So warm and inviting! Really great job - I love your your choices.

"I wanted a kitchen that makes you want to crack open a bottle of red
wine, pour a glass, and drink it while you cook, in the fall."

You got it.

It's absolutely beautiful and functional. It looks like it belongs there, now and for many, many years.

Can you make a separate thread with all the details, so future GWers can easily find it and we can link to it?

P.s. The color of the bricks is just perfect. No SPAM or any processed meat in sight in that kitchen :)

Well thought out - color palette is perfect. Your agonizing over that brick backsplash paid off - it looks like it's always been there! (which is a good thing…) I'm really happy for you. :)

Brava!

Oh Tib, what can I say...you have done a brilliant job!!!

NSM, sure. Can you clarify what it is you are looking for? I'm assuming brand names and colors? Anything else?

I'll get it started now.

You're all so kind. Your encouragement was so helpful too!

oh, it looks so nice!! definitely the right decision to take the time to exchange the brick!! love your little backsplash nook! i'd keep evoo there! floors, cabs, lighting, counters- it all looks great! :)

are you happy with your frig!? i remember our sz freezer drawer had such a tight seal that i really had to tug it to open- i bet the 2 drawer model makes it easier...?

Love the frig! Just got the ice maker going yesterday, though, and it's making a noise now and then. I've not heard that in SZs before, so might have to inquire about that. In fact, the bottom freezer drawer I have to make sure is closed! Frig door and top freezer drawer close nicely. Seal can be a bit tight on the frig door, if you've just opened it and then closed it again, but nothing like it used to be, which I think is a negative, actually, and a sign of a lessening of quality.

OK, since this will be a much used thread in the future, we will need:

brand names

what was DIYed and how

and how decisions were made to address specific issues

So sorry for putting you through this, but that's what happens if your kitchen is not like the other gazillion ones out there :)

I've put the thread up, nam. Called "Requested Detail info. on Kitchen". Will go add some you just mentioned which I did not include.

What do you mean by "How decisions were made to address specific issues"?

Awesome I love your color palette!

I've been thinking of your kitchen on and off lately wondering if you were going to post soon.

It looks wonderful! I was having a hard time picturing the flooring with the backsplash, but everything looks very nice together! The integrated fridge looks really nice on that side too. Well done!!

Very well done! You were able to visualize and implement - wish I had that talent.

Pure luck, rgrs! Btw, your name in autocorrect is "regress". Lol.

Naw - it took a lot of thought and skill. :-)

That looks so pretty! I love the cabinet color, the brick, and honestly everything about it! You did a fantastic job and it just exudes warmth and charm.

Absoutely gorgeous, Tib. There isn't a thing I don't like. I adore the cabs and that wood countertop ts to die for. Your pendant is exactly what I have been looking for but my budget is half of the current cost. Does it give off a decent amount of light? Oh, lucky you.

You have incredibly good taste and a great eye for detail. So very well done!

Dedtired, it's hard to know what you mean by "decent amount of light". It's not bright, but to me it's a fine amount of light. But I don't like bright lights. This pendant creates more of a glow, I would say. The shade is very thick and very heavy. I think what makes this light different is that, most lights need an opaque shade in order to not see the bulb or the glare of the bulb, while clear glass shades show the bulb and the glare. This shade is clear but the glass is so thick, and has the prismatic nature of it, so it has a very different light cast. You can't see the bulb, per se, but it also doesn't give off a harsh glare. It looks like a light within a light.

I just took pics of it at its brightest and at its dimmest. The bright pic is very misleading because it looks like there is a lot of glare, but there actually is no glare. But the pic might give you an idea of the surrounding light it gives off. The pic of it at its dimmest is pretty accurate. It looks like an orange moon hovering. And no, it wasn't cheap, but it's rare and it will become more valuable over time. The two I've seen for sale now are going for $450 and $650. Geez. Needless to say, if/when I sell this house, this light is not going to convey!

Very cool.

It really is, Regress, way cool.

agreed. Way cool. I guess I meant does it give off enough light to wash the dishes! I need a fair amount of light to see well (old age). Honestly, that light is so pretty I wouldn't even care about enough light!

LOL - I'm going to get a complex.

Wow, your kitchen is stunning! I adore your countertops! You must be so happy...go enjoy your wine. :)

Love the hovering moon.

It's enough light for me, dedtired. But, like I said, it's more of a glow. Of course, I also have the chandy up there. I don't even know the wattage of the bulb that is in the pendant! It came with it. It's a clear bulb, though. But maybe wattage would make a difference.

Or you could wear one of those spelunking things around your forehead with the light on it! Lol.

No, It's plenty of light for me.

Lol, Regress. I don't think I'm going to be able to stop. I think it's so funny that that is your autocorrect.

Nini, come the fall; come the fall...guzzle, guzzle, guzzle.

Beautiful! Looks so homey and inviting. So you didn't do the backsplash while drinking?? LOL Very "quaint and charming!" lol.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3694427/4x8s-im-done-tiling

Seriously, looks wonderful and just..so, like it should be.

I second that---this is sooo homey. I would love to spend time in this room! Nice.

Beautiful. I'd like to know more about the counters - how they are sealed and h - how durable? I'm thinking about doing wood counter in my powder room as a diy.

I wanted a kitchen that makes you want to crack open a bottle of red wine, pour a glass, and drink it while you cook, in the fall.

I think I achieved it! Lol.

Tibb, you absolutely did! I love the rustic farmhouse feel and that you let the pet chicken return to his roosting spot on the upper cab. I love the brick backsplash and the color of the cabinets. Actually let me just say I love all your choices! They are perfect. You should post a link to this in the kitchen forum. I discovered this decorating side not too long ago, so I would have missed this otherwise. Great job!

beteacher, the counters are white heart pine. Pine tends to be a rather soft wood, so I was somewhat concerned about that, but the miller told me they're pretty dense and it's what they use to make all of their counters. They were heavy as heck when I picked them up, that is for sure!

I sanded the front edge of each a bit to give them a softer look. Before sealing, sand them with a fine grit sand paper, then wipe with a rag, and then wipe them from left to right with a bare hand while holding a vacuum hose with the duster attachment and after each swipe, vacuum your hand. The oils in your hand pick up the remnant dust very well.

Then put Minwax wood conditioner on the top sides of each counter. This is a VERY important step! Esp. with a softer wood like pine.

I then used rags and Minwax oil-based Special Walnut (Color) stain and started on the underside of one of the counters so that I could practice the techinique until I got it down pat.

Once the staining was done, I started putting on the coats of Waterlox sealer. Two coats of full Waterlox Original, and a third of Waterlox cut withe Penetrol to dull the shine a bit.

However, with the grit from the bricking and mortaring, there was some minor scratching in places. Waterlox really needs a full 90 days to fully cure. So I will, at some point, probably next fall, sand the counters using very fine steel wool and will then put two more coats of the Waterlox Satin on them an really let them cure.

Waterlox is most often used on floors. I have it on my master bathroom floor, so it's pretty tough stuff.

If you do a counter anywhere there might be water, such as a powder room, make sure you seal every single side of the wood. Two coats on the underside is fine, but do a minimum of three on the top. If you have a sink in there or another cutout, be sure to stain and seal the cutout as well. "All eight sides". I sealed the holes where the faucet and sprayer go, the sink...Don't leave any wood exposed.

For the bottom coats of Waterlox, I use those cheap throw-away foam brushes. For the final coat, I use white cotton rags inside a strip of panty hose, tied on both ends. don't use rags plain. The cotton shreds into the Waterlox. the panty hose /knee highs keep that from happening while also giving you a smooth finish. Just go slow and steady and don't stop in the middle. Start on the side, pull the rag up over the edge to the top and keep moving to the other end and go straight off the edge.

Wow that is one lovely kitchen. Those floors and counters are giving me ideas for my future kitchen face-lift. Wonderful job!

A gorgeous job indeed. Congratulations; it all looks beautiful.

I use waterlox a lot too. The beauty of waterlox is you don't have

to sand when you want to refresh it down the road. I know you

said you have to address some minor sanding because of the

scratches. After that though, you can just refresh it with a light

wipe on coat.

Well done!

i don't know how i missed your "reveal" post b/c i have been waiting for it since u posted about your b/s brick., all i can say is WOW!!! it looks fab!!!! great job, love the brick (no spam!) and the that light is so so perfect with your space!!!

Congrats and Enjoy (with lots of wine)!!!!!

It all came together beautifully! So interesting to see a design that doesn't follow the trend. Great job, choices, workmanship. It shows.

I'd love to know more about the brick work. Cutting was ok, mortar was not and why. TIA.

Lol. Yes, I appear to have skirted the Spam! Woo hoo!

Why thank you, arapaho. That is very flattering.

The brick is thin brick, 1/2" thick. It is real brick ( don't be put off by the word "veneer"!) but cut to 1/2" so that it is easy to use as a wall veneer.

Pretty easy to do, esp. the straight-forward parts, of course. Use a level and decide what width you want the joints, and make a piece of wood in that width, or draw lines on the wall to help you place the bricks. I wanted 1/2" joints, but I wish now I'd gone a bit narrower. No biggie.

Cutting bricks is very easy using a masonry wet saw. (What a MESS, though!) Wear a shower cap, vinyl apron, goggles, etc. It was so bad, I ended up cutting them from the side rather than the front. That helped a lot!).

Cutting for around outlets, sills and such can be a bit tricky. Not hard, but tricky.

I then applied the mastic directly onto the back of each brick, a la making a peanut butter sandwich; scraped it with the jagged edge thing to make troughs (very important to do to make the brick adhere to the wall) then pressed the brick into place with as much pressure as I could.

Start from one end and the bottom and work upward and along the wall.

The mortar seemed like it was going to be easy. Mix it in a 5-gal bucket, load a pastry bag, squeeze it into the joint, then use a tool to press it in smoothly and wipe clean with a wet sponge.

No way. It was SO hard. It would not come out of the pastry bag. If I squeezed harder, the water was separated from the grit inside the bag. If I added water to make it looser to come out, it dripped all over the place. then it is very hard to get off the brick, esp. the rough pieces cut with a jagged wire to create that roughness.

It was such a mess and so impossible.

I went back to Home Depot to get a mortaring tool to try it that way. Naturally, they didn't have it in the size I needed (1/2" - all out) so I bought the next one down. But then I heard from the guy I was referred to to do it. It took him two days to return my call, so I figured I was going to have to do it myself, hence my going back to HD to get that tool. He said he could do it for $300, which I thought was well worth it, having tried it and been brought to tears after only about six inches!

He showed up with a partner, another pro. I took them four hours! They also used the bag and blew one out. One filled the joints and the other followed with a brush.

They did a great job, I think, and I was very grateful. Among the best $300 I spent on that entire kitchen! I would have been in the funny farm by the time I finished had I done it myself.

So, now I know.

Your brick bs turned out so well! It looks perfect with your counters, cabs etc... And your light over your sink, wow!

Thanks, tibbrix. Your explanation gave me a very good visual. I would have gladly spent the $300. too!

So gorgeous. I have a galley that is closed on one end much like yours, except not anywhere near that attractive. You give me hope. Your kitchen will be my inspiration picture. we have a door at one end, window at the other as yours is and a hall door in the middle of the wall where your pantries are but I can totally see adapting your plan to fit our area.

You should be incredibly proud!

Anne, that is incredibly flattering of you to say my kitch will be an inspiration for your future design. I'm really surprised by the strenuous compliments here. I'm so used to these large, lovely kitchens...I kept warning people to not get too excited about my teeny, no-actual-renovation-done kitchen! Lol.

I'm thrilled more than proud, and relieved more than thrilled. The old kitchen was so problematic. Its ugliness was the least of its problems, in fact. That I could have lived with. So happy to have more outlets. can't believe what a difference that has already made. Very happy it's up to code now and that the "all wrong" wiring has been replaced with "all correct" wiring. I love my electrician. I have, I swear, the best electrician on Cape Cod. He is really awesome.

And I am truly mesmerized by the Holophane pendant light...still! That was a very worthwhile find and purchase, for me. (Thank you, Mom!).

If/when you get there, I am of course happy to assist. There is another thread NSM asked me to put up listing all of the elements, their brands, etc. So that might help.

Do as much of it yourself as you can. I cannot believe what this cost me! And I did as much myself as I could, including the entire demolition. Can't fathom what an actual kitchen reno costs, with walls being knocked out, plumbing moved/put in, etc. Yikes. But...some things really are worth spending extra more, like decent to good cabinets: recommend semi-custom. Custom is not necessary, and factory line stuff is cheap.

And boy and I loving the Bosch gas range I got on CL! That was a very, very lucky and great find. Like new...I got it for $650. The new retail stuff is garbage, IMO.

Oh, meant to mention, there is a set of glass sliding doors that go out to the porch behind me from where I am taking the pics; they face the window at the other end of the kitchen. There is a walk-through area where I'm standing taking the pics; on the left is the dining room and to the right is the living room.

I echo all the compliments here! Just perfect, warm & inviting.

I think you were very wise in doing what you could DIY to be able to bring in the statement pieces & accents.

I did it to save money! Lol.

It looks beautiful! I love the color of the cabinets.

Have to jump in one more time. I am so glad you shared all your step-by-step information. So fascinating. You really are amazing. To think you did almost all of this yourself is astounding and so inspiring. You considered every detail and followed through. I cannot imagine that you would ever want to change a thing, so relax and enjoy your new kitchen.

Oh, believe me, Cyn, I am enjoying it, immensely! Appreciate the compliment. Truth is, I did very little and nothing anyone can't do. And honestly, I did it to save money and so I could rationalize getting the Subzero (which I think everyone can see really is needed in that kitchen!), etc.

I should take pics of my dining room and porch. Egads. What. A. MESS! Porch is full of sawdust, saws, empty cans of stain and see, rubber gloves, dried up foam brushed, sand paper, stuff that still needs to go back into the kitchen; DR is littered with tools, kitchen stuff, buckets of joint compound, mastic, mineral spirits, paint, brushes....and there is dust and splatter everyone.

Ugh. That is the biggest down side of doing it oneself. You do make a big mess!

Oh wow, I must have missed this when you first posted! Love it! Very nice how everything blends so well. Good job! Tib! That went pretty fast, seems like yesterday we were all talking about which brick you should put in!

Didn't feel fast, lukki! I started the demo I think three weeks before Thanksgiving!

Tibbrix, you are incredibly kind. We are in a 1700's house where the kitchen is in a second floor addition. Weird but it works.

I hope that in the next couple years we can remodel the kitchen and I will definitely ask for your advice!

Right now it isn't pretty at all but functional except for no dishwasher! For a bit we had my husbands relative staying with us who loved to wash dishes......I miss him for a lot of reasons but that most of all.

Once again, Your kitchen is gorgeous!

I'm so glad to finally see it. I thought it was someone else's post at first, and said to myself, nope that's tibbrix's brick and green, but looking fabulous! Great for her!

Anne, I know from where you are coming! My house is an outbuilding from an 1880 dairy farm, so when someone decided to turn it into a house, they had to cram the kitchen and what is the master bathroom in where they could, Hence the smallness, long-and-narrow of each!