Kitchen Planning

So, quick update.  Most of what we are working on right now for the house is planning and...ugh...shopping.  I feel like Craigslist is eventually going to block me for over use.  Anyways, amidst all of our supply gathering the kitchen is coming along (and the master bathroom, more on that later).  I thought I would share our progress, and our proposed plan for the space.

The Progress

So, the kitchen has pretty much been gutted & the cabinets have been removed.  We are going to keep the old cabinets.  We love the hardware and their rustic look.  The hubs put backs on them this week.  I mean, really, who has cabinets without backs?  Especially when this is what is underneath them... 




Former rat's nest (all rodent residents have vacated, but their poop remains)

 


Here is our partially gutted kitchen.



The Plan

 

This is a sketch of the kitchen wall opposite the glass cabinets.  The sink part of this plan will be in the current breakfast nook.  We are pretty much leaving the layout on the glass cabinet side as it is.

Here is the original kitchen, just to show the cabinets we are working with:

Here are the colors I am hoping for:

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I love the kitchen pictured above...it is pretty much amazing...and my inspiration for our kitchen.  We are trying to keep the original cabinets, so painting them white will help make them look fresh.  The hubs is still trying to talk me into keeping the top cabinets wood...we will see.  The idea is to have very dark wood countertops, stainless appliances, and redish flooring.  The flooring we have picked out is actually ceramic, but has a brick look to it.  We are also going to do a white subway tile backsplash.  The only thing I haven't picked out is a paint color.  I think it will come to me after the room starts to come together.  My first instinct was to leave the room white, but now I think some color might be nice.  Keep you posted!

Getting Started

We got started on the house this past weekend, so much work to be done!  We pulled down lots of wallpaper and paneling in the kitchen.  Here are a few pics of Jeff and our friend Ryan working hard.

Our contractor started on Tuesday this week.  He has already installed the new water heater and has started demo on several of the rooms.

The contractor will take care of most of the BIG projects on this house.  Things like...

             

1.  Replacing the electric and plumbing.

2.  Replacing the HVAC system.

3.  Smoothing out our crazy plaster walls.

4.  Building a new wall to extend the master bath.

5.  Tiling the kitchen and bathrooms.

6.  Installing appliances, counters, and bathroom fixtures

It is great to have a professional working on the more difficult things.  However, there is still a ton left for us to work on!  Our first big project will be refinishing the clawfoot tub we just bought off craigslist....stay posted to see how it goes.

Also, check out where the homeowners from long ago used to write down their phone numbers...we found this under the paneling:

I'd like to know who "Boo Bon" was.

Epic Journey, You May Begin

We recently bought a beautiful, historic (1920s), charming abode in Chattanooga, TN.  The catch is that his wonderful, historic, charming abode is a hot mess.  In this instance, "hot mess" refers to the loads of work required to bring this house up to its full potential.  We, however, are the Richardsons...which means we are up for the task.  In planning for our many projects related to this house, I  found blogs to be a wealth of information where people share their DIY projects and mishaps.  So, in the coming days, weeks, and probably months I hope to use this blog to keep you, the reader, apprised of our progress on this wonderful home-to-be.

So, feel free to check on us throughout this epic journey as we make our house a home.  Check out the BEFORE photos to get a glimpse of this diamond in the rough.