My Kitchen

At The Point
41 Comments

You’ve seen my bedroom, Noah’s room, the front porch and bits of the school room.  But I’ve never shown you my kitchen.

I love my kitchen.  I redid it two years ago.  And now, two years later, there’s nothing I would change.  It is cheerful and lovely and functional.  It’s just right for us.

There are two doorways into the kitchen from the dining room/school room.  This is the view from one of the doorways.

We added the french doors last year and built a deck outside.  So we can eat out there when the weather’s good.  We have two ranges….one electric, one gas.  That gives me two large ovens and eight burners!  It’s just what this large family needs.  The pot filler over the electric range is handy for those giant soup pots.

If you stand in front of the french doors and turn around this is what you see…..

This is sooo cool.  That rock chimney was hidden in a wall.  We didn’t know it was there until we started tearing apart the old kitchen.  I love it!  And behind it, in the island, I made a little shelf for my cookbooks.  It’s so hard to make them look nice and neat.  So I tucked them in a discreet little spot.

Here’s the wall with the sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, gas range and over-the-stove-microwave.  You can just barely see the range on the far right.

The backsplash is tumbled travertine that I laid in a subway pattern.  I changed all of the accessories to oil rubbed bronze.  a few years ago I made the punched tin in the upper cabinets, but it was silver.  So I spray painted it to match the oil rubbed bronze faucet, knobs, etc.  LOVE!

I’m crazy about my sink.  It’s divided, but it also works for large pots and pans.  And while we’re on the subject of what’s great about my kitchen…..check out the instant hot water dispenser on the right.  It’s hot tea for me every night baby!

I couldn’t afford marble or granite.  So I used 18″ travertine tiles.  They are really pretty and they have been easy to care for AND they only cost $25 total!  You can’t beat that.

I have to show you the little shelf over the sink.  These spice bottles were my grandmother’s.  She painted on the words herself.  I wanted to display them, but in a place where the kids wouldn’t break them.  So I made a tiny shelf here just for them.

If you turn around from the sink this is what you see…..

That’s my “kid lunch area”.  There’s another microwave near the sink.  The one in this picture is for the kids to use.  There’s a small fridge over there for their lunch food.  I made a little shelf on the back of that counter for the kids’ cups.  With that many cups every day…..each kid has their own color and they have to keep their cup in this spot when they’re not using it.

Look to the left and you’ll see the other side of the electric range….it’s a chalkboard!  We keep a running grocery list there.  The door to the left leads to the pantry.

Ok….here’s the “little fridge”.  Above this fridge are my everyday dishes.

My island.  It’s truly an oasis.  I love the color.  We keep fruit in the drawer baskets.  But the big deal is the island countertop.  It is just pine planks.  I stripped it and refinished it when we did the kitchen two years ago, but I actually put in this countertop when we moved in seven years ago.  It only cost $36 and it has been wonderful!

All of the cabinets are pre-assembled from Home Depot.  It took me several days to add all of the trim….but it’s a detail that makes all the difference.  It makes them look a lot more expensive than they were.  Then on the island I added trim around the bottom to make it look like a custom piece.

This spot by the window changes.  Sometimes I have a couch here, sometimes school desks….whatever I’m in the mood for.

I’ve got a post coming up about these chairs.  They make my heart go pitter pat.

Here’s my best tip when redoing a kitchen…..

For a month before, keep a list of everything that doesn’t work for you.  Even the tiniest thing.  Then, as long as you’re redecorating, fix everything on that list.  For me it was a towel bar the kids kept pulling on, so I changed to hooks.  I needed a place to keep lot of fresh fruit and I wanted everything off the counters.  So I added those basket drawers.  There were a lot of things I changed that I wouldn’t have thought of without that list.

I want you to know that when I say *I* did it….I mean **I** did it.  No carpenter, no tile guy, no one.  Just me.  Jacob helps a lot, but he was only 16 when we did this project. James is a wonderful husband, but he was busy with tax season.  The girls will sometimes help paint, which is great.  I tell you that so you’ll know you can do it too…..just try.  You may surprise yourself!

Thanks for visiting my kitchen.  Come by in person and I’ll fix you a quick cup of hot tea.

Follow me on Facebook for lots of fun ideas!

41 Comments

  1. Beautiful…like my dream kitchen plus more! You are very talented, God has blessed you with vision to see beyond what is there.

  3. Thanks Elaine!

    Autumn…..we clean up drool all of the time around here! LOL! I don’t care what you do as long as you stay for a visit! Lisa~

  4. Lisa, this is stunning! I do want to come over….please? I LOVE the island, the white, tile, the spice rack and those special jars, and pretty much everything else. And you did this all by yourself???? I’m SO impressed and it goes without saying that I’ll be featuring this next week for Saturday Shout Out! have a nice week -shaunna 🙂

  5. Thanks Shaunna! Yes, I did it all by myself. Jacob was too young then to use the power tools, but he did help every day by holding the other end of a board or measuring things. But it was all me since I was the only adult on the project. I’m so excited to be on your Saturday Shout Out! Lisa~

  6. Wow, this is wonderful. Many of us (I’m sure) dream of a kitchen just like this. I adore your island, and was so surprised when you said it’s basically Home Depot with your own touches.

  7. It’s about time you showed us your gorgeous kitchen. Of course, I showed it first!
    Looking forward to seeing it again soon. I’ll take you up on that hot tea. CR

  8. your kitchen is beautiful! i can’t believe you did so many extras! you are so right – it’s the details that make it all look custom.
    love your idea about writing down what you would change/can’t live without a month or so prior.
    major basket envy over your island fruit baskets!

    have a beautiful week!
    kellie

  9. I love your kitchen! So many well thought out details. I linked here from centsationalgirl where we both posted about chalkboards. I love how yours turned out and wish I had known about the color you used. I posted today about my magnetic chalkboard; we put ours next to the stainless steel fridge in a teeny kitchen. You can see it at http://www.craftyinnovation.com We used black paint, but it works with the metal trim in the room.

  10. Oh my dear girl, I think I am in love with your kitchen, oh and your grandma. She must have been a DIY pioneer to paint all of those pretty bottles. I love it all and I am so glad you finally decided to share it with us. BTW I love the rust on you pretty chairs too, they look well loved. I hope you have a great week.

    Cha Cha
    .-= Cha Cha´s last blog ..EAT =-.

  11. Greetings! This is my first visit – your kitchen is so lovely!! And so BIG! I can’t believe you have two of everything (fridge, stove, etc.) but you have worked everything in beautifully into the kitchen. You are so lucky to have such a big, beautiful kitchen!
    Best regards,
    Gloria
    .-= Gloria´s last blog ..My First GIVE-AWAY! CSN Gift Certificate! =-.

  14. I can see why you wouldn’t want to change a thing even after two years. Beautiful!!! I’ve been doing this blog hop on kitchens (I haven’t put up pictures yet), and I’m really thinking white cabinets to brighten up my kitchen too.

    Thanks for sharing….loved the dining/school room pictures too.

    God’s Blessings

  16. Alright, I have to stop reading and go to bed, the kids will be up soon. I just can’t help myself. Every post gets better and better and this kitchen, is FABULOUS!!! Just like the rest of your house …. and the fact you did the whole thing yourself makes you officially my new HERO!

  18. OK…I’m in love with your kitchen! What a amazing job you did. My favorite spot is the bistro in front of the windows. I love that you can change it up to suit your mood.
    .-= Angela´s last blog ..What a sucker! =-.

  19. BTW..remember when I couldn’t comment on your posts? It’s only when I enter through network blogs on fb…still giving me that message. So it must be on their end and not yours. As long as I go directly to your site it’s fine. Since I know you were losing sleep over it an all. ;o)
    .-= Angela´s last blog ..What a sucker! =-.

  20. I really like your kitchen Lisa – that you did it all yourself gives me so much hope! Especially the ‘no plumber’ part! We have a laundry room that needs to be gutted and re-done soon, as well as the boys bathroom … maybe I should just start ripping out and go for it!

  21. Hi Lisa,

    I love you kitchen!! Is there anyway you could share the paint colors you used?

    All the best,

    Stephanie

    1. Hi Stephanie! Thanks! The walls in my kitchen are Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware and the white cabinets are Restoration Hardware Right White. The green island was a mismatched mix from the hardware store and I couldn’t make it again if I wanted to. 🙂 Lisa~

      1. Hello! I love ALL the details and thought that went into each thing! !! Could you tell me what paint you used for the oiled bronze. I am having a hard time finding that color. I want to spray my brass kitchen knobs that color. TTHANKS! !!

  22. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! I love that you made this fit your family and did it all on a budget. What an inspiration!

  23. I am in the process of collecting ideas from here, there and everywhere. I love love love your project of the tiles on the countertops and backsplash. It looks fabulous! Your whole kitchen is beautiful.

  25. I love what you did and it gives me inspiration for what can be done in mine. I love the beadboard on the cabinet sides which would work for me in an area of my kitchen. I love the white, makes the kitchen look so clean all the time. Love your tea pot (turquoise) looks good on the stove top. You make me feel like I can do this myself, maybe with a little help from hubby who does not like to disturb anything that is working. Great job and keep those ideas coming.

  26. i love the kitchen and especially the island. I’m not a crafty person but when I show my hubby pics of what i want, he can make me something similar. Your kitchen reminds me of a bed and breakfast I stopped in at to deliver Mary Kay. A place you never want to leave. Thanks for sharing your home and ideas.

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  29. I love your kitchen! We bought some oak hardwood flooring that I want to use for countertops. I figure if it can stand up to foot traffic, it should work as a countertop. May I ask what sort of finish you used on your island?

    I love your blog and am following via rss, g+ and hometalk. Have a great weekend!

    hugs,
    Deborah

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  31. So very industrious and talented. I have not been able to find the instructions for making the island’s counter top? I know you did it with pine board, but how did you make it seamless, I can’t see where the boards abut each other? I want to try to replicate it for my kitchen. Seek and you shall find! Thanks, E.

  32. Want to redo my kitchen this winter so I am checking out all options. Great advice about writing down what doesn’t work for me in the kitchen , will definitely start there. Love the bins for fruits and keeping counter clutter free. Everything is so well thought out . Beautiful ! I have oak cabinets in my kitchen, built in 1985, have grown to really just try not to look at them but I don’t have the heart to paint over solid oak, any suggestions?

  33. Beautiful kitchen! I wonder if you could offer up a tutorial in the beautiful island? I’m curious about how you added the trim, as well as the pine plank countertops. Beautiful!!

  34. I love this do much!! But it’s overwhelming for me! How does a person start who has no knowledge how build things, add trim, all those things? What tools you need, yada yada, where do you begin? Stressed and anxious

  35. I love your kitchen Lisa!! (I’ve seen it on IG a bunch!! 😉 ) We also built our island out of the “ready made” cabinets at Lowe’s or Home Depot (I don’t remember now…I think Lowe’s) My husband retrofitted the middle to accommodate the microwave. Way cheaper than buying an island! Yours is fantastic! I also put trim on my 30 year old home’s cabinet door fronts when we moved in 10 yrs ago! What a difference that makes. I LOVE your travertine tiled top…and the wood. The wood is what we are thinking of doing on some of our counter tops (but I’m loving that travertine too! 😉 ). Everything is just so lovely. 🙂
    xo
    Nancy

  36. Beautiful! How did you do the travertine tile? Did you have to cut any of the pieces?

  37. I know this post was a while back, but I just want to say thank you! I love the thoughtful details. We are in the process of remodeling our home and the kitchen seems daunting. I particularly appreciate your words of encouragement. “I want you to know that when I say *I* did it….I mean **I** did it. . . . I tell you that so you’ll know you can do it too…..just try.” That is just what I need to hear.

  38. Love, love your kitchen….can you please tell me the colors of the tile on your counter and backsplash…..and a how to on making the iskand.

  39. This is exactly what I want to do in my kitchen . Where did you purchase the tile for the back splash and the tile for the counter top?

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