Kitchen Conundrum: Fine in the Sunshine

This is not a grand reveal, as we still have several bits, pieces, odds, and ends to finish up or find homes for in the new kitchen. But first, remember this room?



Yeah, me neither; or, just barely. Because our Kitchen Conundrum has officially become our Kitchen Contentment. We love being in and using this room now, so much so that lately our refrigerator is bursting with leftovers from all the cooking we feel inspired to do! Here's a taste:

Kitchen Conundrum: Moving On, Moving In

We spent the past weekend cleaning (and cleaning and cleaning!) the kitchen, finishing the paint touch-ups, and finally moving back in. It was fine to be stuck inside doing these things, since we woke up to a white world on Saturday.

Our front yard:


Lincoln Park a few blocks to the south:


Another reason to feel glad about the arrival of winter is the excuse to make warm, stew-y food. Our first real meal to cook in our new kitchen was beef short ribs braised in red wine. Yum.


More pics to come of the new , complete kitchen soon, right after all the odds and ends find homes. For now, it's so nice to eat food that doesn't come out of the microwave. Hurrah!

Kitchen Conundrum: Hang Ups

Yesterday afternoon, after the replacement stove was delivered, I started in on some more finishing touches. We decided to hang some shelves and pot rails near the sink and stove to keep pots and soap and dishtowels handy. I knew I would need some major hardware to accomplish this task (along with some major drill skills -- one wall we wanted to hang on is brick under the plaster).

I decided to use the kind of anchors (self-drilling nylons ones) I uncovered when I took down the previous shelves.


Here's an in-progress shot. This is the brick wall -- super tough!



Here's the finished product: shelves for pots, hooks for skillets.


And more hooks directly opposite, behind the sink.


But here's the big news: tonight, we are cooking with gas!


Cross your fingers & toes for us; we aim to have this project wrapped up by the end of the weekend, just in time for Chinese New Year.

Kitchen Conundrum: Just a Trim

Yesterday I added some moulding around the top of the bead board. I started by cutting each piece to size and giving them two coats of yellow paint. Then I drilled some pilot holes...



...and applied some construction adhesive (I labelled each piece on the back to keep track of where they all were to go).


This trim, originally intended to be crown moulding, gives the bead board a more finished appearance I think.


I even included it in the really small places:


I'm not so good at making mitered corners. But I am pretty good at filling in gaps with caulk!

Kitchen Conundrum: Another Weekend, Part 2

When we decided to use beadboard panelling, we first thought we'd just do the backsplash area. But when we realized we could benefit from a lot more color in the kitchen, we decided to extend the panelling all the way around the room.

After cutting the panels down to size and painting them, we began installing them on the wall using construction adhesive and finishing nails.


Construction adhesive on the wall:


Panelling going up on the wall that will be behind the refrigerator (hence the bits-and-pieces approach -- it won't be too visible). Note our inept cutouts for the electrical outlets (we got better at this part).


Backsplash in place:


Finished panelling, with seems caulked and awaiting paint touch-ups and trim:


Cheerful, sunny, and bright!

Kitchen Conundrum: Another Weekend, Part 1

We began this past weekend with a Saturday morning trip to the Despot, where we purchased four 4'x8' sheets of beadboard panelling, 12' of trim, related supplies, and paint. We also rented a pickup truck to get it all home. Several hours later, our back porch was a cold but functional wood shop.



We cut and trimmed the large sheets of beadboard down to fit in the gaps around our kitchen. My coat became a sawdust magnet. At least it's washable.


Our yellow paint. We chose Martha Stewart's Haystack; Martha Stewart colors are now being mixed with Glidden bases. Seems to work okay.


By the time Sunday evening rolled around, we had two coats of paint on our panelling pieces.

Kitchen Conundrum: What We Are Thinking About

We've been mulling over yellows and working out a DIY backsplash.

Kitchen Conundrum: Yesterday was Day 6...

...and we hit a snag. The new range is damaged and leaks, so we are awaiting a replacement and definitely not yet cooking with gas. However! The Professionals' job is complete. Yesterday they finished up a few electrical odds & ends and installed the cabinet hardware.





So, now we've got to get to work with paint, beadboard backsplash, shelf paper, and moving back in. Our plan had been to paint everything white. However, when I started that yesterday afternoon, it felt very stark. Not the first time I've changed my mind mid-paint job; going to have to give this some more thought.

Kitchen Conundrum: Over the Weekend

We worked hard on the kitchen over the weekend, but what we did (sanding, caulking, priming) doesn't make too much visual impact. Here it is anyway:



Today we were graced by some white stuff outside too:


The Professionals are back tomorrow for what we all hope is one last go-round. Then we can finish up with the painting, cleaning, and moving back in!

(Lesson learned: if you have the opportunity to paint your kitchen BEFORE the cabinets go up, do it. All that cutting in gets old fast.)

Kitchen Conundrum: End of Day 5, Almost!

The Professionals showed up early, stayed late, and didn't take a lunch break (hence no lunchtime post). They worked really hard and came really close to finishing. Even though they didn't quite make it, the results are amazing!



Check out the wood countertops!





Pantry area, now with its own outlet:



Lovely salvaged sink with $$ lovely faucet (plus matching white filtered water faucet):





The Professionals got creative with the long piece of baseboard they removed, chopping it up to fill in the blanks. I think they did a great job fitting these bits and pieces together:



Hardwired under cabinet lights!



Beautiful view:



Next up: prime'n'paint.

Kitchen Conundrum: End of Day 4

Wow, it looks like a kitchen in here. I'll let the pictures do the talking.















The Professionals say they have another full day to go tomorrow, perhaps plus a bit. The countertops and plumbing have yet to be done. Plus some trim work. Then I'll have to get busy with the paint brush!