Lots has been happening in my kitchen since we last visited… We had some “angels” come and visit us again and they really did a wonderful job of making my ugly kitchen become my dream kitchen. I can hardly believe it when I walk into it now… it’s so totally different and SO very beautiful. Every day that goes by gets me closer to the finish line… It’s still a ways off, but it’s getting closer!
I thought you’d like to see Kevin and Keith in action again…
When they left Friday evening, they had glued the corner of the 2 pieces of countertops together and totally finished the area of countertop next to my pantry. The corner piece was definitely a challenge as it was heavy and a bit tricky to move around. Lots of work went into getting that part done.
Once again, my crooked walls proved to be a problem. The long countertop piece that went from the corner and then ran under my window and would eventually hold my sink and then ran over almost to my back door, was perfectly straight. My wall, however, WAS NOT! This is what it looked like when the countertop was pushed in as far as it would go… you can see how the wall curves back…
It was definitely a problem… the wall was either going to have to be moved out, or the countertop moved in… hmmm… I stewed over it the whole weekend… then on Sunday afternoon (terrible timing…) I told my hubby I thought I had a solution. I asked him to pull the countertop out just a bit so I could see something. There was a 2×4 that ran almost even with where the top of the countertop went. I told him if the 2×4 could be whittled out and the wall shaved down a bit, it just might go back… SO…. being the good hubby that he is, he decided to give it a try… He has this little hand tool that shaves things off and he used it to shave off quite a bit of the wall…He then used his chisel and chiseled out as much of the wood from behind the new boards we had put up…
Then he took some long screws and putting them below where the backsplash on the countertop was, and underneath where my window trim would go, he screwed the boards in as tight as he could possible get them…it really pulled them in… we thought it did the trick, as we moved the countertop back in place, but we’d have to wait and see just how much it improved when the countertops were in place for good. It wasn’t pretty but no one will ever see it…You gotta do what you gotta do! :o)
Kevin suggested we take a small groove out of the right side of the wall to push the countertop back into just a little bit, to make it fit even closer to the wall… It actually ended up being pretty close to the wall… This picture shows it before it was trimmed off closer to the light switches…I can live with it this way.
Precise measuring was done and the end pieces were ironed on…Did you know that’s how they did that? Here’s a picture of Keith and Kevin “ironing things out!” ( I used it Kevin!)
Once the wall situation was pretty well solved it was time to get the sink hole cut in the countertop… it was pretty scary to me…
There was lots of laying underneath getting measurements…
I was praying… but Kevin cut it… perfectly, probably just like he does at work!
Once the sink hole was cut, Keith used silicone caulk along the edges…and flex seal was used to coat the underneath side…
There was lots of laughing going on… I’m pretty sure that’s a sign of “professionalism…!” (working hard but still able to laugh!)
Even Reuben got in a few pictures…
Before we moved it to the wall, Kevin decided we should all sign the countertop on the backside and leave a note for the future owners of our house. This was his note…
Keith wrote this…
I wanted to write this… “If you rip out this countertop you are one silly person…” but I decided I’d leave a nice note…
I guess I should have printed like the guys… mine says… “Thank you Kevin and Keith for making this my Dream Kitchen… It wasn’t before!”
The countertop was put in place and it was SO amazing to see how pretty it made my kitchen look… it fit pretty well at the end too… not bad, huh, considering how VERY crooked that wall was…We can cut a tiny sliver of wood, maybe even a shim will do, and then caulk it and paint it the color of my walls and it will never be noticeable. :o)
This is my new stainless steel sink… my new faucet is supposed to be here on Friday… I did sell my sink on Saturday, and I sold my oven and my cooktop stove today…
Here are a couple shots of the kitchen now…
…and one last thing… My hubby put our old faucet back on till the new one comes in so we don’t have to do dishes in a basin in the tub anymore…and I am now the proud owner of my very first garbage disposal… thank you honey!
I hope you’ll stay “tuned” for what comes next…
See you when I can,
Blessings, Jeanne
Fantastic work Keith and Kevin, what a great kitchen and inspiring messages. Great meals will happen in this lovely space, (which may be the only family kitchen with a chandelier in the whole world!)
Lucky Jeanne, but you really do deserve it. When you make the aqua cake eat a wee bit for me.
I have had RSI do you call it repetitive strain disorder in your part of the world. I have blamed knitting and hand sewing, but I really know it was too much internetting. I am typing this one finger left hand so will keep this short, I missed some great opportunities to make you laugh but they might pop again.
Stay strong Jeanne and George.
Hugs, Jane.
Hi Jane,
Ok…I already have your piece of cake reserved!
I think you are referring to what we call Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. I hope your hands and wrists get some rest as you exercise a little restraint on the internet and with your sewing. It’s no fun to have achy hands and fingers.
I look forward to some laughs from you!!!
Thanks Jane,
Blessings, Jeanne
I can’t let the laughing pass by.
1. Homeless (sweater) I was out for the day to my dollmaking group. The prop. things in my boot (trunk) needed attention. To avoid being decapitated I carried all my dollmaking junk in the car. On the way home I stopped at the supermarket – 5 bags of stuff. Then I drove to the library to return a nearly overdue book. Lots of lifting and rearranging to find it. Meanwhile a huge 4X4 vehicle parked beside me and a darling little boy got out. When his mother arrived he said “Mummy, I think this is a homeless person”. I was delighted.
Hedgehog cake. When I was working as a midwife I lost a bet. Healthy young woman, great physique, I thought would have no problems. She needed a C/section after a long labour. I had to make a cake, a hedgehog cake. I knew Maggie had envisaged almonds for spines and etc. I was grumping in the kitchen and my husband suggested a road kill cake. We cut a channel and laid zig zag liquorice tyre tracks and made x’s for his eyes. I wish I’d photographed it. We called it the sore loser cake.
Three things that made me smile Sunday.
1. Sewing patterns I bought from Etsy had bounced around, ending in Chicago, the inexplicably arrived in Italy. After 2 weeks of nothing they have been sent back to the U.S. They had a lovely holiday. I might get them one day.
2. A youth was skateboarding fast between cars in the supermarket carpark and he zoomed into the foyer. Before I could suggest he might cause injury, a small flock – about 30 – of seagulls swooped – he was holding a pie. That was a LOL
3. Weather has been indifferent. I went to the local quilt expo. when I came out there was the widest, most vivid rainbow. But the best thing was a tiny African immigrant toddler holding his arms wide staring at the sky. He thought it was just for him. Perhaps our city really is the end of the rainbow for some displaced persons.
Thinking of you daily, time to get some books, craft things together. You will be doing a lot of waiting around soon.
Prayers and hugs, Jane
Oh Jane,
How funny you are and you did bring a smile to me face this evening as I read all your thoughts. I especially liked where the little kid thought you were homeless! :o)
…and I would have loved to have seen your hedgehog cake…it probably topped the one I showed…the bad one! :o)
I got out the suitcases today and decided I’m going to start packing my things up in case there is a cancellation…I’ll be ready…
Thanks so much for your sweet humor!
Blessings, Jeanne
I like how every post shows it getting closer to being finished. It will be so nice to have the kitchen complete. You’ve accomplished so much in your home renovations (and also for others) in the past few months. You will be happy you took so many photos to remind you of the progress.
Hi Christal,
Thanks so much for enjoying the posts on my kitchen….I wonder if I’ve forgotten how to sew???
I have SO many pictures and would like to get them out in chronological order sometime.
Thanks Christal,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, your kitchen is looking prettier and prettier with every post! I’m so excited for you, Jeanne–what a blessing to have something like this to focus on when the two of you are about to face the biggest challenge of your lives!! Thanks for sharing.
Prayers continue…..
Charlotte
Thank you Charlotte,
At first I thought we’d just forget the project of my kitchen for a while, but it’s almost been a blessing keeping us occupied right now.
Thanks again for your prayers…
Blessings, Jeanne
The counters are wonderful! And everyone was so inventive getting them up tight against the wall.
We always leave notes when we renovate too. I think it is a great thing to do.
Hope you have a good day!
Take care –
Hi Charlotte,
I’m glad we left the notes in the walls…it might be a LONG time before anyone sees them as we aren’t planning on selling our house any time soon.
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
This is all wonderful news/photos once again, Jeanne….so happy for you…love the notes that were left for future perusal.
Blessings.
Thanks Becky,
We searched for notes when we took the kitchen apart, but only found measurements scribbled on the walls.
Thanks so much Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
Your fix was genius, Jeanne. Four heads are better than one, right? This kitchen has taken all of you working together, even the one who’s not wielding the hammer and screwdriver but “yes” to the paintbrush. It’s looking so close to the finish line. Thanks again for taking us on the trip with you and showing what can be accomplished in an old house.
Hi Susette,
It has truly been a team effort for this project!!
We couldn’t have done it without Kevin and Keith, Tom and Cindy, Deb and my mom, and even Kristoffer… usually we’re a 2 man team but this required some “extras.”
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the reno, Susette!
Blessings, Jeanne
One of my favorite “kitchen posts” to date!
Looking gorgeous!
Thanks Shara,
I’m glad you liked today’s post!!! ME TOO!!!
Stay tuned for the finale!
Blessings, Jeanne
Good Morning,
My kitchen walls weren’t square either but what we did is add to the top of the back splash what is called a “quarter round” wood to cover up the gap. Maybe something like this could be used to cover up the the gaps too. We then painted it the same color as the walls. It looks great too.
Hope this can help solve your problem. Kitchen looks great!
Hi Janet,
I know just what you are talking about with the quarter round and have seen that done fairly often… I’ll have to keep that in mind if the other doesn’t suit me.
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
Your kitchen is looking marvelous! Great idea for you and your 2 angels to sign the countertop. It is so exciting when you can see the completion coming nearer. I think you could be a designer; not only have you picked wonderful materials you think “out of the box” for solutions. Great Job.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Leigh,
I certainly don’t feel like a designer, but I have certainly enjoyed the process and have been inspired by do many blogs and pictures I’ve looked at.
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
Such a transformation already, Love it! You are all so talented. Really got a chuckle of Reuben consulting/supervising with the guys. Now a sewing comment, can’t wait to see what you make for the window and door window, bet your mind is already on it. Have a great day, love all your posts!
Hi Dorothy,
You must have been looking over my shoulder rhis morning, as I WAS looking at window treatment ideas… :o)
Thanks,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love how your mind works! Problem. Think about it and probably dream too. Solution appears! And it looks like it worked perfectly. I might go with the quarter round as suggested by Janet. We have used it successfully and even shaved the back to lay flat in one case years ago.
The kitchen looks so nice. Just a few more things to complete too. That list of chores will soon fade away. I noticed the rugs in front of the sink and stove. Have you seen those gel mats? They have them at Costco and Bed Bath and Beyond. Come in lots of colors and you may even find one to match your new floor. Very comfy on the feet when standing for a long time at the sink or stove and practically invisible.
We are finally getting close to being done with cleaning out husband’s parents old home. Just a bit more stuff left in the garage and patio. Has taken so long to divide the contents. We will have so much more time for other projects when that is complete.
Can’t wait to for the next kitchen tour.
Thanks Joy,
I think problem solving runs in our family… we do a lot of brainstorming for our projects.
I’ll check out the mats at BB and B when I go to look for a new dish drainer. I have an old green wire thing that needs to be replaced.
We’ll both have to celebrate when we get to the end of our projects. I am so ready!!!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
I am so exhausted after an early morning babysitting gig, and I do mean early, like 6:00 early, but I just wanted to chime in that the kitchen looks so transformed and it shows your personality like a charm, so friendly and warm and inviting!
You have been blessed with a wonderful pair of men to help you and a hubby that knows how to do most everything! Then there’s you, the guiding spirit of the whole kitchen!
I love the way it is coming together, it can be quite daunting when you have to pick every little thing out, and wonder what the end result will be, but you certainly should be very happy with how your kitchen is turning out1
Hi Linda,
I better hurry and get my comments to you cause I bet you’ll be heading to bed early tonight. Hopefully Willie wasn’t too wide eyed and bushy tailed at 6:00 this morning!
We were so blessed to all the help we received on our kitchen. We are loving it and now we won’t be embarrassed when people come over. No more excuses need to be given. Thank you so much for your kind compliments on the work done so far…
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne you are amazing! I think you should have your own show. HGTV look out!
And wow, another Dorothy in PA. Yea!
Hi to my “other” Dorothy in PA,
No shows please..only the kind that I’ll watch. Maybe as my hubby is resting in the hospital, I can get my fill of HGTV…we don’t have cable TV, so I never get to see those shows.
Thank you Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yes, I will definitely stay tuned for what happens next. Reuben is very cute supervising all the work. Or maybe he is just curious about what everyone is doing. I’m so glad you have had help with all the countertop fitting. Many hands make light work. All houses have their challenges, and the older they are, the more challenging they are. Hang in there, the end is in sight, and you will have your dream kitchen!
Hi Carolyn,
Even if I had to leave my kitchen just as it is, cabinets unpainted, trim not up, no curtain, no toe kicks, no hood range, I’d still be super happy…
I have been polycrylic-ing the rest of my drawers and the corner cabinet base.
I’m glad you are planning to stick around til the end!
Blessings, Jeanne
I liked the quarter round idea but will be very interested in your solution. You kitchen is mostly angles, so maybe you need something not round. I’m also waiting for the window treatment to see what you decide on.
I told my friend Evie Gray about Agreeable Gray. She’s probably more Delightful Gray, but she definitely likes agreeable things and behavior.
The gel mats seem definitely worth looking into. We are all learning so much from this project. George has yet to sign. Your handwriting is so pretty that it was a better choice than printing.
This has been and is a huge project, but definitely worth doing and a great tribute to your ingenuity and your collective ability. What a great solution to the warped wall. My mother called that sort of thing “a woman’s solution” — unconventional, inexpensive, and easier than traditional solutions (like taking out and redoing the entire wall).
I looked up Savory pans. Interesting and useful, popular in the 30s,40s, and 50s. Double walled. They are supposed to prevent food from burning. Some day when you have a minute you’ll have to tell us about yours and what you like to cook in it.
Hi Marilyn,
My trim on the bottom of my window will sit on top of the backsplash…so I’m not sure the quarter round would work but I’m keeping an open mind about it…
I’m going to check out the gel mats but I have to be careful with my vinyl flooring. You can’t use anything with rubber or polyethylene in it as it fades on your floor over time. It has to have a natural underside to rugs, mats, etc.
We talked about what “This Old House ” would have done with the wall…tear it out and start over….sorry…that wasn’t in our budget…
Someday I’ll cook a roast and potatoes in it and show everyone…of course the proof is in the eating it…but I’ll just have to tell you how good it was!
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne