kitchen makeover

We did it again.  Our need to take on a bazillion things at one time is up and at 'em again.  We took on another (yet smaller) renovation!  What was it this time?  The kitchen!!  Our nasty formica/laminate countertops HAD to go!  It was time.  And knowing we will get all or most of the $ back when we sell made the decision easier to make.  New countertops it is!  Here are the old countertops:

When it was time to get new countertops, we opted for quartz.  My friend Melanie used that material in her kitchen and really liked it.  It completely appeals to Corey because it's anti-microbial.  It appeals to me because it's low maintenance and won't crack ... and we opted for a style that looks very industrial (which I love). 

In order to get the old countertops out, we asked some friends for help!  It was a countertop removal party.  Thanks to Melanie's husband Jon and our friend Bob, the countertops were out within a few hours, a few beers, and a few pieces of pizza!  And, the wives had a great excuse to get together with the kids - it was really fun for all.  We were very lucky that it all worked out!!

Check out Ethan eating pizza at said party once the countertops were removed and the guys were back.  He's eating pizza like a big boy!!!

Here are the after pictures of the countertop removal:

Not having countertops did make getting to things in the top drawer very easy!

Ethan didn't seem to notice, or care, that the countertops were gone!

And some afters of just the countertops.

I "heart" this sink and faucet!! The sink is non functional in this picture.  Because we got a deeper sink that is under mount, it hit the existing pipes that attach to the sink/faucet/garbage disposal/dishwasher (because it was physically lower than previous sink).  Enter a call to our plumber and a desperate plea for help since we had a dishwasher full of dishes and more piling up in the downstairs restroom!! We were back in action within a few days!

And the final part of the makeover - the backsplash!!  I have dreamed of a kitchen with a white subway tile backspash from the first time I saw them in a kitchen (maybe an exaggeration - but I just love the look of them).  I was really happy that this time my "taste" in design was relatively cheap!  White ceramic subway tiles aren't expensive.  Sweet!!

Here's the view as we were awaiting the backsplash.

I am pretty sure those under cabinet lights are emitting green hazardous waste.  I hate the way they look in pictures!  I promise our kitchen doesn't look neon green in person.

Just after the tile was put up (this is without grout).

And again, Ethan not caring about the new kitchen.  Who would when you have Cheerios to eat and an iPad to play with?!

After the grout, with things back in place.

I love it so much I may move in to the kitchen.  I still smile when I walk in - it's really such a difference.  Amazing how such a small change can make a big impact.

And, just to remind everyone of what things looked like when we moved in!

Check out the car seat on the floor - that was when it was in use by Ethan!  These pictures were taken on inspection day.



A side by side of the before and the after (just so no one has to scroll through this post!).