Our kitchen. It’s been a source of great frustration. While we aren’t crazy about the layout (the freezer door opens against the backdoor, which means we can’t open it all the way, and the dishwasher door opens against the oven handle), but it’s nothing we can’t live with. It’s just not the way we would have chosen to lay it out. Some of the problems will actually be fixed with the addition of our new master suite, which means we will be tearing out the back door for a hallway, so we will finally, after eight years, be able to open the freezer all the way!
The kitchen has really been constant projects for eight years, from the counter tops, to back splash, to new flooring (which we will have to change when we expand the dining room next year), to paint, to trim, to hardware, to refinishing the cabinets to beams.
Most recent were the cabinet refinishing and the island. There was no island in this kitchen when I bought the house, which is strange because the layout SCREAMS for an island, and there is very little food prep space without it.
The island was actually constructed from an antique cabinet I purchased at an antique store. J.T. took the door off the front and inserted the microwave, then installed an outlet in the floor to plug the microwave in. The island was brought up to counter height with a shelf and decorative wooden casters.
The posts were once a column that held up a porch on a house on Spring Street.They were rescued by our good friends Wendell and Tanya Rust.
Finally, the counter top was constructed from discarded bamboo floors. J.T. did a considerable amount of work to prep the pieces. I mostly helped with sanding, staining and oiling.
Hanging above the island is a light fixture we think dates back to the 1920s that came from the old Courthouse Grill. It was given to us. Can you believe that?
Here’s the before, the work on the island, and the after! As you can see, we involve our children as much as possible, teaching them invaluable skills to take with them through life.
Three Quarters Restoration 