to begin in my compliments because it's all so nice and so cohesive. (OK, special shout-out to the chandelier over the banquette, lol).

I can't believe you hosted so many people the next day. You're a domestic goddess!

Bravo!

No kidding, funkycamper! I will admit, though, that the words "brave" and "crazy" also popped into my head when I read about hosting a party the next day. = ) Seriously, I'm in awe of your hosting skills and fortitude, sebandninasmom.

What a light and beautiful space you've created! Congratulations on sticking to your timeline. Sounds like you had some great contractors to match your wonderful vision.

Sebandninasmom what part of Michigan are you in. Where you happy with ur cabinet maker. We are looking for a custom cabinet maker to build some custom vanities for us in the metro Detroit area

Thanks do u have his number

Oh my! How beautiful it turned out. And how suited to the character of your house. I love the wallpaper and chandy in the butler's pantry. Congrats on your success in completing a lovely warm kitchen and entertaining 85 guests the next day!!

You did an incredible job! I love everything, but especially the butlers pantry and how you really kept its original integrity with the wall paper (love the color and pattern!) blue painted cabs, wood counters and ss sink. Yet the chandelier and new hardware makes it look even more period authentic. Wonderful!

Absolutely love it. You did a wonderful job planning all the work areas--everything looks as if it's always been there. How did you handle replacing/refinishing the wood tops in the butler's pantry? I remember the issue with the cabinets.

mama goose, We kept the original wood counters in the Butler's Pantry. We just removed the horrible not matching bullnose edging that had likely been part of the 1980s remodel, sanded the counters, stained a walnut brown and sealed. There are definitely imperfections and spots that came through even with sanding and staining, but we came to really understand that perfection was not what we were going for. I

We are really so glad we lived with our kitchen for 2 years before doing anything. When we first moved in we had several design/build firms give estimates and layout ideas and many of them involved getting rid of the "dated" Butler's Pantry in favor of a larger more modern kitchen. We LOVE the Butler's Pantry (even before its update), and came to see the beauty/convenience in the old fashion layout.

The wallpaper was an example of the advantage of the short timeline. We had thought we were going grey for BP cabinets and looked for a silvery grey wall paper. Nothing stood out to us. So, when we found the paper we used, we just designed the color scheme around that, since the painters were coming the next day and needed the colors. Went to the local paint/wallpaper store, asked the color expert for his advice on cabinet color, and picked paint on the spot. No time to fret about it! Funny thing is, my husband thought we picked the same paper but in the darker blue version so he was a bit surprised when he came home and saw the colors. I guess I forgot which version we picked and when on the spot I saw the light blue version I just went with it.

I really do credit hanging out here for many of our decisions. The KDs we had in all came up with not that useful layouts. But being here and getting so much great feedback helped me figure out how we needed our kitchen to function. The zone planning really is what made the difference.

It's lovely and I hope you enjoy your new kitchen in the best of health, I truly do. But just for future reference the code words for "finished in five weeks" are "took longer than expected." It keeps those of us who are a year-or-so in from losing all hope :)

Beautiful!

Looking at the before and after pics I can't even figure out how it is the same space!! Love the stainless steel counters in the clean up area and bp. Also love the original wallpaper. Really nice job of turning that 80's monstrosity into something warm, cozy and appropriate for the rest of your home.

Love it, awesome job. I especially like the butlers pantry. That wallpaper is fantstic in that space. Such a great space to be able to do a bold pattern! Lovely home.

That butlers pantry is amazing! You did an incredible job. Your entire kitchen is lovely. Great choice of color and finishes. You must be thrilled!!!

Thank you, I'm happy that you were able to keep the original tops in the BP. They look gorgeous--I want to come over and run my hands over them. So happy, too, that you didn't listen to the designers and builders who wanted to gut the pantry!

Oh heck yeah! (wanted to use another "h"word but thought moderators might not like). the butler's pantry is to die for.

Wow, great job!!!! I love the stainless work sinks. I have a stainless prep table and love it. You will get used to the scratches in no time :)

You have a beautiful space! All the details from lighting, to countertop and hardware are gorgeous! Enjoy your new kitchen!

Very nice! I can't believe you finished in 5 weeks. I think that is the most impressive part. Enjoy!

Yours is an absolutely stunning kitchen. Congrats.

Lovely! So much beautiful character. I love it. Your subway tile looks great- how dark of a grey is the grout? Light? Med? Hard to tell from the pics but the amount of contrast is perfect.

Gorgeous! Every bit of it!

Wow - That is amazing how fast you went from unbelievably hideous to gorgeous.

Beautiful!!

What a great looking kitchen! I especially like the blue cabinets in the butler's pantry, with the chandelier, and the stainless steel counter in the main cleanup area. I want to do a similar counter in my cleanup area - did you find having it fabricated locally to be reasonably priced?

Love it! Love the banquette and the open shelf corner. Love that you were true to the house, and are embracing patina as part of that! Gorgeous. nicely done.

What a gorgeous transformation! I love it and those open shelves look perfect, what a fortunate situation to end up with them.

Seb, thank you for your good wishes. You weren't gloating at all, and I was mostly kidding. I should have been done by now and I can't imagine being finished even five weeks from now. I left a message for the contractor helping me with structural things and I actually started to cry. Over my kitchen. Because he doesn't show up and I can't move forward without a blasted beam and some major plumbing. I met with a new contractor this week, inspired in part by you.

Just beautiful, it would be right at home in my kitchen if I had the square footage

wow, love it! your kitchen has so much charm and character, new and fresh, yet it feels like it always belonged.

Late to this thread but your BPantry shares a lot in common with what we're contemplating. Can you share dimensions of:

1. width of floor

2. width (i.e., depth) of each countertops

3. width (ie, depth) of cabinets?

And do you recommend any changes to those for a de novo project? We're considering:

40-42" for the floor width - do not want it too wide or there is lost efficiency of movement; but of course do not want to be confined when a drawer is opened;

18" deep countertops - this is, after all not the kitchen, but is a clean-up and storage area. But if we do not place the d/w at the nether dead-end of this long room (we may or may not), then at least one counter will of course need be the requisite 24 for the d/w

15" & 18" deep cabinets.

Thanks for your and any others' advice...perhaps we will begin a thread of its own.