Completed Kitchen Remodel

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

Wow, so it's been over two years and I'm WAY behind with an update. But alas, here it is!

The kitchen project has been complete for over two years. But anyone who has done renovations knows that the word "complete" can take many different forms. 

"Complete" phase 1: usable. 

"Complete" phase 2: umm, I maybe, sort of feel ok about having people over. 

"Complete" phase 3: oh yeahhhh, we need trim don't we...? 

"Complete" phase 4: wait, is that exhaust fan actually connected to anything?!? 

You see my point. This was the 2nd kitchen we have gutted, which is always awesome, because as difficult and time consuming as it is, it is really the only way you can ever TRULY get the EXACT, custom kitchen that you want.

Before...

During...

After.

Before/during...

After.

After.

So as you can see, this was quite a change. We removed the wall to make the kitchen/dining room one, cohesive space. We added stainless steel, GE Adora appliances, an under mount sink, Quartz counter tops, off white Kraftmaid cabinets with brushed nickel knobs and pulls. We also replaced the linoleum floor with dark bamboo hardwood throughout, connecting the two spaces.

Oooh, oooh...and speeeaking of hardwood floors!!

My super talented and resourceful husband salvaged the old wood flooring from the dining room and used it to make this gorgeous, waterfall breakfast bar...which was also a great way to define and separate the spaces. We added the red, metal bar stools for a pop of color. 

GO BRI!

This house is perfect. Lets change it.

For those of you who followed our previous home renovation blog, you know that we Saunders' can never just leave well enough alone. After the success of the Waltham project, we were ready for something bigger, something more permanent, something that we could really make OURS. After WEEKS of searching (I know, we're "trigger pullers", as my husband says) we settled on a 2000 sq/ft colonial in an amazing neighborhood in West Hartford. Time line - we listed the Waltham house mid October, offered on Linbrook early November, closed on old AND new house 12/13/13...Friday the 13th. BOOM. We moved in on the first big snow storm of the year. We had a fire in the fireplace, a $9 bottle of wine and a sleeping baby upstairs. That night, we were in agreement that the house was great, just needed a few minor touch ups, maybe a new kitchen one day.....okay, maybe a new kitchen this year....maybe early springtime.....maybe next week. And so it began, the kitchen wall came down two weeks later.

Kitchen - before (Nov 13)
.

New kitchen will follow same basic flow - white cabinets, gray quartz counters, SS appliances

This load bearing wall will come down - beam installation, hvac/electric relocated

This is the other side of the wall that is being removed. Kitchen/dining will be one open space

Kitchen Project - under construction (Jan/Feb 2014)

Heat ducts were relocated so that wall could be completely removed. Dining to kitchen view

 

 

 

Kitchen to dining view

Wall removed, header beam installed, floors/cabinets demolished

Ultra strand bamboo floor installation

2/16 - floor installation complete, temp kitchen, awaiting cabinets and new appliances