After.....

OK, here we go!  The top pic is Steve, our cabinetmaker, and his helper getting the corner cabinet with the lazy susan in.  He said he has learned to bring the pieces of this cabinet and assemble it on site because assembled most folks can't get it through the door!  In the third picture all the cabinets are in but the counters haven't come yet.  Cooking Christmas dinner with no counters and no running water or dishwasher was NOT fun.  The two glass front cabinets with the plate rack in between show off most of my Bennington Pottery.  These are my everyday dishes and I love them.  I've collected quite a bit of it over the years. I should point out that, for an accent, we made the island black.  All the ends and sides of the cabinets are beadboard.  We also used a slightly different beadboard as a backsplash.  This will probably be painted the same color we paint the room.

Finally the sink and counters come.  The new double sink is extra large and is made of Silgranite II and has the highest rating in the industry for being scratch proof.  Let's hope so!  There are several pictures of the counters.  We didn't want something light and something with just a touch of the red.  This was the thing I worried about most....would the granite go with the cabinets?  I think it worked out fine.  The granite is a mixture of tan, cream, gray, black and a little red.  The sink is Biscuit which matches the appliances very well.  Our faucetry is not new, we kept that and it is oil rubbed bronze and the cabinet hardware matches it (it's not on yet in these pictures).  The last picture shows the new mouldings around the window.  More to come.....

Before......

You are looking at some before and "during the tear out" pictures.  My kitchen on a normal day and then gradually my husband and a friend began to remove the countertops and take apart the cabinets.  My daughter was able to use our island and its counter and gradually our friend is taking away the others!  YAY!  All our trim on the first floor is Benjamin Moore Cottage Red which is a dark barn red. I really can't seem to get a good picture that shows the true color.  The new cabinets are the same color but painted with the paint plus lacquer which gives them a smooth as glass finish. We kept our floor which looks better than ever with the new cabinets, all the appliances (that will come later, much later!), lighting and we did not tear out the bulkhead. You can see the large pantry cupboard with double doors on the left.  Our builder friend who has helped us soooo much during this remodel put that in for us earlier this year.  I love it.  It holds so much.  But watch in the After pictures what we do with the doors. 

Post Christmas

Well I just yesterday got running water, the disposal and the dishwasher hooked up.  10 days without a sink and dishwasher.  I feel like I live on the prairie!  Actually it has made me thank the good Lord for all the little things we take for granted. 

I hope all of you had a nice CHRISTmas and enjoyed family, friends, and good food.  Santa was very good to me and I loved having all the kids here.

Before and after kitchen pictures this coming week, I promise.  The kitchen and family room all have to be painted but most of the construction work is done.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the red cabinets.  See you next week.

Christmas Blessings

Update

I think I will be posting the pictures of the kitchen re-do after Christmas.  The counters will be in by then and I am still not comfortable doing it sooner due to the situation in Connecticut.  Please continue prayers for Newtown.

Sorrow and Shock

Here I was ready to post pictures of my kitchen make-over.  How unimportant is that now? Way down on the must deal with list.  I am as shocked and stunned as all of you over the tragedy in Connecticut.  I heard someone say that the mother was a "responsible" gun owner.  I don't agree.  If you have a child you know is troubled you don't even belong having guns in the home and definitely not where they can be accessed.  But all this talk of gun control and responsibility will not bring those children and adults back.  This is a time for reflection on the lives of the lost, prayer for courage and strength for the parents and that community and hope to look forward and move beyond this tragedy.  May God bless and keep them all.

Vintage Christmas

This is a small gift I worked on yesterday for my very best friend.  She, like me, likes old things.  The silver sugar bowl I picked up at a yard sale.  The seam binding ribbon was tea dyed and the rhinestone in the center of the bow is vintage, cut from a larger pin. Some of the smaller pearls at the top are also vintage.  The star was also dyed and glittered with tea dye glitter.  The Peace sign was stamped and edged with TH Tea Dye ink.  I just love this piece and hope my friend does too.  I have to give thanks to Dawn Edmonds for the inspiration for this piece.  Thanks sweet Dawn!