Stick a Fork in It

Published on by Our Humble Abode
Because the kitchen is done!  All it took was a little sanding and painting on the ceiling.  Ben hates sheet rock work, hence the reason we just finished it.  And mostly pressure to get the house ready to sell.  But, it’s done, and that’s what matters.
If you recall, before we started work, the kitchen looked like this:
Almond appliances, orange oak cabinets, too small drawers and cabinets, and one large wall trapping the cook in the kitchen.  After months of work and tearing everything out to start from scratch, we’ve created this:
A warm, open, light filled, and functional kitchen.
Replacing the soffit with cabinetry has added even more storage.
A low profile vent hood keeps the focus on the wood counters and new cabinetry.
And I can’t forget the wall of marble tile.  Oh how I love thee.
We will definitely miss this kitchen, but it was such a learning process and we love how it turned out.
Because Ben built our cabinets, our total kitchen budget is about what our store-bought cabinet budget was.  Yes, that is the single most money-saving thing we did.  As you can see, our appliances more than made up for that savings.
So what do you think?  Every potential buyer has commented about the kitchen and how nice it is, which makes us happy.

P.S.  If you haven’t been following from the beginning, you can catch up on all things kitchen renovation in these posts.

56 thoughts on “Stick a Fork in It”

  3. I love the view of your kitchen in that last pic – looks so refreshing!
    I was keeping such close tabs on our kitchen reno tally but got lost in a sea of receipts after a while. We finished the tile wall/backsplash (pics in link below) and then grouted last night. I’m dreading having to clean the grout residue tonight! I think we ended up around $10K as well – pretty good deal for new kitchens!
    Great job!
    Any offers on your house yet? Good luck!

    http://anexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/2012/03/tile-mania.html

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  4. 10 grand very well spent in my opinion! I’d knock that cellulose off there though – like you said it’s not kitchen related. Then it’s a custom kitchen for more like 9 grand!

    Congrats on finishing after all your hard work – I think this is going to be what sells the house for you.

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    1. Hi Courtney! Thanks! Kitchens and baths are total selling features!

      Hey Ashley, Thanks, lady! Too bad we won’t be enjoying it more… 😦

      Hi Lizzy! Thanks!!! Whenever we bought something, I took the receipt to my computer and composed an email to myself with every. little. thing. It made it so much easier to keep track. If we returned something, I just subtracted it and that was done.

      Hi My Honest Answer, Aww, thanks! I think so, too. I thought about taking the cellulose off, but it happened because we did it during the kitchen remodel because we no longer needed access to wiring. It comes in around 9 grand without it, but 10 still doesn’t seem too bad. Fingers crossed it makes it easier!!

      Thanks!
      Amanda

      P.S. No offers yet, but showings every day so far with several seemingly interested people. 🙂

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  5. I think it was 10K well spent. Love the look of your kitchen and those cabinets are amazing. Great team work and I am sure it will help in selling the house.

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  6. your kitchen turned out absolutely amazing and at a great price!!!! Good job guys, but I have to admit I am a bit bummed that you guys aren’t staying to enjoy it… BUT, I’m sure your next home and kitchen will be amazing!!!

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  7. What a transformation! I am amazed by the custom built cabinets. It’s a trip that you are leaving them so soon. My favorite part is the marble tile wall as well!

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  9. I’m translating your price in prices from this part of the world, and it’s a. totally. amazingly. good. price. I would very much like to know the square footage of the kitchen and try to find a similarity in ikea cabinets pricing (counting only the cabinets, of course). That would offer some sort of equivalence for me. I admire the totality of the work you’ve put into it, but, mostly, I find the cabinets the most intimidating.

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  10. Well, I’ve just tried a very rough approximation in ikea prices, using the ramsjo doors, and it’s given me a price in between 2000 and 2500 dollars just for the cabinets, not counting the interior accessories, kick toes, moulding, etc. Yours costed roughly 1000, so there!

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  11. It’s gorgeous. You saved so much money on do the cabinets yourselves, but you definitely had some splurge pieces, too. Great balance! How are you keeping things tidy and show ready with the kids?! …that’s a post I’d love to read. 😉

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    1. Thanks everyone! It is sad we’ll be leaving this, but we think the new house is worth it. 🙂

      Hi Diana, I think the kitchen is about 9 feet wide (including cabinets) by about 13 feet long (from the edge of the dining room to the half wall at the stairs). It is crazy how cheap it was to build the cabinets. Of course, if you were to charge for Ben and my time it would be much more expensive than our material costs. 🙂 That’s something Ikea takes care of for you.

      Hi Julia! Thanks, lovely lady! Yeah, we had to splurge on the sink and stove. Well worth it though. And, I will plan on a post about how we deal with showings and kids and all that jazz after we get an offer. I think it’s a little premature to write something like that considering we’ve had the house on the market just over a week now.

      Hey Kate, Thank you so much! We’re happy to share and so glad you like following along with our projects. 🙂

      Thanks!!
      Amanda

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  13. Fantastic kitchen! A lot was accomplished with $10,000. I imagine if you had to hire folks to redo your kitchen, you’d probably spend at least $20,000+. I don’t doubt that your home will be sold in no time. Spring is the perfect time of year to put homes on the market. Best wishes.

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    1. Hi Monique, You’re exactly right about a much higher cost if we had hired the work out. I’m really happy with the timing because not only is spring a nice time to sell, but it’s also a great time to move! No snow to deal with and people are happy to get out of the house after winter. 🙂

      Thanks!
      Amanda

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  14. Bravo! Wow! What a fabulous “after!” I love the way the soft white and blue interact with the dark wood. Thanks for sharing your link on YHL or else I wouldn’t have seen this!

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  19. Amanda,
    Love the transformation! You’ve totally reinvented your house! My hubs and I are just starting on our kitchen, and will lose cabinets over our peninsula, where our stove sits. So, we will have an exposed vent hood. I love the way yours just fades into the background, but was wondering how it functions being that far away from the stove, and where you bought it from? Thanks!
    Casey

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  20. What kind of wood is that on the counters and where, oh where did you get those stools. I really, really need those stools. Love your kitchen.

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  21. Love it; you both deserve some major props for such a beautiful kitchen. It’s so bright and fresh looking. One question: where did you find your spectacular soap dispenser? I think I must have it. 🙂

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  22. I love what you’ve done to your kitchen!!! I’m with Mary S, what type of wood did you use on the counters and I LOVE the stools, where did you find them? Thank you!!

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  23. Hi Amanda,

    I saw your remodel on YHL and came over to poke around more, because you have given me so much hope! Our kitchen, dining room, and living room are set up in an almost identical configuration as yours, except we are in a 2 story colonial. I hate feeling cut off from everything when I’m in the kitchen, and I’ve thought of knocking down the wall in between the kitchen and LR, but I thought it may look to cramped or not open enough. I think you’ve proven my fears wrong! So my question for you is, how wide is your living room, from the front door wall to the new bar in the kitchen? That will help me figure out if we can swing this, too! I’m sorry if you’ve covered this elsewhere in your blog — I haven’t had the chance to look around much yet. Thanks so much!

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    1. Hi Kerrie, Thanks so much for your compliments! The lower cabinets are painted Pewter Tankard by Sherwin Williams. It’s the perfect warm gray, especially when paired with a warm wood.

      Hey Adventuresonc! Thanks! The sink was custom made from a local fabricating shop. We gave measurements and a picture of a similar sink we liked, they drew up a plan, we approved it and we’re thrilled with how it turned out. And, it was only 650. Here’s a link with more info about it: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/sink-hole/

      Hi Dylantd, The counters are Bubinga wood, an African hardwood. Here are a few links with more info: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/all-oiled-up/ and http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/counter-productive/

      Hey Casey! Sounds like you’re having a ton of fun right now. 🙂 We love our vent hood. Here’s a link to the post about the actual insert (with the link to the shop we bought it from): http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/a-vent-hood-and-a-sink-walk-into-a-kitchen/ and the install process: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/ventilation/ As for the functionality with the height, it’s great. The insert is industrial strength, so it has plenty of air movement for the height it is from the stove. Then we just built a box around it and treated it the same as the surrounding walls. Love it and how unobtrusive it is compared to a gleaming stainless one.

      Hi Mary S, The counters are Bubinga, an African hardwood. For links, check out my response to Dylantd. 🙂 Oh, and the stools are from World Market. Here’s a link: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11108349

      Hey Taylor! Thanks so much! It’s so much lighter and brighter than the old kitchen. I found the soap dispenser on clearance at Target about a year ago, but here’s a link to a similar one: http://www.containerstore.com/reviews/kitchen/sinkArea/pumpDispensers?productId=10025926 Same brand, too. 🙂

      Hi Angela! Aww, thanks! The counters are Bubinga and the stools are from World Market. Check out my responses above for links to everything. 🙂

      Hey Julie, So glad this helped you! I totally know how you feel about being cut off from everyone when you’re in the kitchen. That’s exactly why we tore down the wall. Our living room is 12 feet wide, from the front door to the front of the bar side cabinet, so nothing large really. With our furniture arrangement, we have a walkway and that leaves plenty of room for the bar stools. Hope that helps your situation! Let me know if you’ve still got questions. I’m happy to help!!

      Thanks again, everyone!!
      Amanda

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      1. Hi Amanda,
        Your Kitchen here is amazing! I love all the detail and how everything speaks to one another. I love and plan on replicating your hidden hood vent idea!! We are doing a cut out into our living room and renovating our kitchen. I know you have answered this question already, but the link to the information is outdated or doesn’t work. Where is the hood vent from??
        Carly

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  25. Looks lovely! I’ve always been a fan of open kitchens but I’m worried about the smell and the stickyness from the cooking might stick to the sofa/living area fabrics etc.
    I stay in a pretty humid area so I pretty much need a back splash for my stove.

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  26. Looks great! I like what you did with the wall you took out. We have a similar wall in our kitchen, but it’s a load-bearing wall – is that the case with yours? The pass-through makes it work, I guess.

    Do you feel like you have enough cabinet space with eliminating all those upper cabinets on the side with the wall? That would be my biggest concern if we did something similar.

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  27. Love what you did! Came to peek via YHL and will definitely be back. I have been looking for a white footed bowl like the one you have displayed on your counter for a while now. Do you remember where you got it?

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  28. Like Leigh, I’m here via YHL and also curious about that bowl, LOL! Also, the soap/lotion dispenser by the sink? Love them!
    We just finished a late 80’s kitchen reno ourselves, where we took out the soffit. It’s amazing what having that little bit of added space does!
    Congrats on selling the house, too – I’ll be back to see what you do with the next one!

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    1. Hi Modern Jane! Thanks so much! We’re honored to be featured on YHL. 🙂 Hope to see you again soon.

      Hi Kristine, You know, our soft furniture is far enough away from the kitchen so the stickiness isn’t an issue. And I think smells would be an issue regardless, just because smells can travel and permeate any soft surfaces. We have a small back splash behind the stove. Seems to work well for us, but you have to do what works best for you. 🙂

      Hi Ali! Our wall is load bearing, so we have the posts on either end, a beam behind the sheet rock AND Ben reinforced everything in the attic, so we’re good. As for the cabinet space, we don’t have a ton of unnecessary kitchen stuff. Before we remodeled, we had more cabinets, but not as much usable cabinet space. All lower drawers has really give us a lot of space in the same foot print. So we keep dishes in the upper cabinets and have plenty of space for everything we need. 🙂 It’s not the best solution for everyone, but it works for us.

      Hey Leigh, So glad you stopped by! My great aunt actually gave me the white footed bowl. Sorry, that’s not much help. But I’ve seen footed bowls at thrift stores, so maybe you can pop into one regularly to see if you can snag one?

      Hi Amanda! Good call on removing the soffit! It makes such a huge difference, more storage and a more open feel. 🙂 We’re hoping to share pictures of the new house by mid April, so stay tuned. Glad you saw the soap dispenser info. 🙂

      Thanks, everyone!
      Amanda

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  30. Awesome! Kinda looks like we have the same style… we just remodeled our kitchen – took out a wall, used very close to the same blue color, have the same stools, and dark wood accents. We’re currently adding the board and batten to the whole area as well! Great job!

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  31. I love the marble subway tiled wall – please tell me asap where you bought them, as I need to give my husband my “final decision” tonight!!! I love the stools, and that your husband built your cabinets!!!!! My husband could do that, if he had the time, so we ordered preassembled, customs with plywood shelves, and drawers from an online company called “CLIQ Cabinets” – so far they are beautifully made, and were about half of what the stuff, even at Home Depot was asking.

    I love your one story house, my dream is to have a one story, with two AC units at the ends :)) This double story, no central AC CAPE that holds the heat upstairs like an OVEN by 11:00 a.m. in warm days, is awful!!! Anyway, the marble tiles :)))

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  32. I just came over from YHL. Love the reno, such an awesome job. That wood is gorgeous, too! Question, what is the color of your kitchen and dining room walls, please? Looks soft, warm and cozy! Great job!

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    1. Hi Rachel, Thanks! Your kitchen sounds amazing, too!

      Hey Kate! Believe it or not, the marble subway tile is from Home Depot and only about 6 bucks a square foot here. 🙂 So glad to hear you’ve saved tons of money on your cabinets, too. Sorry your house is always so warm. For the first few years I lived here, we didn’t have AC either and I was a miserable hot pregnant person so I totally feel your pain.

      Hi Lisa! Aww, thanks so much! The kitchen and dining color is a mistinted version of Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage (The paint is from Wal-Mart) and they used the light base. The formula for one gallon is B-37, E-39.5, and T-37. I think all formulas translate to different paint brands, so you should be able to take that formula anywhere to get a paint color very similar. 🙂

      Thanks!
      Amanda

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  33. Hi Amanda,

    Thanks for the response! Can I ask a couple more questions? First, how wide is the opening between cabinets into the dining room? How wide is the peninsula, from wall to the opening? And how deep is the overhang in the living room where you have the stools tucked underneath? We’re years away from any kitchen remodel, but I figured I have to ask these questions now before you’re not in the house anymore to measure! Thanks so much!

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  34. Oh wait, and one more — with the age of your house, were you concerned about lead dust when you knocked down the wall? If so, how did you mitigate that?

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  35. We were just SURE that our 1950’s cape with multiple layers of paint over the decades, would have some lead paint in it, and the contractor simply chipped down to the wood, got all the layers of paint, put it in a little bottle of chemicals, and voila, NO lead paint. What a relief and SAVINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, ask your Home Depot or contractor or anyone who might know where these kits are, and test before wasting time, energy,, and money doing what you may not have to do.

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  38. Hi! I just came here from young house love. Awesome kitchen! Can you tell me where the soap dispenser is from? I LOVE IT!!

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    1. Hi Julie! The opening is just over 6 feet wide, which nicely accommodates three stools without feeling cramped. The peninsula is just shy of 5 feet from the wall to the end of the counter. The bar top overhangs about 16 inches for stool room. Like Kate said, you can get lead paint test kits if you’re concerned about paint issues to save tons of money and time. 🙂

      Hey Danielle! Glad you saw it! Yep, pretty similar indeed. 🙂

      Hi Cwardrip, Thanks so much for your compliments! The soap dispenser is a Target clearance find from last year, but here’s a similar one at The Container Store: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/sinkArea/pumpDispensers?productId=10025926 Hope that helps!!

      Thanks!
      Amanda

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    1. Hi Sam! Thanks so much! The paint is actually a mistinted version of Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage (The paint is from Wal-Mart) and they used the light base. The formula for one gallon is B-37, E-39.5, and T-37. I think formulas transfer to different brands, so you should be able to take that in to get yourself a gallon.

      Thanks!
      Amanda

      Reply
  42. Pingback: READER RENO: AMANDA’S DIY KITCHEN » 7th House on the Left

    1. Hi Amanda,

      Thanks so much! The stools are from World Market. Search Twist Stool and it should come up. Hope that helps!

      Thanks!
      Amanda

      Reply

  44. Beautiful ideas for the kitchen. my husband and I are going to renovate our kitchen before the year ends hopefully before christmas.

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