Last Updated on December 26, 2015 by Kristi Linauer
There are still lots of little things that need to be finished, and I haven’t even done a bit of decorating, but I wanted to show you the progress in John & Alice’s kitchen so far. I’ve shown you glimpses here and there, but now I’ll give you the full view.
First, let’s remember where this kitchen started out…
Yeah…that was A LOT of green wallpaper and orange oak!
Just about two weeks ago, the progress wasn’t really feeling like progress. It was one of those “has to get worse before it gets better” situations…
And now, the progress looks like this…
Aaahhhhhh…isn’t that nice?!
Okay, please try to ignore the big gaping hole on the right. The electricians broke the glass top on the stove when they were re-installing it, and they came yesterday to take it for repair before I had a chance to take pictures. So just imagine, if you will, a nice black drop-in range in that huge hole.
Anywho…moving on…
The lower cabinets are painted in Elephant Skin by Behr, color matched in Sherwin Williams oil-based paint. The granite is called Giallo Ornamental. It’s the perfect mix of cool whites/grays and warm browns.
The backsplash is a very clean, simple white subway tile in a matte finish.
The upper cabinets are painted in Alabaster by Sherwin Williams.
So that’s the progress so far! Now I just need to figure out what to do with a few…well…trouble spots. The granite people left me with a couple of little treasures, like this scrap piece of plywood they used to fill this space above the dishwasher…
And this scrap piece of wood with a screw hole in it that they used to fill in this space where the old trash compactor used to live…
So, yeah…now it’s my job to make their scraps look good. I also have to get a little creative with this space left when the trash compactor was removed.
But anyway, that’s the progress so far! I’m so pleased with how it’s turning out. It’s quite a day and night difference.
Here’s one last look…
So what do you think so far? Definitely a huge improvement, right?

Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I hope you’ll join me on my DIY and decorating journey! If you want to follow my projects and progress, you can subscribe below and have each new post delivered to your email inbox. That way you’ll never miss a thing!
19 Comments
Janell Beals
May 4, 2011 at 1:04 pmFantastic!!!! Alice and John must be thrilled with the transformation and I love the color combo on the cabinets! (plus the blacksplash, hardware, etc!!!) You must be so happy! Janell
Denise Morris
May 4, 2011 at 1:22 pmIt is beautiful!!! Looks like a completely different space!
Ellen
May 4, 2011 at 1:43 pmI'm so excited to see how this turns out, as that gray/white/black combo is something very similar to the solution I want for my kitchen when we redo it eventually…
Marilynnicky
May 4, 2011 at 2:09 pmSo pretty. I love it!
Dwellingsbydevore
May 4, 2011 at 4:52 pmAhhhmazing! What a major transformation! I love that the lower cabinets are darker, great job!
erin_manning_
May 4, 2011 at 9:46 pmWow!! Absolutely gorgeous!!
Kim Perdew
May 4, 2011 at 10:17 pmWOW it doesn't even look like the same place
Mickey_1951
May 4, 2011 at 10:41 pmBEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Can't wait to see it all completed. Nice job Kristi!
Lynne Ledom
May 4, 2011 at 11:21 pmWhat a transformation! I had similar cabinets and painted them and it took 20 years off the age of the kitchen. I don't know why people are scared to paint their outdated cabinets. Heck of a lot cheaper than replacing them.
Bethanee
May 5, 2011 at 1:26 amWhat a transformation! Excellent job.
I have similar cabinets and I actually kind of like the oak, just not the yellowish color that it's turned over the last 20 years. Does anyone know if it's possible to strip and re-stain cabinets? Can I take the doors off and take them to a place that refinishes furniture?
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
May 5, 2011 at 2:14 amBethanee, yes you can strip and restain cabinets. And you can also have it done professionally, although it's quite expensive.
One thing I've done in the past is use Minwax gel stain from Home Depot, instead of using the regular stain. I painted it on like paint (instead of using it like the directions), and it gave a beautiful stained look, but without all of the hassle of having to strip the cabinets completely. It took at least two days to dry, though, and several more days to cure, but the results were great.
Anne Sullivan
May 5, 2011 at 2:24 amWow, that's incredible!!! So…do you make house calls in California? 😉
Terri Roberts
May 5, 2011 at 4:01 amWOW….. just, WOW!
Cre8tivedesigns4u
May 5, 2011 at 6:43 pmKristi it looks fabulous! They must be so happy, and so appreciative of the hard work you have put in. Apartment therapy is taking before and after submissions, you should submit this one for sure!
Krista Moyer
May 5, 2011 at 9:10 pmDo they keep their trash under the sink? Otherwise, the trash compactor space would be optimal for a pull-out can on rollers with a front or door matched to the cabinetry. Or maybe a recycling center?
Lorraine
May 10, 2011 at 2:24 amWhat a transformation. Love the gray.
Jrneace
June 30, 2011 at 2:54 pmTurn the trash compactor area in to a wine storage rack
Valerie
July 1, 2011 at 3:28 pmI guess you can always put shelves where the trash compactor was for cook books and other storage
home improvment
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