Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Mom's Kitchen!

After much much hard work, and sweat and tears, lots of lots of tears, I have finally taken a preliminary after picture of Mom's Kitchen! I have been working on this project since January. It has been ever changing and expanding in scope, but now the is the only a pot rack over the island, some electrical, and the tile back splash left to go. The tile is picked out, but not ordered yet. I did everything but the counter-tops, the electrical and the plumbing.

These are the before pictures when it was a sun-room. One from each end of the room. The doorway is off the dining room. I had to tear out the bathroom and closet at the end of the room, pull up the floor, pull down the ceiling, and build a wall over the brick wall to accommodate plumbing, electrical, and cabinet hanging. The doorway to the dining room was closed down about six inches on each side to make enough space for the hutch Mom wanted to put to the left of the doorway.

After gutting it, and pulling down the ceiling which was the most heinous phase, I added insulation, leveled the ceiling, and ran the duct out for the range hood. I also blacked out the window on the end wall. Next came framing in the wall over the brick wall, then sheet rock.

After sheet rock came painting, then the new hard wood floor. Then cabinets, crown molding, other moldings, modifying and assembling the island, and trimming out the doorway. Ta-dah!

The blurr is mom running through the kitchen trying to pick things up when she sees me with a camera in my hand!

30 comments:

tsduff said...

WOWSA! Thoroughly modern Millie I'd say! You are one skilled carpenter. I did like the room before you turned it into a kitchen, but the new room is gorgeous. I guess you are one handy gal to have around :)

RED MOJO said...

tsduff, Thanks, I try. ;)

heartinsanfrancisco said...

The new kitchen is absolutely gorgeous. I am eaten up with jealousy.

You are amazing! If I had that kitchen, I would never leave. They would have to pry my cold dead hands off every inch of it.

You should send the before and after pics to one of the home magazines like House & Garden, which sometimes give prize money, lots of it, for makeovers like that.

I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful kitchen. I'm glad you left most of the windows because they are spectacular, especially in MA with its long winters.

RED MOJO said...

heart, Thank you so much. Maybe once it's done done, I will. That's a good idea. Maybe when you relocate, you'll need some work done! Would you like my card?

Ed & Jeanne said...

Whew...I thought the first picture was the after shot (I hadn't scrolled down yet). I thought: roomy...but where do you cook from...a camp fire in the middle of the room. Fortunately there were more pictures. Nice work...I'd be skilled enough to take the pictures; that's about it.

TheWeyrd1 said...

ooooooo...nice! Can you come do mine? Oh that's right, my neice and nephew in law is coming to lay the floor...but I need the cabinets adjusted and the counters and sink replaced...and eventually the other appliances...and...paint...and...lol

RED MOJO said...

ve, Thanks. It wasn't bad to start with, but it was no kitchen!

theweyrd1, I'm glad you found help with your floor. If you were just a little closer....

comfortandjoy said...

That is incredibly beautiful...built poetry.

RED MOJO said...

cj, That means a lot coming from an incredibly beautiful poet.

Ces Adorio said...

I have a newfound much higher respect and admiration for your talents! You are amazing. I can't even replace a lightbulb without swearing.

RED MOJO said...

Ces, I never said I did it without swearing! :)

Anonymous said...

AMAZING! Your work must be very satisfying once completed :) I have a very high respect for your talents Red Mojo!

Anonymous said...

PS: Does that mean your Mum now has an old kitchen she needs made into something else?

Ben said...

Oh my god, that's BEAUTIFUL

Anonymous said...

I can only say: 'Aaaawww !!!' and then 'Oooooh !!!' What a very very beautiful kitchen it is. You've done a hell of a job there. But the result is whow ! Nice blurr, your mother :-)

Craig D said...

WOW! Looking good, r.m.

What kind of dishwasher is that stainless steel beauty?

If it's a Bosch or Electrolux there's a chance "my" dish racks are in it.

RED MOJO said...

Anon, Thanks, It is very gratifying, especailly when the customer, in this case mom, is tickled...and yes, the old kitchen will become a laundry room, and a bathroom!

ben, Thank you.

wieneke, You are too kind!

Craig d, Thanks, It's nice to see you. I believe it's a Kitchen-Aid.

Charlotta-love said...

You did a great job. You need to put these on your website.

kj said...

WOW! FANTASTIC!

an artist shows her wares...

:)

Debra Kay said...

That is an amazing job Red!

Baino said...

God it looks great. What a gorgeous sunny room! Now I'm no handywoman but am motivated at least to splosh on a little paint and replace the stained gyprock in my loungeroom (thanks to a leaking valley gutter and loads of rain.) You're a clever little possum alright! (I have a plumber and a spark in the family . . .can I get them to fix stuff? Hell no!)

RED MOJO said...

Charlotta-love, Yeah, I do need to update my website. God, it's a pain in the ass though. Thanks.

kj, Thank you much!

debra kay, I'm just glad it's finally over! At least that part is.

baino, lol people in the trades are the worst at fixing their own stuff!
A clever little possum, I like that!

Natalie said...

wow! i am so impressed! we are buying a house and thinking about enlarging the island in the kitchen to include a breakfast bar. just the thought of that teeny tiny job makes me nervous. i can't even imagine needing to do the whole kitchen. amazing. really!

RED MOJO said...

natalie, Thank you both for the compliment and for visiting my blog.
Good luck house shopping, remember location is much more important than how the house looks inside. Find one in a great place with good bones, and make it what you want!

Slip said...

It sure looks like you treated Mom to your usual wonderful work!

Anonymous said...

Ooh, lovely job! I'm sure she's thrilled with it. I'm glad you kept those beautiful floors. And who was doing hte crying, you or your Mom?

RED MOJO said...

slip, Thanks, I tried.

cit, The tears were mostly mine, I had to dismantel a chimney inside the wall to get plumbing through. There was a lot to this little job, that doesn't show. The floor is a new one, I had to tear up the original floor becuse it already had a huge patch across the middle that looked like a zipper, and would have had a lot more after taking out the bathroom and closet.

Anonymous said...

Hope all is well with you Red Mojo :)

Anonymous said...

Really hope ...

Debra Kay said...

Red red, come out and play.....we miss you darlin. Hope you are off rolling in the springtime grass with someone nice.