The Kitchen Update

We decided this year to use part of our tax return to update our kitchen and downstairs half bath (which is about the only room we hadn't touched in the 5 years we've lived in this house).  Here was our starting point for both...

Kitchen overview - start

More kitchen starting point

Bathroom start - note the nice brass light fixture and floral wallpaper border.  Plus the sink has light aqua marbling in it.  So classy.

More starting bathroom, more floral wallpaper border.

And here is the end result...

Kitchen overview - after - we are about 90% done at this point - we still have to lay floor under the stove & fridge, and re-attach baseboards in many places.

The new floor - $1.29 a square foot laminate made from recycled plastic for the laminate - have I mentioned how much I love Costco?

Updated decor - 1950s Betty Crocker cookbook that I already had that was given to me by my aunt before she passed away, and my great grandmother's wedding china from 1901.  The Laugh word is from Hobby Lobby and was $7 (half price) when I got it.  The word may not stay, as Mark hates it. We'll see who wins.  :)

A close up of the china plate.  I am so happy to have a plate and a cup/saucer from her wedding set, and I love that it works to display it now so it's not buried in a cupboard somewhere like it was before.

The bathroom is the left door, the pantry is the right.  The photos are from IKEA - $.99 for the set of 5 fruit postcards and $2.99 ea from IKEA for the frames.  The apron hook was something I already had that I painted black.

There's the $1 imagine wall art from last week.

The dining area - still working on decor here.  The photo to the left of the light is one I took when Mark and I were in Venice in 2001 and it's one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken.  It's light reflecting off rain puddles at dusk on the main pedestrian route.

Bathroom - after - Vanity was $88 from Home Depot (plus $20 in plumbing items from the hardware store), faucet was $30 from Home Depot, mirror was $35 (half price) from Hobby Lobby, light fixture was $35 from Costco, and not shown are a towel ring and toilet paper holder from Home Depot for $22 total.  Paint is low VOC Behr Paint and Primer in one for $28 from Home Depot in the color "Sensible Hue" (I questioned whether we should get the paint and primer in one and the sales guy gave me a gallon at the price of the regular paint. Totally awesome.)

Another view of bathroom - after - no floral wallpaper border.  Why oh why did we not do this 5 years ago???  The wall decor is a Bible Verse (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord) my mom cross-stitched for us when we got married 10 years ago.  It's hung in our bathroom, no matter where we lived, ever since.

I'm still looking for a few things for on top of the cabinets - I plan to go raid boxes in my parents basement next week for more family heirlooms.  I love having pieces that have stories behind them.

The total cost for this remodel, including all last minute trips to the hardware store, etc is right about $1000 (included in this price - paint, flooring & trim, dishwasher, vanity, faucet, light fixture, towel bar and toilet paper holder ) .  We could have easily spent that much on just the approx 300 sq ft of flooring.

Linking this up with Domestically Speaking's Power of Paint
and
Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home
and
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Front Porch