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The big reveal… my parents new kitchen!

March 4, 2013 by Cynthia Filed Under: Decorating Ideas

Let me start by saying that this has been a wonderful project, the best in fact.

Not only was it for my parents which was very special but we also got to spend some time with our son Spencer, he helped us with the renovation.

Working together and having a few laughs ( as you will see from some of the crazy photos ) was a blast!

 I think you have waited long enough… What do you think?

Parents kitchen after cynthiaweber.com

Ok, Now I will give you the full story… I am warning you… there will be a lot of photos and some less than flattering anecdotes!

We left our place last friday and headed to my parents house in a snowstorm with all the cabinet doors ( which we had sanded and painted at our place to save some time), our two dogs and all the tools and gear we would need loaded in the trailer.

driving to the kitchen reno cynthiaweber.com

This was the white knuckle driving conditions.

We arrived safely and unpacked everything.

I must admit, after packing up in the morning, driving through the snow for an hour and a half, unpacking and getting geared up to start work… I was already tired!

The timeline was tight… we had a week while  my parents were on vacation.

For the back story of how all this came to be,  see my post from last week.

I will give you a little reminder of what the kitchen looked like before.

parents kitchen before 2

 

Parents kitchen before

The cabinets were 30 years old and while they were not in bad shape, they were very dark and had pitting from years of use that neither of my parents liked.

Also, when the hardwood flooring was added a few years ago there was not enough contrast and the room began to feel small and darker than it was.

Our mandate was to sand the pitting out and paint them to brighten the space, add a reflective backsplash, replace the counters, get a more functional sink, update hardware throughout, paint all trim and walls and replace the windows… in a week!?!

kitchen without cabinet doors cynthiaweber.com 

You can see the kitchen here without the cabinet doors.

The counter was also dark and that sink was truly tiny and more suited to a bar than a kitchen.

Take note of the drawers… I am not sure why but there are drawers covered by doors… so basically double the hardware and painting because you open a cabinet door and then have a bank of drawers inside… what? 

The weekend was spent sanding the cabinets and beginning to paint.

By the time we were done four coats of paint were on those babies!

Kent and Spencer taking a break before removing counters... cynthiaweber.com

 Oh, my boys…

Lets just say there was coffee involved…

I believe the conversation was something like… “Hey Spence, want to help take the countertop out?” and Spencer said… “I need a coffee fella if we are going to start ripping! “

Spencer posing for one more pic before removing old countertops… cynthiaweber.com

 “Mom, take a pic of me laying on Nana’s counter… she will be dreaming of my workboots and where they have been for months!

counter on the deck

Out it went, handy to have a deck right outside the kitchen!

I told you we like to ham it up didn’t I?

 

Self deprecating moment alert…

How preoccupied with this project was I you ask… well, by Tuesday we were sourcing cabinet hardware, the sink and various supplies for the counters, etc.

I was walking around the hardware store thinking to myself ” Wow, my back is killing me, I feel unbalanced… dizzy almost.”

Yup, I looked down and saw this! 

you know you are tired when… cynthiaweber.com

 

Now, I usually try to give a relatively put together image… you know, to instil confidence in my clients that their homes are going to be beautiful after I am done with them… not so much on Tuesday i’m afraid!

taking out the old windows cynthiaweber.com

The windows came out on Wed. Spencer couldn’t resist mucking it up for the camera again… he is such a ham!

kitchen with both windows remover cynthiaweber.com

This large window needed replacing. We wanted to make the kitchen function better.

I know it seems counter intuitive but I knew it would actually seem bigger with less windows.

The views out to the backyard remain but framing in that narrow side window extended the kitchen out further visually and provided some added privacy.

Replacing the large window with a bar height double hung window will make it possible to build a bar height counter across with bar stools below and add about 10sq. ft. of extra counter space. They will also be able to use the windows as a pass through to the deck for summer entertaining.

dry fitting the new sink cynthiaweber.com 

After the windows were installed and new drywall was being finished we worked on building up the counters in prep for the large glossy tile. The new sink is stunning… I love it!

We couldn’t resist popping it in to see what it was going to look like.

bare feet reno queen cynthiaweber.com

 

The next few days saw the counters and backsplash installed…( see, I can ham it up too!) yes, my friends… I work in bare feet, I know mom, relax, I had just vacuumed!

 having fun with parents kitchen reno cynthiaweber.com

That drill is hot!

More painting, finishing and a last minute call to my folks begging for another day to finish and we were ready for the big reveal!

 

mom and dad right before they see their new kitchen cynthiaweber.com

 

They arrived with a thank you cake… so cute!

I knew they were itching to see but I made them pose for the before pic.

mom

 

I think she may be pleased…

the big reveal my parents kitchen cynthiaweber.com

 

Yes, I am pretty sure they like it!

mom hugging Kent at the big reveal cynthiaweber.com

The best thing about this picture for me is that Kent is looking at me and I know what he is thinking… we did a great job for them… I love my hubs!

new sink installed cynthiaweber.com

 

I do love that sink!

new kitchen for my parents cynthiaweber.com

 

So much brighter…

parents kitchen finished cynthiaweber.com

 

Parents kitchen after cynthiaweber.com

 

cabinets finished cynthiaweber.com

 

new window alcove waiting for the built-in bar

 

One week before and after kitchen reno CynthiaWeber.com 

The bar will be built this week and new roman blinds in Kravet Ideology 315 will be installed. We will also use that fabric for the seats on the barstools.

ideology 315 from kravet for romans

 

thank you cake cynthiaweber.com

 

There is the thank you cake… They sent it home with us and I must say… delish!

I loved doing this project for my parents. I hope they enjoy it for many years to come!

Thank you for your kind messages on facebook and through the website during this process… I really appreciated your interest in the project and  your support!

I am sharing this project  at “that DIY Party”  , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Making Lemonade and Fox Hollow Cottage.

   Spice-Up-Your-Kitchen-Party2

 

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