Polly moved with her family from California to the Midwest when her husband, a serviceman, was transferred to Saint Louis, Missouri. She chose her new home for the great school district but knew her kitchen was in need of some work.
Giving a Kitchen New Life with Paint
The first step in redoing the kitchen was taking down the lonely wallpaper border and changing the sterile white walls to a soft yellow hue. The painting continued onto the cabinets. The old cabinets were in good shape, all they needed was a sleek white gloss to bring them back to life. The country cut of the cabinet is less prominent in all-white paint and the cabinet and drawer pulls now look modern instead of dated. The best part about the semi-gloss paint is that it can be scrubbed clean with a sponge, a plus for any family with small children.
New Floors and a New and Improved Island
To replace the old kitchen vinyl, Polly chose wood laminate flooring for two reasons. “We wanted to match the flooring in the living room, which is adjacent to the kitchen, and we also wanted something that would be durable and could withstand any possible water damage,” Polly says. Polly’s husband, Jerry, saved the family money by doing the hard work of ripping out the old floors and installing the new ones.
The floor space also got larger in the work area with the removal of an old island. The island consisted of a row of cabinets that were moved to another wall in the kitchen, allowing them to keep the storage space. In place of the old island came a new butcher block with casters that lock in to place but also can be unlocked to roll the island out of the way if needed. The smaller size allows Polly more room when cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen but still provides a place for her kids or guests to sit and keep her company.
The Renovations Extend All the Way to the Kitchen Sink
Where Polly and Jerry did hire outside help was to move in their new appliances and install the countertops, sink, and fixtures. The sleek stainless steel appliances fit right in with the clean, modern look given to the made-over cabinets. Corian countertops in a gray color complement the stainless steel appliances. The new fixtures are also a sleek stainless steel. With a seamless sink embedded in the counterops, cleaning up kiddie crumbs is as easy as wiping them into the sink.
Home Improvements Are Never Done
Polly has more plans for the kitchen. Some finishing touches will imbue the kitchen transformation with life. “We still need to redo the lighting, create a backsplash made of tile and build a shelf above the sink,” she explains of her future goals. Judging from her past improvements, it’s sure to look great.
