then there was the kitchen.

One of the main reasons I've been dragging my feet on really getting this blog going, is that when I'm in the midst of a project/decorating I am HORRIBLE at taking pictures of the process. The 'before' pictures are usually snapped in haste, as I'm so anxious to just GET TO WORK(!). The 'during' pictures are essentially non-existant (who has time to stop and take a picture when you're up to your elbows in paint and saw dust?? Especially pictures with a REAL camera??). The 'how-to's'? You're crazy. Google a demo, I'm sure someone else has already put it on YouTube. And, well... as we all know, those are all kind of a big part of a house blog. So, this little piece of cyber space is still a baby... and I've already failed it hard.

But, before we give up entirely, there is the kitchen! The dreaded kitchen, with it's dated (lime green laminate) counter tops, worn floor, and crumbly wallpapered over plaster walls. It is definitely the room in this home that will require the most work to get it up to par. And *drum roll please*... I actually have pictures of THE PROCESS! Even though I broke my biggest blog 'no-no' and used cell phone pictures... one step at a time.

Here are a few 'before' shots... that are so BEFORE that we didn't even own the house yet. May or may not have stolen these gems off the real estate listing!

(I'm kind of pissed the old owners didn't leave that hutch behind!)

It certainly was NOT beautiful, but it also wasn't the worst kitchen I'd ever seen. The cabinets themselves were quite plain and of surprisingly nice quality. Two of the walls (w/ the windows and door) are stucco, which I like... and the other two are the papered over plaster, which I did not realize would be such a nightmare.

After failing hard with tearing down the wallpaper (more on that to come), I made the cabinets my first real project. I knew I wanted to keep them, as they are actual solid wood, aside from the doors which have a veneer front. The lower cabinets also all have pull-out shelves, which I really love, and maximize the amount of storage we have. I also knew that I wanted the cabinets to be white. White kitchens, to me at least, just scream fresh and inviting. 

I debated between regular paint and the Rustoleum 'Cabinet Transformations' kit, before ultimately settling on the kit. After reading through endless reviews, Rustoleum seemed to offer a more durable/professional finish, which I thought would be key with white in a kitchen and having to scrub them up constantly, with all of the inevitable drips and splatters that go along with cooking. (I think I'll probably end up doing a whole post on Rustoleum alone, as I have such good things to say!)

Initially I was a bit over confident, thinking I'd surely be able to knock the cabinets out in a long weekend... but, I ended up having to use 3-4 coats of white, instead of the 2 the kit called for. So, I had to live with THIS a lot longer than I intended:

(At least it's easy to find what we're looking for??)

It ended up taking me a good three weeks to get everything painted. My biggest hangups were definitely not having enough work surface to lay cabinet doors out on and limited time to dedicate to the project. With no garage, and an unfinished basement, I really only had our dining room table to use, and we ended up with busy weekends, so I had to cram as much work into the evenings as I could. I'm also guilty of getting a teeny bit burned out before finishing the last 2 cabinet doors... something which I think Dave is VERY ready for me to get over.

I did pick out hardware though! After nearly two long intense hours (typical me) at Home Depot, I ended up going with a combination of knobs/drawer pulls that had a slightly vintage feel (honoring the house!), yet still felt modern with the brushed nickel finish. 

So, this is where we stand. The cabinets are WHITE and I LOVE them. It has a huge impact already. The whole room feels so much brighter. My goal this week is to get the last two doors finished, since of course the doors I loose steam on are also the two that hide the dreaded 'under the sink' disaster... 

(GAH! Don't mind the disaster that is our wall! But the stove? I LOVE MY PRISTINE VINTAGE STOVE.)

(I'm going to call this my motivation to finish those damn doors.)

The next stop is obviously to replace the counter tops. We're at a standstill until I make that decision. I'm 99% sure I have them picked out- but alas, all I'm certain of is that they will be black/dark gray. Material TBD. I think it will be a fantastic contrast w/ the white cabinets and warm wood tones of the floors.

After that? Backsplash (which I've already purchased). Walls.  And Floors. OH MY! 

...TO BE CONTINUED...