House Pictures Page

I couldn't believe this kitchen when I saw it the first time. All of this room and hardly any cabinets! The appliances in these pictures are mine since the previous owners took their aged ones with them. They did leave a portable dishwasher that I never did figure out how to use (if it was even functioning). There wasn't even a food disposer.

Though you can't tell, the window was one of only two in the house that hadn't been replaced. Would you believe the frames of those two were painted pink? And who couldn't love that country kitchen wallpaper too? Oh... and don't miss the ceiling fan!

I'm proud of the work I did in the rest of the house. However, my foremost goal in renovating was remodeling the kitchen. I admit to hiring contractors to do most of the work in here and in the dining/utility room. The project was just too large for me to tackle on my own. It would have taken me months. The contractors had it finished in approximately eight working days.

The cabinets are natural oak. One major goal was to provide tons of cabinet space. As you can see, I accomplished that goal. The only thing that really changed from my original plan was the pennisula. I had envisioned an island with cabinets along the wall, but the room, while large, wasn't nearly large enough to accommodate them.

Of course, with any remodel, new construction codes must be met so there was electrical work done in here too. The refrigerator was placed on a dedicated circuit. More outlets were placed above existing and new coutertops. A dedicated circuit was provided for the new dishwasher. Three-way switches were added so the new flourescent light can be controlled from both entries.

In addition to the new dishwasher, the sink was replaced and a new food disposer was installed. I replaced the faucet with a retractable model. I even put in the soap dispenser on the side. :)

The tile floor that was cracked and stained was replaced with new vinyl. Though you can't see in these pictures, the pattern on both the countertops and the floor is sandstone. I was amazed to find the same pattern from different stores and manufacturers, but there it was and the outcome was very impressive.

I'd also like to offer some advice when contemplating a project like this if you're not doing it yourself... go to a locally owned lumber, hardware, or flooring store for the cabinets and floors. You'll get much better service than the big home improvement stores and it will cost a lot less because they are more likely to haggle over the price. I even got referrals to a couple of local contractors from the designer at the hardware store and their quotes were a lot less than anyone I found in the phone book so I saved a lot of money that way also.