Kitchen redo

After my dee-vorce, I decided to simply my life a bit. I figured a nice little fixer upper house that's closer to my work would be just the ticket. I enjoy the DIY stuff, and I made sure I bought a house in a stable, if not rising, real estate market.

First, the before pics. Awful lighting, ceiling tiles, peal and stick flooring and vinyl cove base molding. Yuck.

Gutted. I wanted good task lighting and hard-wired, under-cabinet low voltage lighting was just the ticket. The junction boxes below counter level are to hardwire the puck lights. I also added new circuits for a dishwasher and cabinet mounted microwave.

After pic. I built the bar with 30" wall cabinets mounted on a 2x4 platform. The kick plate and side facade are cabinet grade birch plywood, which matches natural maple pretty well.

I've recently replaced all my kitchen appliences and now waiting on our contractor to get caught up with his stuff. We should be putting in new cabinets and counter tops in the next month or so. We wanted to do it in January but had to put it off due to other things coming up. We did buy a new refrigerator and range back in November installing the refrigerator at that time due to the old one dying. The oven went out on the old stove so I went a head as swapped the new in its place.

Went with a larger French Door with bottom drawer freezer and Induction stove top/convection oven Range. Very happy with both appliances, we got a new dishwasher just 2 years ago so will be keeping that.

Amana Refrigerator
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...ces&cName=Refrigerators&sName=Bottom+Freezers

Kenmore Induction Range Sears made by Electrolux
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02299913000P?keyword=kenmore+induction+ranges

Another after pic. The floors are a 5/16" prefinished oak veneered product, that I got at Lowe's. It's relatively easy to install, but the glue is a tad messy. I only had 30" for the sink base, so I had to convert a 30" regular base cabinet to a sink base. I also had to add a 1" filler strip above the dishwasher, since my floors are so out of level (the dishwasher levelers were at max height and still left the gap).

I still needed more storage for pots and pans (I gots skilletz!), so I built a drawer on full extension glides. I learned a nifty trick building this thing. My stock for the drawer sides, front and back were slightly variant in width due to different moisture absorption over the years that I've had this stuff. No problem. I just clamped all the pieces together, and edge planed them down to the same width. Worked great!

That's beautiful Jim

Quite the improvement Jpr . Nice choice on the kitchen faucet as well . Nice job .

Very nice work. I like the floor. Is that a Bruce floor? I installed the Bruce engineered oak in our kitchen and eating area, but was able to staple the flooring since we have wood subfloors. I had to glue it at my daughter's house over concrete.

Keep the pics coming.

Great work and I much appreciate the work! I hate that kind a chit, I like rough in ................

Thanks for the compliments, all! Joe, the flooring isn't a Bruce product but a similar (and cheaper) one.

If you look at the stove in the after pic, notice two things. First, the unsightly levelers (on top of cardboard to keep from scratching the floors) and the top of the stove only comes up to the bottom of the counter. I didn't think this would be a problem, but a few weeks ago, I was cooking a big pot of soup. The stock pot was about an inch or so away from the edge of the countertop. Well, that much heat that close to the formica for 3 hours melted the adhesive and the endcap pulled away from the counter.

Gotta get that stove higher! I built a platform out of 2x4 sleepers, 3/4" plywood and cabinet levelers. A stove sled, of sorts. The front is wrapped with cabinet grade birch plywood painted black and attached with black finish screws. No more unsightly leveler posts or melted countertops and the platform looks like it's part of the stove. Pics (please ignore the dirty stove):

Great job. To be honest, I could have lived with the before version but it's an acknowledged fact that I have no taste except in women. The after version is fabulous. What a difference.

I'll say.
I'd like to mess up his new kitchen for him.

Oh, and that wasn't a flirt post.
I'd simply like to instruct him a little with shaking and baking.
Shared recipes can be fun.

pirate_girl said:

I'll say.
I'd like to mess up his new kitchen for him.

Oh, and that wasn't a flirt post.
I'd simply like to instruct him a little with shaking and baking.
Shared recipes can be fun.

Click to expand...

No instruction needed here, hun. I knows howz ta cook!

and I don't fry bacon nekkid

jpr62902 said:

No instruction needed here, hun. I knows howz ta cook!

and I don't fry bacon nekkid

Click to expand...

I know you do.
That thing you made with the crescent rolls was awesome, and you positively floored me with your version of my guac tater salad.
Stop talking about bacon and nekkidness-- you are taking my brain off topic!

It's a gorgeous kitchen remodel, love the colours and the warm feeling you've brought to it.
Good job.

pirate_girl said:

I know you do.
That thing you made with the crescent rolls was awesome, and you positively floored me with your version of my guac tater salad.
Stop talking about bacon and nekkidness-- you are taking my brain off topic!

It's a gorgeous kitchen remodel, love the colours and the warm feeling you've brought to it.
Good job.

Click to expand...

Thank you, Lollie! Your comments are truly appreciated!

Good work Jim. Quite a difference in before and after. Now you have a 'warm' looking very nice kitchen. It's inviting, where the before pics were not.

Kudo's to you!!!