Country Kitchen Renovations & Changes

Kim — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:51:44 +0000

There are some things I love about my kitchen and some things I don’t like. But I guess that goes with any room in any house doesn’t it? I love that it’s a large eat in kitchen. I love the cedar wainscoting around the walls. My kitchen has 3 windows, 2 are south facing and one is east. Now you would think it would be a bright and cheery room? Nope! The wonderful pine bush next door that helps to keep the house shaded from the summer heat, also blocks most of the sunlight. This makes it especially dreary in the winter season. Or long rainy falls like this one!

The original kitchen cupboards. It's the only photo I could find on the pc!

1 AM and painting the kitchen. LOL!

Some time in the 1960′s this house was renovated and new cupboards installed. They run all the way to the ceiling and the doors are flat. There is a slight rounded edge along the side where the hinges attach, other then that no texture at all. They are simple plywood, birch I think. When we moved in, even after a good cleaning they were a brown/yellowish color. We thought we would paint them white to brighten the kitchen up. It sure did! But it wasn’t long that I realized having all white cupboards with a houseful of little children, was a bad idea! LOL Also I started not to like the bright white after a while as well. I like a bit of country charm or textures!

Next we tried painting them slate blue. This is the same slate blue we used in the wainscoting in the rest of the house. I like it, but it makes the kitchen look dark and cold. I think this is partly because the cupboards go all the way to the ceiling. If they had a white area at the top for decorations it would break it up a bit.

This past while hubby and I have been talking about repainting them again. I’ve had a few thoughts about what to try and searched the internet looking for similar ideas.

So the cupboards on the top are coming off! No I’m not getting new ones, just can’t do that right now. But I LOVE the look of open shelves. They are bright, easy to find things and get them down. Easy to keep decluttered as well! You don’t want to clutter them up as everyone will see it. lol

So I’m planning to take the doors off the tops, remove the strip of wood where the hinges attached the doors to the cupboards. The strips are decorative and not needed. I’m going to paint them a shade of cream, not sure what just yet. Then I want to antique them a bit. I found this post with lots of great kitchen shelves!

The bottoms I will leave as cupboards. Dh is going to use the table saw to put small groves in the doors. This will give it a old clapboard look. Or I think that’s what it’s called! Then I want to put trim around the edges of the doors. This would make look like their is a panel in the middle. I need some texture!

I’m thinking I’ll paint them cream like the tops, but put a wash of country blue over top. This kitchen decorating article has blue cupboards that I fell in love with! Then distress them a little by sanding the paint off here and there. There’s no need to add distressing dents to them, after so many years they are well marked already! LOL

I’m hoping to post photos as I go along. I would like to get started soon. But the first step is to declutter the cupboards! Oh yes, I think we are going to put that old farmhouse sink into the main kitchen. It had been in the old summer kitchen and I had planned to put it back in there when dh finished the renos. But it could be some time before the room is done and I think it would look great in the main kitchen with the changes I’m making!

How is your kitchen decorated? Anyone else love open shelves?

Reno Update Found Newspapers from 1920′s Under The Floor

Kim — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:15:57 +0000

We are still working on renovating the summer kitchen. The sewing room side is almost done. When hubby lifted up the old boards were the cabinets used to be, we found some newspapers from 1920′s -30′s.

Reno Summer Kitchen Doing The Drywall Compound And Tape

Kim — Mon, 03 May 2010 02:20:19 +0000

Still working on the summer kitchen and sewing room renos! Coming a long nicely. Its real hard to hold a camera and drywall at the same time. lol

Reno Summer Kitchen Update

Kim — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:05:18 +0000

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to work!

Summer kitchen reno putting the chimney in part 1

Kim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:19:22 +0000

This was taken a few weeks ago, when we started putting up the chimney. I can’t wait to have a cook stove again!

New hallway floor

Kim — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:25:32 +0000

Well we are starting and we had to wait for the cement to dry will continue latter.

Renovating the hallway

Kim — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:23:57 +0000

July 3rd

We have been working on our hallway for a while. Getting ready to put a new floor in tomorrow.
Our house is 159 years old, we found 4 layers of old vinyl flooring under the carpet.