not. so. ordinary. kitchen

I hope you don't mind; I am jumping around a bit.  In future posts I will share more of our family room, but for now I wanted to tell you a bit about our kitchen.  Our kitchen has been a small rehab project.  This picture was taken by the sellers' prior to putting it on the market.



"Before" Kitchen




"After Kitchen"

We removed the kitchen door leading downstairs (shown in the "before" photo).  It took filling, sanding, and painting after the door/hinges were removed, but you would never know a door was ever there.  I painted the kitchen a "taupe" color.  (Sorry, I can't find the name of it, only the number code.)  We found small glass tiles at Lowe's that we liked and tiled the back splash.  We changed out the appliances.

Our cupboard hardware was purchased at http://www.ikea.com/, and we spray painted the existing cupboard hinges.

We priced the hinges out, and they would have cost about $60 to replace.  The Brushed nickel http://www.rustoleum.com/ spray paint went on flawlessly.  It is great to find an inexpensive alternative.  It takes time to change them all out but is big on impact.        

I love the chunkiness of this hardware.



Tiling was one of the first changes we made.





After doing some IKEA shopping, we both agreed that we liked the look of glass in cupboard doors.  Putting our heads together, we came up with something "out of the ordinary."  We considered stainless inserts, but found something we liked better.    



A drop-ceiling light cover was our choice.  Actually, we used the backside of a textured light cover.  It looks like crushed seashells to me.  One $8 light panel was enough to do all four inserts.  Our kitchen is small so we added inserts only in the cupboards framing out the window.  It was important to me that the cupboard doors retained a thick border.  The doors to the left of the window are smaller and have a smaller insert.  The outer border of all four doors are the same thickness.  I am lucky that my husband is precise and was able to cut and router out the doors; otherwise this project would not have been possible. 

Texture of cabinet door inserts

We added floor tile to our bulkhead (kinda cRaZy) and finished out with trim we spray painted "brushed Nickel."   

    

Tiled bulkhead with Nickel trim

One of my favorite additions was the easiest...We purchased two ClosetMaid, Espresso, 9-cube organizers from Target.  They retail for $49.99 each.  My husband came up with the idea of stacking them on top of one another and using them to display my Fiestaware.  To be honest, we have dishes in the cupboard we use for everyday.  The Fiestaware isn't behind glass (can get a little dusty) so I run it through the dishwasher before use.  It is the same concept as open shelving, I suppose.  The two cubicles are mounted together and attached to the wall.  We had looked at curio cabinets, but could not find the dimensions we needed.  This piece has become the focal point in our not. so. ordinary. kitchen. 

I appreciate you taking the time to see it... heather