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Monday, January 04, 2021

Finally! The 2019 Kitchen Makeover Update

Way back, at the end of 2019, I updated my dad's kitchen in the house I grew up in. I realized I never wrote about it here, even though the research and planning took up most of my time and energy. I guess it took me all of last year to process!


Our kitchen has always been a project because it was subject to my father's whims. He would "makeover" the cabinets, backsplash, countertop, and appliances whenever he spied a bargain at a retail or thrift store. Oh, the memories; the silver tin backsplash, mismatched cabinets in different wood grains, awkward cabinet placement that limited accessibility, replacing two useful dish cabinets with a wine rack, and lots of kitschy knick-knacks, many of them depictions of roosters!

The sole survivor of kitsch!

While my dad agreed to my plan to start over and have a complete redesign, there were tense negotiations on almost everything. Some of them:
  • I would work with a Home Depot consultant* to design the kitchen, get measurements, and order the cabinets.
  • His handyman would install the cabinets and not Home Depot.
  • I could order unfinished cabinets that will be painted to lighten up the wood-paneled kitchen. 
  • I could choose the color because it needed to be warmer than the white prepainted ones available.
  • I could choose ALL of the design components, cabinet layout, door style, backsplash, and flooring.
  • Everything (but the cabinets) must be available in the store, nothing could need to be shipped.*
  • I could personally sanded, primed, painted, and polyurethaned all of the cabinet components.
  • I could install the tile backsplash by myself.

The picture above shows how it looks now, and below is a rundown of almost everything we purchased to change it and make the kitchen look cohesive and much more functional. If you want, take a deep breath, and scroll to the bottom to see how it was.

 
 



*I actually wanted to order this flooring in gray, but that was nixed. It's my one regret, and I often think of it, especially after something spills on the lighter floor. 



My inspiration for the mix of cabinet hardware:

HGTV Magazine



Not Pictured:
  • Glacier Bay 33" all-in-one drop-in double bowl stainless steel sink with pull-down faucet, $199.39 (N/A)

Renovation total without supplies was $2,090.30.


The BIG CHANGE:


BEFORE -2017?**

AFTER - 2019

**Yes, that is more countertop creeping up that back wall. Ugh. Also, EVERYTHING is brown. Welcome to my childhood.
* Thank you, Margaret "Margi" Cooper!