Cozy Country Kitchen

A while back Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers gave us a tour of her kitchen. (We all enjoy a little glimpse into our blogosphere friends lives, don't we??!!) Well, she's asking for us to return the favor and would like a peek into ours.

So here's my chance to show how you can "remodel" your outdated kitchen on a tight budget! We moved into our home four years ago (and we did the cabinets three years ago) Our home was built in 1986...but when we moved in you'd have thought it was built in 1970! It was dark! Walnut finished cabinets and walnut doors and trim throughout the whole house! Since I love cooking and spend so much time in here, the kitchen was our first priority. And you can do so much with paint!!

Of course, within three months of moving in, all appliances had to be replaced! That's how it always happens, right??!! First, our range. Then the dryer. The washer was on it's way out, and then the dishwasher flooded. Thank God for family! We were given a new range, and stackable washer/dryer as housewarming gifts. And, our beloved "Uncle J" came to the rescue when our dishwasher ruined our kitchen floor and pulled up our old flooring, gave us new wood flooring, and installed it!! He was so giving to others!

Under the advice of a great contractor, we painted the cabinets. Our cabinets are heavy oak, all around. Most cabinetry today is a wood panel door front and the rest is particleboard. The cabinets that we had were in great shape and great quality. Well, that was the best decision! We removed the hardware and spackled (because the hardware was the long buckle-like black iron hardware...can anyone picture or remember what I'm talking about??!!) Since there was a finish on the cabinets we lightly sanded, then painted them with a porch and ceiling paint for outdoors. I did a search on this online and this type of paint was recommended for this type job. Then replaced the hardware (this was one of the most expensive parts of the remodel!) One thing we did not replace (which I regret) were the hinges, but I think I'll be replacing them in the near future. They came out great! Another early on change was our sink. We had a stainless steel sink that really wasn't deep and was scratched (not to mention I couldn't stand the "pinging" I heard every time I put something in it!) We replaced it with a beautiful cast iron country sink. It is so deep...I could've bathed my children in it! Boy, I love that sink! And when we replaced the sink, we had to replace the faucet to match, of course!

Three years ago we replaced the ceiling fixture with a chandelier, (not a glitzy one, a "country type" one), with the help of my dear late father-in-law. He was an awesome electrician!! This, aside from the window, is my favorite feature of our kitchen. (and my father-in-laws last project in our house.) I love it! I can dim it late at night if I want, for a soft glow.

And, finally, last summer we replaced our laminate countertops(butcher block look) for new laminate. Granite is certainly beautiful, but very expensive & high maintenance (I know from experience... our old house had a full granite kitchen) and also emits radon (be it miniscule or not, I'm not taking any chances). But with all of the beautiful laminates out there...who needs it? $139 later, a beautiful granite look. (and included in that $139 we got a countertop cut out for the bathroom off of the kitchen!) We installed MDF crown moulding, which my father-in-law and husband installed. It made all the difference (although it's very difficult to get the cuts just right...I never thought they'd get it done! But they did! They were a great pair!) And our paint...Sherwin Williams no-VOC paint, "ryegrass"... beautiful!

Thanks for visiting my Cozy Country Kitchen...I hope you enjoyed the tour!!

Budget Breakdown (aside from appliances):

Paint (for both walls and cabinets): $100

Countertops: $139

Crown Moulding: $20

Hardware: $95

Cast iron sink: $270 ($300 w/10%off coupon)

Faucet: $59

Sweat equity: priceless

Total: $673
*Remember...this wasn't done all at once. We did a little at a time, whatever we could that fit into our budget at the time. Rome wasn't built in a day...and neither was my perfect kitchen!