As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Friday, January 24, 2020

Pineapple House Kitchen | Completed Goals




It was a little over three years ago when I first told you about our plans for a s-l-o-w remodel of the kitchen here at Pineapple House. 



Little by little, step by step, we made changes. Let me give you a review of what has happened in the kitchen since we moved here:

BEFORE

✔ We replaced the refrigerator and dishwasher with new stainless steel models.

✔  We replaced the cook top with the double oven range we had bought for The Farmhouse a few months before we moved, and removed a lower cabinet in the process.

✔  We removed the wallpaper and painted the walls antique white. 

✔ We painted the trim. (Actually ~ahem~ we've painted it three times. Ack! Long paint story here.) 

✔  We hung a new chandelier over the island. 

✔  We constructed, hung, and painted interior shutters

✔  We removed the wall oven and created an alcove for the microwave.

✔  We took down the little shelves around the window and replaced the curvy molding with a simple frame. 

✔  We painted all of the kitchen cabinets with Kangaroo by Benjamin Moore. 

✔  We put beadboard paneling behind the countertop and stove, and around the window.


✔  We installed walnut butcher block countertop and backsplash.

✔  We installed a new enameled cast iron sink and a bridge faucet


In October 2018, the kitchen looked like this:




But we still needed to give attention to the south wall. We had plans to move the washing machine to the basement, move the fridge into that space, re-configure the cabinets, and install a longer section of countertop.





This past fall, we finally got to the south wall of the kitchen, the one that was going to be the most complicated project. 


Here is the "before," with a short counter, the refrigerator in the middle of the wall, and the washing machine on the right . . . 


When Ron was off in September, the work began. He did all of the prep work required to move the washing machine from the kitchen down to the basement: ran electric, adapted the plumbing, installed a pump and a laundry sink.


In October, it was full steam ahead! 

~ The first step was moving that washing machine. (Yikes!) 

Ron strapped it to a hand truck and he was doing all of the pushing. My job was to help him tilt it back, and to navigate it through the doorways and around corners. Of course, there was the momentary panic when he started wheeling it down the basement stairs WITH ME IN FRONT OF IT, at which time I left my post of duty and said, "If it's going to fall, I'm not going to be able to stop it so I am getting out of the way!

The washing machine did not fall (hallelujah!), and we were washing a load of clothes that afternoon . . . not in the kitchen!

Do I miss the convenience of a washing machine in the kitchen? Yes! But do I miss the washing machine in the kitchen? Not. at. all. (And there is talk of converting our very tiny half bathroom into a tiny laundry area. We think there's just enough room for a small stackable washer/dryer.) 

~The rest of vacation week was spent re-configuring everything else! 


We measured and measured and adjusted our plans. After a lengthy discussion and a lot of measuring, we decided to create a wider space around the refrigerator. We did not want to be limited to the size fridge that we have now. 

Eventually, we'd like to have a counter depth refrigerator. It would free up a lot of space in our galley kitchen! Unfortunately, counter depth was not on our radar four years ago when we were selecting our appliances. But someday we would like one, so we left enough space to accommodate it. And of course, changing the opening around the fridge meant altering the spaces for cabinets too. 



After we adjusted our cabinet sizes, we decided to leave a display space above the refrigerator rather than enclosing it with doors.


When Ron went back to work after his vacation, there was still more work to do, but the lion's share was done. We knew we'd be finished well before our Thanksgiving deadline! 




And now . . . THIS is what we have: 


We are so pleased with this part of the remodel! It has made a huge difference in the function of the kitchen!

First of all, we love this new longer section of countertop, which is far more useful than two shorter ones would have been. It is a great baking center, but it also comes in handy for a drink station when we have family dinners and parties. 




It is also wonderful to have all of my pots and pans back together again . . . and not stuffed into nooks and crannies (in the kitchen closet, in different cabinets, in the basement!) all over the house.


Last, but definitely not least, we feel as if we have gained space with this last stage of the remodel. That is a good thing!

Before, the refrigerator and the stove (both of which jut out beyond the cabinets) were directly across from one another. That made a narrower walkway in that space, not to mention that if either door was open, it compounded the problem. When the fridge was moved over to its new space, it immediately opened up the main work space to feel twice as big! (It isn't, but it feels like it is!)







Now we have completed all of our original goals for the kitchen! 

So are we done? Well, we will probably replace the floor some day. And then there's always the possibility of a fourth paint color . . .  

(You knew that, didn't you?)

But we feel that our kitchen has been updated, it reflects our personal style, and it functions well with how we live and work in it. 

It was worth the wait! 

29 comments:

  1. Looks fabulous! You and Ron make a great team and have a gift for envisioning things so well. Is there something wrong with the floor?

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    1. Thank you, Vee! The floor? No, there is nothing really wrong with the floor which is why it was not on our original list of goals. The fact is, we just don't love it. It is a faux wood floor and it. shows. everything. I could mop it every day! (I don't) So someday . . .

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    2. I would never have guessed that it was faux. My sister is firmly in your camp. She is not a fan of faux wood floors while I think, not knowing any better, that they look fine.

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  2. You have workd so hard on this! And it looks very much better. Moving the washing machine made the space more manoeuverable I guess, even if you have to walk a little further to it. You certainly have a very big refrigerator, but with your big family it must be useful.

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    1. Thanks so much, Barbara! It was a lot of hard work (and, honestly, a fair share of patience too), but the price is right! I am thankful for my DIY guy!

      I think our refrigerator looks bigger than it actually is because it does extend beyond the counters. I have tried to justify getting a new counter depth style, but since this one is not yet four years old, we'll make ourselves happy with it. 😊

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  3. It turned out so beautifully, and has reinforced my goal of wooden countertops!

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    1. Thank you, Deanna! I think you'll love wooden countertops!

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  4. Really beautiful and great use of the various spaces, too. We bought a counter depth refrigerator a few years ago after finally figuring out that would so help with our cabinet issues. It's been wonderful. We can now open some lower cabinet doors almost all the way! Love the countertops!

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    1. Thank you, GrammaGrits! Glad to hear that you love your counter depth refrigerator! Some day . . .

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  5. The Kitchen looks really nice! Should be a pleasure to work in it.
    Blessings,
    d

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    1. Thank you, Deanna! Truly, it has been a pleasure to work in it!

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  6. I love your kitchen. I have the exact same handles on our white kitchen cabinets and these pictures make me wish I was 20 years younger and the stamina to tackle even just painting them. I've lived with it "as is" for 20 years, mostly content to just call it my little vintage kitchen - knowing that we were not made for a kitchen remodel. Seeing how you've lovingly and slowly transformed yours makes me wish we were made of the same mettle as you and your mister. :) Now I just hope that our next home has a kitchen that someone else has restored. ;^)

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    1. Thanks for your kind words, Becki! Ron is a DIYer through and through . . . always has been . . . and over the years, he has brought me along too. He taught me to have vision!

      Hey, but I like your idea! Move into a home where someone else has already done the updating! Win-win! 😊

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  7. Such a wonderful improvement of space. Love all your changes. It's not easy to find a counter depth refrigerator or should I say there aren't a lot of choices. Oye...I can visualize that washer moving and I would have jumped out of the way, too. Hats off to the two of you for having a good plan and completing it so successfully.

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    1. Thanks so much, Ellen!

      Counter depth refrigerators are wonderful, but expensive. Had we not purchased a new refrigerator when we moved in less than four years ago, I might be able to justify it, but as it is, we're going to be content.

      You can see it can't you?! No way was I going to stand there! 😮😂

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  8. OH! Cheryl, this is so beautiful, and what a sigh of relief when all is done, one reason I love taking photos is comparing and remembering all the sweat, tears and sometimes blood of a project! One day I am hoping to be able to update our kitchen, especially the cabinets.
    You and Ron are a great team! Now, take a deep breath and enjoy, that is, until the next project. ~
    wink
    Thank you for your continued prayers and sweet thoughts, we will be going home today.~
    Blessings,
    Sue

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    1. So happy to hear that Mr. P and you are home again! There is no place like home!

      Thanks for your kind words. Yes, we are relieved that this project is done and we are very much enjoying our kitchen. And about that next project? We are headlong into it right now! More details coming up soon . . .

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  9. I didn't realize how much you have accomplished! One thing I'm really glad to see is that you kept those cabinet hinges!! I LOVE THEM!
    Another thing, did you really have the washer in you kitchen? I thought that was interesting. Don't know if it was a good thing or not. Then I thought about all the noise that a kitchen produces and to add the washer might be a bit much.
    Your new kitchen is really nice! Great job! We all can pick up some great tips.

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    1. Thanks so much, Christine! Glad you like the hinges too. And, yes, we had a washing machine in the kitchen when we bought this house (nearly four years ago). It really was convenient! But not so kitchen-y. Plus, the dryer was in a bedroom closet. We (Ron) moved that to the basement within weeks of moving in because we chose that bedroom and needed the closet space.

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  10. You've done a great job!! The kitchen is truly the heart of the home where nourishment for loved ones is prepared and served with love! Oh, and in your case - so many fun birthday cakes!

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    1. Thank you, Rosella! I am actually getting my cooking mojo back since we've made the changes! I have to confess though . . . my girls do MUCH better with birthday cakes than I do, so I usually leave that to them. ("Girls" now meaning Bekah. It's a good thing she likes to bake. She always bakes cakes from scratch and they are delicious!)

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  11. Your space is beAutiFul <3!!!! What alot of hard work that has brought about much loveliness!!!! Love that wood countertop <3!!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Tammy! You are always so encouraging!

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  12. It's gorgeous. I loved to see the before and after pics. You and your hubby have done some lovely work to make this living space so useful and so beautiful.

    Wishing you a pleasant weekend, Cheryl.
    Brenda xox

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    1. Thanks so much, Brenda! I love before and after pics too. When the work is done bit by bit (unlike those half-hour home improvement shows!), the photos show you how much has changed.

      (And since this comment was sitting in my "awaiting moderation" file until this morning, I missed wishing you a pleasant weekend in return. Have a good week, Brenda!)

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  13. Your kitchen is beautiful and so functional! Your whole house looks very nice and inviting. I even think the bathroom tile is okay, you've made the best of it.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Joy! We'll certainly make the best of the pink tile . . . until the time is right!

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