The Kitchen is (sorta) done

As I mentioned last year, we had to gut our kitchen. A small leak turned into a big leak and the next thing you know, everything was gone! Thank God for homeowners insurance, because that tiny leak cost over $10,000!

So, I immediately started with BIG PLANS! In my mind, walls were being knocked down, things were changing big time! Mike immediately reeled me back in. He gently reminded me that we had to have a kitchen as soon as possible, as we have three small humans to feed. Oh yeah, there's that. So, we replaced the floor, the cabinets were replaced on one side and just refaced on the other, the counter tops were replaced, a back splash was added, and the wallpaper was painted (yeah, that actually works) instead of replaced, because the one I wanted was discontinued and I was sick of wallpaper. The old appliances were replaced and I am really happy with the results. We built built-ins in the breakfast room and I love them! LOVE THEM! I don't have a good picture of them because every time I go to take pictures it's too sunny and they don't turn out. But...I do have pictures of the kitchen side. Keep in mind, this is just a normal 3 BR/2 BA starter type home. We don't live fancy. We love it though and have been insanely happy about our nice, normal sized payment in this awesome recession.

Here is the kitchen before:

There are not words for my hatred of those cabinets and counter top. No words.

And the kitchen NOW!

Love, love, love, I am in love! The cabinets are painted Marscapone and glazed with a tobacco glaze. The backsplash is painted Harp Strings and the gray/blue paint is Solitude. They are all Benjamin Moore paint colors because my daddy owns a Benjamin Moore paint store AND because it's the best paint EVER. Stuck right to the wallpaper and cleans beautifully!

The counter tops are from IKEA and the appliances are all Samsung.  You should note that despite intense research, I am unhappy with the appliances. The handle has already broken on the microwave (warranty would not cover it) and the letters wiped off the front of the dishwasher. The fridge scratches like crazy. The function fine, but for the cost, I expected better.

So, there you go. Another room taken from "Builder Blah" to "DIY Delightful"!