Before After
Before After
Before After
A few more "after" photos
How we saved money on our new kitchen . . .
1) We purchased floor models of our refrigerator (KitchenAid 24 Cu. ft. Counter-Depth, Pro-Line Side-by-Side) and the double oven (KitchenAid 30" Architect Series II Convection Double Wall Oven). We saved almost 50% of the cost of new appliances.
2) Our range hood is made by Pro-Line Range Hoods out of Utah and we are very happy with it. It is very high quality and half the price of the higher end models. We installed it ourselves - which was a challenge, but doable.
3) We did not buy stone countertops. I was really hoping to find a soapstone I fell in love with for the countertops but it just didn't happen. After purchasing the butcher block for the island, my husband and I made the countertops for the rest of the kitchen. We used plywood and laminate from Wilsonart. The laminate I loved?? Of course, it was oiled soapstone.
We tried to find a contractor that would make the countertops, but because we wanted an undermount sink, contractors wouldn't touch the project because of the risk of "leakage" of water under the laminate.
Argh . . . so we made our own. We put the laminate on the top of the countertop and then the vertical edges. We then turned the countertop over and applied 2" laminate strips to the underside of the countertop. This gives us a finished laminate surface around the farm sink. We sealed the edge where the counter met the sink with silicone. We have not had a single issue with the countertop.
1) We purchased floor models of our refrigerator (KitchenAid 24 Cu. ft. Counter-Depth, Pro-Line Side-by-Side) and the double oven (KitchenAid 30" Architect Series II Convection Double Wall Oven). We saved almost 50% of the cost of new appliances.
2) Our range hood is made by Pro-Line Range Hoods out of Utah and we are very happy with it. It is very high quality and half the price of the higher end models. We installed it ourselves - which was a challenge, but doable.
3) We did not buy stone countertops. I was really hoping to find a soapstone I fell in love with for the countertops but it just didn't happen. After purchasing the butcher block for the island, my husband and I made the countertops for the rest of the kitchen. We used plywood and laminate from Wilsonart. The laminate I loved?? Of course, it was oiled soapstone.
We tried to find a contractor that would make the countertops, but because we wanted an undermount sink, contractors wouldn't touch the project because of the risk of "leakage" of water under the laminate.
Argh . . . so we made our own. We put the laminate on the top of the countertop and then the vertical edges. We then turned the countertop over and applied 2" laminate strips to the underside of the countertop. This gives us a finished laminate surface around the farm sink. We sealed the edge where the counter met the sink with silicone. We have not had a single issue with the countertop.
The walnut butcher block countertop on the island is one of my favorite things about the kitchen. I love the contrast of the warm wood with the black countertops in the rest of the kitchen.
We purchased two 8 foot long slabs of walnut butcher block from Lumber Liquidators. (Cost with tax $780.) We cut the two slabs to length and prepared to join them with a Kreg jig. Unfortunately, the slabs were not completely flush and smooth. We spent $45 having the edges we wanted to join and the tops of the countertops planed at a local Millworks shop. Mr. Dusty Butts used the scraps to practice the joining technique to make sure the seam was invisible.
We did not stain the countertop. We used Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane in Clear Gloss. We lightly sanded the top prior to the first coat and then used a damp cloth to remove all the dust, then put on our first coat. It was kind of "bumpy" so we lightly sanded, removed the dust, and applied another thin coat. In all, we ended up doing four coats of polyurethane.
Our countertop is NOT food safe and we have no intention of using it as a cutting board.
What we learned . . .
1) When we called Lumber Liquidators, we were told it took 7 to 10 days for shipments to arrive. NOT TRUE. It took over three weeks for the countertops to arrive, but it was worth the wait.
2) There is only one usable side. We thought we could use either side, but we could not. There were visible holes in the wood.
3) The countertops are 1 1/2" thick. This was an issue when we made the other countertops. I was told if you have two different counter heights, they should be no more than 1/4" apart in height. We ended up using two separate sheets of plywood to get the other counertops closer to being 1 1/2" thick.
4) We used a hand saw to cut the pieces to length. This was okay, but there were kerf marks that needed to be sanded. A table saw would be a better option if one is available to you.
5) The butcher block is VERY heavy. Each slab weighted 175 pounds when it arrived.
6) At first, we patched some of the areas between strips of wood with walnut wood putty. We gave up soon after we started and I'm glad we did. Those little marks enhance the overall look of the countertop and give it character.
7) Ditto with removing the Williamsburg Logo. My husband wanted it sanded off, but I felt it added character. In the end, the logo is no longer visible. He's happy, but I miss the logo.
8) We regret not finishing the underside. If we had it to do over again. We would have finished the underside before we finished the top for a more finished look. Not that a lot of our guests sit on the floor, but our grandkids do.
9) We've had our first repair. A screw was on the counter and something else was laid on top of the screw. It left behind a large scratch. We sanded it down a little and tried to use the spray on polyurethane (same brand.) We didn't like the spray on and switched back to the polyurethane applied with a brush. Two coats and the countertop looked as good as new.
We purchased two 8 foot long slabs of walnut butcher block from Lumber Liquidators. (Cost with tax $780.) We cut the two slabs to length and prepared to join them with a Kreg jig. Unfortunately, the slabs were not completely flush and smooth. We spent $45 having the edges we wanted to join and the tops of the countertops planed at a local Millworks shop. Mr. Dusty Butts used the scraps to practice the joining technique to make sure the seam was invisible.
We did not stain the countertop. We used Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane in Clear Gloss. We lightly sanded the top prior to the first coat and then used a damp cloth to remove all the dust, then put on our first coat. It was kind of "bumpy" so we lightly sanded, removed the dust, and applied another thin coat. In all, we ended up doing four coats of polyurethane.
Our countertop is NOT food safe and we have no intention of using it as a cutting board.
What we learned . . .
1) When we called Lumber Liquidators, we were told it took 7 to 10 days for shipments to arrive. NOT TRUE. It took over three weeks for the countertops to arrive, but it was worth the wait.
2) There is only one usable side. We thought we could use either side, but we could not. There were visible holes in the wood.
3) The countertops are 1 1/2" thick. This was an issue when we made the other countertops. I was told if you have two different counter heights, they should be no more than 1/4" apart in height. We ended up using two separate sheets of plywood to get the other counertops closer to being 1 1/2" thick.
4) We used a hand saw to cut the pieces to length. This was okay, but there were kerf marks that needed to be sanded. A table saw would be a better option if one is available to you.
5) The butcher block is VERY heavy. Each slab weighted 175 pounds when it arrived.
6) At first, we patched some of the areas between strips of wood with walnut wood putty. We gave up soon after we started and I'm glad we did. Those little marks enhance the overall look of the countertop and give it character.
7) Ditto with removing the Williamsburg Logo. My husband wanted it sanded off, but I felt it added character. In the end, the logo is no longer visible. He's happy, but I miss the logo.
8) We regret not finishing the underside. If we had it to do over again. We would have finished the underside before we finished the top for a more finished look. Not that a lot of our guests sit on the floor, but our grandkids do.
9) We've had our first repair. A screw was on the counter and something else was laid on top of the screw. It left behind a large scratch. We sanded it down a little and tried to use the spray on polyurethane (same brand.) We didn't like the spray on and switched back to the polyurethane applied with a brush. Two coats and the countertop looked as good as new.