Floor:
We started the floor first. We tore out the old tile with a borrowed jackhammer with a special attachment for prying off tiles (definitely the best way to remove a tile floor). It took about a half a day to remove the old tiles, clean, and pop the chalk lines. We found this great, grey striped porcelain tile at Home Depot for $1.99 per square foot...A Steal!!
Cabinets:
We didn't want to spend the money to replace the cabinets entirely. They are actually pretty nice cabinets, I just didn't much care for their finish. In the past, I have used the Rustoleum Cabinet Refinishing Kit. They didn't have the exact color I wanted, however, so I had paint mixed. I basically used the liquid sander, glaze, and top coat and followed all the steps from a Rust-Oleum kit, but used my own mixed paint. They are very durable, and no, they don't peel or chip like regular painted cabinets. The kits are about $75, and will take care of a pretty large kitchen with some left-over for touch-up. We finished the cabinets with some hardware I found at Lowes.
Countertop and Backsplash:
The countertop was ordered from Lowes. It's a solid surface countertop, and it is very durable. It pays to shop around when it comes to the countertop. Check some local places in comparison to the big companies like Lowes and Home Depot. We ripped out the old countertop ourselves, but paid to have the pros do the install. We purchased these basic porcelain white subway tiles on clearance, and installed the backsplash ourselves, complete with white grout and a new kitchen faucet.
Lighting:
We installed under-mount LED lighting on the cabinets to make things extra bright. My husband also built a light from scratch out of sheet metal and some old powerline insulators. It's one of my favorite parts of the whole kitchen!
Appliances:
This is where most of the money goes in a kitchen. Appliances are expensive. We switched to stainless the week we moved in because the dishwasher didn't work and the house didn't come with a fridge. I love how they look with the grey cabinets!
I love the before and after for this kitchen! :-)
Wow!! Looks like a totally new kitchen, I love the grey color, it's more modern! Very good job!
ReplyDeleteWhat color gray did you use? I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I don't have the color swatch anymore! :-( I took home about 10-15 swatches, narrowed it down to 3, and got those little sample paints to try before I decided on this color!
Deletehow much did you pay for the countertops. thanks
ReplyDeleteI believe it was around $2,500 or so.
DeleteBeautiful job! We need to do this to our kitchen, but I don't know if my husband and I would kill each other before it is finished :)Your cabinets look almost exactly like mine. I am thinking of replacing some of the top doors with glass, do you know of anyone that has done this themselves before? Everything looks so fresh and new, congratulations on your finished project!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I do believe that is something you can DIY. You would have to have the correct tools, as well as glass cut for the cabinets. I would also recommend doing some cabinet lights.
DeleteLove this! How long did it take to redo the cabinets?
ReplyDeleteNot long at all, really. It requires multiple steps and coats, which take time to dry between each. Then there's set up and clean up time. All total I did it over the course of a week, working just an hour or two each day (with lots of breaks to take care of the little one)!
DeleteCan you share the names of three gray colors you tried/narrowed down to?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm afraid I don't have the color swatches. It'll look different in every space though, so I recommend just going and getting as many swatches as you can, then holding them up one by one to narrow down. Then pick 3-4 from that to get paint samples. It's a long process, but you'll be sure to get the right color that way. :-)
DeleteYou mentioned the $75 kit - I haven't see those before. Where would they be found at Lowe's and what's included?
ReplyDeleteMy have that same golden oak finish, looking to do exactly what you did.
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DeleteYes, Home Depot and Lowes both carry it. Here is a link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Transformations-Dark-Color-Cabinet-Kit-9-Piece-258240/202572595
DeleteHi, we are planning to paint our cabinets gray as well. I went to home depot to check out this kit and they had two kinds: light and dark. Which one did you use? And what type of gray paint did you use ( mate or glossy)? Is there a special paint type for cabinets? Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI did a custom color on my kitchen cabinets, because none of the offered colors on the kit went well in the space (although I have used the "Castle" color in other spaces with great success). It was an eggshell sheen, and it was just a regular latex paint. I purchased the dark kit, but you may want to look closely at the kit, because I believe the items can be purchased separately, thereby allowing you to customize your color/paint. Good luck! :-)
DeleteCassie, did you glaze your cabinets?
DeleteYes! I used the glaze that comes with the kit. I applied it with a paint brush in the edges and corners, then wiped it lightly with the cheese cloth. I tried to keep it light or non-existent on the cabinet fronts, and just applied it to corners, edges, and indentions.
DeleteHi Cassie, this looks so great! I'm glad I found your post because the before pic looks very familiar, and I'd love my afters to look as good.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the sink -- do you still like the built in sink a year later? Any regrets?
Yes. I HATED having a white sink. I will never do that again! We have since moved from this house, and I have a under-mount stainless sink, and it is so.much.better.
DeleteGreat work on the kitchen, love the gray. You stated your husband created the light fixture, could he do a tutorial on how he did it, I agree with you it adds an certain quality to the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteHe's a creative kind of guy. He just used a metal tube to run wire to the individual bulbs and ran that up the side with the two hooks/chains. Sorry, I'm not horribly technical, especially with lighting. He makes that stuff look easy.
DeleteThe kitchen looks great! I'm interested in doing under cabinet lights. What kind did you use? I'm trying to decide if I want to do wired lighting or just go simple stick-on ones.
ReplyDeleteHey Holly, we used these: http://www.lowes.com/pd_366540-53027-EC5055WH_1z0y4gq__?productId=3531602&pl=1
DeleteThe stick on ones are annoying unless they turn on wirelessly because then you have to turn on each individually. :-)
I love it, it looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful!! Have a question about the cabinets. Did you paint the interior also? Most times the interior is not shown and was curious if you did. If so, how difficult was it? My cabinets are exactly like yours and I am wanting an expensive change.
ReplyDeleteYou did a fabulous job!!!!
ReplyDeleteVery Very nicely done. I really like the way you did the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to know how the paint is holding up? It looks beautiful. I am also looking at the rustoleum kits but wasn't thrilled with the grey shades. Interested in hearing how swapping out the paint color worked
ReplyDeleteWow, this is gorgeous!! I think your kitchen is classic and timeless, and you did a great job, thanks for sharing with us
ReplyDeleteThis is so, so beautiful. I love it. thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThis kitchen is beautiful and perfect! Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
ReplyDelete
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I'm very impressed - great work! The kitchen seems completely different - like new :) I planned to do such a metamorphosis myself, but unfortunately my plans complicated the disease. So I decided to use the help of professionals (click here) and I'm delighted with the result. I love my kitchen - it is the heart of the house.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much difference the right cabinet colour can make! I love the grey, it looks so classy especially with the stainless steel appliances. Awesome job!
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