More Kitchen

I had several people request additional pictures of the kitchen after our recent rehab of the countertops using birch doors….I took some photos Saturday in an effort to get better lighting….and I stress the word “effort”…

this small section was the “test” piece as far as staining and sealing went…we figured if we messed this one up, it would be easier to replace….being that it was small and all…

We went from this….

to this…

to this….

to this…

There you go!  Hopefully this is enough so that you can see what we did!  Steve has to do all of the technical stuff…like MEASURE ACCURATELY!  I am of the “round up” or “round down” methodology….I just don’t get 16ths of an inch…Steve says they are very important!  WHO KNEW?  I have gotten the countertops sealed now.  I used Watco sealer from Lowes….it is for use on butcher block and is not toxic.  Most of the sealers I researched were food safe AFTER they were completely dry and cured….just make sure before you do it.  I use my cutting board on my island for chopping food and rolling out dough and stuff like that, not my countertops anyway.  I am still LOVING them!  I think it transformed the whole feel of the kitchen! I also think that painting the newly installed beadboard the same color as the cabinets made a HUGE difference.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

I am linking to the Talent Scouting Party at Whisperwood Cottage!

 

and…Restore it Wednesdays at Restore Interiors.

 

Lou Cinda :)

Road Trip…

Through my scouring of Facebook…and Laurie Evans’ Blog, I became aware of a place in Acworth, Georgia that I felt needed to be checked out….so….Saturday, Sharon and I headed for said Woodstock Market….after my arguing with the Garmon, who I was convinced was leading us in the wrong direction, and turns out it was right and I was wrong (imagine that)….we were on our way….albeit a little round about way….thanks to me!

Two hours later, we arrived at Woodstock Market….awesomeness!!!

Loved this chair!  First thing I saw when I walked in the place…

burlap covered buttons….

and arms….I am SO looking for a chair to do this with!

LOVED this booth…..WANT that red chair…for my front porch…

Is this architectural piece not gorgeous?? I can see it over a bed…or fireplace….

Laurie’s booth was gorgeous!

This place was SO worth the drive and we will be going back there.  They have a Junk Day once a month and they also have an auction here.  You can check them out on facebook….just type in Woodstock Market and “like” them!

We also want to visit Cave Springs, Georgia as well as Rome, Georgia.  Cave Springs is SUCH a unique town (we passed through there on the way to Acworth).  It is just littered with little shops….and historic downtown Rome was the same way….I see another road trip in the future!

Thank you for stopping by :) I appreciate it so much!

Lou Cinda xoxoxo

Countertops from Doors!!

It was a labor intensive weekend to say the LEAST!  Lord Have Mercy!!  I have been wanting butcher block countertops FOREVER!!  I just really wanted that warm feeling that wood gives, and felt that they would work the best with my kitchen….alas, butcher block is not cheap….so I started researching….and I came upon The Mustard Ceiling blog wherein they used oak doors that they found to create countertops in their kitchen and I loved them! 

SO….last Saturday Steve and I went to Anniston to Remodelers Warehouse (LOVE that place) to see what we could find so we could have wood countertops….

We found birch doors with beautiful graining…..$60 each….we got three….

Hello!  In this photo Steve had already been ripped them down to the width I “thought” I wanted….turns out I wanted them one inch less…so Steve ripped’em down another inch….(oops)

If ya’ll will remember, about two years or so ago I painted my oak cabinets  cream…..then I spray painted my white laminate countertops black….yes, I said spray painted….they worked well for awhile, and it was always intended to be a temporary fix….and they started to get scratched and the black started to get on my last nerve!  I would wipe them down and in 5 seconds you could see dust on them….made me CRAZY!

So the process started…..and WHAT a process!

We started with this….

 

Now, when you hear people say….you never know what you will find until you start pulling stuff out?  They are right!  When we took out the old countertops, we didn’t find rot, or termites….thank goodness….but we did find this….

A random hole in the sheetrock….paneling that was cut off….

Hello?

The kitchen was a HOT mess….stuff everywhere….no sink all weekend….

Oh Lord what a mess!  I kept sweeping, like that would make it all neat and stuff….

So….plan B….install a bead board backsplash…..

My precious sweet husband who makes all my visions a reality….

He only had to cut around two windows, three switch plates and a microwave….not fun…

just sayin’…Lord have Mercy look at that island!!! LOL!

I caulked and painted the bead board and had originally intended to paint it back green….and as I was painting it green….I kept looking over my shoulder at the white….so I ceased and desisted with the green paint….went to Lowes with my handy dandy mason jar full of my cabinet paint and had them match it….Where’s Waldo?  See the paint in mason jars on the island?  Yeah, that’s how I roll…

Now to the pretty part….

I took these photos this  morning, so the light is not great, but the sun coming in the window on the wood I thought was so pretty…

I left out the corner cabinet thingy….I have so much more room without it….

Steve used dowels to join the two pieces together….he is awesome like that :)

So there you have it!  I stained the wood dark walnut.  I started with special walnut and it wasn’t as dark as I wanted it.  I tested it on a scrap piece of wood first, then went back with the dark walnut and it was exactly what I wanted. Much sanding was also involved…..

I do LOVE them and it was exactly what I invisioned….and the cost was $180 for three doors and $20 for one sheet of bead board….so $200 total on this remodel…..gotta love that!

Thank you so much for stopping by…I will try and get some better photos later….

So….what do you think?

I will be linking up to the following this week:

Met Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesdays

Cowgirl Up

No Minimalist Here

Simple and Sweet Fridays

Lou Cinda

 

A Spring Centerpiece…

I was playing around Saturday with the centerpiece on my dining room table, and wanted to lighten it up a little, since the temps down here are already in the 80’s…My Stars!!  I would have loved to have had a “whisp” of Spring before Summer came barging in….though my grandmother used to tell me that we will have a “blackberry winter”…and that has not happened yet….anyhoo….

Do you love my bolt of fabric leaned against the wall…lovely accessory…

Rabbits and carrots go together right?

My NEXT project involves the wood you see leaned against the wall up there…

These will become my countertops in the kitchen….I KNOW!!  Steve is so EXCITED…..NOT!!!  We found these birch doors Saturday at Remodelers Outlet in Anniston…I truly LOVE that place!  Steve and David, a friend of ours, ripped them down to the proper width Sunday, and we are going to begin the install tonight….I will stain them dark walnut and in my head they are GORGEOUS!  I just hope the vision in my head, becomes reality!  (fingers crossed) (prayers said)

Stay tuned!

Linking up at 2805 for Potpourri Friday!

Lou Cinda :)