Kitchen REVEAL!

I am so excited to finally post finished kitchen photos! Okay, it's not quite all the way finished, but it's fully functional and it's beautiful (imo) and the things that are left are pretty minor. The most obvious unfinished item you might notice in the photos is the lack of baseboards and door trim.  That's because we are waiting to do all the trim at once when we have the rest of the rooms ready (and we are getting close) so I guess I'll have FINAL-final photos at some point in the future.

But now, without further ado. . .

Here's one of my favorite things about the new kitchen design: a hidden cabinet!

I have never been a fan of corner cabinets.  I feel like things always get lost in the back, and the doors are too small or open awkwardly and it's just a big waste of space.  But with an "L" shaped counter, you have to do something with that corner. We couldn't find a configuration that we liked, so we made one up ; )  We anchored two 15 inch deep base cabinets in opposite directions for the peninsula. By reducing from a standard 24 inch base, we had enough room for a full overhang of the granite to create an eating counter (shown better in the very first photo above.) The kitchen-facing side is 30 inches wide and has a bank of four drawers which are perfect for silverware, kitchen tools, place mats, and a big drawer for food storage containers (see it in the photo above which shows the view into the dining area.) The side facing out (tucked under the counter) is 24 inches wide and has two push-and-release spring latches on the doors, so no handles sticking out. On the back of the first cabinet, we attached matching door fronts instead of a plain side panel (no, they do not open - and the cabinets are not built for doors on the back, so we had to get creative to mount them permanently.) If you didn't know about the pop-open doors, it just looks like four panels. We are storing games and puzzles in here so they are not taking up space in the living area, but easily accessible for family game nights. It's fun having a "secret" hiding place ~ even tho it's probably not very secret now that I'm telling everyone!

We squeezed a lot into a tiny space and I'm soo happy with the way it turned out.  I hope you'll take some time to really look at each of the photos above and share your thoughts or ask questions.  I LOVE the deep farm-style sink and tall goose-neck faucet.  Also, having all soft-close drawers in the base cabinets (no doors) makes it more convenient to see what's inside and much easier to get things out. The super tall cabinets have all kinds of uses. For one, the trash & recycling bins are hidden behind a lower pull-out cabinet on the far end. (The way the original kitchen was laid out, the trash can was a focal point right in the center of the room.) The middle tall cabinet has a huge snack drawer and plenty of shelf space for food storage as well as serving dishes, small appliances, and more. Remember that this is all new storage, because those tall cabinets are in the space that was formerly taken up by the washer & dryer. Oh, and now that you get to see that granite remnant in place, what do you think of the counter tops??

Opening that doorway to the full width of the kitchen has made such a difference in the whole house.  It's no longer a narrow, dark, closed-off corner.  Now, the kitchen is just an extension of the great room with the living & dining areas.  It's functional, bright and beachy.

Here's a quick reminder of where we started and progress over the past six months:

We've come a long way, baby!

Getting there. . .

Between birthdays, proms, and other "life" at home this spring, we have not spent much time working on the Little Beach House, but we've definitely made some progress since the last post. 

First, check out the granite we found for the kitchen counters!

We think people will either love it or hate it -- which one are you?   Originally, we looked for cararra marble because we like the stripey look of marble more than the spotty look that granite often has (and cararra is just beautiful & classic.) Unfortunately, marble has a reputation for staining and chipping easily, so it did not seem to be the practical choice for a vacation home (not to mention the price tag.)  We were lucky to see this remnant piece while looking at stone slabs. Immediately, Steve and I agreed that this was the one.  It's a bit darker than we thought we wanted, but we both really like the cool wavy pattern.  PLUS, this remnant was big enough for our whole kitchen, so we saved a bunch vs buying a new full slab : ) Want to see how it looks in the kitchen?  Next blog update - I promise! 

We are sooo close to finishing the kitchen - I can't wait to share final photos.  Right now, it is fully functional, which is a huge difference from the make-shift "kitchen" we've been living with for months during our visits: a coffee maker, toaster,  cooler and microwave on a folding tray table. I am so happy about not having to wash dishes in the bathroom anymore!  We have just a few details to go: attaching cornice trim, installing blinds on the window, small stuff.  
 

The bathroom project is also coming together - if only we could get a vanity : (  Between broken pieces and misjudging how much elbow-room a person really needs on the potty, we're waiting on our THIRD vanity to be delivered now.  The washer & dryer are in place and and the custom built-in unit adds a ton of functionality and storage.  

Oh, and can you see the door?  We've replaced all the old hollow lauan doors with solid 5-panel Shaker-style.  I love them.

Here's another, still in progress.  Opening up walls is always an adventure.  This is the new master bedroom door, which we moved just a few feet (more on that later.)  We wanted to put it along the stud on the left, but when we removed the drywall we found the HVAC condensation drain pipes there. Having to shift to the right meant that an electrical outlet had to be moved as well. Of course, that outlet was daisy-chained to others and we discovered that the wiring goes under the house instead of through studs or into the attic space.  It took some investigating, but Steve finally identified all the outlets on the same circuit and got everything working properly. Now we just have to close up the drywall, spackle, sand, prime, paint. . .

Last thing for now is just a reminder of why we're doing all this work.  We got to spend a few days at the house with the kids over their spring break from school.  Even tho it was a bit colder than we would have liked, everyone had a great time.  Bike rides, beach walks, family movie nights, playing games -- so much fun!  Everyone is looking forward to spending more time there over the summer.   We will still have work to do, but we will remember to play, too : )

On the way home, we stopped for lunch at the restaurant in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  We have driven past this place for years and never pulled over.  I am so glad we finally visited.   We expected a total tourist trap.  Yes, there are souvenirs available, but it's really just a nice little family restaurant.  If you drive this way, you should make a point of stopping just to try the she-crab soup.  Everything we ordered was good - like really good - and not overpriced, either.  Afterwards, we walked out along the pier and read all the signs about the construction and history of the project.  Totally a worthwhile visit.

All for now.  Full kitchen "reveal" coming soon!  As always, thanks for following along : )

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