A last minute end-of-the-year update

Lots of changes in the kitchen at the end of 2010. Repainted cabinets, new hardware, new trim, and a new backsplash.

We also relocated our dining room to what used to be the den. Not that the original dining room isn't nice, but the natural light is so much better in the den. We painted over the dark '70s wood paneling, put up new trim, relocated the old chandelier that was hanging in the dining room, and hosted Thanksgiving within days of finishing everything. 

Another Transformation

Before...

After...

Oh yeah, missing a few things...they are still around...just had to move a few things.

Steps to Improvement

It might not be obvious from the picture of what our stairs used to be like, but if you have had the pleasure of visiting our house and using the stairs, you know why we needed to replace them. Let's just say that had been well used over the last 100 years. The nosing on the treads had to been worn to nothing and the center of each tread - well, they proved that most people walk up the center.

A special guest helped us get the new steps in. They look great and are so much safer.

Welcome to...

our fully operational kitchen!
Keyword: operational

We have cabinets (some), countertops (some), appliances, and lighting! Woohoo! We've been using it for about a week now.

That funky island thing isn't staying.

The exposed lathe on the wall over there is where the pass through to the living room will be. To the right of that is a shallow pantry awaiting shelves and a door.

Full size dishwasher! Yay!

Kitchen mascot.

Back by Popular Demand

Well, one person asked me to post something...

We still have a ways to go, but the kitchen renovations are looking good. Here's what happened over the last month or so:

Do we really want to save these cabinets? No.

New plaster ... and paint! I am proud to say that it only took 3 samples to find a color - "toasted pine nut."

And through all of this, we've still been able to cook thanks to our dining room hosting the range and refrigerator. And if you hadn't noticed, the sink has been holding on strong in the kitchen. No one is taking away that sink. Isn't it lovely?

What? Are those...cabinets? You mean, we might be able to store things in the kitchen one day? And check out that floor. Looking good, isn't it? Salvaged quarter sawn oak. It's taken a little TLC and a few 6-packs to install.

Some More History

Dismantling our kitchen cabinets uncovered this strip of wood which is probably hard to read on your end, but it says "John Phelan" and then has our address underneath. We think it might be wood from an old crate that was then re-purposed for cabinet construction. Anyway, it's not big news because we could have learned this from our neighbors or the Registry of Deeds, but John Phelan and his wife, Edith, were the owners previous to the owners from which we bought our house. It was kind of cool "discovering" them on our own, though.

We couldn't find any records of their purchase of the home, but in 1965, the deed was put in Edith's name because her husband had passed away. Edith, also known as Ducky, lived in the house until 1996 when she passed away at age 92. Of course, I had to Google her. I found out that she graduated from Colby College in 1926 and became a history teacher, which is pretty cool. She would have been in the first few classes of female grads at Colby. Our neighbors speak highly of Ducky and apparently she was quite social and had them over often.

Less is More