Today is part 3 of our kitchen series!
We have cabinets! Because we were on such a tight budget, we HAD to use unfinished cabinets as they were the absolute cheapest we could find (don’t you worry, of course, I checked my favorite thrift stores weekly for cabinets and came pretty close one time but they didn’t quite fit!) This post is picture heavy (with an iPhone) because there aren’t a ton of details to share….
You may remember last week, I shared that we put paper on the floor to actually do the layout. Russ drew it over and over and we printed off measurements so we knew exactly what we were buying. I knew I wanted a huge island and actually envisioned it going the other way but it didn’t leave enough room to walk through and in the end, it was too far away from the sink.
My contractor and Russ actually added the pretty ends to make our oven look built in since my dream of a double oven also went out the window….
These pendants are actually only $49 from Lowe’s! I imagined HUGE pendants but they were $150 for ONE so that didn’t fit in the budget either…
The little chandelier is also from Lowe’s…it had little pink beads on it but we just didn’t add those.
(Notice all of the cabinets unfinished as they are installed. We took the doors off and since our contractor had a sprayer, we took them all outside and they sprayed the doors and brushed the bases.)
At this point in the game, we thought we were doing great with our cabinets running around $1,200 and decided to order recycled countertops.
HA! That was MORE than all of our cabinets combined! There was just no way. So we went back to Lowe’s and placed an order for literally the cheapest countertops they sold: Formica Laminate…for $400.
I was so unsure about the finish and Russ talked me into the marble….and I’m so glad he did. People walk in and literally, cannot tell the difference.
(Please ignore the cilantro and tag on the basket. K? Thanks!)
The butcher block island base (the top is actually two pieces found here from Lumber Liquidators) is also made from our stock cabinets. BUT, because my contractor felt sorry for me because he had never worked on such a tight budget, I came over one day, and he had added a panel on one end and a bookcase like I had showed him a gazillion times on the other!
I debated for WEEKS but I knew I wanted dark, dark finish in the middle so that’s what we went with for with the island. I loved the natural blonde maple but knew once we put a finish over it, it would be more yellow than what I originally envisioned.
Of course, my dad finished it because he makes things pretty so well.
Next week we are in the home stretch and I will share our open shelves and window treatments and hopefully, a full reveal! See you then!
Okay, so I am so not gifted in craftiness and fix-it-up like stuff. But when I saw your comment on my blog (thank you!), I jumped over here to check yours out. AND I LOVE IT. It’s so homey, and wow, you have skills. 🙂 And p.s. can I just tell you…that I am in love with your little “Welcome” box that has your picture and your social media buttons? (Clearly my reference to “little box” displays y techie term illiteracy, but whatever.)
All this to say- I’ll be following you!
You are so sweet, Amy!! I found your comment on the Allume website and jumped to your blog because I am new to Allume, too!! Thank you for stopping by to comment and for your sweet, kind words!!!! Happy Tuesday!!(P.S. I used Amanda Grove for all of my web stuff from Living in Another Language because I am NOT techie! She is amazing! Pretty Print Shop created my logo! Both awesome girls!)
I to are doing a budget kitchen. Struggling to get the essentials in. So your countertops…. Thought maybe. Would you happen to remember the exact name of tge Formica you got from Lowe’s? Thanks for all the great ideas! Looks like a million! !!
Yes! It’s Calcutta Marble Formica Laminate. 🙂 I’ll post a full source list tomorrow.
Thank you so so so much!!!!!!
LOVE it!! I built a desk for my husband, premade pieces, like your island. He decided on granite. One foot wide x 8 feet long $500+. Double what the cabinets cost. And heavy!! We hauled it home ourselves, I was sweating it and crabbing at my husband not to hit bumps. Now, I am drawing out plans and finding materials for an island. Granite is NOT in the budget. I almost had my heart set on copper. Almost. I CANNOT believe that your countertops are laminate!!!! They are beautiful!! How is the wear and tear?
I love them, Kristi! Tonight, I grilled some chicken and some grease got on them and not a spot showed up!
That’s so cool that YOU built a desk for your husband! How awesome!
I love your butcher block! What finish did you use? We are doing a new kitchen and I want dark bb counters!
Thank you, Jennie! I asked my dad and he said he mixed it to match our floors which was a combination of special walnut and ebony. I just knew I wanted dark! Hope that helps!
Absolutely beautiful!! I am seriously considering this same marble look in laminate for my tight budget kitchen remodel.
Thank you, Sybil!!!
What paint color did you use to paint your kitchen cabinets?
Hey Annemarie! We used White High Gloss from Sherwin Williams!
Thanks for your quick response. Did your baseboards and trim get painted with the same paint?
No, for everything else (walls, etc.), we used a white from Valspar.
Hey, again! Here’s the link to our paint colors post that may help some! 🙂
http://www.restlessarrow.com/2015/01/16/homes-paint-colors/
Great job in picking the perfect flooring for kitchen! I love the idea of having tiles that look like wood as kitchen flooring!
Me, too! This is actually hardwood as we tried to match the rest of the house the best we could but there are SO many beautiful tile wood options!