Kitchen Renovation Part 3

Last week I posted Part 2 of our Kitchen Renovation in case you want to have a look!

Step 6: Paint, Counters, and Backsplash
Look for ideas online and in magazines.

Before our builder started installing cabinets I painted the ceiling and all the walls.  I must say, that was brilliant!  If you've ever painted around trim, you know how tedious it can be.  It was SO easy to paint without concern for edges. Since our new cabinets were going all the way to the ceiling, I only had to cut in the trim in a few areas around the doors and the window.  I knew there would be some nicks on the new paint, but it was easier to touch up than to start painting after construction.  We chose a basic white flat for the ceiling, and a semi-gloss for the walls called "Heavy Cream."  I like paints with interesting names!  This particular color matched our backsplash tiles perfectly.

The new cabinets are a medium honey-brown wood and the granite counter is called "Baltic Brown," a mottled stone pattern of brown, black, gray, and slate blue.  We used a local installer who does quality work.  He did a great job.  (The counter matches the ceramic tile floor that we put in almost 20 years ago.  It is lovely and didn't need to be changed!)

I've always wanted a large butcher block to work on.  We bought a butcher block counter top from Ikea for the section next to the refrigerator. I've been rolling out bread dough and biscuits on this for 2 months now and I really like having the huge wooden surface.

We didn't want any pattern on the backsplash. We chose a simple cream-colored ceramic subway tile. Our old kitchen was all white.  Since the new cabinets and counters were dark, I thought we needed some brightness and light on the walls.  I was right!

Step 7:  Appliances and...
Compare Prices and Wait for Sales.

We spent a couple of months looking for stainless steel appliances and the other items we needed to purchase.  Since we were shopping in November we snagged some great Black Friday deals.  We bought a Kenmore 28 cu. ft. French door refrigerator and Fridigaire double convection wall ovens from Sears.  I'm really happy with both of these appliances so far. 

We wanted to see professional cooktops and range hoods before buying anything.  The only store near us that sells this level of appliance is over an hour away, and they don't ever go on sale.  We made a day of it and drove to Pittsburgh.  It was impressive to see all the beautiful professional appliances under one roof.  We liked the Jenn-Air 6-burner gas cooktop the best.  We got a hood and a blower that matched the specs our builder recommended. Our Maytag dishwasher is only a couple of years old and works wonderfully, so it stayed.  We got a 9-inch deep Hahn sink from Costco online, and a Moen pull-down faucet from Lowe's.

We purchased these way before construction began, so I timed the delivery dates to coincide with my builder's schedule.  Aside from the Sears delivery man's snafu with our new fridge, everything worked out well.  He broke the plug on the new fridge when trying to straighten out the prongs!  We had to have another one delivered and were forced to use a small dorm fridge for a couple of weeks.  I'm not happy with Sears' service, nor with the manager who wouldn't come out of his office to speak to Tony about this issue!  But as my son would say, "First world problems, mom!"

Step 8:  Construction!!

The construction took just over 3 weeks.  Our builder was very thorough and thought through many important details I wouldn't have foreseen.  We are very thankful for that.  Here are some photos of the progress.

Oven Side

                                     

Door and Window Wall

 Refrigerator Side

Next week - Before and After Photos!

Kitchen Renovation Part 2

Last week I posted Part One of Our Kitchen Renovation in case you need some tips for the planning stage.

Step 5:  Demolition

If you have ever done any construction work in your house, you know it has to get worse before it gets better!  I reminded myself of this over and over again. Construction is always disorganized and dusty.  I prepared myself mentally for the inevitable.  I knew the end result would be great!

This is what our kitchen looked like on January 2. 
The whole kitchen area is actually an "L" shape, but we only renovated the long galley section.  The other smaller space has an island and several large antique cupboards that we use to store dishes and small appliances.

Through a facebook post I found a friend who was looking for used kitchen cabinets to build a laundry room/craft center in his basement.  I was thrilled to know that our cupboards would not be filling up a landfill somewhere.  I can't wait to see my old kitchen re-purposed in his house!  We donated our old refrigerator and stove to landlord friends. We didn't need a dumpster and had very little construction waste!                                                                   

In just a few hours our kitchen space looked like this!  

We found some cool grocery store receipts from the early 1920s behind the original old wall cupboards!  Apples, 7 cents!!

Meanwhile, my living room and dining room were turned into a construction zone (aka, disaster area).  To save money we bought Ikea cabinets.  They delivered them to our house for a small fee.  I put them all together using a cordless screwdriver and a small hammer.  We spent just over $4,000 for all the cabinets.  That's an amazing price. If you're considering a new kitchen or bathroom, check out Ikea cabinets!

This is what the interiors of the cabinets look like.  The hardware is ingenious.  I love the "soft close" feature on all the doors and drawers.

We "camped" in the basement for almost a month using a hotplate, microwave, and toaster oven.  Several dear friends cooked meals for us.  We tried a new restaurant in our town and we liked it so much, we went back 4 times!!

Be patient and remember...

It has to get worse before it gets better!

Kitchen Renovation Part 1

We decided to renovate our kitchen this year.  I had been thinking about making changes for a long time.  I read decorating magazines and watch HGTV, so there is no shortage of ideas flying around in  my head.  

Here are 2 photos of my old kitchen, cute, but flawed.
We served dinners to friends and family regularly.  We made the most of the small space, but I knew we could do better...

Step 1:  I started to collect magazine pictures and ideas in a "Kitchen Folder." Those ideas came in handy when I had to make decisions about the new kitchen, where everything should go, what I wanted to change with the new design.

Step 2: Do your homework. You have to identify what gets you annoyed, really bothered with your current set-up.  For me it was a broken utensil drawer, crumbling trim and moldy grout on my tile counter top, lack of storage for essentials, and lots of unused and underused space.  Here's the evidence:

 I tried to keep the area under the sink organized, but it was always a mess.

All my baking sheets had to go in this one skinny space.

 See the rotting wood trim on the counter?

Notice my broken drawer with a *CAREFUL* disclaimer taped onto it.

All our pots were in this one cupboard.  I had to get on my knees to find the right one.  All the lids fell behind the pots and I had to take out all the pots to find the right one.


Step 3: Figure out what you want and could really use to cook better meals.  For us, it was a bigger refrigerator, a gas cook top, more storage drawers, and 2 ovens.

Step 4: Plan your space and find a builder who will work with your ideas.  It can be hard to find quality craftsmen who are conscientious.  We knew ahead of time who would do our kitchen because we saw his work in our friends' homes, and he has done a lot for us in the past.

Here's a job that our builder did for us 2 years ago.  We had an unused chimney taking up wall space in our small kitchen. I wanted to make that a storage space that could organize all our spices and pantry items.  It's situated right behind our stove, so it's the perfect place for cooking spices and oils!  He had to drill through a brick wall, build a cupboard to fit the space, and make our antique doors fit the new cupboard.  Nice, huh?

Part 2 next week!

Homemade Marshmallows

Marshmallows are one sweet treat that I truly enjoy.  In the summer I build a fire in the evenings just so I can roast 2 marshmallows for myself!  A friend of mine brought a pan of homemade marshmallows to a home group years ago.  I was secretly hoping that no one would eat any so that I could bring home as many as possible afterward.  True confessions.

Homemade marshmallows bring this confection to another level.  They are like sweet, velvety clouds that melt in your mouth.  If you like marshmallows, you'll love this homemade version.  I've tried 2 different recipes and this is the one I like.

Here are all the ingredients you'll need.

Sift 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup corn starch into a small bowl.  Lightly oil 9 x 9 inch glass pan, spread a piece of parchment paper on the bottom and cover with the powdered sugar mixture.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2/3 cup corn syrup and 1/2 cup water. Hook a candy thermometer on the side and make sure the tip isn't touching the bottom.  In a large stand mixer bowl sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup water and let sit.  When the pan mixture starts to boil reduce heat to low and keep cooking until it reaches 240 degrees.  It should take 7 - 10 minutes.

When the sugar mixture is hot enough, start mixing the gelatin and water in the large bowl on low speed.  Gently pour the hot mixture in a slow stream down the side of the bowl. Continue to mix on high speed for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes very thick and has doubled in volume.

Spread the marshmallow into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Let it dry for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
 


Turn the marshmallow onto a wax paper surface dusted with the powdered sugar mixture.  Discard the paper.       Using a sugar coated knife cut into small squares.  Roll the cut edges in the powdered sugar mix.  


I made a chocolate ganache with some cream and dark chocolate to spread on the top of some.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Next time I will try to roll the cut edges in toasted coconut or drizzle melted chocolate over the top...Oh the possibilities!