BEFORE
This is the kitchen before we moved in. The first thing MrZ did, of course, was paint so I forget how hideous the trim/door color was. I don’t know if you can tell – but it is mauve. Which, is uglier in person than via the photo. The only thing MrZ did before we moved in was paint. Leading us to the next photo:
DURING
This is the kitchen with a new coat of paint and much better color choices. I’ll take this time to go on record saying that I thought it would be better to go with darker trim. As in, darker than the walls. Which, I realize now, would have been ugly-as-hell. This is one of the many times MrZ vetoed my awful interior decorating choices. The white makes an amazing effect.
Now – the best part:
AFTER
This is a kitchen with new tile, new lighting, a shiny new faucet, and of course: New Appliances. It finally feels like the chaos was all worth it. And the best part? MrZ did it all, including hooking up the new appliances, garbage disposal, and faucet. And I don’t want you thinking this is something he’s done before. When we bought this house he had never even embarked on a larger interior painting project. And now? He has a garage full of tools he knows how to use and a tool belt he wears every weekend. All with the help of books, the internet, and a brother who doesn’t mind lending a hand.
I feel unworthy of this kitchen. Honestly. I mean, the point of it was to increase the value of the home for resale in a few years, but for now? It’s all mine. And I know for a fact that I don’t deserve it. I hate cooking…what woman who hates cooking deserves a kitchen this fantastic? I’m very lucky.
Of course, I’m still not going to enjoy cooking. But I will enjoy being in the kitchen. And that’s a start.
Looks great!
That looks so great!! Even if you don’t cook at least it’s pretty to look at!
It looks great. And enjoying being in the kitchen is the first step.
I love it!! It’s a great looking kitchen. It seems bigger now, too!
Your kitchen is gorgeous!!! I love the wall color.
Pretty! I love the look of stainless steel appliances.
Classy lighting fixtures~! We’re thinking about buying a house that needs updating like this and your own kitchen is great help as I try to visualize possibilities.
looks wonderful!
i’m pretending it’s my kitchen and fantasizing about all the wonderful meals i could microwave in there.
I love the new kitchen! Congrats! Rawk on to the hubs for being so handy!
What? No pictures of Mr. Z in his tool belt? You know we could all use some eye candy on a Monday morning!
Seriously, the kitchen looks FABULOUS. You are lucky to have such a handy guy around. Love the light fixture over the island, too.
Looks fabulous! We did something similar in our kitchen a couple of years ago, and it was seriously hard work but seriously worth it. Way to go Mr. Z!
That looks awesome!!! YAY!! One of the apartments I am looking at has a gourmet kitchen, and it is amazing…I don’t cook much but I just want that kitchen…so I totally get what you are saying!
Nicely done, Zoots!
My husband is the same way. Could barely change a light bulb when we got married (he grew up with well-off parents who just called a guy every time something went wrong) and now there’s not a room in our house that hasn’t benefited from his growing home-improvement skills. He even built a room in our basement, from the studs on up!
I think the kitchen looks gorgeous. I want it for my own self.
Can I seriously borrow Mr. Z? My house is falling down around me and the people who built it were not that bright. Come on now one power outlet in each bedroom and NONE in the bathroom?
I covet that fridge.
Wow wow wow! That looks awesome! Love the new appliances. And I love the new lights and your collection of vases on top of the cabinets! How did that start?
Thanks everyone!
ALFREDSMOM – I had a few when we moved in and I thought they would look great on top of the cabinets so I started collecting them at the point. Target puts their decor stuff on sale %75 sometimes – which is where I’ve found most of them!
Wow. Can you guys fly over a few states and do that to OUR kitchen, too? *lol*
Wow! What a difference a few changes can make.!
Wow, it is just beautiful! I am wildly jealous…
Wowee! What an awesome change! That looks fantastic (furiously scribbling notes for my own kitchen remodel…)!
The kitchen looks awesome, it almost doesn’t even look the same kitchen. MrZ is quite the handy man, you are one lucky girl!
It looks fantastic!!! I need MrZ to give my boy some tips….we are definitley NOT do-it-yourselfers and we need to be!! Congrats!! Even if you don’t cook (I don’t either-blech!) you can still mucho enjoy going into the kitchen and just eating!
It looks lovely! Yay, MrZ!
Super Great! Did he lay the tile too?? That’s the hardest part. Yay for you. You deserve it!
Beautiful! My daughter asked if we could buy your house…lol! We’ve been looking at houses online lately so I guess she thought I was looking again. I had to explain that you were in Alabama and we were in New Mexico.
Your kitchen looks great Kim!
We are currently living in tiling hell right now…I’m skirting around the edges of the big room where tile has yet to be placed to get to the bathroom, your brother and dad are covered in concrete, and Sadie has blue chalk lines all over herself…
Niiiice. I want to make out with your fridge.
You need a ‘big purty sumthin’ up there on your island, or maybe just a nice jar/vase from the top of the cabinets with 3 big sunflowers stuck in it.
My eyes are drawn to the island.
But then again, it could be that naughty naughty refrigerator of yours behind it seducing me in that direction.
Love it! Looks awesome!
It’s beautiful!