Oh yeah. the KITCHEN!

Yes, we did actually finish our kitchen. I have just neglected to share it with you. Actually, it's really not quite
"done" yet, and that's why I've been waiting so long.......But, it always takes time to finish every little detail, especially if it involves hunting for just that perfect vintage find. All of the major work is done, though, so I will start with that and share more fun stuff as it happens.

BEFORE

AFTER

Our cabinets were original up top, but the bottoms had been replaced with particle board and a bland formica countertop. We scored big when S brought home a set of vintage upper and lower cabinets from a job site. Knowing that the owners were tearing them out to replace, he measured them up, and they miraculously fit into our existing footprint with 1/8 inch to spare! Now, before you get too excited, know that S spent many hours sanding, shellacking and varnishing every surface. He also built all new boxes for the drawers so we could add glides to them. I love that man. So....the cabinets were indeed free, but they have a lot of labor hours into them. As an added bonus, the original hardware was all intact and ready to go with a good scrubbing!

Countertops stumped us for a good long time. Our square footage needs were quite small, but everything still seemed crazy expensive or just cheap looking. After much head scratching and searching for the right stain and materials, we came up with an eco-friendly option that cost us under $200 total. Yup. You read that right-under $200. A piece of just about anything else would have cost us $1200 and up. Pre-cut lengths of birch countertops from IKEA provided the solution. I had my head set on grey countertops, and wanted an eco-conscious finish. We couldn't find a product that would result in a gray finish, but we did find a soy based stain in ebony, that gave us a gorgeous final product. It was super easy to apply, and we sealed it with mineral oil. After installation, we applied a coat of mineral oil daily for two weeks. Now, to keep it fresh, we just need to spin on a quick coat every few weeks. I love these countertops, and I love my big deep apron front sink! (also from IKEA)

Christine

p.s.I have come to the conclusion that I should start designing kitchen faucets. The existing selection was rather dismal, but I managed to come up with one that is at least inoffensive.