Modest remodel

15 years ago

We bought a 1949 cape cod with a near-original kitchen. Here's what we accomplished with Craigslist cabinets, clearance appliances, paint and a lot of elbow grease.

There's still lots to do, but we are so pleased with the difference.

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Comments (35)

formerlyflorantha
15 years ago
A sweet, unified space with a clean and practical vision. Nice work!
prill
15 years ago
You did a great job. So bright and functional now. Amazing what you can find on Craigslist!
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never_ending
15 years ago
WoW! I was looking at all the previous owner's counter top contraption's!!! =) You did a great job with a small space! I love the white and the cabinet pulls, they fit very well with the age of your house. Good for you, I bet every time you walk in, you smile!
cjc123
15 years ago
Amazing! You should be so proud. It is so bright and cheery now. You must love being in there. Great shopping skills and the layout is SO much better! YEA to you!!
barbcollins
15 years ago
Great Job!

I love to see the frugal kitchen remodels more the the ones that cost a small fortune.
boxerpups
15 years ago
Dian57,
This is terrific! I love your careful attention to
particulars to improve the legroom. A realistic renovation
that is delightful, peaceful, and sweet. The soft warm
yellow walls have transformed the kitchen. The dark
stained wood floors, the rearrangement of counter space and
the classic white cabinetry makes the room look larger. I
like that you you used white appliances (Your CL treasure)
matches the cabinetry far better than another surface. Pat
yourself on the back and enjoy sipping a sweet cup of tea
in your cheerful and inviting kitchen.
~boxer
oldhouse1
15 years ago
Wow! It looks so clean and fresh. You must be thrilled. Enjoy your new space.
noellabelle
15 years ago
That looks so beautiful! What a great job!!! I love the creativeness that can come out with smaller budget, and it just looks like the perfect kitchen to bake cookies and have a cup of coffee in. Congrats and enjoy!
cheri127
15 years ago
Wow! Fantastic. Really nice job.
User
15 years ago
It's lovely! The new placement of the sink and range makes so much more sense than where they were before! Enjoy cooking in you new space. It looks like it will be a pleasure to work in.
onedogedie
15 years ago
That wallpaper was something else! How it competerd with the knotty pine cabinets! Congratulations on your new kitchen. Very pretty and love your rooster.
macybaby
15 years ago
Another WOW here - I have to admit, I love the old cabinets. They would be perfect in my husband's work room! He loves the "Cabin" look.
Angela
15 years ago
Great job! Perfect for a cape style house. Love it!
xand83
15 years ago
Great job! Just trying to imagine how the old kitchen functioned, my head hurts! White cabinets were a good idea. So much brighter!
chicagoans
15 years ago
Fantastic! It's lovely and quite a transformation.
Fori
15 years ago
Wow! That old kitchen was so bizarre! Some cute aspects but I sure would have hated it if I had to use it.

It's a fantastic remodel I think. It still has the vintage vibe it needs to look right but this time it looks very functional and pretty and the very perfect yellow. You even fixed up the painted hardware on the door!! Yeah, I like this a lot.

What was the worst part? Taking off the wallpaper?
oldhousegal
15 years ago
You did a beautiful job! I love to hear stories of others who have a realistic budget, and reuse others throwaways.
That kitchen looks so much more functional and peaceful.

I can imagine walking into the old kitchen, it would take so many cups of coffee for my mind to compete with that wallpaper! Do you ever wonder, "what were they thinking?"!
kathec
15 years ago
Hmmm, I heard knotty pine is BIG for 2011!

Just kidding, it's really lovely. Another great example of what you can do on a limited budget if you're willing to shop for bargains.

Don't forget to post details. Were the cabinets wood or painted when you bought them? If you painted what brand/color did you use. What about countertops? Wall color? Faucet, sink?

Thanks for posting!!!
writersblock (9b/10a)
15 years ago
What a darling kitchen. I can't believe you did it all so fast, too.
honorbiltkit
15 years ago
So the equation is:

lots of imagination +
good ability to identify great values on CL +
a modest bit of money +
an extremely modest bit of time +
an immodest bit of elbow grease =
MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION

Kudos on all counts. It is way cute.
flwrs_n_co
15 years ago
A hearty and well deserved CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your kitchen is now a peaceful, light-filled, warm, welcoming, and (most importantly of all) FUNCTIONAL space! You must be smiling ear-to-ear everytime you walk into your beautiful kitchen. Enjoy!
rhome410
15 years ago
VERY good job... A functional kitchen and you gained the door too! Congratulations and enjoy!
bh401
15 years ago
Such a beautiful transformation! Job well done!
The knotty pine and wallpaper would have given me a headache if I spent too much time with it. Now it's so calm and beautiful.
worldmom
15 years ago
Absolutely fantastic! It looks SO much bigger and brighter now. What an amazing improvement! Thank you so much for sharing. :o)
ironcook
15 years ago
what a lovely kitchen! it just makes me smile. you did a wonderful job. you must be very happy. really charming and delightful. thanks for sharing this. :)
shelayne
15 years ago
What a wonderful job you did! It is so much more bright and spacious, and I had to keep scrolling back and forth to see how you managed to get so much more space by the door. It is really remarkable how much space you've gained by a few functional changes!

On top of the gaining of space, the white cabinets and sunny yellow really give your kitchen such a cheerful vibe!

It is absolutely darling, and I bet you are doing cartwheels over this much-improved upon space! Good for you and ENJOY!
pinch_me
15 years ago
That looks really nice! It doesn't even look like the same room! There must be more though because I can't find the refrigerator. You can be in my white appliances club ;-) I bet you didn't cry when you took down my flourscent light fixture either.

You really got your money's worth!
battin4th
15 years ago
OMG. I'm embarrassed to say I have that same wallpaper! Home Depot used to sell it. Now you know what I'm doing here on GW.

Nice renovation. Enjoy it.
gsciencechick
15 years ago
Wow, this is an amazing transformation! Congrats on a job well done. Yes, please post more details.
10KDiamond
15 years ago
You must be so very proud at your efforts. I love the transformation - clean and crisp, but so warm too! I love Craigslist!
cat_mom
15 years ago
So very WOW!!!!!
dianalo
15 years ago
Your new kitchen is so cheerful and happy looking. The layout is improved but the look is the real star of the show ;)
User
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. I realize it's not a grand remodel, but it works and it's SO much better.

The wall paint is Banan-Appeal by Benjamin Moore
The cabinets are painted White Dove or Dove White, also BM
From Craigslist: the 32" Kohler sink--$60, the electric range--$125, the set of uppers--$200--originally dark walnut, the rest of the cabinets, except for the little one next to the range from Lowe's (unfinished stock $98) were $400. The pantry cabinets has 6 slide out drawers!)
ORB pulls and knobs from Cripe Distributing--$28
Basalt slate formica--under $200
Clearance dishwasher from Lowe's--$130
New faucet from Lowe's--$98
New range hood from Home Depot--$140
Sheer curtain fabric on door--under $10
Light fixtures--2/$20 from Lowe's clearance section
Original hardware on door was boiled and paint removed, spray painted with black matte Rustoleum

We still have at least 10 cabinets in the basement and garage that are left over after playing the game of Cabinet Tetris. Any ideas on what to put to the right of the pantry door so the uppers don't look like they're hanging off a cliff?

Here's the other side of the kitchen with the fridge:

The room started as a bedroom facing the front of the house. The original owner, now 94 built all the knotty pine cabinets in place and there were no backs on them. But believe me, they were rock solid and heavy. Through communication with the children who grew up in the house, this room was divided into a kitchen AND dining room by a built-in peninsula between the windows that was gone by the time we purchased.

We sold the whole original kitchen for $300 to a couple in the same town. The appliances all still worked.

The worst part? Removing the wallpaper--several layers. We rented a professional steamer and spent most of July working in the room with old windows that didn't open. In the end, I asked the contractor to skim coat the walls and ceiling. Several coats of Guardz primer and we were good to go.

Still have work to do, but it's 95% done.
jorstad
15 years ago
love it
is there a way to put the micro on a shelf so it wouldn't take up counter space?
greenhousems
15 years ago
Dian... your kitchen is perfect... you are very very talented. Enjoy your new kitchen!!

Modest remodel

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