Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Thanks to everyone who gave kitchen advice some months ago. I persuaded (over the course of a year) an insurance company to refund a lot of premiums, and we put the money towards a new kitchen, the old one having some worrying damp problems. The old kitchen was a rather tired country-kitchen style, with lots of open shelves and quite a lot of cupboards unusable due to damp. There was an adjoining utility/boot room that collected junk, and in which one of the cupboards hid a sidelight. We had the non-supporting wall between the kitchen and utility room taken down, moved the washer and dryer to a large under-used cupboard near the bedrooms, and moved the coats/boots to the front porch. The kitchen now has a glass door with sidelight to the outdoors, and two good-sized windows. Broken window due to be fixed shortly.... The 'before' photos are not very clear because it was hard to get back far enough to take the photos. South Side https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2CQ1ZJdlA0NzM1ZU0/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2COGUzLWQ4Y2Nla3M/edit?usp=sharing West Side https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2CYXhGbV9OMVRLZWc/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2COFVPakhnbU4tUlU/edit?usp=sharing North Side https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2CYVdUYnJod3h5WUU/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2CUUFvVWFxTkhYczQ/edit?usp=sharing ETA: the new cupboards look light blue in one of the pictures - it's just bad photography, they are all white. L 37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very clean and modern, a huge improvement! Nice job. :) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I have kitchen envy 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 beautiful! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Sleek. Very nice. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very, very nice. I'm sure that it feels good to have it done! (spoken as one who has one more week of workman around) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Laura, I love it! We are finishing up a kitchen renovation right now and I wish I could figure out how to post photos. I will if I can do it. What are your counters? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Laura, I love it! We are finishing up a kitchen renovation right now and I wish I could figure out how to post photos. I will if I can do it. What are your counters? It's just an Ikea laminate. Many of them looked quite cheap, so we were really glad to find this one. It's from their new thinner-profile range. All the cupboards are Ikea, but a local joiner built them and did some customising for us. L 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocCityMom Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Wow! I love it! The colors and clean lines -- very soothing. Enjoy your "new" space. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajudy Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Wow! Beautiful! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Great job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msrift Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Love it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It all looks great. Congrats on surviving a kitchen remodel! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It looks wonderful :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Looks great, love all the colors and all the clean lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Fabulous! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Oops dp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Oh, I'm jealous! I wish I could have a kitchen makeover. Your new room looks really great! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 lovely!! You guys did a great job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It's really lovely! I'm jealous of how spacious it is! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Beautiful! Don't you just love going in there and looking at it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 :hurray: It is beautiful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 It's really lovely! I'm jealous of how spacious it is! Thanks. We don't have a separate dining room so my design aim was to give enough space for dining (five at the table in its current orientation, or up to eight if the table is turned and another added); making good use of the window by the table, which has views across our front garden to the sea; creating a separate cooking area, to protect the rest of the family from my bad temper when I cook. L 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedmom4 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Gorgeous! I especially love the breakfast area with windows on two sides. Elise in NC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very nice! I love the dark paint for the window trim. I would never have thought to do something like that, and it is so dramatic. Here's hoping mine comes out as nice. Right now I'm still stuck in my living room, cooking with a gluten-contaminated microwave and getting sick of it all. Tile next week, and paint. Cannot wait to have my stove back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very nice! I love the dark paint for the window trim. I would never have thought to do something like that, and it is so dramatic. Here's hoping mine comes out as nice. Right now I'm still stuck in my living room, cooking with a gluten-contaminated microwave and getting sick of it all. Tile next week, and paint. Cannot wait to have my stove back. Windows and cills are the original colour. We opted not to change them because they are uniform throughout the public areas of the house, as is the use of brass window latches. We actually prefer chrome, but brass is what we have, and we definitely can't afford to replace it throughout. One day I'll build my own house.... L 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very beautiful! Just curious what dose "damp" mean when you say the cabinets can't be used because of damp. For me, damp means to be slightly wet. Maybe I'm dense and it's the same meaning. I would say the cupboards are damp. Sincerely curious if it's just another distinction between British English and American English. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very beautiful! Just curious what dose "damp" mean when you say the cabinets can't be used because of damp. For me, damp means to be slightly wet. Maybe I'm dense and it's the same meaning. I would say the cupboards are damp. Sincerely curious if it's just another distinction between British English and American English. Damp (noun) in this case covers two situations: on one wall (around the sink) there seemed to be some kind of unidentified seepage that required taking out the cupboards to diagnose. On the east wall (near the microwave in the original kitchen) the cupboards smelled bad for no identifiable reason (perhaps poor ventilation, but we thought there was a problem with the wall). In both cases, if you put a plate in there for storage, it came out smelling musty and needed washing before use. L 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It's beautiful!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It looks beautiful! Congratulations on getting it done. I've lived through two remodels, though we've never done the kitchen. I'm hoping we can redo our home's kitchen in a few years, but I'm dreading the mess and upheaval. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Love it! If you'd told me fifteen years ago that I would prefer sleek, modern design, I would never have believed it, but my kitchen is similar in style to yours, and I adore it. A friend of mine with a high-end, very ornate Country French design kitchen walked in right after we finished and said, "Ooooooh, this is. . . interesting!" Umm, thanks. But anyway, after lots of going back and forth with different countertops, we also went with laminate. I have custom-made cabinets, made by an actual carpenter, and cheap laminate counters. I actually ripped out granite to put in laminate, and I love the laminate. Can not imagine going back to cold, hard, in-your-face granite. Congratulations on being finished! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very nice! I love the sleek design (I spend hours in those kitchens at IKEA), and all that light makes me envious! I live in a townhouse, so one whole side of my house has no light, which is stupid because I live in the end unit, so I really could have windows if I wanted. Anyway, my kitchen is sort of small, galley style, but at least I have a window on one side. I'd kill for all that light you have now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very nice! I love the sleek design (I spend hours in those kitchens at IKEA), and all that light makes me envious! I live in a townhouse, so one whole side of my house has no light, which is stupid because I live in the end unit, so I really could have windows if I wanted. Anyway, my kitchen is sort of small, galley style, but at least I have a window on one side. I'd kill for all that light you have now. Light is really important here. In winter, it's dark pretty much from 4pm to 8.30am, so any light you can invite in is welcome. The windows are double-glazed, so it shouldn't be too chilly. At some point we will have to replace the (flat) roof, and we can get it properly insulated then. L 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Well, I love your dark windowsills. I've got to pick paint, and I wish I was that bold! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Very nice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Nice and clean look. I noticed the gorgeous windows too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 It looks amazing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Wow. Very nice. My boys will love it there when they move in so that you can get them Oxford ready. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I love it! Looks more open and light-filled. Great job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 West Side https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2CYXhGbV9OMVRLZWc/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lVGv27cM2COFVPakhnbU4tUlU/edit?usp=sharing Ok...British kitchen question: what is that below the cooktop (or is it a hob?) in the "after" picture? and to the right of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It looks amazing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I love the clean lines! And the windows...swoon!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It looks amazing! You're quite the designer, Laura!!! :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Ok...British kitchen question: what is that below the cooktop (or is it a hob?) in the "after" picture? and to the right of it? Below the hob are two big drawers that contain all my pans and lids. To the right is the boiler that runs the heating and hot water for the entire house - it's a tankless 'combi' boiler. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 It looks amazing! You're quite the designer, Laura!!! :hurray: Thanks. I had the basic idea in my head, then I checked it through with one of my colleagues, who used to work for a kitchen supply company, and finally Ikea made sure that their cupboards would fit with my ideas. My favourite bits are the tall larder cupboard to the right of the ovens, the two pull out skinny cupboards that hold our Western and Chinese oils and sauces, the enormous drawers that hold our pans and storage boxes, and our recycling sorting units under the sink. L 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It's beautiful!! How long did this take, and how did you survive without the kitchen in the process? Curious because I'm considering this in the next few years with my own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Beautiful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 making good use of the window by the table, which has views across our front garden to the sea ...Now I want to beg for a picture of the view. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It's lovely! I especially like the rug under the table. Is that from Ikea, too? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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