Eileen Hull

If you have been following me on Facebook, you might have noticed that we upgraded our kitchen, as in, totally gutted and replaced everything. Why would someone decide to do that 6 weeks before their daughter’s wedding?

a. they are insane
b. they are sick of the hideous peel and stick tiles that are impossible to clean
c. deadline!
d. all of the above

If you guessed d. you are correct. I mentioned to my husband a few months ago that if there was one thing I would like to do before the wedding it would be to cover the kitchen floor with linoleum so it would freshen up the kitchen. And another nice thing would be to take out the peninsula that really closed the kitchen in. The next week I was on my way down to Florida to help out my daughter with the birth of her second baby and received this text from my husband:

WHAT!!! Who knew he would really do it? So while in FL, 18 month old in tow, I researched cabinets, appliances, etc. at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Ikea and talked with their staff about how long it would take if we were to go that route. Unfortunately, the earliest estimates were 2-3 months and we did not have that kind of time.

When I got back to town, I called Abbey Design Center, who had installed the wood flooring in two other rooms for us and did a great job. We decided to match the floor in the kitchen and needed to know if they still carried that batch.We also had them in them when our 92 year old stepdad, Ray, moved out after living here for a year and a half and we needed new carpet in the room where he stayed. They came out and did an estimate on the kitchen, powder room and hallway and mentioned that their company also designed kitchens!

I made an appointment for them to come out and take a look at the space, measure it and give an estimate. We then went in and met with Jimmy who walked us through the process. He said it would be tight but they were up for the task of getting it all done before the wedding. We said Let’s do it!

In one afternoon I picked cabinets, flooring, hardware, tile for backsplash, sink, faucets, window, and countertops. We were shown several options for a layout and tweaked that a little. It was pretty overwhelming but the good thing was I had been working in this kitchen for years and knew what worked and what didn’t. I also knew what I wanted lots more light. The overhead light fixture had been there for thirteen years and we had NEVER changed the bulb! Now it was ugly, but that was some bulb!

Our original plan was to bump out the whole kitchen wall and build a sunroom but it would have been a lot more expensive. We are lucky to have a pretty back yard and wanted to be able to see more of the birds, deer and fox that visit but had a tiny window with grids that really blocked the view. I had an idea in my head of a farmhouse kitchen which morphed somewhere along the way. I am not even sure what style I would use to describe the final result. But I love it!

We did give up the table that seated six (eight in a pinch). Many good times were had when the four kids were home every night for dinner… but life changes and now it is just my husband Hayward and I. So we opted to take the table space and create a desk area

where we can recharge our devices, plug in the old laptop and organize files, store crayons, puzzles and craft supplies for the grandkids’ visits along with other miscellaneous papers. In the old kitchen, we had crates stacked up with cubbies but it was always a mess and everything was out for all to see.

For the first time, we have a hidden garbage can! Before, it was was basically the first thing you saw when you walked in the front door! Yuck, but it was the most convenient place to have it. Not only is the garbage hidden but there is also a bin for recycling! In the past, we had a big Ikea bag collecting the cans, newspapers, etc hung in the back porch, but you had to go all the way back to throw it in. Not very efficient.

For some reason, my husband has a thing about keeping our vacuum in the hall closet so a broom closet was added for him- that was his only request so the rest was all up to me 🙂

We are so happy with how it turned out. Thanks so much for your encouragement and walking alongside the remodel with us. It was so great to hear your comments and suggestions along the way.

Many thanks to Abbey Design Center for doing such a great job and getting it all done before the wedding. Jacqueline Binkley Photography did such a nice job on the photos- I asked her to take one of me which I now am using for my Facebook cover photo (minus the beautiful orthopedic boot that was cropped out). I broke my ankle the day before the wedding!

There’s lots more I learned along the way and will share in a later post plus more pics! Thanks for stopping by…