My kitchen is a disaster! We are in the midst of a renovation, and there is stuff everywhere. I mean everywhere. We are definitely not the neatest renovators, but I think we are pretty good at the finished product. Here is a photo of our butler’s pantry/hallway in transition, with several different paint colors and hardware going on. We usually slap on many paint samples before we make a final decision. Sorry for the mess–hopefully you can identify with it!
- Butlers Pantry in Transition
It took lots of discussion and research, but in the long run, we decided to maintain as much of the original material of our old cottage as we can. After pricing cabinets and looking at the quality of the new stuff, we decided to stick with the handmade, solid wood beadboard cabinets that are original to the house. I am really glad that we did. While cleaning and carefully painting each cabinet, I could not help but think that someone’s dear hubby spent a lot of time and effort building the cabinets for his wife. They may not be magazine-perfect, but they were made with love. A fresh coat of paint and new hardware gives them a whole new life. I like that. We’ll also add new interior organization–like cool pull-out drawers.
And the countertops? Well, they are handmade from solid oak. Solid. Oak. After pricing out granite, marble, Corian, and new wood countertops, we decided that what we have is just fine, thank you! A light sanding, a little deeper stain, and a good coat of polyurethane, and they will be country-elegant. Bingo, we just saved about $5,000 on our kitchen renovation! We’ll replace our appliances as we find them on sale.
On another note, when you are in the midst of a kitchen renovation and you haven’t eaten all day, you get really hungry. It’s a challenge to find pots and pans to cook in. I mean clean ones, without plaster dust in them. But at the end of a long day of sanding and building and painting, you want something really good. Something simple, hot and delicious. Because you are starving! We had a bunch of snow peas from our garden, and a beautiful flank steak and fresh ginger in the fridge. So we scrubbed up a frying pan and made beef and snow peas with jasmine rice. It only took a few minutes, and it was a beautiful thing. We used the fantabulous Pioneer Woman’s recipe. Ya’ll should go visit her sometime!
It was a very good thing. The flank steak was perfectly tender and flavorful. The snow peas were crispy and sweet. The fresh ginger and hint of sherry made the simple dish sing. It was the best Asian dish I’ve ever had. Well, almost. Anway, you want some. You know you do! I loved this simple recipe and will mix it up with beef and brocolli, shrimp and snow peas, chicken and soba noodles. A perfect meal for a night when you want something easy and delicious. Now, back to painting just one more cabinet!
Comments
2 responses to “A Country Kitchen Renovation”
What a fun project. I happened to notice the libations on your counter…I knew I like you!
LOL! You have to enjoy the little things in life while renovating a kitchen. A little wine makes the horrendous experience more palatable! 😉