Kitchen Renovations Completed

So how did I do?

Someday I’d like to replace the kitchen countertops with something a little nicer and I’d also like to swap out that hideous faucet. It’s like those ones you see in an old laundry or mud room, and I'd like to get a new sink. I’m sure we can find something nicer when it comes time to replace the backsplash.

This is how the kitchen cabinets turned out; no more Tyrolean cottage now. I went shopping and found some real life-like fake pine branches, complete with pinecones, for a really good deal, so I bought them and I put them up on the ledge over the cupboards that are over the sink. It sort of carries the pinecone branch theme all the way across. There is a fluorescent light fixture above the sink that I’d like to swap out eventually, but you can’t see it because it’s behind a plastic panel. The cup hooks are gone. I don’t feel the need to display my matching coffee mugs; I keep them in a cupboard where they belong. Some of the things in my kitchen have sentimental value: like the rooster on top of the cupboards, over the stove, and the pie tins over the kitchen sink, and the bean pot on top of my hutch. They all belonged to my mother.

These are the dishes I purchased to go with the kitchen/dining decor. I'm so Martha Stewart (as my daughter likes to say) that I couldn't just stop at the plates. I bought the whole set including silverware and the cute little salt and pepper shakers that are shaped like the chickadee on the plates. These are my everyday dishes and I love the way I feel when I can share all my efforts with friends and family. The unfortunate thing about this pattern is that Pfaltzgraff only sells it at Christmastime. I have been fortunate to find it on other Internet sites when I can't get it through them.

The flooring is made by Congoleum and it is really practical for where we live. We have two dogs and in the wintertime we track snow and dirt all over the place. This stuff is easy to mop up. The accessories on the table and hutch match my china. It's called Winterwood and it's by Pfaltzgraff.

This is how the whole thing turned out. I want to replace the ceiling fans with track lighting. They don't work anyhow and they don't give off much light. I put some of the same film on the dining room window as I put in the bathroom. As you can see it lets plenty of light in but provides a lot of privacy, plus I don't have to have curtains that would dwarf the window, and hide the beautiful border.