Better Block: Day 2

I got to the shop promptly at 5 yesterday and got right to work. You could not imagine my deep gratitude for the people who have shown up to volunteer. Immediately, Tina, Ari and Terri got to painting on the wooden pallets John and I planned on using for tables. My friends Susie and Cali worked on folding maps and some decor for the shop. 

 

We weren't exactly sure how to assemble the tables, but the guys from Better Block assured us they would deliver wood for legs...and sure enough, they did! Chris and Bob put together four large pallet tables and a coffee table made from an old window frame (Mom - can you believe I'm still holding onto this thing??) in less than an hour! They came together so well, I'm hoping they have enough passion to put together a couch tonight! 

I am absolutely obsessed with this wreath my friend Cali made from newspapers  (left). It was a pinterest find, and although it took her 2 hours to make it was definitely worth it (although she may not agree, haha). On the right is our sandwich board display for the sidewalk.

Tonight is the big night. We have lots of people stopping by to lend a hand setting up, painting, folding maps and whatever other odd jobs we can find. Wish us luck, tomorrow is the big day!

Kitchen Finale!

Our "little" project which kicked off in September has come to a close with the finale screw placed last night. Barney's blood, Mike's sweat and my tears have been poured into this project (don't worry, Barney is okay and I'm just a crybaby), so without anymore hesitation, let's show you around!

We went with the off-white cabinets to lighten up the space (even during the day it's completely dark in this area). It makes the space look so much bigger! You can't tell from the photos, but the cabinets go to the ceiling so we have a lot more storage space - and not a gallery of all our extra dishes. I originally wanted the butcher block counter tops. Then granite. In reality, as this is a rental, we knew laminate would probably be the best bet. Looks pretty close to granite though, right? It's called Labrador, and we purchased the pre-cut piece at Lowes.

Again, we added more storage by putting a cabinet above the washer and dryer. Originally we had not planned on getting new appliances, but the owners up the budget so we could get an energy efficient fridge, stove and range hood. It was a debate between black and stainless steel, but black won. We pretty much cut the appliances cost in half by not doing stainless steel and ultimately I think we made the right decision.

I'm telling you what, this sink has changed my life! Before our sink was 7" deep and the faucet leaked, and it was just ugly! The new sink is 9" deep, it's a cast-composite makeup which makes it super light - hopefully super durable too. I picked the pull down faucet style, which means no more Brita water filter (darn).

We have so much more built-in storage now. Since we couldn't re-install the dish rack, Barney came up with the pots and pans rack solution - which I love! We have space between the fridge and washer to store my (new) step stool and other miscellaneous items. There is a spice rack cabinet - which probably would have worked better on the bottom. The cutlery divider (came free with the cabinets) makes two drawers in one and saves a lot of space. My microwave shelf idea worked out well and our trash can drawer gets those nasty cans out of the open.

I started out with a $5,000 budget. After I was given the go-ahead on the appliances, it was bumped up to $6,000. Here's the breakdown.

$3,300     Custom-made cabinets with hardware and all built-in storage
   $548     Refrigerator
   $549     Oven
     $69     Range Hood
   $187     Sink and drain
   $147     Faucet
   $190     Counter top, toe kit, glue etc.
   $100     Extra crown molding
     $16     Shelf and brackets
   $190     Tile, grout, glue, caulk
   $150     Miscellaneous items (basin, buckets, gas line solution, outlet covers, nails, screws, etc.)
_____________________________
$5,446     Total

Not bad, right? We're still under budget! So...the big question is...what's the next project!?

Sneak Peak!

Sorting through the 11 boxes of cabinets.

It's been forever since I did a post about our kitchen project, hasn't it? This "little" project we started in September is finally coming to a close and it's been quite the learning adventure. For starters, nothing went according to plan. We have all the components I originally wanted (i.e. cabinets, a sink, a faucet, etc.), but the cabinets are the only thing that remained the same.

Of course the gas line had to be refigured a bit
because of the length of the cabinets.

We ran into a lot of road blocks along the way. Everything from the cabinets being too long (I ordered the wrong size), to buying all new crown molding, delayed delivery of appliances, moving gas lines, electrical lines and a leaky drain (only for a day though).

Nasty stove, wall, floor...We even found a nasty Bud Ice bottle in the wall!

Reading the instructions after the initial install didn't work.
That's how it's suppose to be done, right?

Trying to fix the bowed counterop and gluing the sink in place.

 

 

Installing the tile back splash and range hood - which almost went in crooked!

However through (Barney's) blood, (Mike's) sweat and (my) tears we are nearing the finish line. With all the extra steps and trials we've still remained under budget (which was between $5,000 and $6,000) and we still can sell the old appliances and extra cabinet we have. Barney is coming over tonight to help us with the grout for the tile and other finishing touches. We've got a really lovely kitchen with lots more storage space and a nice upgrade to the apartment.

Kitchen Update

All aboard the kitchen train, next stop counter tops, sinks and faucets.

I think all this kitchen stuff is getting to my head. Anyway, the next task is to decide on counter tops. Barney's counter top guy can get us a really nice laminated surface with beveled edges, cut for a sink, and installed for roughly $25 psf. Our landlord's friend's company deals specifically in granite and we're thinking he can get us a remnant piece for a good price. We're still out for a final estimate on that... However we have to have the company deliver and install, which could potentially set back the timeframe a little. Laminate is definitely the cheaper (and easier) route to take, but granite does look quite nice. Ultimately, the call is up to the landlady.

(left) front apron, (right) copper sink

As far as sinks go, I've ruled out the stainless steal. I really love the copper and apron front sinks, but that's just not an option for our kitchen. I picked out a few acrylic sinks I really like. We are going with a 23" sink, so the two basins might not really work for us, but hey, it's worth a shot!

Our last step is to pick out a faucet. Since we went with black matte hardware on the cabinets, I'm sticking with the same for the faucet. Of course, it really depends on the sink. Two of the options above wouldn't allow for a wide base. But, we'll for sure go with the pull down sprayer/faucet in one.

Kitchen Update, Part 3

We took the first big leap and bought the cabinets on Saturday! We finally settled on the maple cream finished (so it won't have the weathered look) with black matte knobs and pulls. I decided on the black pulls because they will match either color appliances we pick (stainless or black) and we'll be able to pull the whole design together with the counter top coloring.

Since there was a promotion going through the 23rd, we ended up getting 12 cabinets (we only need 11), including the cutlery divider, waste basket cupboard, sliding spice rack and sink base all included in the price of $3,016. That's about $1,000 off the full price and we have an extra cabinet we can sell in the future - Gotta love a good deal! The cabinets will take 4-6 weeks to arrive and I just can't wait.

Our next step is to pick out the counter tops, sink and faucet. We ruled out the butcher's block style after we took a visit to Home Emporium out in Chesapeake. Although we could get it at an extremely good price ($120 for more than we need), it has to be conditioned every 6 months with a specific type of oil. Not really ideal for a rental unit. So, now we're still debating between laminate and granite. What is you're opinion?

Kitchen Redo Part 2

original plan I created before measuring or knowing anything
about the inner workings of the cabinet world.

It's amazing what four hours at Lowe's with your boyfriend's father will teach you. First off, I have a whole new appreciation for kitchen cabinets that I never thought was possible. We decided to price out two kitchens: A) Cheap and B) All the upgrades.

cognac, espresso and hazelnut cabinets

Turns out, cheap isn't an option when it comes to the cabinets. The in-stock (inexpensive) cabinets Barney (Mike's dad) suggested we go with actually aren't an option. We have to get custom cabinets made because of the awkward length and height of the space. The low-end "cognac" or "espresso" cabinets will run us about $2,300. The middle-end "hazelnut" cabinets will cost $3,125.12. There goes more than half our budget (which was originally mentioned at $5,000) on cabinets. However, if we go with the hazelnut, we'll get a sink base cabinet, built-in pull-out spice rack, wood tiered cutlery divider and all of the hardware included in the price!

Right side of the kitchen with seven cabinets and a pull-out
spice rack (between the two right cabinets).

My original renderings had the microwave above the stove, which is learned is not going to work. Since our stove is only 20" wide (yes, I said 20"), we'd need to have a 20" or even a 24" hanging microwave, which do not exist. Barney suggested building a shelf to put the microwave on, but that goes against all fire codes. We decided to build the shelf on the right side of the kitchen and shorten those cabinets. We are installing a range hood above the stove, but still run into the problem of the size. Lowes doesn't make a 20" range hood, so we're having to go with a 24" option. Fine, we'll make it work....

Left side of the kitchen with new cabinets
above the refrigerator and washer dryer.

But now the BIG question...Stainless steel or black appliances?! We could save up to $400 by going with the black, but what is it going to look like with cream cabinets, bronze hardware and brown counter tops? We have some decisions to make, however, we have some time, since it'll take 4-5 weeks for our cabinets to come in (once we've placed the order).

Stay tuned for next week when we have the final verdict on cabinets, hardware and counter tops!

Kitchen Updo Part 1

Our cluttered, cluster of a kitchen...

Our apartment is such a great little space with exposed brick, hardwood floors, wooden beams across the ceiling, but the kitchen just sticks out like a sore thumb (above). It's dark, the cabinets are falling apart and storage is abysmal. On a whim, we asked our landlady/friend if we could update our kitchen. To our surprise, she said yes! She's always wanted to do it, but never had the time. We used the fact that Mike's dad is a contractor as leverage and knew he'd help us get the ball rolling and even some great deals on materials.

off-white cabinets with finished wood counter tops.
the photo on the top left is actually dyed cement with a wood stamp!

My first task was to generate some ideas of what we wanted to do with the space. We have a 7.5' wall to work with (the other side is the refrigerator and stacking washer/dryer), so options are limited. I knew we had to do cabinets to the ceiling (which are 8.6' - not normal), a new stove, countertops, a deeper sink and we have to get that microwave off the counter.

bronze hardware and faucet with a pullout sprayer.
"biscuit" sink and glass tile - only $5.98 psf.

I never thought of myself as a white-cabinet kind of girl, but I'm in love with these looks. Especially with the wooden counter tops. Plus, the light cabinets will help to brighten up the tiny space. I want to accent the cabinets with bronze hardware, a glass tile back splash and a "biscuit" colored acrylic sink.

some nice storage options. although i'm not sure our tea cups are cute enough to display!

Since storage is the biggest issue in our kitchen (and the apartment in general), we're going to have to get creative. The taller cabinets will definitely help, but with the additions of a drawer cutting board, under-the-cabinet hooks and a hanging drying rack, it'll definitely help. I showed the designs to our landlady and she really likes the direction I'm heading. Next, we have to take measurements and get estimates. Stay tuned!