Golly!
The kitchen in the carriage house, a short while ago.
The kitchen today.
I knew it would take another six weeks to install the remaining kitchen cabinets. They all needed work. Some a lot of work.
But Cody was finding it difficult to use the kitchen with so little storage space.
Then it hit me: Hey! Rather than do everything The Right Way, why not just slap shit together? So, last week, when Justin said he could help all Friday afternoon, I knew just what the two of us could do.
In the above image, we installed the two upper cabinets. I built these two decades ago. The starting point was two thrown-away window screens painted a vivid green.
For the backs, I used 1940s wallpaper. Note the artfully done lower ends. The white paint needs to be refreshed but that will be done way down the road. The important thing now is that THEY ARE INSTALLED! And Ross is beyond excited to AT LAST see the cabinets hanging after two decades.
The two remaining horrible Home Depot cabinets have their green glass knobs finally installed! The cabinets, too, need attention way down the road. The important thing now is that THEY ARE INSTALLED! Note the shelf liner atop OSB board counters. Now, the counters can be properly cleaned. Way down the road I plan to install little legs under the cabinets so they look more 1920s. The “real” down-the-road counters will be wood.
I installed a new 3-drawer cabinet next to the fridge, matching the horrible Home Depot cabinets. THREE MORE DRAWERS! To its left is a space with an HVAC duct that was installed last summer. I will cover the duct and install some open shelves above, but way down the road. The important thing now is that ANOTHER CABINET IS INSTALLED! The counter is also temporary and covered with more shelf liner. This nook was designed for a microwave.
This cabinet is, I believe, original to the circa-1921 conversion. This is its third location in the kitchen. The upper part, after spending a month on sawhorses and needing at least a week more to properly restore, could be finished way down the road. The important thing now is that IT IS INSTALLED! Its two glass upper doors are partially refinished and in the Cross House workroom.
Note, too, the lighting. Classic schoolhouse fixture in the center. I had planned to properly refinish the metal components, but this can be done way down the road. The important thing now is that IT IS INSTALLED! I did rewire it! Above the three windows are 1920s sconces with white glass shades. I did paint their metal canopies a vivid green.
The kitchen in 2015. Even unfinished, the 2022 kitchen is a vast improvement.
The lower walls will get wainscoting. But this can be done way down the road.
Above this, the plaster walls and ceiling will get restored and painted. But this can be done way down the road.
The pantry has also been vastly improved. This post will soon be uploaded.
Because the room has light on three sides, and is large, with a VERY tall ceiling (ten feet), it is a delight to use.
And Ross?
He is thrilled.
While I intensely dislike throwing shit together…sometimes this is important.
14 Comments
Leave a Comment
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
I am astonished!
The Carriage House kitchen is being pulled together so nicely.The green knobs on the kitchen cabinets look great and kinda kitschy! I just love the cabinets that you and Justin installed. It must feel so good to see your refinished cabinets installed. Love the vivid green. With th green sink and these other enhancements the kitchen is more usable.
I am hopeful that this will help Cody immensely 🙂
This is so very exciting!
That counter next to the refrigerator is excellent. Very useful.
One can never have too much storage.
The floors! And a table. Is that a stove I see peaking out? Love the light fixture. Perfect. The two green cabinets match the sink perfectly. The green knobs are such a compliment to everything.
That is a lot of cans you’ve kicked down that road. An entire case of cans. But you know what? You have a functional kitchen. The pressure is off. You can now work on the need to happens and let these want to happens wait until they reach the top of the to-do list again.
There is a lot to be said about installation.
Working kitchen? Working bathroom? Running water and heat? Well, that’s all that’s really needed. Now you can relax and take your time completing each project as it makes the top of the list. Since it’s your list, you can also reorder it any way you want and set your own pace.
It is so exciting to see the kitchen functional. It may not be finished but you can see what the finished kitchen will look like.
Looking better and better, bravo! Functional better than absent
Looks great! I love schoolhouse fixtures. I used them in the kitchen of my 1909 Portland Craftsmen bungalow. I was lucky to have the original sink and cabinets, which I kept.
Hi, Ross. I spotted a typo: “I installed a new 3-drawer cabinet next to the fridge, matching the horrible Home Depot cabinets. THREE MORE DRAWERS! To it’s left . . .” “To it’s left” should be “To its left” (no apostrophe). Please feel free to delete this comment after making the correction.
Actually, it should be “to its right” being the possessive of the cabinet. From the cabinet’s perspective the opening is on its right but from ours it is on the left. From our perspective it would be “to the left of the cabinet”.
The new kitchen, even unfinished, is delightful. I would love to cook in it. Love, love, love it (and you know how much I love to cook!). It has so much character. I’m so tired of all the cookie-cutter kitchens you see on the home improvement shows on TV that are all white, all with subway tile, boring light fixtures, and floating shelves (Ugh. The dust. I don’t even want to THINK about the dust). This kitchen honors the house’s heritage while still managing to be practical, useful, and playful.
And now there is the perfect place for whiskey and cookies, I see!
I noticed that too! Great combination, Jack Daniels and Chips Ahoy! For when milk just doesn’t do the trick, LOL!
Wow! Love all the elements and how they work together. Congrats!
I think it looks awesome! Great job. And, it doesn’t look like it was thrown together! 🙂
Ross, when reading your cross house posts, I often refer to the post with architectural drawings and floor plans to help with my bearings and to fully understand your descriptions. Is there a post with floor plans of the carriage house? I’d love to be able to refer to them.