full talk found here

I promised we’d talk about price and what we did in the kitchen, so here we go!

I loved the open-ness of the kitchen right into the family room. The cabinets were in great shape and had some nice features, they were just orange oak. Painting was the least expensive route. Do you remember how I got some quotes to have a professional paint it? They came in for around $2500, so with our budget right now we decided to DIY.

Here are the price breakdowns:

Cabinet hardware: Martha Stewart Bedford Dowel Cabinet Pull and Martha Stewart Bedford Canopy Pull. Total: $200 We spray painted the hinges with a brushed nickel. Who cares about hinges? I guess I don’t.

Now, you could save a lot of money on pulls for your cabinets by purchasing them on Ebay, but I LOVED these and figured since we were painting ourselves, I was totally justified in the hardware…right??

That sweet topiary was a fun surprise from my friend, Robyn! The paint and primer for the cabinets was about $100 ~ the tutorial for painting kitchen cabinets can be found by clicking here.

You can read more about the kitchen shelf here with the beadboard wallpaper backing. The containers are from Target, but I scored one at a yard sale. The silver platter was a wedding gift, the plates and crock are also old Target purchases. Total: $22

We kept the sink, and you can read more about the faucet here. $100

The milk glass and white glassware are mostly from Goodwill (that white pitcher is from Target), total about $20.

DIY schoolhouse light here $35

Curtain fabric info here about $15

the baskets were from my cut up coffee table turned bench! (free), the dishwasher was a crazy deal last year, a kitchen aid marked down from $1589 to $589 (remember?)

That fridge came with us from Texas, so I’m not including it. I would love a different style, but we’re waiting on that one. The microwave ($149) and stove ($598) were black Friday deals last year.

The green chair at the desk was about $15, the diy roman shades were about $20

The subway tile is the good old .24 cent tile in store at Home Depot – $20 total.  I don’t think you can get more bang for your buck if you need a classic update in your kitchen or bath. The tutorial for the subway tile backsplash can be found here.

The corbels are from Home Depot, $8 each = $24 they are hot glued on there….shhhhhhh.

The bowl is TJMaxx $17

Glass in cabinet doors (see tutorial here) $18

Penny tile cabinet back -- click here for tutorial $150

I saw the idea for this in PB magazine and pinned it, then copied it. The hooks are from summer garden clearance at Lowes $3 each = $6

The pitcher is from TJ Maxx $9, and the lantern is from Real Deals in Missoula, Montana when I was there visiting. $20

The table refinish -- click here for the full tutorial was about $50, the chairs from Craigslist were $100, the diy drum lights were $120 – tutorial here.

We kept the laminate counters, because we’re trying to meet some financial goals and new solid surface isn’t in the budget right now. But at least they are nice and neutral.

Neither are hardwood floors…but, someday? I hope. The previous owners put brand, spanking new linoleum in right before we saw the house for the first time. I saw the bill for it on the counter (I ain’t  nosy) and they paid $2800. Gulp. Of course I think of what that could have gone towards flooring wise, but can’t really change that now, can I? It’s not bad at all though.

And there you have it.

TOTAL: $2397 for EVERYTHING including the appliances we purchased. It feels like a new kitchen! I love that we would have paid a painter more than that just to paint the cabinets. Awesome.

So…NOW it feels good, now that the work is all over, but I’m not gonna lie, it’s not a fun process.

Let’s look at the before one more time:

and the after:

I know I probably missed something~let me know if you have ???

Well, of course it snowed.

Because Christmas is over, and it would make too much sense to snow before Christmas??

I’m a little bitter today…because it’s BITTER cold outside, I’m still trying to get Christmas down, my new years resolutions aren’t going so hot, and we started on the upstairs’ bathrooms over the break and they are just sitting waiting for me to finish peeling the wallpaper borders.

Blasted projects~who thought they were a good idea anyway?

Happy New Year! The first courage for the week in 2012: