Okay, people, let’s do this! The above photo is from the Martha Stewart for Home Depot kitchen catalog. We saw, we liked, we couldn’t nearly afford. Here is what our hot mess of a kitchen looked like before:

And here is what we’ve managed on our own so far:

Pardon the light, which is not great at this time of day. And please note that the cabinetry will not be open in the final version; Scott’s still working on the rest of the doors.

One of two refurbished lazy Susans.

New window with custom trim. (And a functional windowsill that actually sits ABOVE the top of the stove, hooray!)

The lower section of this cabinetry was built from scratch, and a lower row of shelving was added to the upper section, to make it easier for me (and my noodle arm) to access plates and glassware.

Also, cheap laminate counter tops were switched out for butcher block.

While he was at it, Scott built in a recycling center (with kitty food center below).

Back splash made of marble tile, hand cut by Scott. (That’s a photo of our wedding cake on the right.)

A peek at the amazing hardwood floors, where there was once ugly tile.

Vintage enamel sink (thanks, Craigslist) with extra holes drilled for garbage disposal and water filter. New windowsill  and custom framing added by Scott. Tiny cast-iron pig added by me.

Hallway leading to living room, featuring what was once a dingy linen closet. (Notice a certain someone in the doorway.)

Custom door trim and crown molding (and a Cafe du Monde sign I’ve been holding on to for six years).

And what happened to that dingy linen closet? It’s now our bar!

Still to come…

We’ll be building a framed chalkboard for this wall, and the radiator will be painted matte silver to match the fixtures.

Also, the aforementioned cabinet door installation, and our back entryway and pantry need to be painted. But those are all small potatoes.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of our latest reno adventure. And please note that when I say “we” and “our,” I am generalizing — 99% of the credit for this project goes to my husband, who did pretty much all of this on his own in his off-hours, while I merely offered encouragement, a few aesthetic choices, and a variety of takeout food.

Thanks for visiting!