Today I'd like to welcome Grace from Sense and Simplicity as a guest blogger. Thanks Grace for helping out !!!
Joy, thanks so much for having me as a guest blogger while you are busy moving across the country. It was fun to revisit my kitchen (not that I don't visit it daily to cook) and see how it has changed over the years since we moved into our house. Feel free to pop on over to my blog, Sense and Simplicity, to see what life is like for me as a Speech Pathologist by day and a design-loving Mom of three by night in Toronto, Canada.
Joy, thanks so much for having me as a guest blogger while you are busy moving across the country. It was fun to revisit my kitchen (not that I don't visit it daily to cook) and see how it has changed over the years since we moved into our house. Feel free to pop on over to my blog, Sense and Simplicity, to see what life is like for me as a Speech Pathologist by day and a design-loving Mom of three by night in Toronto, Canada.
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When we moved into our house over eleven years ago our kitchen was far from my dream kitchen. While it was functional, it certainly lacked in the beauty department. However, I knew that mostly it needed some cosmetic changes that I could do with a little time, money, and energy (okay, a lot of energy). I thought it might be interesting to show you how the kitchen has changed over the years and to give you an update as to whether I would change anything or not.
July 2001
When we bought our house the kitchen (which you can see below in the previously-never-been-revealed photo of a photo) had bleached oak cabinets with a horrible white laminate countertop that always was dirty no matter how often you cleaned it. The previous owners had put up flowered shelf liner as a backsplash (thankfully it wasn't real wallpaper so it was very easy to remove). And there was no dishwasher!
We took down the fruity shelf liner backsplash (cheerful though it was) and put up beadboard. At that time the beadboard was painted green because the colour of the cabinets would have clashed with white.
August 2008
We had the countertop replaced with a slate gray laminate. You can often see the laminate counter in photos I put on my blog as it is a great neutral background (like for this salad).
At the same time that we had the countertops changed we had the contractor build a shelf at the end of the peninsula to store dishes. We also had the counter on the peninsula widened so it is about six inches wider than a regular counter now. And we had a dishwasher installed (finally!!!). This was how our kitchen looked for another two years (you can see more photos here).
And here they are decorated for Christmas last year in red, orange, and white.
And how they are right now in blue and white.
Laminate counter - I love the neutral colour we chose and I love that nothing (and I do mean nothing) stains it. I'm careful about using a cutting board and hot mats as laminate is not durable that way, but so far we do not have any scratches or nicks.
Beadboard backsplash - I love how the beadboard makes the kitchen look cozy and relaxed. It was very inexpensive (less than $50 including the glue we used) and was quick and easy to install. People often think that it will be hard to keep clean, but we have had no difficulty with it. The paint slightly filled in the cracks between the boards so it is easy to wipe any spots that get on it.
Painted design in the back of the open shelves - I love how it adds interest to the kitchen, but is still neutral enough that I can decorate the shelves lots of different ways.
I hope you enjoyed the diary of my kitchen renovations. There are still things I would love to do to the kitchen - top of my list would be getting stainless appliances (our fridge is leaking water at the bottom so things are looking hopeful there). Despite my wish list, I enjoy using our kitchen and appreciate how much it has improved - it is now a great blend of functional and pretty.
My dream is to do a complete gut renovation on a kitchen some day. Have you ever done a kitchen renovation - little or big? Any regrets or did it all go according to plan?
I love your kitchen Grace! and I think I might have found your blog originally from a picture of those plates hanging over your buffet - I still love that. !
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about Grace's kitchen and how it changed over 10 years. It is a good reminder that sometimes with time (and money) big changes occur.
ReplyDeleteHeather B.
Thanks, Joy, for featuring Grace's adorable kitchen. It could seriously be featured in Better Homes & Gardens. I love how the base cabinets are a different color than the white upper ones. I love beadboard, and I think it's a great material for the backsplash.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your move! I linked over from Grace's blog. :D
xo,
Ricki Jill