That 70's Kitchen

Is still very much a 70's kitchen! I know it's been weeks and I had hoped that this post would be more "look at our amazing kitchen" and less "ummm we haven't really done anything". So let go of any expectations right here, it's still the ugliest thing ever although there are a few little changes that don't exactly change the overall effect but are definitely baby steps towards something better. Tiny baby steps. So with that disclaimer out of the way, here's what's been happening.

As a reminder, this is what we started with (yes, I'm rehashing this picture just to make it seem like we've achieved more in the past month. I know it's cheating). The wallpaper was removed on day one, and then we got the fibro underneath ripped off.

 

The panels underneath were in terrible condition so we got a builder to come in and add a new MDF panel in the kitchen, as well as adding cornices, belt rail and skirting boards to match the rest of the house and board up the exposed electrical wires. We got a couple of quotes for the work and they were both approximately $1700, including materials. Mr Fox really would have liked to have had a crack at this work himself but it would have required him buying a nail gun and a circular saw, and apart from how much that would cost... I really prefer him alive.

Here are a couple of before and after shots.

 You can see here that we moved the dining table into the kitchen to use as a temporary pantry once all the cupboards were removed.

There are a few issues with the work that was done, for starters removing the old cornices made one of the old walls actually shift a little bit, leaving a gap in one corner. Seriously it won't be long before our house is more 'no more gaps' than 'actual walls'. Overall we're so happy with how it looks and how well the cornice, belt rail and skirting boards match the others in the house. We're trying so hard to keep costs down, so even though we had the option of getting these features matched exactly and made for us which would have been amazing, that was never a realistic option (especially once I put my foot down with the nail gun and saw). We wanted a low cost option that is readily available when we need replacements or features for other rooms and these look great. You'd never know they didn't match perfectly unless you were looking for the differences.

It's just the back wall that has been replaced, the other wall has plenty of nail holes and old chipping paint but if nothing else, we're pretty handy with the sandpaper at this point so we can get those ready to paint. The belt rail isn't just for decoration either. These old vj walls don't have any studs in them, they're literally just held on at the top and bottom. Before we added the belt rail the kitchen/bedroom adjoining wall actually had a little movement if you pushed on it, so unlike the picture rail that is purely for decorative purposes, the belt rail stabilizes walls. We need to have one on at least one side of each internal wall so by adding it in the kitchen we can leave it off this wall in the bedroom. So there you go, Introduction to Belt Rails.

We also splashed out and got ourselves a snazzy little island bench this week. Even though it seems like there's a decent amount of (bright yellow) bench space, the cupboards are so low that they're a bit awkward to use, and they're almost all taken up with the microwave, toaster and kettle (obviously necessary) and the coffee machine (non-negotiable).

We LOVE this island bench, it was hand made for us and only $450. The shelves underneath are so handy - they'll probably be used for a pantry until we sort something out (yet to be determined). We just need to get a couple of little stools, you can just see there's space on the other side to tuck them in, which will make it a cosier little room since it's tucked away from the living room. The next step is to slap on some paint and we'll have half a kitchen that looks gorgeous! Let's just agree to not discuss the other half for a while. There's no money to replace it at this stage, and it's not in good enough condition to fix it up so for now we'll focus on the nice new wall and pretty island bench... ok?