It’s always something…right??
I had thought we had the kitchen cabinets all figured out but alas….not quite.
The cabinet guys had an opening in their schedule and because the guys working on the house are coming along so well we can get our cabinets squeezed in to the cabinet makers schedule. Â Good news!! Â We won’t be waiting for cabinets.
We’ve had a tentative look and design but it was time to get to the nitty-gritty. Â We had a plan that looked like this…
The cabinets to the left of the refrigerator were going to be replaced with this antique cupboard.
The cupboard won’t go to the ceiling like the ones pictured from the cabinet maker but I’m okay with that. Â Right now with the kitchen the way it is there is VERY little “decorating” space. Â I’ll put some antique things on the top of the this cupboard and all will be well.
Our island is going to be different. Â It will be this butcher block….
and this baker’s cabinet Hubby and I refurbished butted together.
We had originally wanted our TV over the refrigerator but ran into a technical problem. Â Remember the upper set of cabinets that I bought from the for sale group for $300?? Â (Shown upside down here)
Well the hinges are on the outside of the doors. Â That makes it impossible for them to make pocket doors for the television it they are going to match the construction of this cabinet. Â We said just skip it and make it a cabinet. Â We’ll just keep the television on top of the refrigerator like we do now or mount it on the wall. Â We’re pretty flexible.
All of this lead to another problem. Â They can’t find hinges like the ones of the upper cabinets. Â That didn’t really bother me….They can find hinges like the first cabinet has that I showed you. Â The cabinet makers are perfectionists and this worried them. Â Not me. Â Honestly, I don’t care about stuff like that. Â If someone hadn’t told me, I likely wouldn’t even have noticed. Â It’s all figured out now…the hinges on the newly made cabinets will match the first cupboards hinges. Â It doesn’t bother me a drop. Â I do have to say that I am glad that our cabinet guys are doing all they can to match the cabinets though.
We had originally thought we’d put a built in cabinet on the wall next to the laundry room door. Â After considering this and problems with plumbing and heating, we are moving away from the built in cupboard. Â The plumbing and heating guys ended up having to make the wall to the right thicker to house the pipes and ducts that need to go to the upstairs. Â The wall is about 6″ thicker. Â It would make the cabinet not quite as usable.
We have an old antique wash stand that will likely get a little up-do and we’ll use that there instead. Â The microwave will sit on it. Â This is always something we can add later if we want….it would be much harder to take it away.
Along the wall to the right will go the big (formerly white) cabinet I’ve been stripping.
Now back to the first view I showed you…As we finalized plans we added a spice cabinet one of the cupboards near the stove. Â We added a recycling to the lower cabinet way to the left of the sink. Â But we didn’t tackle the stove hood. Â I told the cabinet maker to just price a wood one. Â UGH. Â $1300 just for it!!
No thank you. Â I’m a cheapskate and although this is suppose to be my “dream house”, I don’t dream that a single house payment would have to be made just to pay for a stove hood. Â I just can’t bring myself to doing that.
I told our cabinet guy to just put in a regular hood. Â That changed the cabinets then…Do we want this or do we want little cabinets going across the top like over the sink?
Honestly…another thing I really don’t care about. Â I ended up having to find Hubby in the combine and let him decide. Â We’re going with the picture as is. Â There will be taller cabinets over the stove.
I still get people telling me I should not have the tall window in the kitchen. Â It happened again just the other day via a note from a blog reader. Â Of all the things with the kitchen, it’s one of the things I actually do care about. Â I am a farm girl and have lived in old farm kitchens….all have had good windows. Â The window over my kitchen sink is tiny. Â I want a big window. Â I want lots of natural light. Â I don’t want a bunch of can lighting put in to give me light…I want real light. Â I want my grand-kids and my dog to have a window they can see out of. Â I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Â I’ll have the island for more counter space and I have yet to see a lazy susan or corner cupboard that I like.
It’s funny…during this remodeling process there have been thing after thing after thing that I could care less about…but the window, I do care about. Â I want it. Â Thankfully, Hubby agrees with me so that’s good. Â I’d have fought for the tall window!
So that’s the latest on the kitchen…I can’t wait to be actually cooking in it! Â If I’m truly honest, I’d be happy to be cooking in the kitchen here for a Hubby that comes home before 9 pm at night. Â Harvest is getting long.
I’m with you on the window-I like a lot of natural light in the kitchen too. Love how it’s turning out! I feel the same about the hinges, etc matching. I’m not that picky either. And the range hood-I don’t blame you for not wanting to spend that much. We have a plain one and I’m fine with it.
I think the kitchen is going to be so wonderful with all those old recycled cabinets. I lived in a 1939 glass kitchen for about 10 years. The walls and the ceiling were white plate glass with cobalt blue glass trim. Very little cabinet or counter space but I loved it. I would love your kitchen with its vintage feel and yet current cooking space. I would give up any corner cabinet for a great window.
A kitchen is a very important part of a home. I think we do most of our living there. You need to make sure you get what you want in your kitchen. I like the big window! It will bring in wonderful light! I am so anxious to see your new home all completed. Can’t wait for the big final tour!
I’m glad you kept the window because it will feel like a room. My kitchen has a smaller window above the sink and the room feels small and cold like a jail cell even if it is open to the family room. Vintage kitchens are the best!
I’d say “stick to your guns” about that window! We just moved and the kitchen in our new house is in the center of the house. Not near a window. We call it ‘the cave’. It feels so odd…I have to have lights on even during the day! You will always love having that window! You know what’s important to you.
And, I have to say, that when I looked at the drawings, it never occurred to me that the window shouldn’t be there! Like the others, can’t wait to see pictures of the real thing!
I agree with you on the window. When we redid our kitchen we removed the short window over the sink and put a long window in its place. We placed our new cabinets on the opposite wall with the new sink. I now have my kitchen table in front of that long window and love sitting there to read the newspaper and drink my coffee. You will love your new long window.
I always thought that a large window over the sink was an international law! LOL Glad you drew the line there! I think you will have a lovely, welcoming and warm kitchen when this is done.
What fun to be able to design a kitchen just the way you want it.
A little bench under that large window will make a perfect spot for the dogs ( and future grandchildren) to sit and watch the world! I have lots of windows in my kitchen and a big French door that lets in wonderful morning sunshine. I love it! Glad you stuck to your guns!
Jo, I love everything !! Those old cupboards are going to make your kitchen !! Just wondering why you couldn’t have a bigger window over the sink ?? Looks like there was room !
i love windows to, , have two good sized ones over my sink
Love the window. Now you have an excuse to make a window seat under the window. When hubby and I renovated our kitchen, I only had a small window, but hubby put me in a “dutch door” complete with the ledge along the bottom section with all the trim. I loved it!! I could open just the top portion of the door and watch the children playing outside while I cooked or canned in the kitchen (or watch them build a snowman in the winter).
Jo, I’m so excited! I just enjoyed the tour of your kitchen via your blog/pics! That is my kinda kitchen, including the big window! Such wonderful news that the cabinets are going in now or earlier than expected ~ great progress!
Love everything you are doing! Duh on the window! Please keep the pictures coming!
Absolutely love your old cabinets and island. What a terrific kitchen! The big window is essential…I do NOT like these new houses with the tiny windows…
You go girl, do it your way and I don’t blame you about the window, the more natural light the better life is.
Loving it!!! Kitchens are the heart of the home and yours is going to be a beauty! My farm kitchen has 5 windows and the light is fabulous!!! I’m glad you are getting your tall window and I can’t wait to see pictures of the finished kitchen!!!
Having finished a kitchen remodel myself this year, I know what you mean by sticking to your guns! I got what I wanted even though my husband couldn’t understand “why.” He does now and likes the kitchen the way it is. I didn’t want a lazy susan . . . but there was just no way to get around it and have the counter space I really wanted. It is working out fine. I keep much used pots with their lids on them (novel idea I know) and the strainers and mixing bowls I use every day. Now if my husband could just remember how exactly I want them placed it would be perfect. I like them in a certain place on the thing. (Another thing he doesn’t “get.”)
I do like what you are doing with the refurbished cupboards, they will certainly add character to your kitchen. Something that is lacking in most modern kitchens.