Remodeling Our Kitchen-Part 1

This is our kitchen before our remodel started. It takes a lot of time and thought before you take the remodeling plunge. You have to decide what you want; determine approximately how much it will cost and finally consider the disruption and inconvenience of doing without your kitchen for a considerable length of time ( which is always longer than the contractor estimates). My goals were to replace the sink with a larger farm sink, add a new gas stovetop and vent hood, build in a microwave drawer, replace countertops while making bar one level and eliminate bar sink. It was especially important to me to lighten up the room by painting all the cabinets and trim white. Last but not least, I wanted to add more storage.

Some of my goals:

We have lived in this house sixteen years and have rarely used the bar sink. Eliminating it increased our countertop space and allowed the installation of a drawer microwave. 

It was simpler than I thought.  After the sink was removed and water line capped off we had only to install a new circuit breaker for the microwave and modify the cabinet trim.
An extra bonus here was that under the microwave a deep drawer could be added. Believe me, I have it full of dishtowels and placemats now.

There are many unexpected things that come up. For example, dry wall in the garage had to be cut to install wiring for a new circuit breaker. I didn't realize it would be that complicated.

Do you see the portable phone and cords for the computer? All that clutter drove me crazy! My electrician installed a plug inside the cabinet for my husband's lap top. I love all that hidden away. Instead of buying new stools a local welder cut bar stools down to standard counter height for only $60 each.

The purpose of the blue painters tape was to visualize where and what size things would be.

Process of bar being cut down.

Notice the taupe cabinets and wood trim. Our home sits on a very wooded lot with trees in the front and back of our home so it is a dark room. Lights are necessary even in the daytime. By painting all the crown molding, doors and cabinets white, I felt as if the room would take on a lighter look. Light makes a huge difference for me.

To install a new gas cooktop, the vent hood had to be higher to meet safety standards. That meant the cabinet above the hood also had to be modified. I wasn't crazy about giving up a shelf but rearranged some things and it has worked out. So, the search was on for a new stainless hood and a gas cooktop. All these things had to be purchased and specifications given to the cabinet man before cabinet modifications could be made and estimates given.

I planned a niche for olive oil and condiments and had to decide on the size based upon the size of the stovetop. 

Next, the tile was ripped out, cabinet modifications made and gas line installed. The house is built on a slab and the gas line had to be run down through the attic. It was lots of fun around here! 

Extra supports had to be added for installing niche.

Pan heights had to be considered and height of gas grates in deciding on where niche would be placed. So many decisions!

New vent installed and niche supports completed.

Here, I am trying to decide if I wanted marble or plain white subway tile. Surprise! We discovered  that the fuse box was under the old tile. Luckily,  it didn't affect anything.

 I say again, so many decisions. Did I want the deeper farm sink? I actually bought one that had a smaller bib and did not like it at all. Fortunately, they took it back and I only had to pay a restocking fee but it did cause additional anxiety and  several trips out of town. Some of you may remember I have taken several blogging breaks so now you can see why.

Since a farmhouse sink is deeper the drawers shown here will be lost and new doors would be needed that would be shorter.  I also needed a new disposal which, of course, required new plumbing. By the way, when you install new counter tops the dishwasher has to be removed and then reinstalled after the countertops are finished. 

At this point, with cabinets and drawers removed, you can visualize better. I had many questions for the cabinet maker. We decided that it was less hassle to make a new cabinet for the sink than to modify the old one. I could add feet on this cabinet to coordinate another new cabinet and update the look.

I might point out here, there was a lot of painting that took place. Painters worked for two weeks and the cabinet doors and drawers were moved to painters workshop to be spray painted. In addition to the kitchen, all the den shelves, mantle and wainscoting were painted white. 

A sneak peak of the almost finished work. 
Do you like my new feet on this cabinet and the farm sink that I finally decided on?  I love the faucet I chose and have enjoyed the soap dispenser so much! The cabinets are now painted white, the mosaic  removed and new subway tile installed.  Many discussions with the electrician and cabinet maker in this area- another goal I had in this remodel was to gain storage. An idea to install open shelving above the sink was abandoned because of awkward angles and the position of the overhead light. More on that later.
It's been a while since the work was done and it would have made more sense to post as the project was ongoing. But as you can imagine, I was overwhelmed, even coordinating the work myself when my contractor became ill. No way could I have dealt with all the problems and blogged about it, too. Thank you for reading and stay tuned to part 2.

Linking to : Metamorphosis Monday, Show and Share,The Scoop, Inspire Me Tuesday, The Enchanting Rose, Wow Us , Share your Style Party, Tablescape Thursday, Thoughts of Home,Feathered Nest Friday, Home Sweet Home, Foodie Friday,Dishing It and Digging ,Your Inspired Design,Celebrate and Decorate, Share It One More Time