Before…
After…
Carrie was on a mission to bring a derelict kitchen space back to life, using vintage materials, and once she set her mind to the task, she became a tazmanian devil of a renovator who made it happen in record time. An amazing story … just amazing! Oh… and don’t miss the tiara…. Carrie writes:
June 2009 We bought a 1980 Tudor that had been sadly neglected and vandalized. There was a yucky sink and a rotted out cabinets in in the kitchen. We replaced the sink base, bought several bookshelves at a garage sale, and found a 1950′s aqua chrome dinette with four chairs. This served as my kitchen for an entire year, which gave me plenty of time to think about what I wanted as I struggled with feeding 12 people in a giant mess. Yes, 12.
June 2010 Still unsure what I want to do, I hung up some curtains I made out of some green and blue flower power fabric. I saw a friend’s black and white floor. I sat and drank tea at my chrome dinette. POW! Finally the lightbulb went on and I decided I wanted to go for a Retro look. I googled black and white checkered floors, and eventually found Pam’s kitchen in all its aqua glory! I was lost in MCM madness and I don’t think I have missed a single day drinking in all the info on the site. My husband came home to find I had emptied the kitchen, gutted the walls, and started to tear up the old broken tile floor. Surprise! He said ” I guess you want to work on the kitchen now…” Ha ha. I must mention that we are seasoned renovators, so this was nothing new. This will be our fifth kitchen project from scratch.
August 2010 Steel kitchens were a new thought to me…I debated whether I could find enough to complete our kitchen. I went to a garage sale…and there was a Youngstown 54″ sink base! I bargained the guy down from $50 to $25 then and there and hauled it off. It then became my “part time job” to search Craigslist. Um, like morning, noon, and night job. I found 5 more Youngstown cabinets in Ohio for $150. I found 15 more mystery brand cabinets that I had to fight for (see my story on sledgehammering and setting the cabinets free) for $300. I then started to spend hours trying to figure out a layout that would work. I mean HOURS AND HOURS. This kept me sane while the kitchen was a mess. Well, sane for me anyway.
Progress: My wonderful experienced husband started putting in extra insulation while one of my sons scraped up the old tile. Other older sons have worked alongside their dad for years so everything was DIY. I cooked in the crockpot a lot. I also made coffee in the hall, fried potatoes in the foyer, toast in the dining room, and scrambled eggs in another corner. With previous kitchen remodels I had set up a temporary kitchen somewhere, but there simply was not room to do that here. When I started to go crazy, I would go on ebay and search for neat aqua kitchen stuff and Cleminson wall pockets. This kept me focused on what a nice kitchen it would eventually be while we all put up with the mess. The fridge was in the office, the cabinets were everywhere in various stages of being painted, and I was still spending plenty of time on the computer researching and planning. My husband was only working part time, so frugality was very important. So was reuse and recycling. I also found out that everything I was finding was made in the USA, which was quite amazing. The finding everything in the USA also meant driving around a lot to pick it all up.
Research: I looked through tons of pictures to help make all those hard decisions…like what kind of walls? I did not want drywall to show. Part of the ceiling was already tongue and groove pine boards, so I opted to put those on the walls in the breakfast area, and use beadboard to cover little spots of drywall. I decided that I wanted the aqua boomerang laminate, and I really wanted it to go on the walls also for easy cleanup. Saw a picture that showed 18 inch laminate backsplash, so that made that decision easy. Did I want a soffit? Did I want to keep the wood cabinets I had and add the steel ones? Did I want to go for a total time capsule look, or make the kitchen fit my lifestyle? Where could I hide the microwave? When it all became too much, I went shopping again on ebay and etsy, trying to stay around $10 to $15 for these purchases. I found art deco toasters, pyrex bowls, and lots of melamine dishes. I had a notebook for ideas, pictures, layout ideas, wish list, stuff to find, and decisions to be made. Like where can I put geraniums. Seriously, I spent a lot of time reading on how to set up efficient work zones (like lunch making area, baking area, storage area, cooking area, appliance area, etc.) I went to my local thrift shop a couple times a week and found canisters and cake carriers. People probably thought I was nuts, muttering to myself ” oh look, I bet this is from the late 60′s…oh look, harvest gold!”. I was at church and started explaining to everyone about the birch cabinets, yellow linen countertop, and steel counter edging in the church’s kitchens. They listened politely of course to my retro ravings.
Paint: I spend my days online and painting cabinets, with a permanent mark on my face from my respirator. To paint all the cabinets and the walls, about $300. I just had to have a couple cans of Holiday Turquoise from Sherwin Williams. Let me say here that some of my cabinets were on the rough side, with quite a bit of previous painting and dents. I was not worried about perfection anyway. I just decided that I was going to make the kitchen look like it had been there for a generation or so. A generation that included a cat, a cocker spaniel, a new lab puppy, and ten kids. Just keep painting…
September 2010 Decisions, decisions… Floor: I found a box of Armstrong VCT at a garage sale for a $1. My mother in law gives me a half a box. Neither is the color I needed, so I decided to install these cheap tiles under the cabinets where they would never show. I find the classic black and white VCT,and save it for my longsuffering dh and sons to put in later.
Appliances: I almost die of happiness when I find an aqua Hotpoint stove for $100. No matter that it is full of dead mice, I put on my respirator, tore it apart, and cleaned it. For hours and hours. Folks at The Old Appliance Club helped me find the correct insulation and my husband, who is a master electrician, rewired the stove. For $280, my lovely stove now works. I wanted white or retro, but settled for a black $49 dishwasher off CL. I decide to buy a $35 range hood and paint it until I can find a new? old? one.
Already owned a giant commercial oven I snagged when a local school closed, hey I want to make 12 pizzas in 10 minutes! I searched for a fridge. Finally decided to take my one year old scratch and dent fridge I got for $250 and painted it Holiday Turquoise. Sprayed the handles silver, and added a chrome logo that says ” Streetmachine” just for fun!
Lighting: Found 4 matching chrome ceiling mount bases on ebay for $20 each. Drooled over the hand painted aqua schoolhouse globes at Schoolhouse Electric. Bought one and decided this was one area that I was going to splurge, even if I had to look at bare bulbs for awhile before I could afford 3 more globes.
October 2010 My husband gets a full time job! Yeah, more money but less time to work on the kitchen, the progress slows way down. One of the car’s engine blows, and other car hits a deer. No extra money for the kitchen for awhile…oh well.
Cabinets, cont.: I need more cabinets, and my part time job looking for them has not been successful for awhile. I finally find a listing with no pictures on CL. The guy says he has some “old metal cabinets”. He thinks maybe 5 or 6. He wants $100 and he does not want to give me any more information over the phone. I decide it is only an hour plus away, so off I go with my enclosed trailer. Five minutes away from the cabinets, my dh calls frantic that the wind is supposed to reach 70 mph and does not want me to drive and maybe wreck the trailer. I race to the man’s garage, throw money at the guy, throw the cabinets in the trailer, and race out. All I noticed was that they were yellow and the sink base said …GENEVA! YEAH! I am already going for a kitchen that showcases many different brands(um, not really on purpose). I have to leave the trailer at a friend’s house because of the wind, so I don’t even get to look in the trailer. I can’t get back up there for 5 days so I am very impatient…what did I buy? How many? What sizes are they? Finally, I pick up the trailer and discover my $100 got me 8 Geneva cabinets. I am now the owner of 29 cabinets at a mere total cost of $575. Well, plus gas, time, and paint. Back to the layout to rearrange yet again. The particle board cabinets in my kitchen are falling apart after one year of use. I decide to take them out and go for the steel that has lasted 60 plus years, so that decision finally gets made. I kept the wood valence and two upper wood cabinets, because I had made a piece of stained glass for the middle and I wanted to leave that there above the sink.
To make the kitchen look as if it had been there for the last 65 years…I decided I was going for the “added to over time” look, so the two upper wood cabinets are getting jadeite knobs ( I am pretending that was in the 40′s). Then I got a steel sink base (it is now the 50′s, at least in my mind…). We of course added more cabinets over time as we got deals (thus the fact I have 5 different kinds). Then the 60′s hit, and I got flower power curtains. Appliances and knickknacks from all these different time periods to help along my time capsule over 30 years look. Ha, ha, and it only took 8 months to do.
November 2010: It is Thanksgiving, and I am thankful that the floor is finally getting put down. The walls are painted. It actually feels bright and cherry. We take in a Vietnamese foreign exchange student and spend the week making all kinds of Vietnamese food. In the foyer. And the dining room. And the hall. Sigh. I think I need to go shopping again for therapy to make it through this remodel. I find a super cool aqua foil/wax paper/towel dispenser and an atomic 3 tier server. Okay, I can face another day now.
December 2010 I came up with the idea to take two corner uppers and stack them in the breakfast area. DH built a platform to put the lower one one, and installed the other one at regular height above it, so it kind of looks like a corner china cabinet. Dh gets one side of uppers installed, and puts in an open soffit so I can display all these “treasures” from my shopping therapy. A cubby for my industrial stove. A cubby for my fridge. A place to hang my Cleminson wall pockets. Wow, I can stop shopping and start cooking in the kitchen again!
January 2011 DH the licensed electrician fixes all my plugs, so I have power. He also puts in the backsplash and the lower cabinets on one side, and my lovely boomerang on the counter. Much debating over the edging, do I want the stainless steel (well, yeah, but budget!) or the much cheaper aluminum “T” edge. Decide on the aluminum. WOW, one side is finished except for trim.
Sink: DH says I need to finally make up my mind what I want for the sink and faucet. I like how the single cast iron sink with drainboards look, but I also know that it is easier to break glass on them, as well as a billion tomatoes tend to stain them, and I don’t want to spend the money for a bad condition one OR more money for a nicer one. Decide to go with stainless steel, most of my cabinets are white and I think I need the contrast. Read again all Pam’s posts on sinks. Decide I want an Ikea stainless single bowl with the drainer on one side, it is in my price range of frugal. Make a 5 hour round trip to Ikea to buy sink, because I need it today! Find a $6 Paper lantern chandelier at Ikea. My kids adore it and I figure it is in my budget at that price. Bring that home too and hang above the table. Hey, paper lanterns have been used for centuries so I can’t be too far off. Well, the being far off is probably correct when discussing my mental stability but let’s not go there.
Faucet: Hmm, what’s this Dishmaster thingy? Oh, I want one. Google and find they still make them. I want one right now! I find out a hardware 45 min away has one in stock. Model M-76. Model M-76. My greedy little heart starts plotting when can I get there. DH calls and somehow figures out between the drooling noises on the phone the words “Dishmaster” and “hardware store”. So anyway, he comes home and calls me downstairs really seriously, like something is the matter. He pulls out …a …Dishmaster! I throw a really happy fit and put on my tiara and take a picture just like the one on the blog of me, DH, and my beautiful Dishmaster. I feel like I just won the Retro pageant for crazy people.
Cabinets, again: I am short one 30 inch cabinet. ONE! I remember I saw a steel cabinet at a Flint antique store, but they wanted $120 for it. Gulp. I take a chance, go over there, and the dealer has the entire booth at 50% off. I haul that cabinet out of there for $60 so fast that the cashier barely knew she sold it. Then I have to go back of course. I find a 1935 towel drying rack, made right here in MI. Now I can display some of my vintage kitchen towels. I figure out that the cabinet is made by Montgomery Ward. I now have wood, Youngstown, Geneva, Montgomery Ward, and mystery cabinets. I guess I am a showroom. For people that cannot resist the lure of metal and must buy vintage cabinets regardless of brand. Actually, I am mostly proud of the fact that my total is now $635 for 30 cabinets. Um, don’t forget the paint, the gas, the travel time, and all the decisions. I need to stop looking for cabinets for sale, so I give up the part time unpaid CL searches job. I still HAVE to look at the Forum on Retro Renovation every day though, an addict like me can’t just quit cold turkey.Problems: I can’t use the little grey curved shelves I found back in Oct., so DH builds me some curved wood shelves that fit much nicer. I am in agony again because the Montgomery Ward cabinet has the coolest original red top with the steel edging. I really can’t change the whole kitchen to reuse the red top. I guess I will set it aside and decide if can use it somewhere else in the house. I also can’t use the grey crackled ice counter I so carefully saved. I have a layout that includes 27 cabinets, but I can put the extra 3 in my laundry room, so no problem there. I decide I might put all my leftovers on CL when I finish the project. There is no way I have matching hardware, and plus the holes are all different spacings. I decide as long as the hardware is chrome, it is okay with me. Some of the cabinet doors are desperately bad. No problem, I took off the doors and went for an open shelf look. Make a note to find some shelf edging when I have time, ha ha again. Did I mention I am homeschooling 8 kids too? Don’t want to get bored during my kitchen remodel.The kids are growing crystals as an science experiment on the new counter. I find 4 black barstools on CL for $10 each. Guess my breakfast counter is going to be at the same height as the regular counter. Another decision made for me by a CL find.
Curtains: Yeah, yeah I know I should have pinch pleated barkcloth but I decide no. I like to redecorate a lot (wow, could you have guessed that?). I decided to make all surfaces that are not easy to change aqua or white. So the cabinets and formica are all aqua or white, with the black and white floor. I had a really hard time deciding if I wanted to go with pink and yellow, or green, or red as accent. If I get bored, I can change the curtains and display items and change the look of the kitchen without a major overhaul. I decided to put in a curtain rod that has the little rings with clips on them. That way, when I have collected enough vintage tablecloths, I can use them as curtains to display them by just clipping onto them without having to sew or ruining the tablecloth.
February 2011 Counter edge: Pam has posted about counter edge, and I was planning on waiting a couple months to save up in order to afford the $355 it is going to cost me. Then, another blog reader named dcgrl kindly mentioned a company called McMaster-Carr. I frantically went to their site, and found what I wanted, called them for shipping quote, and ordered immediately! I ordered the aluminum tee edge in a 1 1/4 ribbed edge, they call it push in stem aluminum trim. My problem was my counters were 1 1/4 thick so I needed this size. I needed 8 – 6 ft pieces at $6.48 a piece.
For my cove, I choose aluminum 90 degree angle corner in a rounded profile 8 -6 ft pieces. At $2.17 for a 4 foot piece. I realize this is not historically perfect, however, total shipping was about $9 for the entire order. Total price was $78.95. So I paid a 1/4 of what I was expecting.
Two days later, the trim arrived, and my wonderful dh installed it! Woo hoo!
Everything is done except the baseboard. How much did it cost?
- Cabinets$635 subtract sold off counters for $110 so total was $525
- Paint (walls, cabinets, fridge, etc.) $300
- Counters (plywood,formica, trim edging, glue/caulk)$700
- Appliances (as detailed above) $614
- Floor (subfloor, glue, VCT) $200
- Walls and Ceilings (Tongue and groove pine, bead board, drywall underneath, trim)$1000
- Electrical (wiring, plugs, fixtures, globes, bulbs)$700
- Ebay/ Etsy/Thrift store decor items(melamine dishes, Cleminson wall pockets, vintage small appliances, curtain rods etc. ) $300
- Insulation $150
- Plumbing ( sink, Dishmaster, plumbing supplies)$500
- Total: $4989 plus labor (ours) over nine months.
I figure there were odds and ends that we picked up here and there that added to the cost of the whole project, plus gas money, but even guessing an extra $1,000 for misc. Still puts this remodel under $6,000 for a 12 X 11 breakfast room with 10 X 17 galley kitchen.
A great thanks goes out to Pam and this site, for all the helpful ideas. My biggest thanks is to my dh (dearest husband), with the help of our sons he brought this lovely kitchen to life and put up with me changing my mind many, many times!
Carrie aka MIfroggies
Yowza, you are AMAZING, MIfroggies! Just amazing. The kitchen looks fantastic, the kids are even cuter, the dh still is smiling, and your story just rocks the casbah. I wish I were closer — I’d come give you a super mega hug. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing — after all this work and you still have time to write with such humor and good spirit! Oh, and thanks for being a good role model by showcasing the use of proper ventilation gear, not to mention teaching children the finer points of sweat equity. xoxo
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WOW! what an amazing job! i loved reading this – projects like this get me so excited.
Pilgrim – Hi! You look SO CUTE in your new avatar!
Carrie,
You certainly deserve the tiara! You truly are the “Queen of Kitchen Renovation”.
Thanks for an inspiring and humorous tale. All hail the Queen!
WOW!….THIS IS FABULOUS! I am in AWE of all you did in such a short amount of time AND with all your responsibilities of being a wife, mother (10 kids AND still had time to take in an exchange student!!?), home school your children, kitties and dogs..as if that wasn’t enough to keep you busy!!…..I wouldn’t change a thing about your kitchen! My favorite find is the aqua stove! WOW!! Everything in your kitchen flows together so well. Aqua is my favorite color, as well as yellow. Enjoy your new kitchen! YOU DESERVE IT!!
And, she took the time to think about potted flowers; I quote:
“Like where can I put geraniums”?
Oh, Carrie, retro-sista!
This is such a great kitchen. You really did a fantastic job! There is not one thing that I would change, nope not one thing…..
I love it! We ended up needing a backsplash on our new counters, and I am envious of the way you did yours. It looks really great!
Wow! Fabulous kitchen, I love it! I am exhausted just reading about all you did (and do) on a regular basis—and you still had time (made time) to do such an amazing renovation job, down to the most minute detail. Bravo! Your kitchen is just wonderful.
What a delightful story!
Just makes me want to be your neighbor, so I could stop by for a cup o’ joe and a chat in your cute kitchen.
Carrie, you have truly inspired me to get busy completing my kitchen renovation. Just goes to show that with a little patience, determination and love (and of course our #1 resource and blog addiction) you can create the space of your dreams.
My heart was pounding and I was left breathless at the end of this, edge of the seat retro renovating saga. Thanks for the roller coaster ride. Your kitchen is glorious.
Not only am I amazed at the speed in which you completed this project (as well as juggling being a mom to 10 & homeschool teacher to 8), I’m also in awe of how creative you were with your design.
The different models & styles of cabinets, the way you alternated open cabinets with closed, the cubbies that you added all over, the balance of white, black, aqua, chrome & stainless steel — all of these give your kitchen depth and texture not seen in most kitchens. And it looks balanced & harmonious!
This is truly one of the coolest kitchens I have ever seen!
Wonderful!
Esp the part about the 10 kids. I come from a family of 11, so I know that this project will become a “forever memory”. Please send those 20 extra hands over to my house!
Your DishMaster photo is a keeper and shows that you have the perfect spirit to complete these tasks and keep that family joyful.
My hat is off to you, Ma -Congratulations.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the aqua and white combination!!! How inspiring to see that with a little elbow grease you can have a cool kitchen without spending a fortune. Great job!
Just. Amazing. I’m so impressed! I have a 1956 ranch style house that needs a kitchen overhaul. There were several unfortunate “updates” from the 80′s that needed to be undone, when we bought the place two years ago, so we re-did things as quickly and plainly as we could, until I could decide what to do. And now I know!! Thank you for sharing!!!
10:08 am on a Sunday morning….and your faucet photo is a hit with everyone I have shown it to! So inspired.
WOW! I’m exhausted just reading this! What a FANTASTIC redo. LOVE, love, love it! You are so creative and I love your enthusiasm. Must come from having a DH and 10 wonderful kids. Enjoy your kitchen. You definitely worked for it!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your story. I especially like that you didn’t try to make everything exactly the same, but found things that would work together. I think that attitude is much more *retro*. Also, you will never walk into a different house and find a look-alike kitchen…yours is unique. Congrats on a wonderful job!
amazing truly amazing,great job
~caio
Really love your kitchen, Carrie! The different ‘areas’ are perfect. We also used upper cabinets in place of lowers to keep my ‘pantry’ area only a foot deep. I hate to dig for stuff.
I do have one tiny complaint about your post. I only saw one wall pocket!
I’m a major fan of wall pockets, especially the motto ones, so I was looking forward to seeing yours!
Seriously, great job. I particularly applaud how you showed keeping the focus on function needn’t mean sacrificing form and fancy, and that imagination, patience, and elbow grease can achieve more pleasing aesthetics than deep pockets.
One question I keep meaning to ask the people with Dishmasters: Does the water flow continuously during use, or is there some kind of on/off control so you don’t waste water while scrubbing?
There’s 3 wall pockets above the fridge, kinda hard to see…and the one above the towel hanger. The hearts by the curved shelf, and the plates on either side of the door are also Cleminson. There’s 3 more that are not in the photos at all…
I missed the ones above the fridge! Thanks for pointing them out. I’d spotted the one above the towel rack, although I must confess I spent more time looking at the towels and the rack than the wall pocket. I’ve never seen a rack like that, and now I’m in serious coveting mode.
Where I grew up, we had aluminum trim on the kitchen cabinets, and I remember it would leave gray/black marks on our clothes when we rubbed against it doing dishes. Have you had this problem?
No, this must be sealed with a coating, no problems with marks from the trim. On the dishmaster, you pull up the little handle and it sprays, turn off faucet and it turns off the water, or you can push the little handle down. Mine is new model, I don’t know if the old ones are different.
What type of coating? We are looking at aluminum banding instead of stainless steel because I want rounded corners.
I’m jealous! This is exactly what I want to do to my kitchen!
wowwwww. just. WOW.
high fives, the kitchen is gorgeous. i’m so inspired! i want to go paint something or sew something or bust out a power tool NOW.
and I say this with admiration: as I was reading through your odyssey of renovations, decisions – I was laughing, thinking, “OMG, this is me!” My dh once said my mania for retro was a “disease.” He was right. I see at least I’m in good company – Your kitchen is THE BOMB!!!!
Every time I think Retro Renovation can’t top itself we get another jaw-droppingly stunning renovation project. Wow, Carrie, you are my new hero. This rocks.
Also, I finally figured out my fatal mistake: I married a librarian instead of a master electrician! Actually, your entire family is so handy. Great work!
Lynn-O, I agree: I always think “no one can top this” when I post these stories… and then someone new does! Married to a history teacher – but he’s pretty handy!
This is the most awesome Sunday morning read. I love the kitchen…I am in love with that blue color and am nearly obsessed with it. From the pictures, you’d never guess there was a “collection” of different cabinet types. They look like they were meant to be together.
It makes me feel better when I hear of other people who spend every waking moment planning and searching for the “perfect” details. Now, Carrie NEEDS a blog!
WOW. I am in awe.
If you ever sell this house, I sure hope the buyer loves the kitchen because I’d hate to see all of your hard work undone. Really fun, love the color, would love to see it in person.
Patty, I share your thoughts! That is REALLY a very big concern for those of us who want to return our homes to an earlier era, isn’t it? I’m dying to tear out the poorly installed marble tiled bathroom I’m living with, but I can easily imagine any future buyers saying “ew! –how out-of-date!” to the stuff I really want to install in its place. I guess we have to ask ourselves how long we plan to stay in our homes, and if re-sale is an issue…
I’m not sure whether to shriek “Way to go!” or “Oh my goodness!” or “Amazing!” so I’m just going to include them all. Such a beautiful job. I’m impressed with all of the planning and hard work and of course, the results. Absolutely beautiful! All of the little details and the aqua – swoon.
Kudos to you, Carrie! What a great Sunday read you gave me! Thanks and congrats on a fab kitchen remodel! (I LOVE aqua!)
It’s beautiful. And in Michigan! (me too) I love the turquoise. It’s all so amazing and unbelievable that you accomplished what you did with 10 kids and home schooling them all, etc. It just shows all the qualities one must have to be a retro-renovator – with patience and humor being at the top of the list! It doesn’t hurt to have a handy husband.
Thank you for sharing.
This is my all time favorite retro kitchen and story. Carrie and I have been emailing for awhile so I feel I “know” her, and I gotta say – she’s one of the most giving, energetic, determined, down to earth yet fanciful people I’ve ever met! This kitchen was built with love, grit, creativity and is a work of art. I hope it stays in the family 4ever. Your story is a real inspiration, thanks so much for taking the time to document and share!
x
Helen
Awww, thank you Helen!
Oh wow! so amazing! and thanks for the shout-out! glad the trim worked for you!
Well, thanks to your tip about the trim, I got this project done faster than I thought!
This is like my dream kitchen! The photos are just a feast for my eyes this afternoon. Beautiful. I”m inpired to work a little harder on mine.
What a fantastic job! So much energy…
Congratulations on a great kitchen.
What an amazing story and transformation!
I love how you made the corner cabinets look like a curio.
Absolutely gorgeous! Love the floor, love the cabinets, love the curtains, love the range of decades – beautifully done! We’re in a 1965 rancher and just put down a checkered floor; I’ve got 1930′s repro fabric for curtains, and a range of china from the 30′s through 60′s, plus cookbooks 1920′s on up. Nice to know I’m not the only one using a range of goodies. I figure as long as I love it, it’s in style!
This is the person I want on my team when the world falls apart. Congratulations and ENJOY your beautiful kitchen with your dh and your beautiful children/
Thank you everyone for the encouraging comments, I really appreciate it! I did not feel like the kitchen was “done” until I shared it with everyone, and all your comments have “blessed” this project. I am glad it inspired many to keep going to make your dream kitchen happen. Thanks again!
This kitchen is just awesome!!!. I just love it . Very creative!!!. Can you share with us on Facebook how to strip the paint, prep for the paint , what kind of paint? this looks like a skill you have mastered and i am trying to figure out how to do this. i dont want to pay someone else to do it.
just be sure to consult with professionals regarding environmental and safety issues foe example lead paint!
What a nice job and lovely use of that torquise. There is much I enjoy about your post, but my favorite is the photo of all the cabinets on the grass and the outline of paint that has over-sprayed onto the grass. I can’t wait to show that photo to my DH as this is a trait of mine that he thinks no one else shares…we frequently have strange shaped paint patterns in our lawn!
I should mention that the little boys are playing with the packing tube from the counter trim, it made a great tunnel for their cars.
Love it! reuse and recycle – the best toys are free. My fave photo is your son wiping out the cabinet with a rag, with that “Moooommmm” look on his face. Classic.
Wow, great! Love, love, love the turquoise!
Quick question — what kind of paint did you use to paint your cabinets? And did you spray them? I have existing metal cabinets that I want to paint (they’ve been painted once by previous owner) and yours look great!
Like Sandra, I too want more detail about how you painted the metal cabinets. Pam has featured this subject quite often on her site and I am always curious as to which direction people choose. What kind of primer? What kind of paint? How many coats? Did you have to use a sealer of some kind afterward? Your installed cabinets look fabulous in the pictures. Please share the details when you have time!
Please see I added paint comments below…
HA! I missed most of the work, being at college and all, but I still got in some elbow grease over winter break. (I’m the second of those ten kids mentioned). I’m impressed by the kitchen now that it’s done- I remember standing in it in despair when we first were moving in, with my mom reassuring me that it had POTENTIAL… which wasn’t reassuring at all. I can’t wait to get home and see the finished product with my own eyes!
Hi Son!
Okay, about Painting. Like Pam says, always consult with a professional. My dh was a professional painter for a couple years, so that made it easier, but always be safe than sorry!
I tried two methods. First, we cleaned the cabinets with soap and water. Second, wore respirator and only lightly sanded extremely rusty spots where there was no paint left. I did not want to mess with possible lead paint being released into the air. My thought was to encapsulate any bad paint. Therefore, we sprayed the cabinets with Rust-oleum metal primer, at least 3 or 4 coats. Any huge rust was in the back so I did not care that it looked lumpy. Then the two different methods,
1. Sprayed them with Rus-toleum white high gloss paint, several coats. Some looked tiny bit glossy, some not. Tried a Clear gloss over that , it bubbled everywhere and I learned that did not work!
2. Painted with a very highly textured roller and used Sherwin Williams all surface(including safe for metal) paint in their standard white and Holiday Turquoise. This method peeled very easily until about a week passed, then it became a harder surface. This also covered a lot of dents and scrapes because of the texture.
So half the cabinets have texture and half are smooth…I am going to see over time which method adheres better and lasts longer.
I met all the tech leaders from Rustoleum at the event I went to in New Orleans last week. Like: The Vice President of R&D… and two leaders from their labs. They are all about adhesion and durablity. They volunteered to help us… maybe even do some testing in their Illinois labs on which of their products may work best for us on our vintage steel kitchen cabinets. I will follow up with them as soon as I can.
Let me be the first to volunteer to donate any of my fixer cabs to science
I love it! How did you install the trim? Does it just push or screw in? I assume that the outer edge of the countertop was not laminated? If not, have you had any trouble with water from the sink getting behind the edging? When I spoke to the folks at NY Metals they recommended the SS edging if there was a sink because the fit was more water tight I guess. I love the look of the aluminum and I especially love the price!
The edge of the counter top was not laminated at all, my husband put a groove in it at the right height and then just pushed the tee edge trim in, there is little “teeth” that hold it in. Trick is patiently getting the groove at the exact right height. That type went very easily around corners, when rounded.
The cove, between the counter and backsplash, is shaped like an “L”. We put caulk in the seam, then put the “L” on, then drilled tiny holes at each end where two pieces came together, and one in the middle. Tapped in tiny trim nails. Then put more clear caulk above and below the “L” to make sure no gaps. Left the caulk to dry a week, then scraped off any extra that had bubbled around the “L”.
I am also impressed. I look forward to seeing them in person when I get back from college.
Hi 1st son!
I love it!!! Wow…..what a team you and your dh make. Thank you for sharing your prize with all of us.
Great read. I like that you worked with what you found for a good deal.
It looks like the Dishmaster should fit my sink, but I’m not gonna sport a tiara if I get one.
now why not, kurt?
Your kitchen is fantastic! I love what you’ve done and I truly admire your ability to bring the whole thing to fruition. I only have two kids in public school and can’t seem to get the momentum going to finish much of anything. We’re coming-up on a year in our new (to us) home and I still have boxes that need unpacked. You’ve inspired me to get started again. Thanks for sharing this project with us.
I love this so much that I am in tears!
Wow.
Carrie, if you are having withdrawal issues, I can send you my kitchen dimensions and number/sizes of cabinets waiting patiently in the garage, and you can bring me your best ideas! I honestly don’t know how to begin, and I’m thinking I might have to make a little shoe box diorama to get it going.
Your story is truly amazing and inspiring. Wonderful kitchen! Honestly, I think we are going to have to chat when my kitchen remodel gets started.
I am on the forum as MIfroggies so you can always send me a message that way. Realize that you are not going to come up with the perfect layout the first time, the 20th time, etc. It takes a LOT of doing and redoing. Start with where the stove, sink, and fridge need to be. Draw out on graph paper where windows and doors are. Do a search on the internet for top tips on kitchen design, they will give ideas for how far away the sink should be from the stove for example to have an efficient work triangle. Write down what you love about your past kitchens, what worked well, AND what you hated and need to change. I always fix sandwiches next to the fridge, but my first designs did not have a place by the fridge for stuff to “land” when I took it out. So writing down ideas will help you plan. A diorama is a good idea, they used to have little plastic cabinets that they could move around to show layouts, I think Pam has a set.
A dream! Absolutely beautiful job. I think half the fun was putting all together and coming up with the ideas as you found everything. This is the kind of kitchen that’s a joy to work in. Congrats on a great job and I envy your creativity. You’ll enjoy it for years and years..
Wonderful job, Carrie. And what a cost savings. We’re finishing up a kitchen rebuild…had to tear off the old addition before it fell off the house…and I know exactly all those decisions and shopping and ebaying. Will send in pics when it’s finished, but we were fortunate to have a builder who is also a talented cabinetmaker and he made wood cabinets to match the Youngstown units we already had. Plus a couple of huge built-ins. With all the curves and chrome going in, we decided that our design statement was “1949 Buick Roadmaster.” Google one and you’ll see our kitchen! Plus red countertops!
Anita
WOW!!! WOW!!! The kitchen is spectacular, and you are superwoman! What a great story, a beautiful family, and a fantastic kitchen you have!
An amazing story that results in an amazing kitchen! Love all of the aqua accents, and all the cubbies used to show them off! Sweet linens, too!
Also loved the Michigan backyard photos. You can see the autumn tinges to help you remember exactly when you tackled those cabinets!
I’m wondering what the kids think of the style choices. Do they have memories of older relatives with which they can associate any of this stuff? Or do they just enjoy the color and variety?
I think the whole thing is super-swingin’!
I asked them, some said they were glad everyone can fit in there at the same time, one said he liked all the “new/old things”, and the rest said they were glad it was done!
Bravo, Lady! You have created a spectacular kitchen! If it looks that good in pictures, I know it must be amazing in person! Seriously–I can feel the goodness just pouring off all those lovingly created and restored surfaces.
About painting the metal cabinets: We have some Youngstown units and my husband has a background in furniture restoration. So, after a good cleaning and sanding he primed them with Krylon/Consumer Div 1315 Decorator Primer then painted them (3 or 4 coats, I think) with Krylon 3201 Appliance Epoxy Ultra Hard Finish, White . Both are sprays and it does take some technique to get a good finish, but no special equipment. You do need really good ventilation for the Epoxy stuff. We ordered both products thru Amazon, of course using Pam’s link so she gets her teensy commission on our orders.
The rim of our sink unit also had some missing porcelain enamel in a critical location…about 3 inches by 2 inches. He used a product from Deabath.com, Industrial Grade white epoxy adhesive..92-HYSOL. Outstanding results; you cannot see that there was a repair.
I’ve promised Pam a full photo tour when we’re finished (quite soon now) but if anyone wants details on items or products we used, just let me know.
cool! thanks for the info — and for the amazon love — and i can’t wait to see your kitchen when you are ready for prime time! Be sure, everyone, to consult with pro’s re proper safety and environmental precautions. there can be lead paint, as one example.
Great job, the new kitchen looks awesome!
Carrie…totally inspiring!! I am trying to get up the nerve to…gulp…rip mine out and put the pink metal GE kitchen I scored from my aunt’s basement in. I have a couple of questions, if you don’t mind sharing. First, can you tell us how you all installed the t-shaped edging (what tools, how it worked, etc.)? I’ve had difficulty with this in the past (read: kitchen filled with smoke) and would love some advice…yours looks perfect!! Also, you mentioned that you painted your fridge. Could you share how you did that…and if it is the modern kind that is covered in some kind of plastic-y business? Many thanks, heroine!
Bars and booths website has instructions for the Tee edge, better to read it straight from them, they have diagrams also. My husband followed their directions.
My fridge is a year old, had the textured coating originally, I sanded it down, cleaned it, primed it, and painted with Sherwin Williams all surface paint. I took off the handles and sprayed them with Rust oleum chrome. Hope that helps!
You’re the best, Carrie. Thanks for the inspiration, courage and great info!!
Carrie, for the SECOND time on RR, I’m left speechless! I wish I had your energy and determination- usually I just have to walk away from a project of this magnitude when something doesn’t go right, step back, and take a deep breath!
Superb color choices, turquoise is my kitchen’s “couleur du jour” as well, something about it with pink accents keeps it “real” in my book.
Congrats on a job well done!
Bravo! What an amazing and gorgeous result for all your hard work. I imagine I could say the same thing for your children! Your energy and enthusiasm is inspiring.
Thanks so much again to everyone for their enthusiasm, now I need to go actually cook something!
Carrie! I’m so proud to say I know you and your fine family! I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this whole picture journal of your journey! You have an amazing, loving and helpful family, but then they all have an amazing wife and mother! I am in awe…this is the story of the century! You are an inspiration! Hug!
Amazing to say the least!! Even though my taste is more 1930′s to 1940′s, I LOVE yours! I never would have been able to put all that together in a plan like you did, you certainly have talent in that area!
Hey, if anyone is looking for a 1979 retro Kitch Aid Dishwasher that still works great, we might be selling ours, only because I don’t like the “faux” wood trim on the front, hmm, maybe I should paint it, but would it ruin it then?
I nominate this as one of Pam’s 10 best Kitchens and Kitchen stories!
What type of coating was used on the aluminum banding?
anodized coating
sorry, I submitted before it finished the sentence…anodized coating on cove, polished on t-edging.
Thanks! Sending that to my cabinet.counter guy. He said it has been a long time since he has done metal edging.
And I think I might have to ask, do you have further explaination on that? Haha. Googling didn’t help me understand any better.
The trim just comes with the coating already applied. I bought the cheapest I could from McMaster-Carr and did not care what coating was on it. If you look under Pam’s tab for countertops, you can research other more expensive companies like New York Metal that offer many different types of coatings, this can affect how shiny the trim is. I think they are all going to be roughly the same as far as durability, but the appearance is different depending on the coating. That is my unofficial explanation. The trim comes ready to go right out of the box, you don’t have to coat it after installation. Hope that helps!
Ohhhh! I was reading it as you have to coat it after you install it! Okay, this makes a ton more sense now. Thanks for your help! My cabinet/countertop guy is going to find it for me. I sent him some of the websites, but he didn’t want to pay for shipping and said he has some suppliers in our area.
Have you run into any issues with your molding? Do you love it? I cannot wait to have my kitchen done. We currently have no appliances! Haha. Let the fun begin!
I am super happy with my trim so far. Have fun!
Love your kitchen!! Great job with all of the details and thanks for sharing all of the info. I am having trouble finding the 90 degree angle corner that you mentioned for the price listed. Can you share more details? Thanks!
For my cove, I choose aluminum 90 degree angle corner in a rounded profile 8 -6 ft pieces. At $2.17 for a 4 foot piece. I realize this is not historically perfect, however, total shipping was about $9 for the entire order. Total price was $78.95. So I paid a 1/4 of what I was expecting.
Here’s the page for the cove:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#aluminum-angles/=aukiff
Thanks! So you used the rounded unpolished?
What size and thinkness? It looks like a good size for the countertops.
The absolute cheapest option, rounded unpolished. I got shorter lengths to save on shipping. This means I have seams everywhere, that we had to put little nails in to hold it at the seams. Also, if your wall is uneven, it might look messier.The thickness was the 1/16, the leg length was 1/2 by 1/2. We used a lot of caulk to seam around it. It did not come out as clean looking as the edging. I just wanted to get it done and as cheap as possible, made in USA. I am sure the more expensive cove from other places would look nicer. I am happy with it, but I don’t need perfection. Hope that helps!
I love this kitchen, we are just beginning on a remodel of a vacation condo. I have used many of your ideals. If you haven’t sold the remainder of your cabinets, I need 1 move. 18″ H x 36″ if you have one. You can contact me at mimi53@comcast.net. Thanks for your story.
All buying and selling needs to go onto the Forum, please, Debbie: http://retrorenovation.com/forum/
Awesome! I am purchasing a 20′s art deco house. The kitchen hasn’t been updated since metal cabinets came to be. (and neither has the rest of the house besides the electrical heating and plumbing woot original moldings!) Some jerk painted them like marble…badly have any tips for repainting them ? I have awesome teal and black subway tile so your kitchen spoke to me. As for the counters they are not original? The last guy painting them fake black marble as well so i was wondering if the paint will flake or not? I would appreciate all the help our willing to render
-M.Sands
Interior design student
Welcome, Meg. This is not a Do It Yourself (DIY) site, although on occasion I post stories about readers and their experiences. Please do you own extended research on DIY issues. Also please note, these old cabinets may contain lead paint — consult with a pro about how to ensure you are taking proper safety and environmental precautions. Good luck.
I love this wonderful kitchen. Thanks for sharing! I really love aqua…have a lovely little white and aqua vintage bathroom myself.
You did such a wonderful job on your kitchen. Can you please tell me where you got your counter ? It looks so beautiful and nothing like anything I have found. Thank you so much.
Colleen, Carrie used Formica boomerang laminate in aqua – it’s now discontinued. However, see my category Kitchens: Countertops for lots of other possibilities, including other designs of boomerang and where to find it.
Yes, Pam of course you are right!
I laughed soooo hard & long & had tears coming at the last sentence about the Dishmaster. Thank you so much for this site & this story! My husband actually paused the TV so I could explain it to him… it took me several minutes to read the paragraph to him… I . could . not . stop . laughing.
We have been in our mid-50′s home for 27 years. The kitchen has never been remodeled. New appliances, yes. New floor too. The knotty-pine cabinets & the counters are original.
We want to move the appliances around a little and keep the cabinets & add to them. My wonderful bro-in-law gave me a great idea on that… Use the paneling in the kitchen to make more doors! He’s so smart! Same wood as on the cabinets now.
The post above gave me some more places to look for the metal trim for new countertops.
thank you again! I have wiled away a perfectly good Saturday here!
Well, howdy do and welcome, Lory!!!
Thank you! It feels good to finally acknowledge my gratitude…and love. I have spent many hours here ooo’ing & ah’ing.
I love this kitchen! Where did you find the turquoise laminate?
It is discontinued now unfortunately.
As the child of a renovator, I kind of feel for your poor kids, slaving away on the cabinets. But I bear no grudges to my parents, and I know how to work! Good for you for getting them involved!
My older sons especially are thankful now, all that renovation throughout their life means they know how to work hard and fix just about anything around the house! We figure it will save them tons of repairman bills in their future.
It’s no longer in production but there may be NOS out there somewhere. Give barsandbooths.com a shout. I bought a 5×8 sheet of the Skylark last fall. It’s the light blue boomerang. It’s pricey but worth it if you can’t live without it. It’s way cheaper than solid surface!
I’ll be starting on my kitchen soon, painting my wood cabinets and was wondering how the SW All Surface enamel paint is holding up?
Paint is holding up just fine.
Great to hear, Carrie! Thanks for letting us know!
Wow! what an amazing job – well done! I had the best chuckle when I saw your stove. That was our stove growing up. We even had the aqua sink and dishwasher that matched. All the neighbors had either aqua, pink or yellow to choose from. thanks for a great memory! Enjoy!
carrie renovates like i do, your “finds” dictates how it all turns out! love it! i am so inspired by your story and kitchen. I am in the planning stages of our kitchen (my third reno) and have some of the same struggles of how,what, and when. i just bought 11 metal cabinets in Albuquerque nm for 350$, my husband just smiles and says “it will look great when you done honey”, God has blessed me greatly. I am still stock plying, but your story has me ready to dive in, thanks. Beautiful job!
Hey Pam,
I wrote up a follow up on our house for you…after the kitchen, we did the living room in Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper…also putting the house up for sale, if someone wants to own this lovely kitchen!