Inexpensive Kitchen Facelift

Alright, the finishing touches on our kitchen are not finished, but the big stuff is, which is why I decided I would post pictures for the lovely public. 

I'm even showing you some stunning frightening before shots.

Before Picture #1: Jeff sawed off the peninsula of our previous countertop. For the record, I'd like to state that, from the laundry room below, I could have sworn a helicopter was landing in our kitchen. I bolted upstairs to find out what was amiss, and there was Jeff sawing off the peninsula. No warning, nothing. Lunatic. 

After Picture #1: Look at that beautiful, clean edge now. Ahhhh. Oh, and we replaced the peninsula with an island from IKEA. The peninsula looked like it was one karate chop away from splintering into a million pieces, and it also had no storage underneath. I'm going to speak for every woman when I say that we love our storage space. Mine just needs a better organizational system. I'll figure it out. No worries.

                    

Before Picture #2: I detest everything about this sink. Everything. Its shallow depth (what a contradiction), divider thing that's always in the way, crappy faucet, and gnarly disposal.

Before Picture #3: See the ugly, broken faucet in all of its craptastic splendor? 

Before Picture #4: And EWW personified below...

After Picture #2: And here's the replacement. No contest. Please excuse the fact that I took this picture before we installed the backsplash. Focus on the fantastic faucet and that beautiful backdrop. It's okay if you drool a little.  

After Picture #3: A meeting of the minds to discuss the cut out that would help them install the sink. I fondly remembered my cut-out doll days. (No, they did not plan to match, but what a lovely coincidence.) 

After Picture #4: Jeff and his caulk (insert lascivious giggle here). 

Three before pictures of dining/kitchen arrangements:

Dining room right after we moved in (this is the original paint color that I chose for the kitchen and dining room).


Original curtain that I made (and original trinket organization):



Okay, the following pictures are all after pictures. The before pictures make bile creep up my throat. I must escape them.


Meet Eileen, the Island:

Eileen and some prices for your benefit:

Some prices and a general landscape shot for ya:

 That green dishtowel is off-center, and it irks me but not enough to shoot another picture.

Pretty new jars with fun labels:

New $15 tablecloth. It was too long, so I folded the edges under. That way, when we put in the leaf, I still have enough tablecloth to cover it. Genius, I know. 

Okay, this next part is my attempt to solve an awkward space.

See, how we have this odd little area between the living and dining rooms? I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it, so I tried to turn it into a cafe of sorts. The buffet actually has a port to plug in appliances, so I saved some counter space by putting two larger appliances (toaster and Keurig) on the buffet. I thought it would work as sort of a breakfast station. It's been like this for a month, and it's working! I just need to solidify the space a bit more. Any suggestions would be great.


Maybe sconces on either side of the painting?

 Let's end with one final before we bought the house and after we lived it in for awhile picture:

The next picture will probably involve white cabinets, but I am still tossing around that idea. Input is certainly welcome! :)

Price Breakdown: (please note that I was too lazy to find the receipts, so these are all approximate, not exact, which means we actually spent less than the total amount)

Sink --> $300
Faucet --> $200
Island --> $370
Stools --> $70 x 2 = $140
Paint --> $50 (and I have one full can leftover; I think I'll repaint the upstairs bathroom)
Backsplash --> $50 (includes beadboard, white paint, caulk, and moulding)
Table cloth --> $15
Runner for island --> $13
Rug --> $30
Countertop --> $400 (and we have a big slab left over!)
Jars --> $20

Approximate Total: $1588

A new kitchen for less than 2K...I think we did a pretty good job.

Next big steps: new flooring and (possibly) painted cabinets.