Kitchen Cost Post

In the interest of forever keeping it real, I'm going to break down what it cost to make over the kitchen --as best I can.

Paint: $146.24

Cabinets:
1 quart Benjamin Moore Advance in High Gloss, "Dragonfly" (AF 510) 25.00?

Table:
1 quart CIL Smart Alkyd, Custom Matched. $25.97

Walls:
1 gallon Ralph Lauren Eggshell, "Elgin Grey" (RL 4343) $56.72

Ceiling:
 (not yet painted): Benjamin Moore, Patriotic White, (2135-70) $38.55


Chairs: $54.93

Paint: 1 quart Ralph Lauren Semi-gloss custom matched to Benjamin Moore Old Navy (2063-10): $26.97
Cushions: JUSTINA (Ikea) $6.99 x4

Light Fixture:  $30.89

SECOND cord set (I bought white) Ikea: $8.99
Shade (Home Depot): $7.96
Small appliance bulb (Home Depot): (2 in the package) $3.98
Command Hooks (for cord): $9.96

Roman Shades: $64.66

Fabric, shower curtain from Target (Likely) $20.00
Shade cord (Home Depot): $4.74
brass rods (Home Depot): $11.99 x 2
Screw Eyes (Home Depot): $2.99
Mounting Wood 1x2x8 (Home Depot): $7.53
Shade Tape (Fabricland): $6.42
Shade Rings (Fabricland): $19.80
Cord Cleats (Home Depot) $1.97 x2

Microwave Shelf: $22.54

Shelf Brackets (12"): $5.99 x2
Melamine Shelf (16 x 24): $7.30
Plastic edging: $3.26


Accessories: $15.98

"Tea" Canister (Homesense): $5.99
"Milk" Jug Utensil Holder (Homesense): $9.99


Miscellaneous: $53.71

Spackle for walls (Home Depot): $2.64 x2
Painter's Tape (Home Depot): $5.47
Tape for Freshly painted surfaces (Yellow Frog Tape) (Home Depot): $9.97
Testers (Home Depot): $4.99 x3
Foam Paint Brushes (Home Depot): $5.77 x2
Paint Brush (Home Depot): $6.48


Total: $388.90
plus: Pizza we ordered in: $59.27

Grand Total: $448.17

And I'd said my budget for this makeover would be $100 for paint! Even accounting for having purchased the fabric for the blinds and the paint for cabinets and the table already--I really had no idea, did I?

Style Cure 2014: Kitchen Reveal

After a hard week of filling holes and cracks and sanding and painting, we have a *new* kitchen.

It is not perfect. It's not even quite done. (I still have two chairs left to paint and the ceiling will be done in January when my husband has his next week off.)

But I am so happy. It is genuinely refreshed.

I was inspired by three things.

1) I painted the cabinets in the summer. I'd always intended to finish "making over" the kitchen this summer. But it was much too hot and I worked long, hard hours at my job. I spent most of my down time sitting in front of a fan.

2) When I finished up the living room for the ORC on November 6th, I was still raring to go. Proof that doing something you love gives you energy. I had achieved some sort of clarity in my vision for the living room: I was eager to see if I could carry that vision over to the kitchen. The kitchen was actually much easier than the living room: fewer moving parts!

3) The Syle Cure happening at Apartment Therapy. It kept me focused on days I worked and couldn't actually do anything (other than sew and re-sew that first Roman blind!). Even though it ended on Nov 21st, I trudged ever on. Besides, I was well into the swing of things.

So: to the "Befores"

This room has only been painted twice since living here. The first time was in 2000. I painted it "Ursa Major" a lovely yellow on a palette created by Martha Stewart. (Anyone remember that? I think the paint was carried either by Sears or Canadian Tire back then.)

The cabinets were also originally painted according to the palette--but I painted over that particular yellow years ago. (Not by choice--I had no idea what colour it had been!)

Here we are with the cabinets earlier this year before their new paint job.

Then, in September, I sanded and painted my kitchen table:

before:

after:

That brings us to the middle of November when I'd hung my new pendant light over the sink, as per Day 19 of the Cure.

And, to finish off the tour: the stove wall.

That is not dirt! That is a terrible crack in the plaster board right above the stove. As you can see, it has been patched before.

And now, here we are:
(I am so excited!)

Here are the two Roman shades I sewed-- together in the same shot. They were made from a shower curtain I found at Target.

The cabinets with the cord all snugged in with command clips. (The cord still has a few kinks in it, unfortunately.)

Here you can see that I decided to paint the tiny bit of wall between the original aluminum banded backsplash and the upper cabinets with trim paint. I thought that by using an off white, instead of the grey, I'd create a cleaner line. Looking at it now, I'm afraid it just looks like we forgot to paint here.

I am so proud of this area! We took down the shelf of cookbooks with the utensils hanging underneath it and never looked back. Even though the cabinetry looks weird stopping short of the fridge like that, this is ten times better than the clutter that used to be here. Bonus: the utensils won't fall on the floor anymore like they used to do when you missed your aim for the hook!

The utensils live here, now, inside a jug from Homesense. (The tea canister holds the dog treats that were also on that shelf.)

Why didn't we do that before? The microwave shelf was mounted too low. We bought new brackets and a new shelf and raised it.

So, now, how about a round of Before and After?

So, what do you think?

Linking to the December Party at Remodelaholic.

Added later: Wondering what a "little refreshing" cost? See this post.

Space

I am not a minimalist.

(I came to that conclusion, sadly, after this discussion at Lisa's blog, Trapped in North Jersey.)

But, oh, my gawd. We took down the cookbook shelf and the microwave shelf and in spite of the awful, awful walls, I love it. The emptiness. The openness.

What an incredible difference it makes to my perception of the space. Especially as I enter--since the microwave isn't there to take up all that visual (and physical) space.

yesterday

 today.

In my ideal kitchen, this stove wouldn't be here at all. Here we would have a custom fit pantry (and separate broom closet) that would match the depth of that chimney flue on the right. It would stop somewhere maybe a foot? short of the doorway.

yesterday (I didn't take a proper shot of the doorway but this does show the cookbook shelf with my utensils hanging off a double row of towel bars. The towel bars will not be put back up.) 

today.

Not a lot of painting done. Mostly repairs. Like this:

We used up so much spackle, we actually had to go out in the snow storm to get more.

I am just craving space.

ETA: After writing the above, I putzed around with the shelves in the dining room.

Before:

After:

And yes! I got my cookbooks on them.

Style Cure 2014: Progress Report

Happy Turkey Day to all my American friends.


My husband has taken on painting the kitchen for me. (He has a week's vacation.) I am so thrilled.

He  decided to do it one half at a time. It is amazing what a can of paint can do. The first pictures were taken Wednesday morning, the second, Wednesday night.

What was once dingy is now fresh and light. All the nickel makes sense again. I am praying it doesn't take on a pink cast of any kind.

In other news, the second shade is done. I am waiting until we paint the window frames to install it. That might happen tomorrow. I am expecting we'll be snowed in.

What do you think of painting the ceiling faintly blue?

From the Weekend: The Shade

Finally, after 12 days, 12 days (and I worked on this shade every single one of them) it is done. From the mistake in my instruction book concerning measurements, (at least, I think it was wrong--I sewed and ripped out the side seams three times) to not buying enough shade tape, to pulling out all my handstitching, to repurchasing the cording, to hanging this and braiding the cord while the shade was fully up, I made every single possible mistake there was to make.

And I have the other one yet to do.

In happier news, you will notice I'm trying out "Elgin Grey" by Ralph Lauren there in the corner. Our testers finally came in.

Style Cure 2014: Day 19

As I've mentioned before, I m doing Apartment Therapy's Style Cure at my own pace (No American Thanksgiving deadline, thank goodness!). That means I am jumping around and doing things out of order. But not yesterday.

Yesterday, Day 19, our instructions were to "Dress up our space and adjust the lighting." Well, I'll save the dressing up part --best done after I paint (which the Cure scheduled for last weekend)--but I did "adjust the lighting."

On the weekend, you may remember I posted this horrendous attempt:

The $5 Nymo shade from Ikea was just too big and too loud--it just didn't play nicely with my vintage ceiling fixture--likely original to the house.

So art deco! I love it.

On Monday, I ran off to Home Depot (always awkward running into your place of employment on your day off) and looked at all kinds of shades. I found this one over in the vanity bathroom lighting section. I'd taken the IKea socket/cord with me to make sure I got something that fit.

You can see the corner sort of relates to my original fixture.

I like it.

I can't wait to paint so I can tidy up that cord.

Supplies:

Second cord set (I bought white) Ikea: $8.99
Shade (Home Depot): $7.96
Small appliance bulb (Home Depot): (2 in the package) $3.98
Total Cost: $20,93

A Few Fave Kitchens

I am doing the Style Cure 2014 with Apartment Therapy. This is my "Free" Day.

Way, way back in the beginning of the process we were supposed to do some on-line or in person style collecting. I did some looking about and pinned some images to my kitchens board, but I was focused on the One Room Challenge and didn't pay too much attention.

Well, now, it is time.

I don't know if this exercise will actually change any of my decisions--but it can be fun to look at pretty kitchens, yes?

I love all the colour, of course, but also how the chair and upholstery colours reverse themselves from the chairs to the banquette. I would love to do something like that.

source

I love that door. Love the mix of wood and metal on the island.

source

This has to Karen's kitchen (by Carol Reed). I recognize the floor.  What is not to love? The black and white tile, shaker cabinetry, brass pulls, wood countertops, brick (brick!), thick white shelves and a hella nice range. Currently being featured in Canadian Living magazine, so not a lot of on-line photos available, yet.

Believe it or not, I just found this  kitchen tonight.

source

It's interesting to see my own idea (executed months before mine) on the web. I am glad my counter top is not green.

source

This is the Kate and Andy Spade kitchen, photographed by The Selby. I love the big, bold stripe of the banquette and the whole black and white thing happening everywhere. Except for the marble, that could be my kitchen table.

And last but not least:

source

Emily Henderson't kitchen, after it was featured in Domino. I love this to bits. It's more the ambience, though, than the specifics. The pendants are OK (love that they are white), love the airy lightness of the top--nd the wood introduced with cutting boards. Nice Roman shade, too.

Well, this exercise took a lot of time and I looked at hundreds of images of kitchens: and while there are lots of gorgeous ones out there, most of them just don't appeal to me. Most are too polished. I like mine a bit rough around the edges, somehow. I certainly like a lot of contrast--which makes for a busy environment. Especially when the dishes are piled high on the counter tops!

Returning to Normal*

First things first:

May we never forget.


**********

For the first time in a long while, I sat down and planned our suppers for the week.  First, though, I had to create some space. (This is pretty good, by the by. I have been chipping away at this room since Thursday.)

So, I set the timer for 15 minutes and cleaned off the desk.

I am taking the week to clean my kitchen. I wondered what to tackle when it dawned on me that the most natural thing to do would be to clean the fridge.

So, I did.

And this is after the grocerey shop, too!

I picked up the sewing notions I need to make my Roman shades.

Awning cleats, shade cord, and that tape with rings. That's the fabric underneath, all washed and ironed.

I hope to get a chance to work on that this evening, but I'm pretty beat.


*well, as normal as things ever get around here!