3. "before and after" kitchen

Okay. Here is the kitchen. This is what I was the most concerned about and where the most work occurred. Man oh man has a lot been done.

So here is the "before" of the kids running from the front room (where I'm standing) to the back door and deck off the dining room. Notice the chandelier, box thing above the window and wood "trim" stuff.

"After." We removed the wood box above the window, painted the walls and wood "trim" stuff and replaced (and moved) the chandelier. The ceiling had previously been flat so Terry's buddy Kevin texturized it to match the rest of the house and then we painted it.

A "before" view of the kitchen. Notice the hanging shelves, breakfast bar and counter,

desk to the left, and the color of the cupboards.

"After." Man. Okay, so we had a TON of help in here. Terry's aunt JoAnn removed all the cupboards and drawers, sanded, primed, painted them (three times) and put on the new pulls. Herb, JoAnn's husband, removed the breakfast bar, desk, hanging cupboard and soffet. Kevin patched the drywall on the ceiling. Dr. Dave did the wood work where the soffet and hanging cupboard ended, as well as the trim around the stove, and new wood to cover up where the breakfast bar and old desk were. Kevin also installed 3 new can lights and patched where the old single light had been so we could install a new one. Terry put in the hanging lights. Then I painted the walls!

"Before" hutch. Notice the decorative molding or whatever that is at the top.

"After." Terry removed the molding and Dave cut and applied a new piece of wood over it after I stained and varnished it. JoAnn took off the doors and stained the wood behind them. I stained the doors and varnished the rest. And we put new pulls on.

Here is that "before" hanging cupboard and soffet. It really separated and darkened the kitchen, which previously only had one insufficient light. And notice the back splash.

Terry installed the new hanging lights. Herb and JoAnn installed the back splash, which had previously been the same Formica as the before counter tops...

"Before" Formica counter top and breakfast bar.

"After" the breakfast bar was removed, we had the counter "island" sort of thing extended, as well as the rest of the counter tops replaced.

"After" view of the kitchen. We had to get new appliances too. Oh, this reminds me that for the microhood and fridge to fit, we had to shorten the cupboards above them. Dave did that!

And a new sink and faucet.