Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Kitchen - Before and After

Before I get started with this post, I have a little disclaimer...

I have debated and debated about showing the inside of our house. To me, it's very personal, and while I love seeing the inside of other people's homes, I feel very vulnerable about showing ours. I'm not out to "brag" or "show off." But if you know me (and most of you don't), then you know that I have a passion for anything house related. Since I can remember, I have poured over shelter magazines, taken every tour of homes I've had time for, and generally adored all things "house." I scoured the internet for ideas when we were renovating this house.

So I made up my mind to show you the inside. You don't have to like it. By no means am I a professional designer or decorator. But I want to share to hopefully give some inspiration and ideas to anyone who may be looking for them. Also, I want to show family and friends who may be interested what we've done. You may notice I interchange "we" and "I." While my husband was involved in the decisions, I had the majority of the opinions and I'm fortunate that he trusts me. Ok, I'm finished. Thank you.

When we bought the house, the kitchen consisted of one wall of cabinets with a sink, a free standing range and a refrigerator. It was added on in the late 1930's when the house was converted to a two-flat. We took out a wall that separated the kitchen from the back stairs (which were also removed) and entry to make a larger space. (You can make each photo larger by clicking on it.)

Before:
After:
Before:
After: (Please ignore the black hole, a.k.a. the television...we have a strict no food in the living room rule and this is the easiest way to keep the crumb crunchers corralled.)
Before:
After:
We tried to keep a vintage feel to the kitchen while adding modern conveniences. We were also working within the original four walls, so we had limited choices on where to place appliances.

We really wanted a vintage-looking range, but most of them are waaayyyy out of our budget. I found a Fratelli Onofri Royal Chiantishire with a vintage appeal. As far as performance goes, the gas burners are powerful enough for what I cook. The oven had a slight learning curve (it's convection) but I've gotten used to it.

We wanted to go with something other than subway tile for the backsplash to be "different." Now I'm seeing lantern tile all over the place. Go figure. I still love it, though!

One of the hardest decisions we made involved the countertops. I wanted Carrara marble. Got talked out of that one pretty quickly by just about everyone. We ended up with Coast Green granite on the perimeter and walnut on the island. I'm happy about our choices, although the walnut is almost as hard to maintain as the marble would have been. We keep it oiled and haven't had any major mishaps so far.
Again, keeping with the vintage look, we went with a bridge faucet and farmhouse sink. You can see a closer view of the lantern tile. In case you're wondering (cause who doesn't?), the Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap in Lemon Verbena smells so good!
Paneled refrigerator=no fingerprints! Although I still obsess over prints on the handles. Oh, well. Can't win 'em all. Another vintage detail...we reused the original wavy window glass in the upper cabinets. 
I absolutely love the spice cabinet and microwave drawer in the island. Keeps everything hidden, yet still handy.
We hope you enjoyed the tour. If you have any questions about specific products or materials, please feel free to ask. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Met Monday!


27 comments:

  1. Wonderful....well done. Your kitchen has seen a big change! Love it, looks fantastic. Diane

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  2. Love it and I really like the counter tops and tile backsplash! Can't believe it's the same place. All the details and decorative touches fit. Good job!

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  3. Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful! I love everything about it. I know it's scary sometimes to share your home with the world, but thank you for doing so. I enjoyed the before & after inspiration!

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  4. This is amazing I love it. Thanks for sharing I love all of it. We were thinking of doing subway tile for a backsplash but I really love what you did. Now something else to think about. I have also been looking into vintage appliances but I think they are out of our budget as well. Ahh just love what you did. Now you get to enjoy!!

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  5. Your new kitchen has a lot of the features that I'd like to put in a renovation that we plan to do in a year or so. It is so beautiful, and I'm glad you shared it.

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  6. We are in the process of painting our cabinets white and someday using the subway tile but now I'll have to look at the lantern and decide!
    Love your kitchen it is beautiful and thanks so much for sharing!

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  7. I am so thankful you shared your amazing kitchen. It is dreamy and you will be surprised how many people you will inspire from this! Every detail is amazing. I love the backsplash and this will be going in my dream file!
    Lacy

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  8. Oh, my goodness! I love your kitchen and what a difference.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  9. What a fabulous kitchen! Thanks for sharing. I really like the walnut? countertop.

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  10. Absolutely gorgeous! Love, love, love the stove!! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Wow! Amazing transformation! No detail overlooked. You must love spending time in this room! Thanks for stopping by for a visit and leaving such a sweet comment. I hope to see you again soon :)

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  12. Lovely. You have great taste. I hope you will show us more of your home.

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  13. Did you hear my jaw drop?? :) You've done a really beautiful job in your kitchen; what a pleasure it must be to spend time there with your family. And I appreciate your desire for privacy. I'm so glad you decided to share your lovely room with us.

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  14. Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? It's FANTASTIC!! I had to do a double-take, because I couldn't believe the before and after were in fact, related. ;-) It's truly beautiful and you have excellent taste - love it! I'm glad you shared it with the rest of us. :-)

    Jenny
    www.evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com

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  15. wowza! most beautiful.
    thanks for sharing it!

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  16. Just gorgeous! I like a lot of the surfaces you chose! Didn't know it was called lantern tile but that is what we have in our "hasn't been updated since 1952" bathroom. I just knew it would come back in style eventually! :)

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  17. Absolutely gorgeous, Erin! I always love it when a post "pops up" from you because I know it'll be something fantastic to look at! Thanks for sharing...

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  18. Very, very lovely. We are in the process of updating a kitchen that is in a time warp. Love the lantern tile! Thanks for sharing.

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  19. OMG - we just re-did our kitchen with black granite and I thought it changed the look considerably, but your kitchen re-do is just fabulous! It's so pristine, lovely and still that antique looks shines through - cannot believe there are children running through it. Beautiful job!!!!

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  20. Beautiful transformation.

    Love everything that you did.

    Denise

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  21. You've done a superb job -- really great on your kitchen. It has just the right style and the Fratelli range is such a smart buy! So glad you are liking it as it's relatively new.

    Yes, the "lantern tile" is having it's moment. But it's a classic look and it goes beautifully in your kitchen. Congrats on such a successful reno and thanks for stopping by. We always love to see beautiful kitchens.

    Jane

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  22. Hi Erin!

    Thanks so much for inviting me over and it is so nice to meet you!

    Your transformation is AMAZING!!!! I love seeing kitchens and a white kitchen is my most favorite. So crisp and clean -- just waiting to make some nice warm meal, right!?

    It is a small world, yes indeed.

    Please do stop by Anna's. If you like old things, antique and vintage, you will love it!
    Over 6,000 sq. feet of space and lots of other antique shops within a block or two.

    I will have to spend some time looking around here! Love the photo in your masthead. Is that part of your home? So pretty!

    Thanks for going out on a limb and out of your comfort level by showing your gorgeous renovation project. You will see, so many of us truly appreciate it and love to be inspired by fellow bloggers.

    Your newest follower,
    Alison :)

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  23. What a beautiful kitchen and home transformation!!!! I cant even begin to say enough kind words. You've done a fabulous job with your kitchen and the outside of your home. Its all beautiful!!!

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  24. Your kitchen turned out beautifully! I love the paneled refrigerator. It does indeed have a wonderful vintage feel. Your home is so lucky that you saved it! I'm sure you and your family are enjoying the wonderful new space- congratulations!

    Merry Christmas!
    joan

    p.s. thank you so much for leaving your "calling card!"

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  25. I pinned this on Pinterest. Your kitchen is lovely! Thank you for sharing--and as an intensely private person, I can tell you I understand how difficult that decision was. It looks like a designer room from a magazine--and don't stress over those fingerprints on the fridge handles or tv--just keeps it real. (Cause nobody REALLY wants to live in a magazine--we want nurturing spaces where we can be ourselves!) Beautiful, stunningly lovely job. Well done! And a huge inspiration. :-)

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