…but we are almost done… well, sort of! When my hubby reads me the list of what still has to be done, it seems like a lot, but NOT COMPARED TO WHAT WAS ON THE LIST 2 WEEKS AGO! He needed help today because we put in the granite countertops…and the backsplash, got the sink strainers glued in and the disposal lines ready to be plumbed, put the faucet and sprayer in place, got the sink lined up where it was supposed to go, we put in the cabinets by the frig, on the opposite wall, I painted a piece of trim for the corner by those cabinets, and he caulked all the joints of the countertops with a tiny bead of clear silicone to make it nice and waterproof. When I write that down, it doesn’t seem like that much but it took us most of the day. It was the only thing I managed today, so it was either write about it or have a blank post. I didn’t think you’d like that.
I tried to take a few pictures today of what was happening… for your viewing pleasure, of course!!
This is the cabinet and base on the opposite side of the kitchen. I think we are going to try and find a piece of furniture like an island or a table that we can put on wheels and store in that little area just to the left of the cabinet. The students sometimes do “prep work” and need the extra area.
My hubby was laying down on the job again… not really… he was checking the caulk on the underside of the cabinets. We had just glued that piece of granite down! It was quite scary… we had never done anything like that before! Hey, we’ve never done a KITCHEN before…what were we thinking?
After we saw the black in the floor planks, we thought maybe a black granite countertop might be nice, so we asked at the place and they had just sent the black granite back to the company. They weren’t happy with the edges. So… we decided to stick with the color we had picked out at the beginning. Incredibly it goes really well with the brick board and the floor. Here’s a close up of it.
…sorry, one more…
Here is our lovely new sink, and I DO mean lovely! The granite countertops fit inside the ends of the sink…it’s pretty neat!
So this is what it looks like so far…
a-n-d…one more shot…
The toe kicks still have to be secured under the fronts of the cabinets, the shelves have to be put in the cabinets, a new door has to be put up to the basement (I’m sure I’ll get the honors of painting it), and some of the things I already mentioned.
Well, sorry for nothing doll related today… maybe tomorrow! I needed more time to think about who’s going to be next anyway! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
“It doesn’t seem like that much.” It sounds to me like a great deal. “Hey, we’ve never done a kitchen before.” And how nice to have had one to practice on before you started working on your own. My dad bought an antique Model-T to restore. Before he started, he went to a local auto repair shop and traded their knowledge for his work, becoming a short term apprentice. He learned to take dents out of new cars before he tried to take them out of his rusty old car. Eventually that old car turned into a beautiful red car with black leather tufted seats and brass fittings. It’s one of the prettiest cars I’ve ever seen.
Your church kitchen looks better and better, and I think in the end you’ll decide that your counters are well-chosen and ideal for their purpose. The church needs to invest in several attractive, inexpensive cutting boards.
Hi Marilyn,
I was thinking the same thing about the church kitchen…it’s a practice one! I have learned a lot just from doing the things we’ve done!
Your dad’s car sounds wonderful!! Does someone still have it, or do you have a picture to shate? I’d love to see it and share it with George.
I was thinking rhe same thing about cutting boards too! I think I’ll keep my eyes open for some!
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well…. All I can say is that your husband and yourself do phenominal work. Your servants heart and the hours you have spent doing the church kitchen makeover are incredible. The kitchen is very beautiful. Best part as you said, is that now you have all that experience to make it a little easier to remodel your own kitchen. You both continue to AMAZE me with your skill and talent and servants heart. God bless you both. š
Thank you Laureen, but it truly was a blind adventure for us. We “thought” we could make it better, but never having done a kitchen before, we were in new territory. Thankfully the Lord gave us grace and wisdom where we needed it.
Thank you so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful (almost) ending to the labor of love to your church, Jeanne! Everything just “clicks” together and you have left something wonderful for your church to treasure for many, many years to come!
I’m not sure where your job ends, but it would be a good idea to have some sort of list put up for the people who use the kitchen, what to do or not to do, like pour grease down the sink, use things that will leave stains, or scratches on that beautiful sink. We have such a list in our church kitchen, so that the people who use it, use it properly, and keep it looking nice. Also, do you have a fire extinguisher nearby?
What kind of curtains are you going to have? With that window, I see you have blinds already there, and I would think just a valance would be best, so as to not get in the way. Now that is just a suggestion, but something to think about.
You should feel very proud for the work that you and George did to make this kitchen so clean and fresh looking! I applaud the two of you, along with all of us here reading your blog!
Oh, I just looked again and maybe you don’t have blinds! I think I was seeing the building in the distance! Well, maybe blinds would work better than curtains, with a valance.
Hi Linda,
I’ve already been thinking og that “list” in my mind…maybe we really should print one out! It sounds like a good idea!
We do have a fire extinguisher on a wall by the door. And my hubby picked up a blind last night…one of those cordless mini blinds that you just push up. He’s got one in his office here at home and he likes it. I was going to make a curtain but the cabinets go all the way to the window sill (that we had to cut off) to fit the cabinets in. We’ll give the blind a try…it was only $13, so not a huge investment.
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m really glad you went with the counters first chosen. Black can be dramatic, but in this case where it will be used by many, it may have shown just too much litter. And not the cat kind. Love the pic of George. We know he was about to take a nap. š
We received some actual rain last night, and the Sierra’s are in for a blizzard. Yay. The snow is so needed.
The “list” just keeps getting shorter. Don’t work too hard today.
I sent Jeanne an email for you with the info you requested. Glad you liked the pictures. I always enjoy your comments. No rain here, just promises.
Hi, Susette,
I did receive the email from Jeanne and thanked you yesterday. That outfit is lovely. The colors are perfect.
Thank you
Hi Joy,
Yes, the list is quickly getting shorter and shorter. I’m at home today, but may go in a little later to seal the countertops. The things left to do can pretty well be done by my hubby. Until the door needs painting…then he’ll call me.
The black countertops has some lighter flecks in them and really would have been beautiful, but these have enough black in them to look like too. They had another black we could have chosen, but it was an additional $13 sq ft and it just wasn’t worth it on this kitchen.
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
You two did an amazing job on the kitchen. Now for yours. Hope it hasn’t worn you out. Will yours be easier without all the electrical outlets and plumbing already in? Surely it will go smoothly with all your experience. I hope someone else knows how to wield a paint brush on that door but probably not. Woe betide the first group that leaves a mess in that beautiful kitchen! Looking forward to the new dress and best wishes for Molly’s beautiful dress.
Hi Susette,
Our kitchen should be easier, just because it’s here and there is no deadline! The plumbing is all done but I will probably put in new faucets. I’m pretty sure the outlets are all ok which will save a lot of time.
I’m really hoping Cindy can get us revved up and excited about doing ours. She knows how long I have waited for a pretty kitchen!
I need to decide today which doll is going to be next…
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
It looks great! Thanks for the updated photos. The counter top looks great with the other finishes! I can’t wait till you are doing your kitchen! It will be even more exciting.
Have a good day.
Take care –
Hi Charlotte,
I have to agree…it will be pretty exciting when we start on my kitchen!
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, the kitchen looks just wonderful…laid out orderly to be able to work in it, nice and clean looking and very pretty. The students and parishioners will be thrilled every time they use it.
Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing this project with us !!
Hi Paula,
I think all the students are trying to see who gets to be the first to use the kitchen…it’s pretty exciting for them!
Thanks so much for your kind comments!
Blessings, Jeanne
The kitchen looks so wonderful, Jeanne, I think you may have to rope it off! š The light brick board walls contrast so well with the darker Foxwood floor, and the granite unites them both perfectly. I love how the double sink reaches all the way to the backsplash behind, and the lip fits neatly over the edge of the granite in the front. That should make for easy clean-up. I think an island on wheels would be a very functional piece and fill the nook nicely, offering additional prep space and storage, and I agree with Linda that a simple valance at the window will allow for maximum light. That could be a fun task for you as you complete this project. I’m anxious to see the cabinet hardware, as well as the overhead light fixture–the “jewelry” of the kitchen.
Saint-Exupery said, “True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating new things.” You and George must be very happy with the church kitchen creation, Jeanne, and as always, we are inspired by ALL your creations, be they “fixer-uppers” or dolly designs. It is indeed our pleasure for you to take us along on the journey. Job well done, and may your hearts be full of joy!
Thank you Anne,
After all the work, I do kind of feel like roping it off and saying, “oh this kitchen? It’s just for display…you can’t use it!” But I know that’s not right. It’s not MY kitchen, but was done to be a blessings to others.
I like the idea of just a valance at the top of the window…something to soften things up a little bit…a wood looking floor, bricks on the walls, oak cabinets and granite on the countertops, a stainless steel sink…it needs a bit of softness.
For right now, we don’t have any hardware…thete are little moon shaped cutouts on the underside of the doors that they open by. And there was no way to get to the ceiling because of the flat roof There is one ceiling light near that big window and with the addition of the 2 LED cam lights, the sconce and the range hood light, it’s much brighter in there than it ever was!
Thanks so much for your kind compliments Anne! But Praise God, we are almost finished!
Blessings, Jeanne
My goodness, is there anyone else in the congreation besides you and your sweet hubby who is helping with this extensive renovation?
So much time and labor! I know its for the church.. thats why Iām wondering;)
Hi Shara,
We go to a student church, an outreach to the University, so the majority of our members are students…who usually aren’t very skilled in home renovation. They did help in other areas on this house, touching up the walls, painting the baseboard trim, cleaning the stove and frig, cleaning up the yard, hauling off trash, etc.
But to do a job like this our pastor wanted people who had done similar projects like this before. We said we would do it, even though we had never done a kitchen before. What we didn’t know how to do, we figured out. My hubby does the maintenance at the church, so this was considered part of his job. Most of the marrived men here have regular jobs and work through the day…this would have taken forever if we had only worked on it in the evenings. Plus, getting to spend time with my hubby was a treat for me. We work well together… :o)
Thanks Shara,
Blessings, Jeanne
The kitchen looks great, Jeanne. I think it is a marvelous idea to find a table or island for those who help do prep work…so clever.
Thanks for sharing your day with us. You two are super industrious.
Blessings.
Hi Becky,
Thanks so much for liking the kitchen! I’ll keep my eyes open for the perfect table.
Thanks for reading along…
Blessings, Jeanne
Beautiful!