About 6 years ago we bought a vintage ranch house outside Dothan, AL. Just about everything needed to be updated, and the kitchen ranked up there as one of the biggest eyesores. I didn't even want to cook in it. But then again, I don't like to cook anyway. Nothing had been updated from the early 60's including the appliances. The dining room just needed some paint, a new light fixture, and then we added beaded board and a chair rail. Oh yes, also some beautiful base molding.
One of the reasons we were able to do this remodel so inexpensively is because we got the cabinets FREE. Yes free. My parent's friends who have an absolutely beautiful (high end) house in Tallahassee were remodeling their kitchen. The cabinets, which were about 4 years old, they didn't want. Keep in mind that this is a couple in there 60's, no kids, and just a dog, so the cabinets were in excellent condition. Duane (husband) and my dad went into their kitchen and pulled their cabinets out. A BIG job. We had to rent a Uhaul to get the cabinets to our house.
* The counter tops are large black granite tiles we bought up in Atlanta. The tile edging was much more expensive than the tiles. The counter tops were about $650. My husband did the installation.
* The hardwood floors that my husband also installed were about $500. Most of our house has original hardwood flooring. For whatever reason, the kitchen and family room did not. We were able to find the exact same flooring at the Wood Pile in Dothan. You would never be able to tell that the kitchen wood flooring isn't original.
* The back splash, white subway tiles, another "do it yourself" was about $150.
* Stainless steel appliances were all bought reasonably at our favorite appliance location.
I must add that there was a wall in between the kitchen and dining room that we tore down several years back. It really opened these two rooms up.
Black and white family photos in the dining room. My mom blew the pics up on a copier and then matted and framed a couple of them each Christmas and gave them to each of us girls as gifts. Some of my most cherished gifts, ever!
One of my favorite pics ever. Women in their bathing suits from the 20's (maybe). The only black and white pic that's not from my mom. A purchase from TJ Maxx.
Love my mannequins in the dining room. Some of my handmade jewelry displayed on them.
The chandelier came from an auction in Tallahassee. It was in a box with some other vintage items and looked very shabby but definitely not chic. I believe the whole box was around $7. I spray painted the chandelier a high gloss black, it was now definitely chic. The medallion on the ceiling came from a yard sale for around $3. I painted it with the same high gloss black spray paint.
There are several things that still need to be done in this kitchen and dining room, I mostly feel the need to put window treatments in the kitchen and to change what's in the dining room. There's always something else to do....... Hope you liked looking at the remodel.
