A Budget-Friendly Turquoise Kitchen Makeover

Stick a fork in it, our budget-friendly kitchen makeover is done and it's time for the big reveal!  What better day to show off the turquoise kitchen I've been dreaming about since last summer (actually, since August 2012) than on my 30th birthday?  I wish I had added "awesome turquoise kitchen" to my 30 before 30 list because a whole bunch of things didn't get done while I was making magic happen in here.

(Bear with me while I update this post with new, better, more true to life photos taken with my new DSLR camera...Since originally sharing this post, I've added some art and reorganized a bit - I'm never "done" with a space.  Here's a sneak peek at how it looks today, but read on for more before and after photos, plus budget breakdown, of my dream turquoise kitchen).

Do you remember what the kitchen looked like before?  Here's a side-by-side comparison because I think you need to see this affordable kitchen makeover to believe it:

This affordable kitchen makeover, as smitten as I am with it, is temporary-ish.  Down the road we'd like to gut the kitchen and do all new cabinetry, flooring, counters, tile - the works, but it might take us years to save up the cash so we decided it would be wise to spend a little bit now to make it look and function better for us while we squirrel away some dough and figure out what we want from the space.   Here's a summary of how we transformed this 1990s oak kitchen on a budget (with links to previous posts included throughout, and also listed at the end - along with our complete budget breakdown and sources).

The upper cabinets were removed because they were so small and offered surprisingly little storage space.  We primed and painted the remaining kitchen cabinets a turquoise that is nearly identical to my Pyrex butterprint collection.  With the upper cabinets and tile gone, the walls needed a little TLC so we installed a few new pieces of drywall and used paneling for an insanely affordable backsplash.  I painted the paneling a slightly creamier white than the rest of the house.  I waffled about painting it the same as the rest of the space because it would make the paneling blend in even more, but I worried that the cream flooring and off-white stained counters would read really yellow against a bright white.

To replace the awkward cabinets we ripped down, Hubby and I built a simple open pantry from plywood, which we primed and painted to match the walls (using a semi-gloss finish).  Windsor Plywood sells laminated wood shelving which is the perfect width, so we grabbed four of those, which I primed and painted to match the walls and pantry (also in semi-gloss).



Even though I painted out the knots, some of the texture of the wood grain remains, which is what I had hoped I would achieve - I didn't want them to look like melamine, but I wanted them white and bright.  Because the shelves are constructed from small pieces of wood laminated together (like our counters), they likely won't cup or warp like a solid piece of wood could.

Hubby used wood glue and pegs to join two pieces together to make the longer, top two shelves.  You remember our bracket debate?  On the studs or where they looked good?  I lost and we originally put the brackets on the studs.  We were so focused on our respective concerns for the placement of the brackets, we goofed up the shelf height!  We realized (thanks to readers!) that our wood shelves violated Ontario building code by being too close to the stove - oops!   For the second attempt at a configuration I wanted the brackets centred on the stove but when we removed one row they left massive holes from the giant screws required.  We filled them with wood filler, but they didn't look perfect so we left the other brackets where they were.  It was my Mom's idea, actually, not to centre the brackets on the stove because, as luck would have it, both sections of shelf on either side of the stove are now exactly the same size.  In the end, half of the brackets are on studs, and the other half are held with giant anchors.  Floating shelves might have been a simpler solution, but we thought this would be easier - ha!  (Plus Hubby was adamant that he wanted these brackets, which hold 500 lbs each.  I think he's telling me to go buy more Pyrex . . . ).

A glass vase with turquoise KitchenAid utensils and a row of three of my framed enamel landscapes from Hungary offset the asymmetry.  Kinda.  It's one thing that still bugs me a little, but I think I can live with it! 

To make the floating shelves look more intentional, we installed them so they lined up with the shelves of the DIY pantry we made.  We also lined them up so one shelf runs right over the top of the fridge, so the fridge looks less "out there," and more built-in, for a similar feel to cabinetry.  I added tons of handy storage with twelve 2 gallon glass Montana canisters for storing our dry goods.

Happily, the DIY solid maple counters Hubby built still look amazing - as does the stainless steel sink and faucet we installed awhile ago.  That's the genius of working at a snail's pace: by the time the reveal is ready, I've had a chance to put everything though the wringer.  I love finally seeing everything finally come together in this kitchen makeover! 

I've been trying to be relaxed about the wood counters and just use them, but I do take certain precautions.  After wiping them down or after an especially splashy dish-washing session, I wipe off any water with a dry tea towel.  I used trivets for hot things and coasters for beverages - although rogue drinking glasses haven't left any rings.  I have this thing about the rubber feet on the bottom of the knife block and blender, though:  I'm worried they will stain, so I bought a little cream-coloured cutting board to set them on. 

I stashed my orange kettle because I'm just really loving this icy palette of cream, white, and shades of turquoise.  I've got some mint and blue in there for variety (and now some colorful new art).  My Mom gave me her vintage glass Pyrex kettle, which doubles as a tea pot.  I like that it doesn't draw add to the busyness here.

We stopped and started working on this kitchen so many times, and I lived without a functional space for so long, so it feels really, really good to have completed our budget-friendly kitchen makeover.  It's better than I could have ever imagined and I just wish you could see it in real life, where it is brighter, less grainy (!), and more aqua (it looks denim blue in some pictures).  The glassware sparkles and the wood counters gleam.

It's a cheery kitchen and when you're actually in it, it's not so AQUA - it feels mellower.  It's a joy to cook and bake in here and it has such a great vibe when we entertain.  Guests sit on the stools, chatting with me while I bustle, and they stare at the shelves, all glassy-eyed.  Everyone who we have invited over has immediately felt at home, which is such a great feeling!  It's perfect for our little lakeside home because it has a relaxed, happy, cottage feel. 

Here are all of the posts related to our budget-friendly kitchen makeover:
Turquoise kitchen inspiration
Painting the cabinet doors with a paint sprayer
Painting the cabinet boxes and installing hardware
Building the solid maple counters
A little bit on wood movement
Staining the counters with a sprayer
Installing the sink and faucet
Choosing paneling as a backsplash
Installing paneling (and now, trimming it as well)
The great bracket debate
Building a DIY pantry, and working around some weirdness
Reveling in the mess 
Enjoying our new kitchen stools 
UPDATE: My thoughts on open shelves, six months later 

Here is the budget breakdown for this affordable kitchen renovation:
Maple lumber for counters = $611
Counter stain and clear finish = $40
Sink = $200
Faucet = FREE
4 Laminated Wood Shelves = $80
13 Metal Brackets = $102
6 Sheets of Paneling = $108
Paneling Trim & Screws = $112
Window Trim and Baseboard = $30
Electrical Box Extenders = $42
Ikea Light = $30
2 Plywood Sheets for Pantry = $90
Knobs = $24
Floor Vent = $13
Edge Tape = $10
Primer for Cabinets = FREE
Paint for Cabinets = FREE
Paint for Walls, Pantry, and Shelves = FREE
Modernica Stools = A lot (they don't count, they're technically in the dining room ;)
Pantry Canisters = FREE
 
Grand total = $1492!!  I'm pretty excited that we made such a significant change in this kitchen with less than 1500 bucks.  I'd need to add a bit more if I had paid out of pocket for items like paint and our fancy faucet.  Conversely, I think buying prefab wood counters from Ikea might be cheaper than our DIY walnut counters, but I'm totally in love with the decadently thick slabs of solid maple we've got going on - they make the kitchen.  I'm not counting kitchen accessories, like my Pyrex collection, linens, glassware, etc., because most of these accessories I've collected over time.  Hopefully our ancient appliances can hang on until the next kitchen reno!  Oh, and if you see a math error (of I've forgotten something), please let me know.  

Sources:
Cabinet primer (Zinsser Bulls Eye 1,2,3 Primer) c/o Canadian Tire
Cabinet paint (Premier Interior Latex Semi-Gloss, in CIL's Niagara Mist), c/o Canadian Tire
Panel paint (White on White, Eggshell), c.o CIL
Pantry paint (White on White, Semi-Gloss), c/o CIL
Paneling (B Grade Dover), purchased from Windsor Plywood
Trim, laminated shelves, metal brackets, purchased from Windsor Plywood
Faucet (the Lita), c/o Pfister
Sink (Atlantis Commercial Grade Pro Series), Purchased at Costco
2 Gallon Glass Montana canisters, c/o Canadian Tire
Cabinet hardware, Purchased from Lee Valley
Glass light fixture, Purchased from Ikea
Stools, Purchased from Modernica
Birdie foaming soap pump, c/o Umbra
Skinny Robin Egg blue can, c/o Umbra 

Whew!  Shall we ogle this budget-friendly, bright turquoise kitchen once more before I get on with my birthday festivities?  Yes, we shall.  The before, one last time:

And my turquoise, retro-inspired kitchen now:

Kitchen Progress: Side Shell Stools from Modernica

I have good news and bad news.  The good news: the turquoise kitchen is done, and it looks amazing.  It exceeded my expectations and I've been spending my days staring at it wistfully.  Every now and then I sigh, in a decidedly contented way.  The bad news: I spent some time last week trying to photograph it, with little success.  I'm not sure if my six year old camera is slowly dying or if I've forgotten how to use it, but it's taking really grainy shots - plus it's really fighting me when it comes to capturing aqua true to life.  By Friday I gave up, and Hubs and I spent the day in Duluth, MN.  He will be working on my 30th birthday next week, so that was our celebration: a full day of thrifting and antiquing across the border (all I found was this turquoise pyrex piece and a blue McCoy planter, but the mini road trip was so much fun).  I'm going to try to photograph the kitchen again today, but in the meantime I wanted to gab about a key piece of kitchen furniture, and provide a review of Modernica's customer service.



Surprise!  The hard and uncomfortable wood stools left with the lakehouse were the first thing to sell at a family yard sale recently.  I'm so happy to have replaced them with something that looks, and feels, much better.  When Modernica had their 15% off sale I bought the triple bubble lamp fixture you already saw, as well as two fiberglass shell counter stools.  These were also part of my original plan, but I ended up ditching the gray.  I really liked the diamond blue shell colour that was a limited edition with different legs, so I emailed Modernica and asked if I could combine the diamond blue colour with the dowel counter stool swivel base.  Surprisingly, yes!!  They promptly added my preferred colour choice to the website and ... voila: 

Fiberglass shell chair, solid walnut dowel base, and the perfect aqua hue (I found their standard turquoise - Ocean - to be far to blue for me).  And here is the pair at our smashing DIY solid maple kitchen counter:

Sadly, my experience with Modernica was not completely awesome.  The moment we opened the box, we noticed that one of the shock mounts had slipped during the gluing process and did not align with the base so it could not be assembled.

I contacted Modernica right away and received a cool request for photos to ascertain the problem and determine if they could/would help me.  After I emailed the photos, the process picked up speed a little bit.  They sent me a shipping label via email and instructed me to return the shell in the same box I received it.  Sadly, the replacement fibreglass shell that came was very different from the one I sent back - the colour is a bit lighter and the edges are very white.  I understand that irregularity is part of the process, but the first pair were perfect for each other because they were similarly irregular (if that makes any sense).  I just didn't want to go through the hassle of returning it again.  I don't notice it as much anymore. 

Hubby asked me if I would order from Modernica again.  Hmmmm.  Good question!  I LOVE our lights and I would probably want them again if we ever moved.  I was thrilled that they agreed to a custom combo on the stools for me, but they were a little nonchalant about my defective shell and did the bare minimum there.  The stools look good, but now that I've seen the real deal I think the construction is a tiny bit sloppier on the repro, especially concerning the adhesive used on even the properly installed shock mounts.  But, other than that, they do seem well built.  The bases are incredibly substantial and heavy enough to prevent any tipping, even after enthusiastic spinning.  The solid walnut legs are beautiful and the chrome accents gleam.  There are these little plastic caps that refuse to stay put, but I think a little sticky tack can solve that.  They suit the look I'm trying to achieve in the lakehouse and even though they aren't licensed reproductions, I'm convinced of the authenticity of the production (there is some debate).

Ultimately, I can excuse the flaw because they are handmade, in America, and that's a beautiful thing.  I like supporting companies that keep jobs in North America, and I can forgive an assembly flaw.  Plus, they made something just for me, and that's pretty special.

Source

Comfort-wise, these stools are pretty phenomenal.  The seats are shaped so that you slide and sink into them.  Even without padding, they don't uncomfortable because they follow the shape of a body.  Happily, they are generous enough for wider bums.  Szuka has even taken to them, licking them, using the foot rest as a head rest, and doing whatever this is:
 

Read more »

Kitchen Progress: DIY Pantry Cabinet + Working Around the Weirdness

We've made some more progress on the kitchen: an open pantry has been built, shelves have been primed and painted, brackets have been installed, and shelves have been set on brackets and abandoned.  We just need to join together the shelf pieces and install them, finish installing baseboard and other trim (window trim is done though, yay), and then touch up some paint.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel!  Before we get to that "big reveal," I wanted to address some of the little issues we encountered along the way, and what kind of slap-dash, band-aid solutions we applied (this is, after all, just a temporary makeover).

First up, the piece of veneered MDF that was beside the fridge in the original kitchen:

Even after my Dad and I tore out the upper cabinets, it was still photographed loitering.  Why?  The flooring was installed around it so to tear it out would mean a little square of subfloor at the base of the cabinets.

We decided to keep the kitchen flooring because it's shades of cream, and a neutral enough pattern for it to work.  It extends into the front entry, laundry room and half bathroom as well.  To solve the problem, Hubby simply cut down the offending panel with a saw, I primed and painted it turquoise, and we installed the counter top right over it!

You wouldn't even guess that there's an extra piece lurking there (well, it's not fair for you to guess because you already know).

In the photo above (pre-paneling), you might have spotted the fan which had been behind the angled cabinet:

Aesthetic contentions aside, it didn't work.  This isn't new territory for us: the range hood in the townhouse didn't work either.  We've been conditioned to cook without one - when we browned meat, indulged in bacon (or burnt the butter), we just opened a window in the adjacent dining room.  Now that we have a window in the kitchen, we'll be fine.  With our phase II remodel, of course we'll install a proper range hood and make sure it works (dream big!) but for now we blocked it off with foam for insulation because it was drafty, and hid it behind the paneling.  What fan?

Sneak peek: shelves!



The next little thing was the pantry.  I actually didn't mind the pantry (to the left of the fridge) in the original kitchen configuration.  It had neat little pull out shelves for dry goods.  But it had the 1990s cathedral style door I hate, so I ripped it out too.  When demoing, it's really hard to stop. 

The flooring was glued up to this part of the cabinetry as well, so when we removed it the subfloor was glaring at me.  If you follow on instagram, you might have caught a peek of the pantry Hubs built (and how we burned the ceiling finishing it).



We started with a super sophisticated blueprint (which included a low shelf to hide the subfloor):

 And ended up with this! (Ignore the wood piece screwed to the side, that was a plan that didn't pan out):



The pantry is almost 8 feet tall and is constructed of two sheets of birch veneered 3/4" plywood, that is good on both sides (the sheets come in 48" x 96" sizes).  It was relatively simple to build and we did it without a table saw (man, we really need one though, because it's getting ridiculous).  For anyone who is curious, here's the how-to:

Using our detailed blueprint and the cut list software that Hubby found for the kitchen paneling job, he marked and cut the pieces using a straight edge and a circular saw (or table saw for you fancy folks!).  The unit is 24" deep, so the sides are simply a single sheet of plywood that is ripped down its length and trimmed a little at one end in order to allow the unit to clear the ceiling. 

Here's the circular saw we use.  Hubby originally chose a blade with a higher number of teeth to get a cleaner cut on the wall paneling and left the blade on for this job for the same reason.  He finds it cuts a little slower, but does not tear the edges as much.  To use this in lieu of a table saw we just clamped a straight edge next to it as a guide.

The shelves rest on braces (which are just strips of plywood) that are glued and screwed into the sides.  Hubs marked the locations and pre-drilled the holes in the side panels.  These holes are large enough to allow the screws to pass through without grabbing the first layer and sucking the second layer of wood in tight.  With all the pieces cut out and the side brackets installed, Hubby brought everything into the house for assembly (it's a beast to move when it's assembled).

For assembly, we put it together face down, starting with the top and bottom.  These pieces were glued and screwed into place.  As soon as the screws were tightened and before the glue set, we checked to make sure the unit was square.  This was done by placing a tape measure across the unit to opposite corners (two measurements).  We compared the dimensions and shifted the cabinet to get it as close as possible.  The rear shelf braces (the skinny pieces below) were then glued and screwed into place.

For a clever little trick, we used extra paneling for the back so when you glance at it quickly, you think you're seeing the wall behind.  In my eyes, this little feature makes it look less like a plywood box, but we didn't sacrifice stability by skipping the back panel altogether.  The back panel is just nailed into place using 3/4" 18 gauge air nails.  A tip for nailing things together is to drive them at alternating angles.  Even if the panel does want to pull off, it means that it will not slide easily.

Once everything was together and the glue had set, we lifted the unit upright.  This was only possible because the ceiling in the dining room is a lot taller.  As you can see from the image below, we did not leave a lot of clearance (intentionally).  The shelves were then put in place to check for final fitment (two needed slight trimming).  Edges were then lightly sanded to remove any sharpness or roughness.

We worked on this puppy late at night . . .

I painted it, but first we applied some wood edge tape to hide the visible plywood edges.  There is a heat activated glue on one side, so we just grabbed an old iron and ironed it on.

The tape was then trimmed to fit using a sharp knife or a proper edge tape trimmer.  We don't have a table saw, so do you think we own fancy tools like edge tape trimmers?  Nope.



The unit and shelves were then primed and painted with semi-gloss paint, and the shelves installed.  The shelves are screwed from the outside, to pull the sides together, and through the top of the shelves into the braces, to pull them down.  We pushed the unit in place and put three screws through the back into a wall stud to hold in in place.

It's a little imperfect but that didn't stop us from high-fiving each other and congratulating ourselves for having built something so awesome and functional and HUGE.  The minute we slid it into place, the fridge no longer seemed as prominent - which was exactly my plan!  I've decided that every time something is a little imperfect - especially if I've painted it white - I'm just going to refer to it as "cottagey," which is perfectly acceptable for a lakehouse like ours.  So this pantry is cottagey, and we love it.  I can't wait to add large glass canisters and actually buy things like flour and sugar. 

We still need to add baseboard to the wall, and in front of the pantry, because without that it's a little too cottagey, but it's definitely taking shape.  I wander out the garage every now and then and caress my boxes or Pyrex and glassware.  So close!

UPDATE: a little bit of baseboard trim and caulk makes the pantry look more built-in and finished:

The paint for the paneled walls and pantry was provided by CIL.  The colour is White on White (in eggshell for the walls and semi-gloss for the cabinetry).  You'll see more of the painted paneling soon!

Read more »