I can hardly believe it… we are done in the kitchen…(well… done for a few days at least!) I still have 3 things I want to finish… the black piece under my dishwasher is going to be painted white to match the toe kick around the bottom of the other cabinets… I have to finish the area up where the stove vent pipe goes through the ceiling… (I was hoping for a wooden hood vent, but I’ve pretty much given up on that dream) so I just need to finish the edges where the trim stops around the black pipe, and I need to get a small piece of trim in the corner where the cabinets over the frig got moved to the right about 3/4″. My hubby already cut the piece for me and it’s been primed twice and painted once… tomorrow I will give it a final coat and put it up in the corner…
Ok… so let me say it again… WE ARE DONE IN THE KITCHEN… it’s only taken us/me 3 years to get it finished… actually, truth be told…this kitchen has been a project since we bought our house in 2004…
When I left you yesterday we had the upper cabinets taken off the wall and resting on pillows on top of plastic containers. We had to unscrew them from the wall and move them over 3/4″ because the opening we were putting our new refrigerator through was sort of curved and the frig wouldn’t fit between the wall and the already in-place cabinets… It wasn’t a super hard job, but just one we had to be careful with… the cabinets were all screwed together so they were quite heavy… (I did unload them!)
We took out the pillows and replaced them with a long board on top of the tubs.
Then we had to find just the right boards to use to build it up in height so the cabinets on top of the frig would be even with the other ones…
It went fairly fast… (a few hours for us!) We aren’t necessarily the fastest workers on the block, but we do good work and have fun together… Because the frig was just a little bit taller than our old frig, the cabinets on top of the frig and the wall cabinets were just a hair higher on the wall than they were previously… this meant my white backsplash had about a 3/8″ gap underneath… (We put the backsplash up after the upper’s were installed.) The gap wasn’t a problem for me. I just painted the wood white like my backsplash in that long skinny gap.
When we got them all leveled (AND THEY WERE!) we had to screw the short set to the bigger set and adjust the doors at the bottom edges and the crack in between them again as they had sort of changed a bit.
Then it was time to screw them into the wall! Oh Happy Day!
The base cabinets weren’t too much trouble… They were moved over to the right and set plumb with the top cabinets. When we got that done, we actually did a little happy dance jig right there under Chandi! (I think she smiled at us!)
Then I had to peel that plastic film off the new frig… My goodness, how they got that stuff to stick like they did is beyond me… It was like pulling off a wet swim suit! Finally I had it all off… and counted it as an aerobics class for all the gyrations I had to do! I was even on my side on the floor, pulling the stuff off around the bottom.
My hubby worked on putting some trim around the back side of where the new refrigerator is sitting.
I had to do a little puttying and some painting in the crack where the 2 sets of cabinets were joined together… and I also painted a few hairline cracks where the 3 sets of upper cabinets were screwed together… they look like they did before we took the cabinets down…
I put all my stuff back in the cabinets and decided if I was going to get any pictures taken, I better hurry or the sun would be gone…
So here are some pictures “I” took. If you click on them, they will enlarge and you can see more details…
Thank you for ALL of your encouragement and support and patience while we were working on this project… 3 years in the making and now it’s finally finished!
WE love this new refrigerator… it was the perfect solution for us… and I hope IT lasts 22 years! :o)
Here are 3 pictures of the way it has been in the past… I just couldn’t resist…
SO… I bet you’re thinking, it’s time for cake! Well, it is, but I was wanting to have Kevin and his wife and Keith and his wife over for a meal, so I will probably make that cake when they are coming over… otherwise, my hubby and I just might eat the whole thing ourselves… I’ll save everyone who wants one, a slice! :o)
Thanks everyone,
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 🎉🎆💥 Your kitchen is beautiful!! I’d be doing a happy dance, too!
Thank you Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh Jeanne, how beautiful your “new” kitchen is! I just love the new refrigerator addition, and it breaks up the “all white” look perfectly! I see that your hood over the stove is also silver, and the black pipe is perfect for the added contrast! Everything looks wonderful, have I said that enough?? I’d be afraid to cook and bake now, and mess it up! Ha, ha!
Enjoy that pretty kitchen and dance all you want!
Hi Linda,
Thank you for your kind compliments!
I don’t want to mess it up either!! I sure do love it!
Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, what a wonderful transformation. We have a jumbled kitchen here in our house built in 1848. There’s nothing your family hasn’t overcome to bring this heavenly kitchen to fruition. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and inspiration. I love your Blog and look forward to hearing from you and your followers every day!💗🥰💗
Thank you, Nanette,
Wow! An 1848 house? I’m sure you have some of the same issues we have when working on something. It can be quite a challenge, can’t it?
Thank you for kind words about our kitchen AND my blog! I’m glad you enjoy it here!
Blessings, Jeanne
Your kitchen looks fantastic!
Thank you Julia! We are pretty smitten with it too!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, your kitchen looks sensational. It must be a dream to work in it and enjoy how beautiful it is now that it’s finally completed. The design and decisions on how you and George did everything is perfect. It’s neat how your whole family got involved.
Congratulations and it has been so much fun getting to see the changes over these last few years!
Thank you Paula,
It’s not only a dream to work in, but it’s a dream to look at. I can hardly believe it’s all done and OURS! It turned out way better than I ever dreamed it would…
I’m glad you were entertained along the way as we worked on it…
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Your kitchen is complete. Job well done by you and your family. Team work at it’s best. The frig is gorgeous. I like the touch of black as every room should have something black in it.
Happy Dance to all of you.
HI Sandra,
My sister, Cindy, always told me… every room needs a bit of black in it… Thanks for your sweet comments on my new kitchen… it was a long time coming, but I guess I can say now, “it was worth the wait!’
Blessings, Jeanne
Delightful! I think I like the beautiful view out of your kitchen window the best. It is wonderful with those lovely buffalo check curtains. And your new floor rugs are the perfect color and coordinate so well. The microwave and air fryer are both silver too which tie in with the refrigerator on the opposite wall as well. So nice and bright with just the right accents and no clutter. What an amazing transformation. Love it! A job well done. 🙂
The sew along for week three is a very sweet vintage robe/nightgown. Can’t wait to make one. That is after I finish what I’m still working on for week two. I tried to finish, but not there yet. I ended up making two outfits from two fat quarters. Still have finishing to do on the skirts and one completed crop top. Then on to the second pair of shorts and top. Whew. Had no idea it would take me so long. I think the robe will be a piece of cake. 🙂 Can’t wait to see Jeanne’s company cake. Hope Jeanne is celebrating today.
I forgot to mention the ceiling! What a wonderful accomplishment. That is definitely something to celebrate. 🙂
Thank you so much Joy,
That ceiling was my design… you should have seen how many drawings I had trying to get it just the right size by cutting bead boards in half and then spacing them out with the 1×4’s in the middle and 1×6’s along the edges… I was sure glad it worked out as well on the ceiling as it looked on my final drawing! :o)
I just love it Joy… and I hope I can always keep it nice and neat looking… those pictures were a bit staged so now I have my dish drain back out, the toaster on the counter and a few other things, but it wouldn’t take me 3 minutes to put those things away if I knew someone was coming over… (you know, just for vanity purposes!) Most of the time, I’m sure it will look lived it… but it can still be neat. :o)
I think I like that straight on picture that includes both sides, the ceiling, floor and looking out the window… the best too!
It’s a good thing I didn’t commit to the sew along… with my frig going out, I would have had to be a drop out! ;o(
I hope you get things figured out and back on schedule for the next outfit.
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
No matter what life throws your way, you and hubby figure it out. Congrats on another successful job well done! Your new kitchen is lovely and I knew you’d love your new frig. Did you know happy dances are good for the soul?
Hugs
Ingrid
Thank you Ingrid,
This house has certainly thrown us some curve balls ( or should I say curve walls!) and so far we have managed to make them work fairly well… Thanks for your kind words about the new kitchen and no, I didn’t know Happy Dances were good for the soul… Maybe that’s why it felt so good to do that little jig with each other yesterday! ;o)
Thanks Indrid,
Blessings, Jeanne
Your kitchen renovation is amazing! Thanks again for taking us on the journey with you. Now to get started really enjoying it. Relax and use it all in the best of health. ❤️
Thanks Susette,
It’s a good thing you enjoyed the journey with me because it was one we had to go on! I’m glad this part of the journey is over! Floors might be next in the back of the house… but I do need a breather first!
Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, your kitchen is divine! It could be on the pages of Good Housekeeping.
Yes, save me a piece of cake, white cake, white icing if you make that (laugh).
I have managed to take Afternoon Tea twice this month! I another another date set for next week.
My Doll Club Luncheon is on Saturday, which is World Doll Day! I have been planning this for three years.
The following week I will be off to the Madame Alexander Doll Club convention in Michigan. If there are any Michigan Sofa Sisters, I will wave at them as I ride through the state.
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for your sweet compliments on our kitchen… it might be better received in This Old House! :o)
I’m glad you are getting some tea time in! I know how much you love it!
I hope your Doll Club Luncheon goes off without a hitch! I’m sure it will…
Hey, we’ve both been in the planning stages for the the last 3 years… You for a doll luncheon and me for a new kitchen… I hope you are thrilled when yours is over as I am with mine being over! Although I DO plan to enjoy it every day for the rest of my life!
Thanks Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
You’re gonna need a bigger cake! I know we’ll all want a piece. I think it was Divine Intervention that your old fridge conked out and you found the perfect new one just as your kitchen reno was reaching fruition. It was the added touch that brought your huge endeavor to a successful conclusion. No videos of the Happy Dance?! Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful.
For years I lived with my 1945 kitchen because David was going to build the cabinets himself. Problem is when you’re still working you have the money but no time and when you’re not working you have the time but no money. Finally, with the proceeds of my accident settlement, we could look at doing it. But we decided, since we eventually plan to sell, we would just go with ready-made and finished and be done with it. We decided on the medium dark cabinets because my kitchen has so much light in it. With a picture window in the dinette area, a window over the sink and a window in the door, plus the light that comes in from the breezeway that has two huge windows and is open to the kitchen, we were afraid lighter cabinets would look washed out. In our case it was a wise decision. Then we chose lighter countertops so it wasn’t too dark. We did not put any knobs/drawer pulls on the cabinets. I like it that way and with no kids in the house it doesn’t seem to be a problem. If buyers down the road want them, well a few years ago David went to an action where someone was auctioning off a ton of knobs and drawer pulls of every type. He won the auction and now has shelves in his shop full of them. I’m sure they can find something there. I will be heading down there soon to pick the ones for my new bathroom vanity. These type things can sometimes be a big expense if you have a lot of drawers and cabinets.
I have not been doing any sewing myself lately and my fingers are itching to get back to it. Not to mention the noise coming from in there regarding my sewing slothfulness. I did satisfy a minor case of dolly fever the other day. I bought a new Paola Reina named Liu. She is so precious. She is coming from Russia so I hope it doesn’t take too long for her to arrive.
Hi Barbara,
I hope your Paola Reina doll comes soon. I have 2 and love both of them!
Your fever will better soon!🤗🤗
HI Barbara,
I think it was divine intervention too! How could we have gotten the last refrigerator like this at just the right time? I would shudder to think of us still living out of coolers and searching for the perfect frig…
Sorry, no videos of the happy dancing… just pictures of the room the dancing took place in!
I found my drawer handles on Ebay too… I had them long before I ever knew how many drawers and cabinets I’d have… I just wanted oil rubbed bronze so when I found a listing with 60+ handles. Cindy found the knobs at her Mission and bought them for me… they look like a perfect set to me… I love both!
Congratulations on your new Liu doll! Glad your “fever” is under control now… (at least for the moment!) Isn’t it funny how it spikes every so often? :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
Everything looks fantastic in your kitchen. I do think the stainless steel is just what it needed. All white would have been too much of the same. The stainless looks so nice with the floor too! Now it will be hard to “mess it up!”and cook . The job of moving the cabinets sounded like a major deal to me but you two took it in stride…the Jeanne and George Construction team did it again!
It is sooo hot this week….my yard had been looking good and for some reason the Almost wild and shrub roses in front have gone crazy this year. I think I’ll take pictures so if it dries up I’ll have pictures of what it looked like. We need rain badly.
HI Kathie,
I think now that I’ve lived with the stainless steel frig in place (for 2 whole days) I am glad I got it instead of the white… I really, really do like this frig…it’s exactly what we needed…simple and I think very elegant looking… Cindy said it was Classy! :o)
Yes, do take pictures to share with all of us… we are pretty hot here too, but I don’t have any roses around here… you certainly have a green thumb! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne Your kitchen is beautiful!!! you an your team did a great job with all the little curve balls/walls yu had to deal with. Congrats!! Enjoy your cake
Hi Carole,
Thank you for thinking my kitchen is beautiful…I like it very much too and am so happy with how everything turned out.
Thanks so much….
I’ll get it figured out when my friends can come over and then we shall have cake!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Your kitchen and refrigerator are beautiful!! Great job persevering! 🙂
Thank you Karen!
Blessings, Jeanne
I just ate some party ice cream 😉
Hey Karen,
I guess you are celebrating with me!!
Blessings, Jeanne