Kitchen Demolition and Appliances
Cutting out the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen gives the refrigerator door to open. With the wall gone, the light switch needed to move to a different wall.
The vent from the previous microwave recirculated air back into the kitchen. I wanted the new microwave to vent out into the carport, so I needed to cut another hole in the house. Someday I'll repair the siding so it looks nicer, but for now, it'll keep the bugs out.
Connected... love the apps!
Kitchen Colors
Painted counter and peel-and-stick backsplash gives short-term brightness to my previously dull kitchen.
Before
The tan/bisque/yellow color palate was dreary and screaming out for an update. I want to fix the door-adjacent-stove problem before I invest in gorgeous stone countertops, new sink, and real tile. So, this gives me a pick-me-up for now. It's a $300 fix to a $5000 problem.
One of the countertop seams had started to lift... and it was getting worse. So I started to poke at it, and I made it a lot worse. I figured, I hate the crappy beige plastic counters... what do I have to lose? I started by peeling back the plastic and chiseling out the rotted wet sawdust.
Now what? Ah, good old-fashioned Bondo. The first layer goes in thin, to keep the crumbs down like when you're frosting a cake. I continued with a thicker, smooth layer. And then sanding. I have to admit, I got lazy here, and if you know where to run your hand across the finished counter, you can still feel the lump. (And if you call me out on it, no treats for you.)
Now the fun part... paint!
Product: Giani Granite White Diamond
They call it a three-step process, but it's actually more like five:
Step 1: Roll on flat black primer
Step 2a: Sponge on 'Pearl Mica'
Step 2b: Sponge on 'Inca Gold'
Step 2c: Sponge on 'Limestone White' (twice)
Step 3: Roll on glossy top coat
Next: peel-and-stick backsplash. Product: Tic Tac Tiles, in Subway White.
After
After adding under-cabinet lighting and caulk, the kitchen feels brighter and cleaner.
Products:
LED Concepts Linkable LED Light Bars attach to the under-side of the cabinet.
Two Lutron remote-controlled dimmer plugs allow me to control lights on both sides of the kitchen (plugged into two different outlets) using a single switch.
Lutron double-gang wall plate fastened directly to the drywall holds two remotes - one for the under cabinet lights, and one for the over-the-sink light.
Screen Room Demolition
Time for a major change... no more looking out the living room window at the screen room.
When I bought the house, I couldn't figure out how best to use the screen room. It was disconnected from the house, and hovering above the yard... this was a great concept that was badly executed. It became storage. Storage with a rotting floor, shaky stairs, torn screens, and squishy roof. What a mess. I was getting the house re-roofed, so I needed to cut bait.
This was not a job for one. Especially not this one. I hired a local gentleman who does home rejuvenation projects, and occasionally hires the son of my neighbor. Two short days later, the room was gone, and I was left with a sandy slope. (See my Terraced Vegetable Garden for how it turned out.)
I appreciate bug protection, but I want to entertain in the yard, not above it.
The screen room is a collector for pollen and dead bugs.
Crud underneath.
Roof mush needed a spatula moreso than a crow bar.
Ready for haul-away
The sandy slope beneath filled with debris.
Much nicer.