SUBURBAN * POP

Time for a million pictures of where the kitchen is at now. Check out this post and this post for more info. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve done so far…

Kitchen Completed

• Remove sheet vinyl flooring
• Asbestos test the linoleum floor tiles we found underneath that (we shipped samples to a company…they tested positive of course.)
• Remove (more like abate) the linoleum tiles with extreme caution and stress (we’ve dealt with asbestos before so no one stress cried this time)
• Remove wallpaper border
• Remove mini blinds
• Remove fluorescent light fixture
• Patch ceiling hole from light fixture
• Remove scroll woodwork over the sink
• Remove range hood
• Prep and paint cabinetry
• Paint walls
• Paint laundry room walls
• Install wood flooring
• Install new lights
• Hang bamboo shades
• Paint existing hinges white and reinstall cabinet doors
• Install new hardware
• Install new outlet covers and switches (still a few to do)
• Paint laundry pocket door yellow
• Install new faucet (= life changing)
• Finally install new range hood (a year after removing the old one)

                

At the end of the kitchen is a laundry room/pantry, with a door to the garage. I painted it before we moved in. In the same color as my last laundry room…odd? It’s Sea Kelp from Behr, a bright greenish yellow. A color I want to live with, apparently more than once. It’s great because it brings some fresh color into the otherwise very white kitchen. Things were so sad, however, when we would shut the pocket door to muffle the sounds of laundry (frequently) and then there was no color pop in the kitchen. So, the pocket door got painted too in an even brighter hue. Lemon Lime by Behr (tinkered with by me until it looked right).

How great are eat in kitchens with kids? The best! That vintage table came from the Long Beach flea market 12 years ago and it’s still going strong. The formica is impenetrable and indestructible. The chairs are reproduction from Amazon…slick, plus I don’t lose it when my kids rub spaghetti sauce over every curve. Lights are Jonathan Adler from JCP!

The cutest little oven that I may never part with.

An elaborate plan to do a custom install of a floating stainless and glass vent in here was scrapped in favor of cheap, simple, and white. This range hood is by Broan. It’s not the quietest or the most powerful, but it’s good enough. Most importantly, it blends in as well as any range hood could.

There is a built in desk in the kitchen. I’m a first time kitchen desker and I’m not sure how I ever lived without one. The area has a pass thru to the dining room. Accordion doors previously hung here. We removed them permanently to let light in. Some weird plans for this hole are in our future.

The new faucet and the old one…with a world of improvement between them. This was a total impulse buy at Lowe’s one day and it was life changing. One of my favorite purchases ever. I can now officially most of the time wash dishes without cursing. Thanks Grohe faucets (Concetto model in starlight chrome).

Not bad considering no remodel, huh? Here’s what we still need to tackle:

Kitchen To Do:

• Finish replacing outlet covers
• White refrigerator (did you notice how few pictures there are of the fridge? I pretend it’s not there)
• White dishwasher
• New cooktop (and hopefully convert it to gas)
• Finish the floors (under the desk and the edges are not nailed in)
• Install baseboards
• Build a display shelf above laundry door?
• Address the pass thru space over the desk (planning on a crazy divider/screen)
• Paint the other pocket doors (white)

Kitchen To Do, Years in the Future:

• White solid surface countertops
• White sink (for now, we are living with this beige thing)
• Heath tile backsplash
• New oven someday??? Probably not.

Before and afters:

Thanks for reading!