The Power of Before and After

It’s fun to look at old photos of our house, before it was renovated. Here’s the space that’s now our dining room on December 6, 2012. Yes, this used to be a place where people cooked food. Gee, I have no idea why the house fell out of escrow twice before we came along. No, not scary at all…

We closed on December 31, 2012, and started work immediately. Here it is on February 6, after demolition and all-new plumbing and wiring.

There was nothing salvageable, including the old linoleum floor, which Chuck ripped up with the help of a friend’s BFT (otherwise known as the Big F****** Tool), a giant iron pry bar that looks like it was passed down over generations since the Viking era.

By February 8, new oak hardwood was down, matching original 1955 hardwood throughout the rest of the house.

On February 26, new cabinets went in, followed by a beverage fridge.

By March 9, we were moved in, but still hadn’t put away all of our stuff. The cabinets were still missing the quartz countertop.

And here is the finished product, completed in June 2013! It was a ton of work, but we love our dining room.

 

 

 

Another Kitchen Photo

I haven’t posted in a while, so here’s another view of the kitchen. I love how Chuck’s design opened this former bedroom into the dining room and living room. The colors and textures were all selected to coordinate with each other from room to room. The pale green walls in the living room speak to the atmospheric blue kitchen backsplash tile and blue accents in the handmade pendant lights, while a darker shade of gray defines the entrance as a separate space from the kitchen and dining room. The bamboo living room ceiling and the dark wood kitchen cabinets also tie the space together.

Here’s the kitchen when we first looked at the house on December 6, 2012.  It was shoved into a corner of what is now our dining room at the far end of the first photo. Our neighbors later told us that many people had viewed the house while it was on the market but walked right back out again, put off by its condition.Here’s the same space now.

Our Kitchen Is Done!

Chuck has finished all of the little projects in our kitchen, and it looks amazing. I love this view into the living room. This used to be a dark bedroom, but with a beam to support the load of the roof we could open the wall. I also love the play of colors and textures. The pale gray walls, quartz countertop and airy blue backsplash in the kitchen coordinate with the soft green walls and gleaming white stone in the living room.

Here’s another view. Notice how Chuck also mixed colors of cabinets, with dark lower cabinets along the walls, and white cabinets on the upper level and island. The ultra-durable Compac quartz countertops installed by our friends at Pyramid Marble Tile and Masonry are gorgeous and will keep their good looks for many years to come.

I love the big section of backsplash tile on this wall. The blue glass also plays off the blue in the pendant lights. And notice the trim around the microwave to give it that built-in look.

Here are the “before” pictures. Who would have thought this drab space could turn into such a bright, airy kitchen?

 

 

Kitchen Photos

I haven’t posted any pictures of the finished kitchen. Here it is. It’s a beautiful space to work, watch the ocean, and enjoy life.

And here’s the other side. I love the tile backsplash and the contrast of dark and light cabinets.

 

Kitchen Sunrise

The kitchen is coming along nicely. A narrow slab of matching quartz will be installed on the ledge behind the sink soon. Our countertops are by Compac, a Spanish company that Chuck happens to feature in his C W Quinn Home showroom. The countertops are nearly indestructible and will look beautiful for years to come.

They look white in these pictures, but they’re actually pale gray to complement the color scheme in the kitchen, living room and dining room. A pure white countertop might also seem too sterile, as we want our house to look warm and inviting. Compac calls this countertop color “Luna,” and it does have the quality and shimmer of moonlight.

It’s a dramatic transformation from the original kitchen! Remember that the old kitchen was crammed into a corner of the house, and we moved it into the center.

And here’s my favorite view again. The waves crashing onto Pismo Beach in the morning are a soothing sight.