Farm Kitchen Renovation: Part 1
Yes, kitchen renovation part 1. Because there are going to be at least half a dozen. Because this farm kitchen renovation is going to go on… and on… and on. We've barely scratched the surface, my friends. But even in the demolition that we've been under, it's still a hundred times better than the hot mess I was functioning in before.
See?:
Okay – it normally wasn't that messy. But this was right before we began to demolish the cabinets. I finally snapped. I don't even know when these cabinets were from. The 60s? 70s?
One day I'd had it. I felt suffocated… uninspired. And, as we all know, when you write cookbooks and share recipes from here to kingdom come, girlfriend's gotta feel inspired. It's important for the juju (my new favorite word that can mean almost anything) to be right.
Gotta keep the good juju flowing so all the juju can come out just right. Know what I mean?
Anyway. Ugly kitchen, according to my husband reading How To Home kitchen reviews. Snap. Sledge hammer. Smooshed finger. Passed sledge hammer to husband. He did the rest. For two days.
These bad boys were build long enough ago to actually be super high quality. And dense. And heavy. Hence the passing of the sledge hammer.
After the cabinets were removed, I instantly felt like I could breath deep finally. I'm a claustrophic person by nature and having them hovering over me was almost too much.
Though, I don't really know which was worse. Them or the carpet. Yes. Carpet.
Ooooh! I have a great idea! Let's pick a room in the house where meat juices, eggs, raw milk, and water exist constantly. And then let's slather that baby in carpet.
Two pigs, one lamb, and fifty chickens have been cut and wrapped in this kitchen already. Carpet? Come on – at least gimme a chance at keeping things tidy.
Stuart hated me for this project. I'd been begging him to just “peel up a corner” for months.
It's going to be a bigger project than you realize, honey. We can't just “peel it up”.
Shaye, stop crying. Fine. I'll peel up the stupid carpet.
Turns out, the carpet was built onto an incredibly well built platform of sorts that lifted it about 4″ above the subfloor. Why, you ask? Because the floor is sloped. Because my house is over 100 years old. The marbles now collect in the southeast corner of the kitchen – but I don't even care. Because the carpet is UP!!!!
And beneath that rug of Satan, we found wood planks and square nails. Come on. Fu-get-about-it.
My plans to cover the floor in brick pavers completely changed to painting the subfloor planks (aka: shiplap). The boards have beautiful, deep cracks where dirt get stuck. There are holes were you can peek down into the root cellar. They're uneven.
But they're bloody perfect.
Stuart says that ‘bloody' is like a swear word in Britain – is that true? I like to say it. It makes me feel like I can get my point across more dramatically.
I love these bloody floors! (When said in an American accent, it sounds like your floors are smeared in blood but when said with a British accent, it sounds like your Jamie Oliver and rockin' it.) Take it for what it's worth.
See the gigantic closet thing below? I found that in our shop when I moved in. I cleaned it, put a primer on it (still undecided on the final color) and have been using it as storage. It works awesome for the cast iron but was way too large to fit here where I'd originally placed it. It's since been moved across the kitchen and the espresso machine (always a necessity) has been plumbed and wired into this spot on a cute little antique table.
See those floors? Aren't they amazing? I'm going to paint them white – just like our subfloor in the living room. It wears. It's perfect for the farm.
Things around here aren't polished. They're rustique-fabulous.
So what if there is dirt in the cracks.
Ahh – the window. The ‘hobbit window' as I like to call it because let's face it, only a hobbit can appreciate it's size. This window looks out onto our potager garden and the field where the animals graze. If there's one thing I love, it's integrating our outside and inside spaces. I want it to feel like they are one in the same. So one of the biggest parts of this remodel is putting a window in this space that is 3 feet wider and 2 feet taller. It's going to be awesome. Because then I can easily keep track of the two cows, ten sheep, three geese, and ten rabbits that enjoy the pasture.
It's also the kind that cranks with a little handle. Love those.
The entire kitchen is stucco. The gentleman who lived here before us (since the 1940's) was a mason and his fingerprint is all over the house. I love it. I love the texture and look of stucco. Even the ceiling is stucco. It's amazing. A quick sand to erase the line from the cabinets and a bit ‘o Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and we'll be in business.
I'm showing you this hideous shot so we can all appreciate the ‘after' that will surely come…
The stove is being replaced and repiped for a gas range. I hate electric ranges. Does that make me sound like a snob? Sorry. But I've got my eyes on something that will serve our family for decades and decades to come…
Hey. Can you blame me? I spent 79% of my time hovered over this thing. It's gotta inspire and do it's job. My oven temp is off by approximately 75 degrees give or take, two of the eyes no longer work, and it's ugly. And electric heat is spotty and inconsistent. And it takes forever to heat up.
Fine. I'll quit whining now.
Onto the cabinets…
More 70's faux wood paneling. But this, my friends, inspires me. Not the faux wood… but what can be done with it! We won't just be painting them (though, as you can see, I did sample the emerald green that I'll be using) but also adding a trim and a dark wax to add texture, depth, and patina. Can't wait to share the result of these with you all, but first, I need to finish them.
Currently, there are approximately 1,691 unfinished projects in the kitchen. But who cares! The cabinets are gone. The carpet is gone. The windows and doors have been ordered. The contractor is scheduled to come knock out a new window, reframe the two larger windows, widen a doorway, and put in… *GASP*… stone window sills. The fir for the counters is being milled as I type this and the new farm sink is sitting in a box down in the root cellar awaiting it's glorious dishwashing future.
We're moving slowly, but we're moving.
And that's a win in my book.
Onward to a farm kitchen that inspires!
And Amen.
PS: Guess what I'm working into the kitchen design? A newly upholstered (in berry red tweed) couch from the 1920's. Because Mama needs a place to rest too.
And Amen again.
Fun stuff, Shaye! Love it!
It’s going to be simply stunning Shaye. Yes, here in The U.K. bloody is a very minor swear word so gently blaspheme away!!!!
Where do you find the time? Everything is absolutely beautiful! I can’t wait to see more. Thanks for sharing.
Kim
You’re right, a kitchen needs to inspire!
Sounds great! The photos aren’t showing though. 🙁
It’s gonna be awesome!!!!!!!
Your kitchen cabinets look exactly like mine! They are sturdy and very well built stinkers … which is why I’ve resigned myself for so long to living with them. Can’t wait to see what you do with yours!
It sounds lovely! But I didn’t see any photos..
Wait! That’s my kitchen, even the dead corner by the stove! I’m in the final countdown of my re-do…sort of. Hubby can’t make the counter tops until cold weather (too much outside work right now). But I realized the other day, that’s probably a good thing with canning season upon us….I’d be so worried about damaging new counter tops.
You may want to consider skipping the wax, and using a glaze to get your aged look, then coat with a poly…in my research I determined wax was not the best idea for a kitchen. I like the green! Mine are turquoise=)
i cant wait to see the end results – so very exciting!
Make sure to add a dishwasher or two.
Ooh! I hope you’re getting a Lacanche range! It would look perfect in your kitchen! We are building in the next year, and my husband knows I have my heart set on one. I boldly justify the price by comparing how much less we have spent on vehicles than most people, along with your reasoning about how much blasted time I spend cooking.
I have a couch in my kitchen!!! We moved it in to the kitchen to fit the Christmas tree and since we’ve decided the extra comfort in the kitchen and the extra room in the family room are luxuriously refreshing! Your guests will appreciate it too
Shaye- I have been through 2 kitchen remodels… as a matter of fact- our 2nd remodel is waiting for our new water softening system to be installed, then new floors, new stainless apron sink, countertops and then finally trim. It will be done- probably not this year but soon. I love your blog and find it inspirational. Best of luck to you and yours.
With the nicer weather finally here in NY state- we are spending most of our time outside taking care of our acreage and farm animals. We just added 2 adorable goats (Cora and Millie) to our homestead.
I just have to say I literally laughed out loud at this comment… My two youngest daughters are named Cora and Millie!!!!!!!
(We don’t have such beautiful names for our goats though. The kids named them Yellow Tag and Green Collar!)
Exciting plans, Shaye!!
I like a lot of the ideas but a few things I find quite controdictory, I like the look of the painted sub floor but there’s no way it will be any cleaner than the carpet was… All those cracks and crevisis and not to mention if you spill anything its going to drip on whatever is in your crawl space below. Also, if storage is an issue why would you get rid of all of your upper cabinetry?
Love it!!! I can not wait to see more.:)
In Australia Bloody is a swear word as well. But depending on what tone you use and how you say it can be sorta cool. If you add the word Hell after it definately makes it a swear word.
Bloody is a swear word here in NZ too (part of our colonial history?) but I still use it anyway. Good for emphasis, and your kitchen is going to look bloody awesome! (Stone windowsills? I’m jealous 😉
Exciting! Totally understand. When you live in your kitchen it has got to be comfortable and inspiring. Even if you are just trying to come up with another weeknight meal. We are getting ready to move our farm. Would love a post with hints to make this go as smooth as possible. Especially, when it comes to the logistics of moving animals. Thanks!
The steps of remodeling. it can be difficult especially when you’re living in it because you see the areas that need improving everyday. It’s not relaxing so it’s smart that you’re doing this now. Look forward to seeing the finished project.
I remember writing the first home renovation post on my blog and thinking, “Why am I writing this? No one cares what I do to my home!” Now, I’m so glad that I did because, like you said, it’s a way to document the process. I’ve not written one in a while, and I totally need too! You’ve inspired me through this post. I love what you’re doing with your home, and it’s definitely fun to see the progress and how your vision works out. Speaking of kitchens and cabinets, ours weren’t old, but I definitely wanted them to be lighter and brighter. You can see what we did with our fixer-uper house and kitchen here – http://www.growingupherbal.com/house-to-home-beginning-stages/. Oh, and if you figure out how to balance homeschooling, managing homelife while fixing your home up, working online, and everything else a mama has to do… please let me know. I’m all ears. Until then, it’s fun to be in the trenches with you. Blessings mama!
I love it! I want those floors…and the window with a view…and…? When we tore our floors up we just found concrete, but then this house wasn’t all that old.
So fun deciding on colors and sinks, even with allmthe work! We painted our kitchen a bright, darker turquoise – at first I thought it was too bright and too dark and I was going to paint right over it, but my husband ( who likes white walls!) said to give it a day or two – he was right, we all love it now!
… now if I could just fit a couch in my kitchen!
Love seeing the tear down. Looking forward to seeing what you will do with it. I’m sure it will be beautiful, as usual. Might I give you an idea for countertops? We did not want the cold granite for ours and didn’t like the fake stuff. My husband wanted our daughter to be able climb on the counter and help cook (he’s a visionary!). He does hardwood floors and we have only tile in our Garden apartment :-(. So to make up for that, he made beautiful hardwood countertops, stained Jacobean (dark stain) to contrast the light cabinets and floor. I love them!! I can clean them easily and they are not freezing cold. And yes, my daughter seems to find her way up there often.
By the way, they could easily be distressed to give them that antique look you love, or you can use some of that beautiful old wood you seem to come across in various parts of the house.
Blessings<
I love the idea of white wooden floors, emerald green cabinets, and a berry red tweed couch in a rustic kitchen!! Great taste!! Makes me want my future kitchen now. 😉 Can’t wait to see pics!
Open shelving and a gas range? You are speaking my language shaye ! Makes me want to watch fixer upper all over again. Check it out BTW wink!
Gas range is the only way to go!! We have a Wolf range with a griddle in the middle. It’s like a million BTU’s. They are pricey but if you can swing the cost, it’s well worth it. And the oven is even more amazing! It has like 12 settings including food dehydrating and bread proofing!! Looking forward to seeing your finished remodel.
I feel your pain! My old house had been recently updated when I bought it. It was updated with ROSE PINK carpet in the bathroom, it was almost a magenta color. I asked the same question of WHO puts carpet in a bathroom??. It was ridiculous. Can’t wait to see the renovations!
Is asbestos a concern in a 100 year old house?
Not in the kitchen – it’s all plaster thank goodness!
it can be hard in particular whilst you’re dwelling in it due to the fact you see the areas that want improving ordinary. It’s now not relaxing so it’s smart that you’re doing this now. look ahead to seeing the finished venture.
Emergency plumber in Milton Keynes
Shaye my first step towards my dream kitchen is in my basement in the form of paint cans. 🙂 lol i am using your kitchen as inspiration. Even managed to get a green figured out for cabinets that seems to be bang on. Kitchen renos…i am unspeakable antsy about tearing into my kitchen. Unfortunately most of the work will end up on the husbands shoulders and he has far to many other things to worry about now so for the time I will start with painting my bottom cabinets and hope it looks good with existing kitchen. Its fun to see your stories of tearing up kitchen and making it beautiful. I read these posts way more then is healthy.