On the Move - the Kitchen (with Guest Contributor Sheridan)

There was a movie out some time back, based on a popular kids' book, that started out with the mother declaring in wonder that she was "done" with the house. The last bit of decorating, the final curtain in place, everything in the house was the way she wanted it.

So, of course, the husband immediately announced that they were moving.

I can't say that I was finished with the house we have lived in for almost 8 years, but my 'to do' list was down to things like "finish trim in bathroom". Little stuff. So, of course, what idea did a certain husband come up with?

On the other hand, when you get a chance to trade a 4 bedroom 2 bath house for a 6 bedroom 3 bath, you can't really complain too much - even if it means your 'to do' list now says things like "replace entire septic system".

My New House by Sheridan

You all ain't going to believe this stuff.

We are moving to our Grandma's house. Deer go to our Grandma's house. She died in August. It was close to Thanksgiving when she died. We still miss her. We are sad she died.

Now let's just get back to the good stuff. She has a lot of flowers at her place. It is very nice. There are a lot of toys there. 

The end.

This was the house my husband and his sisters grew up in - the family built it themselves when the kids were tiny, living in a trailer on the property the entire time. I love that it has such a personal history, and the 'bones' of the house are great, but of course after 50 years any house needs a few updates. If you have followed me for any amount of time, it won't surprise you that the first room I tackled was the kitchen!

Here are some 'before' pictures:

While I like natural wood, the cabinets were a bit too dark for my taste. The kitchen is also on the small side, so I needed to brighten it and make it at least feel bigger.

The miscellaneous wires on the top were also a tiny issue (they had conduit around them, so they weren't dangerous, just not pretty!)

The above wall was between the living room and kitchen, and while I wanted to be able to see what the kids were doing in each room, I didn't want to lose cabinet space.

The ceiling was dry walled a while ago, but the taping never got done. Or, obviously, the painting. That was not helping the general darkness of the room. There were several lights plugged in under the cabinets, adding illumination but taking up half the outlets.

So...the cabinets. We completely removed the cabinet on the wall between kitchen and dining room, and set that aside for later. Next I took all the doors off the upper cabinets. Five minute task, right?

Two words that should be banned from the English language: flathead screws. Tiny ones. My cordless screwdriver, and even my regular old manual, couldn't get a grip. I ended up using a small knife to take every. single. screw. out of every. single hinge. Did I mention I only had a couple hours at a stretch to get anything done there?

FINALLY, after the doors were off and many years of grease had been scrubbed away, I was able to fill in holes and paint them. I love Behr, it covers everything beautifully! It also dries quickly, so by the time I got to the end of the cabinets with the first coat, I was able to go right back to the beginning and apply the second coat.

Of course, that made the walls look REALLY bad.

I CAN paint neatly, but if I know I'm doing the walls anyway, I'm not going to bother. I took a piece of the blue and white Pfaltzgraff that belonged to my mother in law to the paint store to match the color, and used that on the walls.

While I was painting the cabinets, walls and ceilings, Mike was covering them all with dust. That wall between the kitchen and living room? All gone! Except for a 2-foot wide strip to hold my spice racks, because that was one part of last year's remodel that I refused to give up!

Just a teensy bit of rewiring to do, too.

Now, since the original counter had a back splash, it wasn't going to work without a wall to back it up. Fortunately, some 8 or 9 years ago, I bought a 14-foot conference room table...which has been sitting in our garage since then, because our floors wouldn't support the weight. The top is in two pieces, and they are HEAVY. I should mention that this is about the time I got sick, and my muscles were like rubber. I wasn't much help wrestling a piece onto the sawhorses,

and did absolutely none of the measuring and cutting! Mike did a FABULOUS job, cutting it so perfectly on the first try that we didn't need to cover the gaps with trim like we expected (there weren't any!)

Are you ready for the "after" pictures? Here they are with the befores again:

Still need to box in that vent and paint it, then finish the trim around the ceiling.

The dishes (brown) that go on the bottom shelves are still at the old house. Yes, the cabinets are slightly bowed (but strong and solid), which was not noticeable with the doors on, and which is driving Mike crazy. I don't care, I think it adds character. The plates aren't on the outlets yet because we are switching the off-white out with white ones.

Obviously still some finishing to do, but what a difference!

Of course, now you can see how much needs to be done in the other rooms, but that's mostly finishing work (ceilings and flooring) as well.

When we sent pictures to my older daughter, who grew up there, her first comment was, "Holy WOW!" Just a bit of a change! I'm glad she (and the others who have seen it so far) approve, that was very important to me. I love that I can see the living room, that everything is so open, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a 4x6 foot counter top! That is going to be so perfect for parties!

Speaking of parties...we still have the rest of the house to do...who is up for a how-much-furniture-can-you-fit-in-your-truck fiesta???

***Bonus treasure hunt: How many times can you spot my travel mug in the pictures???

Minor Kitchen Remodel on a Budget

Even when you are on a tight budget, there comes a point where 'serviceable' turns into 'get this out of my house'. We live in an older double wide manufactured home, and the original cabinets have seen better days. Scrubbing has worn the finish away so they just look permanently grimy, the pink (pink!) formica counter tops are chipped, handles won't tighten any more, doors won't hang straight any more, etc. And, did I mention the counter tops were pink?

The real tipping point was when we realized there was black mold in the cabinet under the sink. Once we ripped that whole cabinet out, we realized the mold was in the wall, so as home improvements usually do, it became a slightly more involved operation involving replacement of walls and insulation. In the end, though, I had a MUCH bigger sink, a dishwasher, pretty brown counter top (on that side of the kitchen, anyway), and space for a tea cart I bought for $5 at a yard sale.

We planned to do the opposite side of the kitchen relatively soon, but...then there were new tires, transmission issues, a grand baby moving in, etc. And two years went by. We finally decided we better get on it before they discontinued that particular counter top. It turned out that one store had actually stopped carrying it, so I'm glad we didn't wait much longer! 

As usual, I forgot to take "before" pictures until I had started the demo...

Oh, look, an electrical cord running through things. And a lot of wasted space. Not to mention having to reach in and dig when I wanted something in that blind corner.

Oh, goody: More black mold.

Nothing makes you feel like a great housekeeper like remodeling....ew.

So, wall replaced, retextured, and repainted, and we hit the Memorial Day sales - 20% off unfinished cabinets!

And, after:

Am I a total geek that drawers are making me happy? I had one drawer. One. Now I have four, and my life is forever changed.

There is actually more available cabinet space with it NOT going around the corner. I had planned on a lazy Susan, but the outside edges would have made it take up way too much space.

Now, we were just going to do this corner for now, because: budget. There was another wall with a pantry and refrigerator, and of course because the pantry was built to fit, none of the replacements were the same size, no matter how we configured it, so we thought we might have to have something custom made some day. Then Mike started a sentence with "What if..."

Don't you love when people do that just when you think you are almost done?

In this case, however, it was a pretty brilliant "what if". See the washing machine just on the other side of the doorway? We took out a set of plastic shelves between it and the dryer, slid it down, and put the refrigerator there - giving us an entire 6 foot wall of space to play with!

Once again, I got so excited about demo, I didn't get a 'before' picture until after I had removed the doors and emptied it out!

 That made room for a 24" pantry, a 30" cabinet, and a space between for the trash can (which had previously just been floating around the kitchen). I was planning on using the same type of counter top, but Mike decided I was having too much of the fun, and I think he missed doing some of the finer carpentry work he used to enjoy. So, this part is NOT in the budget....

a solid oak, doweled-together, cutting board counter top...

...but isn't it purdy?! I won't actually cut anything on it. In fact, I won't do anything on it. It's like having your first brand new car - that first scratch is heartbreaking! I'll just balance a cutting board over the sink for a while longer...

The shelves are to the exact height I wanted, and I plan to add cup hooks to the exposed supports.

That left the exposed side of the pantry looking a bit bare. I needed something 18" wide, a couple feet high, and preferably with a drawer...

...voila! Another $5 yard sale find. The original finish was that 1960's orangey-brown stain that's so thick it looks like paint. A LOT of sandpaper and elbow grease later...

Yes, I forgot a 'before' picture AGAIN!

The end panels were a pain in the you-know-what to attach, so I painted this side with chalkboard paint instead.

There's that refrigerator in the background, literally just two extra steps away!

The spice racks and jars were another splurge, but I paid for them by selling some of the small appliances I decided I didn't really need as I was rearranging (why did I have two pressure canners??) 

I like the rustic look of the racks, and the uniform glass bottles make my OCD side soooooo happy!

The total cost for everything except the oak counter top was about $700. That looks like a huge chunk of money to me, but when compared with those 'budget' remodels in magazines that come in with a couple more digits, I feel a lot better about it!

And none of it is pink:)

Opinions needed - and I Know You Have Them!

I have a habit of becoming fixated on one particular item I need, but won't spend a whole lot of money on. Exactly the right flour container, or brown sandals, or what have you. I am too cheap to just buy what I want on line, I have to scour yard sales and thrift shops until (three years later) I find it collecting dust somewhere.

When we changed out the kitchen cabinets, we went from l-shaped to straight, because I couldn't find a corner cabinet that fit. That left me with a spot about two feet wide that needed...something. Something with a small footprint, but negotiable height. Preferable movable. Something I could put...stuff in. That part is negotiable, too. 

With that clear vision in mind, I breezed through all the area thrift shops, finding many beautiful pieces that were just not quite right. On my way to work Saturday I went to a few yard sales, ending at one that sounded promising - retired couple down-sizing to a travel trailer. I didn't see anything small enough, and finally asked the wife. They had a baker's rack that would be perfect. Sold it for $10 just before I arrived. Sigh.

As I was walking back to my car, something that looked like wagon wheels, tucked off to the side, caught my eye.

 I pointed. "Is that for sale, or are you using it to hold your fly swatters?" (Said items scattered across the top.) Turns out the husband was trying to fix a caster with no success, and was frustrated enough to sell it to me for $5.

Obviously, it needs a tiny bit of work, but I have since found the exact tea cart online for hundreds of dollars. Score!

First up is the top, and this is where I need your opinions. It had this 'lovely' sticky laminate, peeling up in the corners, 

with - ugh - particle board underneath:

The bottom tray is the same:

The particle board has become wet and swollen in areas, which is why the surface was peeling off. Obviously, that needs to be replaced, but with what? I keep vacillating between options, and every five minutes I am absolutely positive I have decided something different. Help! Here are the options I see:

1. A thin sheet of laminate

Easiest and cheapest, but it would probably also look that way. 

2. Tile

I'm thinking white, maybe with a little grey, matte finish. Durable and pretty, and I can use grout to fill in any uneven spots. But, would the grout cause the particle board to swell more?

3. Wood 

This has several sub-options (is that a word?) I could cover the whole top with a thin sheet of oak (I considered butcher block, but it is too low to be a practical cutting surface). I could take the trim off (will it come off in one piece?) and replace the middle part, which would also mean replacing the thin sheet of plywood holding it all together underneath. Or, I could toss the whole middle section and start new - which would then mean mitering the edges to fit the leaves when they come up. These last two options would be closest to original, but would also be most labor-intensive, and - hello - kitchen remodeling underway!

So, what do you think? Please tell me what to do, I can no longer think for myself.

Fortunately, the rest of the cart is sanding up nicely,

so I can probably just use either a light stain or a plain, clear varnish when it's all done. Which, you know, should happen in the next couple years.

Remodeling is FUN. We Can Knock This Out in a Day. Old Houses are Charming. Plumbing is a Breeze. #thingspeoplewhoknowbetterneversay

Before I say anything, let me affirm that, yes, I have seen this post, have read it, shared it, commented on it, agreed with it. As much as I am a sucker for appliances and cooking gadgets, I don't need bells and whistles for my kitchen.

But, when there's black mold...

which I have tried bleaching and painting over, to no avail, and a leaky sink

which didn't cause the mold, but which isn't helping to get rid of it, I think a minor makeover is in order.

I am also really really cheap, though, so even after getting a fairly reasonable quote from a very good woodworker in town, we decided to do it ourselves. Unfinished cabinets were 20% off at the store with the big orange sign, and a MUCH bigger sink was to be had for a clearance price that made it equal to the generic one I was looking at. Score!

Pretty brown - not pink - counter top! With a BACK SPLASH, not scratched-up rubber strips!

As opposed to the current 5", which makes washing large pots a challenge for a contortionist.

And, after much deliberating about dishwashers (I hate them, but I also hate spending all my time washing dishes), I found this:

for $20. Sold!

So, Saturday I pulled off doors and stripping, and Daddy yanked the sink.

That was the easy part. We couldn't find any screws holding the counter top on...that's because it was stapled, not screwed.

We had to cut it, then pry it off.

Doesn't that wall look pretty?!

I see Jesus! Oh, wait - never mind, it's Elvis. Carry on.

But, wait...that is, in fact, the wall...not the back of the cabinet. There IS no back of the cabinet.

Insert bad words here.

So, Daddy headed back down the hill for drywall (water resistant, this time!), while I stained and varnished the new cabinets.

Which have backs! And no mold!

The middle kids were napping, and Christopher was on Starfall, so I just put Shane in his walker to keep him out of trouble.

Yeah, you knew that was coming, didn't you?

Now, have I ever mentioned that we live half an hour away from any actual stores? And that it has been raining every day lately? So, Daddy was in a hurry to get the drywall and get home before it started raining, water resistant or not. So, we didn't have time to pull the old stuff first.

If we had, we might have realized we were also going to need insulation.

I didn't get a picture before we ripped it out, we just wanted to get it sealed in trash bags and out of the house.

At this point, it was raining pretty steadily, and it was time to figure out some sort of supper that didn't require too many dishes, so this is where we left it for the evening. The good news is, we got absolutely no moisture in the house from the rain, so the mold was not the result of anything currently leaking! We're guessing the culprit was a leaky window that we fixed when we moved in, and it has been slowly growing before coming through the wall.

Oh, but, all that rain? It has caused a problem I have not had to deal with since I left Ohio twenty years ago: fleas. Yes, while all this is going on with the kitchen, I was also scrubbing down dogs, then the bathroom, then myself, then the dog bedding, then all the people bedding, then all the rugs. Because, you know, I don't already do laundry nonstop. 

Some of that might have been overkill, but better safe than itchy. SO glad we don't have carpet anywhere!

Of course, Monday, everyone had to go back to work and school, so at dinner time, the kitchen still looked like this:

I am a fan of neither TV dinners nor TV as a babysitter, but sometimes a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do. How to Train Your Dragon TV dinners, 

She is breathing fire.

and the corresponding movie. None of them really sit through a whole movie, but it distracted them enough to get one cabinet, 

two cabinets,

and a counter in!

Notice the light progression through the window! The floor is not level, and the walls are not straight, so it was not as simple as just sliding everything in. By this time the bigger kids were in bed, but Shane was not about to sleep through the noise. He was used as a weight while Daddy screwed the counter in.

Vibrating!

And then got to check out the new sink. It is huge! I can't tell you how excited I am about that, and I don't care how old and boring that makes me sound.

Shane was excited, too.

Then Daddy went and put a dirty fork in it. 

I will pause for all the women to look over at their husbands and shake their heads, knowing he would probably do the exact same thing. And for all the men to scratch their heads and wonder what is wrong with that.

Actually, Daddy wasn't the first to get things dirty - in the short amount of time Shane was on the counter, he spit up all over it, then made a grab at one of those pineapples, which turned out to be much riper than I thought it was, and his hand went right through it. By the time we quit for the evening, my brand new counter was sticky, and smelled like pineapple-flavored alcohol.

Stay tuned to our exciting saga, to find out: will the sink ever actually become attached to the counter? Will the plumbing (which is of a size no longer made) be adapted to work? What fresh evils will the $20 dishwasher produce? And how on EARTH am I going to fit 3 cabinets and 4 drawers worth of 'stuff' into one cabinet and drawer???