Before and After 1976 Kitchen
Goal: remodel kitchen and update the two bathrooms for under $30,000.
Demo day was Dec 15, 2014. Final walk-through and sign-off was Jan 20, 2014, 5 weeks. No work on holidays and a couple of ice-snow days. Total cost of Kitchen and dining room remodel, $18,000. The bathrooms are in a separate Before and After Ideabook.
Even though the square footage wasn't changed the kitchen feels much larger and you don't feel like you're walking down the hall to get from the table to the kitchen. There is room for more than one cook at a time. The island is a handy place to set the hot pots for everyone to serve themselves without standing in line.
Wide but shallow double sinks with view to back yard. Lower corner cabinet has hinged double doors. When fully open there was 15" clearance to reach in. Upper shelf was unusable because the drain vent pipe was 2" above it. The vent goes through the wall on the left of this photo which is the basement stairwell wall.
Used space in dining room for food storage until we moved laundry into basement and built a pantry on the other side of the basement stairwell door. The rest of food and cooking pots were stored in living Room, fireplace room, a bench seat on the sun porch and another in the garage. Canning gear had to go to the basement.
Front of island. Electrical outlet is on the other end. Pull outs for shelving. Kitchen Aid mixer is inside. Room for measuring cups, everyday utensils, hot pads, foil, wraps and baggies. Inaugurated two days after walk-thru when daughter kneaded bread on the 2'x4' granite counter. 5 burner LG gas range uses propane. Backsplash is Fasade Bermuda Bronze. Exhaust is Broan Selections, 30" Light is Portfolio Pendant which comes in single and triple. Lowes has a variety of globes to fit this and several other pendant styles. We chose a clear glass.
In the before kitchen, this would be the back side of the refrigerator wall which blocked the view into the kitchen from the dining room. See 6th before photo. Counter is Iberian sunset granite. We wanted heat resistance and considered several different solid surfaces. Since the price of granite has dropped in the last few years, it was our best option to stay within budget.
Flooring is Shaw Matrix Resort Teak laminate vinyl. Floating installation, can be trimmed with heavy duty scissors and very resistant to dog's toenails. We put similar flooring in our previous home and had no damage after five years of use. It lays so smoothly over a slight level change in existing pantry that I don't even notice the spot that used to scuff my bare feet.
One of the base units from the old kitchen is now drawer storage for the linen closet. All I had to do was scrub it. There's room for supplies such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, instant hot and cold pads, first aid supplies and the stash of travel size lotion, shampoo, etc. Sheets are in bedroom closets. One entire shelf for table cloths, large, small, fancy, everyday and holiday.
This is one of the kitchen base cabinets laid on it's open back, the base side closed with scrap plywood. The tomatoes love the loose compost/soil mix. Did the same with the old kitchen base, it has greens for this year. Tomatoes will rotate into it next year. I especially like not having to bend over to pick.
Spice shelves in daily use.
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