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jenj

Small 1928 Kitchen Reveal - Before/After Photos and ALL the Details

jenj
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

I spent 12 years,
literally, dreaming about updating the 10x10 kitchen in our 1928 bungalow. I
went through various phases of talking to contractors, picking things out and
planning to pull the trigger…only for something to happen in life that put it
on the back burner again and again. But finally it has happened - almost 12
years to the day that we closed on the house, we finished remodeling our
kitchen. I am a bit ashamed of how many hours I've spent on Gardenweb and now
Houzz pouring over everyone else's questions, pictures and advice so I wanted
to contribute to future small kitchen remodelers out there. Thank you to
everyone that has been so helpful whether you realize it or not! So here's my
old kitchen made new again and all the details it took to get there:

The "Before" Space - Last updated in
the mid-80s! A 10x10 room with 3 doors - one to the hallway, one to the dining
room and one to a small 5x6 "mudroom" that leads outside. The mudroom
was an old porch that a previous owner had closed in (badly). It had a 2nd sink
that made no sense, a badly sloping floor and an exterior door so warped that
it barely closed. We wanted to tear it off and start over but the budget didn't
allow so we took out the sink, leveled it, put in new sheetrock, a new door and made it
very useful space with new cabinetry.

The view from the dining room, looking towards the kitchen:

I had already started testing new cabinet colors at this point. Mudroom in the background.


The "After" Space - We drew up many plans that included expanding
the space but we couldn't justify the expense involved in moving an exterior
wall based on the size of our house (1450 sq ft). So we settled on leaving the
footprint as is and focusing on opening it up and optimizing the space as much
as possible. We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to
increase natural light, create a feeling of spaciousness in a small space and
entertain more easily. Layout-wise, we moved pretty much everything since the
refrigerator felt like it was in the middle of the floor and the
dishwasher/sink/stove crowded each other and prevented simultaneous cooking and
cleanup by 2 people. We also exposed an old brick chimney flue to add a bit of
character. That was a big tradeoff as it meant sacrificing much needed pantry
space but we are so glad we did it - the brick keeps the new space connected to
the home's 80+ year old roots and is the first thing everyone comments on. The
size of the pantry has been fine.

Cabinets - Custom
shaker cabinets by the very talented Jeff Witherspoon and team at Witherspoon
Woodworks. I highly recommend them if you are in the Raleigh, NC area. The
cabinets are lacquered. Uppers are color matched to Benjamin Moore Super White.
The lowers are color matched to Sherwin Williams Cyberspace, which is a dark
gray with blue undertones. My dh doesn't
see the blue undertone in it (which is good because he would have vetoed
anything blue) but I do and I love it.

Countertops - Honed
carrera marble. I have always loved the look of marble but didn't think we were
the right kind of people to put it in our kitchen. I'm a bit Type A and my
husband is the messiest man alive. So I went in search of options. I probably went
to every sizeable stone yard or quartz dealer in a 30 mile radius. I tried
really hard to fall in love with something else. But the quartz quotes were
insanely expensive and I never found one (despite all the great posts on this
forum) that was what I wanted. Then one day I walked into a stone yard and they
had just finished unloading a new shipment of honed carrera. Embarrassingly, my
heart literally skipped a beat. It was stunning. I wanted to hug it. I agonized
over how I would handle it when, inevitably, dh would leave salsa or lemon or
who-knows-what on it over night. I tried to talk myself out of it but in the
end, it was the least expensive material I looked at AND it was gorgeous. So we
did it. It has been in for about 2 months. It is already stained and etched a
bit here and there but you know what? I do not care. You have to be staring at
just the right place, in just the right light to see the flaws. And it makes me
very very happy every time I see it. Completely worth it.

Tile - I have a
thing about how white subway tile and the white cabinet color in white kitchens
go together. I know many people recommend not matching them because it gives
the room depth to have different whites, etc. but that drives me crazy. It
seems like so often either the tile or the cabinets look "off" (to my
eyes) in those scenarios. So I tried really hard to match them the best I
could. Of course they don't really "match" per se, because one is
painted wood and one is tile, but they are darn close and I love how they go
together. The tile is the "Vintage Studio" line from Best Tile. It is
not their cheapest white subway but it was worth it since we had such a small
area to tile. The grout is Mapei Frost. I wanted a very light gray that just
barely outlined the tile without being too dark. I've used Mapei Warm Gray and
Mapei Silver before and they were darker than I wanted for the kitchen. I tried
Laticrete Silver Shadow but it read too blue. My tile installer strongly
suggested I go with something from TEC and I tried…really, I did…but all the
TEC colors looked too warm for my taste. So Mapei Frost it was and I really
like it - it was exactly what I was going for. The tiles did not have built in
spacers so they were butted against each other for the thinnest grout lines
possible.

Hardware - Colonial
Bronze style 663 in satin brass
. Ordered through Homeclick with a coupon.
Still expensive, but worth it. The brass adds a hint of warmth that nicely
balances out the otherwise cool colors and materials in the space. And I love
the simplicity of them.

Paint - There isn't
a ton of painted wall in the kitchen but the small amount there is is painted
Benjamin Moore White Dove. The dining room and den had been painted white dove
within the past year and I didn't want to repaint those areas. So it was an act
of laziness and trying to save some $$ in some regards but turned out nicely.
All the trim is Benjamin Moore Super White. For the record, I'm a huge Super
White fan - it reads so clean and pure in my house. No gray, no yellow, just
clean, crisp white.


APPLIANCES

Refrigerator -
JennAir JFC2290REM00. Love the internal water dispenser and layout! Also, this
is one of the few french door refrigerators that can open to 90 degrees without
needing additional room for the hinges. This is important for anyone that is
installing near a wall like we were and needed every inch they could get.

Range - Bertazzoni
MAS304GASXE
. We've been very happy with it so far. It doesn't have bells
and whistles but it is a solid gas range that we enjoy cooking on.

Hood - Bertazzoni
KU30 PRO 1 XV
. It is only 400CFM because we didn't want to deal with the
additional cost and requirements of make-up air. We cook, but nothing crazy, so
it should be fine. And best of all, the hood came free with the range thanks to
a deal from Bertazzoni that is running again in 2016. We mounted it at 30"
from the top of the grates (the highest recommendation for this hood) to
accommodate my 6'4" DH.

Dishwasher - Bosch
SHP68T55UC
. We have a small kitchen and going with the recessed cup handle
helped streamline that row of cabinets visually. It cleans great so far and I
love the 3rd rack for silverware.

Sink - Kraus KHU10123.
We only had room for a 24" sink cabinet so I worried that the sink would
feel too small but it turned out great. The depth and the straight lines (as
opposed to sloped corners) makes it feel much larger than it is. It feels very
high quality - even the GC and countertop installers commented on it. The only
thing is that I sometimes feel like I'm "chasing" every last crumb to
get it down the disposal with the sprayer. I don't remember doing that with
other sinks so not sure why that is.

Faucet - Delta
Trinsic
in chrome. The gold/champagne faucets out there are beautiful and I
considered going in that direction to match the satin brass door hardware. But
it felt like too much and I'm really happy with the more eclectic feeling from
the mixed finishes. I also really wanted
a faucet that had a pull down sprayer that would stay docked and the strong
magnet in this Delta does the trick. Plus, you can change it between spray and
stream with a click of the button and it stays that way without having to hold
it. Very nice when you need to quick thaw shrimp or something under a constant
spray for a few minutes.

Soap Dispenser -
Kraus. I read a good bit on this forum about the pros/cons of having a soap
dispenser. My GC tried to talk me out of it, saying that he believes in
minimizing the number of holes cut in the stone. But I went with it anyway for
2 reasons - 1) the sink is in the peninsula and very visible from the front
door and dining room. I wanted to reduce the visual clutter of the area and I
think the eye disregards permanent fixtures like this dispenser much more so
than a soap bottle, no matter how pretty the soap bottle is. 2) I've never had
a soap bottle by the sink that didn't result in a little ring of soap
underneath it that had to be cleaned periodically. I pictured that little ring
of soap on my nice honed marble and knew the dispenser was right for me. I did
make sure that the dispensing end was positioned well over the sink in case of
drips. I've loved it so far and will never go back to the bottle.


LIGHTING

Can Lighting - OMG,
I obsessed over the lighting. I know WAY too much about lighting at this point.
Thanks largely to this forum, I ended up with four Cree 4" cans with 3000k
bulbs. We love them! The light is warm, but clean and bright - exactly what I
was going for. The CRI of 90 really makes a difference in that regard. Note
that having a dimmer on these lights is absolutely imperative - we only use
them full strength when I'm cleaning at night. It is nice to have the option to
go full bright for certain tasks and dimmed for a little ambience.

Undercabinet
Lighting
- Again, I obsessed. And in the end, I spent way more than I wanted to
spend on the UCL but I'm glad we did. I needed something with a very low
profile, 3000k and a high CRI. We ended up with Tech
Lighting Unilume LED Slimline
. I love them. Local plug - if you are in the
Raleigh area, please consider working with Griffin at Accipter in Cameron
Village on lighting. He was fabulous!

Pendants - After
searching high and low for something unique yet affordable, with a touch of
brass but not too much, I ended up with just Crate and Barrel's Landerpendants. I like them much more than I thought I was going to. They do the job
without drawing too much attention. I have PAR16 bulbs in them which I don't
love the look of when they are off but love the light they put out when they
are on. We tried several other options, including a myriad of edison style
bulbs but the light they gave off just didn't work. They were way too warm for
my taste (I wanted them to be close to
the 3000k in the ucl and can lights) and were not practical in this particular
application (over a sink).

From the dining room, same view as second "before" picture above:

The new and improved "mudroom" in the background:

Same view as the "before" refrigerator picture above.

Still looking for a new dining room light if anyone has suggestions...

I think that is
everything! If I missed something that would be helpful to you, let me know
because I certainly want to pay all the great advice I got forward. Thanks
again!

Jen

Comments (140)

  • life4real
    7 years ago
    Wow! What a tremendous transformation! Beautiful!
    jenj thanked life4real
  • capbny
    7 years ago

    Gorgeous transformation! I love the brass hardware and the saddle leather of the stools with the navy cabinets.

    jenj thanked capbny
  • geo55
    5 years ago

    May I ask what your total co$t was to accomplish this spectacular renovation? Must be such a delight to wake up to a kitchen like that every morning!

    jenj thanked geo55
  • PRO
    Architecture Plus Inc
    5 years ago

    Looks great!

    jenj thanked Architecture Plus Inc
  • PRO
    Mega Builders
    5 years ago

    Very nice!

    jenj thanked Mega Builders
  • Gill
    5 years ago

    Absolutely LOVE your kitchen, everything about it! The blue cabinets, the marble counters, the bright white of the subway tile, upper cabinets and walls, the brass pulls, the counter stools on the tone of the floor, the exposed brick, every detail. Amazing!

    jenj thanked Gill
  • Colette
    5 years ago
    Love it! Great work!
    jenj thanked Colette
  • Peggy Coggins
    5 years ago

    @jenj, I know it's been a couple years since you posted this story but I just had to tell you how beautifully planned and absolutely stunning your kitchen is! Each of your color and finish choices were spot on. From the gray/blue lower cabinet color and satin brass hardware to the pop of shine in the chrome faucet. The white on white is just right and YES, showing off that bit of rustic brick was brilliant as it warms the room so well. I'm not a designer but I know what impresses me and your kitchen is it.


    jenj thanked Peggy Coggins
  • jenj
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Thank you to everyone for this resurgence in compliments on our kitchen!

    Hi geo55 - I think I've tried to forget how much we paid because it was too painful. ;-) All in, including floor refinishing, paint, every last detail - I think we were around $50-55k. It was not cheap and I could have saved a few grand probably by making less expensive choices on certain finishes (certainly the appliances, for example). But we had waited so long (12 years) and plan to be here for the foreseeable future so decided to just get what we wanted. Over two years later, we still love it and I have no regrets. The only thing I even wonder about doing differently is the Crate and Barrel Lander pendants because while I still love them aesthetically, they are absolutely filthy 2 days after cleaning them. But that is the price to pay with any glass pendant. The honed marble is full of scratches, stains and etching but I'd install it again in a heart beat. I just like the feel it brings to the room. Good luck on your renovation projects and thanks again for the kind feedback!

  • gdevlinjr
    5 years ago
    Brilliant! Well worth the wait. I love what you have done, I love the two-tone I love the brass hardware, it looks crisp and clean and stunning. I don’t know if the brick was there, but a great highlight and I love your window and door casings Which I believe are original. Enjoy
    jenj thanked gdevlinjr
  • Missverahome
    5 years ago
    beautiful!
    jenj thanked Missverahome
  • mamastyle
    5 years ago

    Amazing job!

  • PRO
    MuralbyDesign
    5 years ago

    Fantastic transformation!


  • not provided
    5 years ago

    Marvelous. And your write up is to be commended. So helpful and so nice of you to remember the houzzers who may have helped you. Five star review!

  • laurieannphillips
    4 years ago

    @jenj, came across your kitchen photos today -- Amazing transformation! -- because i'm considering the same Jenn Air fridge in our reno. Are you still pleased with that choice a few years later? And, what are the dimensions of your peninsula? We are considering doing the same. Finally, is that your pantry across from the peninsula? How wide is it? And did you do roll-out shelves insides? Thank you for helping the rest of us!

    jenj thanked laurieannphillips
  • PRO
    Door Corner
    4 years ago

    Wow! Worth the wait. It looks completely different. Very well done, congratulations!

    jenj thanked Door Corner
  • jenj
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Hi @laurieannphillips - Thank you! The Jenn Air fridge has been "fine." I still very much like the layout of it and have no complaints in that regard. But we had to have the ice maker replaced last year and the light in the freezer won't stay lit, no matter how many times you replace the bulb. The ice maker is also a little stingy about how much it fills up the ice container. We don't use a ton of ice but if we did I think it would be a problem. If I was rating it on a scale of 1-10, I'd give the fridge a 7. For the price, I'd prefer no issues.


    I'm out of town currently but based on memory, the peninsula is 60" I think. Just enough for the dishwasher, sink and a single pullout trash. If I had that to do over again, I would have given up a few more inches of walkway space (between the peninsula and pantry) and done a double trash pullout so I could have recycling in there.


    I'm not 100% sure about the size of the pantry but I *think* it was just 24". I can verify when I get home. It is roomy enough for us (just two) but if you have a large family, it could get tight. However, we also have our microwave in there so that takes up a full shelf. We did not do rollout shelves in the pantry. My understanding is that with the "lip" of a rollout, we were going to lose a precious few inches and that wasn't worth it to me since the pantry was already so narrow.


    Hope that helps - let me know if you need anything else!

  • Michele
    4 years ago
    WOW! Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful. I love the choices you made! Everything looks great.
    jenj thanked Michele
  • Ari Dad
    4 years ago

    This is such a beautiful renovation. I think it’s the type of “everything coming together” that we are all hoping for. Thank you so much for sharing.

    jenj thanked Ari Dad
  • PRO
    Vanguard Development SF
    4 years ago

    WOW!

    jenj thanked Vanguard Development SF
  • Aly Upstate NY (Plant Zone 5b & 6a)
    4 years ago
    Wow! Great job, it looks fantastic and cohesive.
    jenj thanked Aly Upstate NY (Plant Zone 5b & 6a)
  • PRO
    Bearded Builders, Baltimore
    4 years ago

    Beautiful!

    jenj thanked Bearded Builders, Baltimore
  • PRO
    Archimode Architects
    4 years ago

    Lovely transformation, navy blue for the under counter cabinets works really well.

    jenj thanked Archimode Architects
  • Sonja Suitor
    4 years ago
    Beautiful! Well worth the long wait — such a long wait doubtless infused you with many new ideas. I’m at the point I don’t need or want a large kitchen — yours is a primer on how to create a precious jewel of a kitchen. Good job!
    jenj thanked Sonja Suitor
  • max Anders
    4 years ago
    Beautifully, You renovated in a good way. Not making it ultramodern . You keep it appropriate for your house and it turn out fantastic. You thoroughly thought it out every step of the way and it shows. Now you have the kitchen of your dreams. Well done!.
    jenj thanked max Anders
  • PRO
    Pearl Remodeling
    4 years ago

    This is a very good renovate. Everything is really beautiful. Great work.

    jenj thanked Pearl Remodeling
  • PRO
    Lion Windows and Doors
    4 years ago

    Incredible work! Love all of your updates. Check out Currey and Company or Regina Andrews lighting for the dining room. They have some really fun and unusual fixtures.

    jenj thanked Lion Windows and Doors
  • dmg77
    4 years ago

    It is absolutely gorgeous!

  • gritsnh63
    4 years ago

    What a beautiful remodel and the very thorough description of everything you selected is great!

  • cluelessincolorado
    4 years ago

    Probably WAY too late, but it would be great to see a Before/After floorpan!

  • PRO
    Scott Hall Remodeling
    4 years ago

    Wow this is gorgeous!

  • _lmnop
    4 years ago

    Beautiful! Did you do your own layout & design or did you work with an architect/designer? Did you have a GC or did you oversee the work yourself? I've waited 4 years for a new kitchen and it will be at least that many more years before we can start the project. It's painful, but I hope it will be as worth it for me as it has been for you!

  • PRO
    Plazza Natural Stone
    4 years ago

    Great renovation, your attention to detail is obvious. Marble really is a timeless stone.

  • Pa P
    4 years ago

    Gorgeous!

  • PRO
    Norwood Architects
    4 years ago

    Awesome kitchen and eating area! Great job. Love the exposed brick and the two colors of cabinetry.

  • anotherjendee
    4 years ago

    One of my favorite transformations ever! Thank you for taking the time to show and share! I've spent an obscene amount of time on Houzz dreaming of a new kitchen as well. Hoping to be an "after" story one of these years...

  • Architectural Notice
    4 years ago

    I can't tell you how much your story inspired me. I appreciate all the details you shared on your product selections.


    I have the same situation as you - a wall next to my refrigerator space that limits the type of refrigerator I can have. Are you able to open your refrigerator door on the left a full 90 degrees? Does the door or handle hit the wall? Are you able to remove the bins for cleaning?

  • jenj
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Architectural Notice - Thank you for your kind words! Yes, I am able to open the refrigerator door on the left 90 degrees and the bins aren't a problem. But it is really important to look in the detailed specs of the refrigerators you are considering and see what the measurements are for 90 degree door opening. I chose this fridge specifically because it required minimal space in that regard. I'm attaching a photo of the top left corner of the fridge that shows the exact distance from the wall and the "frame" my cabinet guy put around the fridge. A really important note that you can't see in this pic though is that there is a doorway to the hallway to my left as I'm facing the fridge. And when I open the door 90 degrees, the HANDLES of the fridge clear that door frame, allowing me to open it wider than I could if it was a solid wall. So my point is, make sure you have measured not just for the refrigerator door but for the door with handles, which is typically at least a couple inches deeper. If I didn't have that doorway, the handles would hit the wall much sooner and would limit my range. Hope that makes sense and best of luck with your remodel!


  • Jules J
    4 years ago

    OMG

    that look amazing. Loooove the brick. The blue base cabinets looks gorgeous. Great work !!!

    jenj thanked Jules J
  • PRO
    123 Remodeling Inc.
    4 years ago

    Amazing work on your new kitchen! It looks more modern and spacious!

    jenj thanked 123 Remodeling Inc.
  • hollyhock3
    4 years ago

    I just came across your post and have to say I love everything you've done in this renovation! I also spent many hours planning my kitchen reno 5 years ago and I spent many hours on Houzz looking at kitchen photos. I am really happy with the result. You have done such an amazing job, I love the colours and you are right, the BenMoore Super White is the best! Last winter we completed a reno on the master bedroom and used it for all of the trim and window. If anyone is looking for a refrigerator that takes up little space with clean lines, take a look at Fisher-Paykel. I purchased the counter depth and nothing sticks out into the floor space. I love it. With 2 people, we don't need to keep a lot of food in the fridge.


    jenj thanked hollyhock3
  • PRO
    MuralbyDesign
    4 years ago

    Just a beautiful solution. Congratulations.


    jenj thanked MuralbyDesign
  • Architectural Notice
    4 years ago

    hollyhock3, did you purchase all Fisher-Paykel appliances? How do you like them? I've read mixed reviews on the dishwasher drawers (the only kind of dishwasher FP sells).

    jenj thanked Architectural Notice
  • RedRyder
    4 years ago

    This renovation is stunning. And more importantly, you stayed true to yourself and your house! That bungalow is smiling right through the photos. Bravo! Your hard work and research and obsessive nature paid off in spades.

    jenj thanked RedRyder
  • jenj
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Hi Architectural Notice - I did not use any Fisher-Paykel appliances for this reno but nice to know you have liked them!

  • kelkim2
    4 years ago

    It’s beautiful! You must be so thrilled! Enjoy!

  • hollyhock3
    4 years ago

    I purchased the Fisher Paykel fridge and dishwasher only. My husband really liked the idea of 2 drawers and it has been very good. It runs quietly and has a flat front, so nothing intrudes into your floor space. All of our new appliances were flat front and space saving. We even bought a small oven from AEG which is European and I wondered if we would have enough room in it for a turkey but the large roasting pan fits in perfectly as well as the large cookie baking sheets.

  • felizlady
    4 years ago

    All your thinking and planning and shopping and measuring and choices paid off in your
    not-too-big beautiful kitchen. The brick chimney is wonderful with your blue. I enjoyed all your written comments, too. We all have reasons for certain decisions and I’m glad you shared so much with us.

  • felizlady
    4 years ago

    Jenj.....I copied your kitchen photos into my kitchen ideabook. This is the first time I’ve done that with a Houzzer’s kitchen makeover. I may have another kitchen remodel in my future and it may be my inspiration.

  • felizlady
    4 years ago

    I even made a new little album with your kitchen photos....”jenj’s new kitchen”.