Now that our kitchen makeover is complete, I revisited my photo album, beginning with this “Before” shot showing our lack of counter space, our non-functional sliding glass door, the worn out appliances, and an out-dated tile back-splash. Both being frugal, Leigh Ann and I decided to cut costs by saving the cherry kitchen cabinets and the ceramic tile floor, putting our emphasis on higher quality windows and a new door, plus more counter space. To see a review of the steps we went through, just take a look here.
The first step was to remove one set of the upper cabinets and the old window in preparation for a trio of new windows in the exterior wall. The windows we ordered are designed to be more energy efficient and will give us a better view of our back yard.
Next the Adams and Adams Construction crew removed the appliances and started chipping off the tile back-splash.
Outside, the pile of debris started growing on our flagstone patio. The crew assigned me to be Cleanup Leader, mostly to keep me out of their way.
Before long the old sliding glass door and window were gone and the new framing was starting to appear.
With the new windows in place and the exterior insulation installed and taped, the crew turned their attention back to the indoors.
Meanwhile, the electrician had jumped in to run his wiring and mount the switch boxes and outlets while the walls were still open. The plumbers did the same for the drain and water pipes.
Next came the interior insulation and the new wallboard. Quick Tip: Always keep a vacuum nearby and use it often. This will prevent dirt and dust from spreading to the rest of the house! (Guess whose job that was!)
With the additional cherry base cabinets already on hand, the crew started creating Leigh Ann’s new peninsula. When they weren’t around, I took the opportunity to refresh and protect the existing cabinets using Minwax® Wood Cabinet Cleaner, followed by a coat of Minwax® Wipe-On Poly.
The new granite countertops were going to take a few weeks, so we used pieces of wallboard as temporary countertops so Leigh Ann and I could at least use part of the kitchen while we waited.
Next Week: countertops, appliances, and the tile back-splash.
Until then,
Thanks for stopping by!
Bruce
I made a kitchen counter top using hardwood flooring and I wanted to know what to seal it with