Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Good Bones

If a house has good bones, don't be afraid to do a little work. Here's the kitchen $54,000 bought me...hahaha

The cabinets are not original to the house. The original cabinets were metal. Apparently, the man that lived in my house in the early 80's decided to do some renovations. He was a real "woods man" and tried to turn this little built in 1950's house into a log cabin. If you like wood (like my Dad) you might not want to see what I did! Please advert your eyes now...because I painted the wood...if it makes you feel better, I still catch hell from my Dad about this to this day. The guy that lived here also ripped out the bed room on the second floor to create the open beam loft feel...I'm telling you this guy wanted to live in a log cabin and that's exactly what he did do when he sold this place in 1986. I hear stories about this guy all the time! I live in a small town and when I give people my address they say..."oh, you live in Jerry's cool old place". After Jerry sold the place to go live in his log cabin, DeluxeVille passed through a lot of owners. It got foreclosed on at two different times, the last time being when I picked it up. I kid you not, I have randomly run across not one but two people who owned my house at different times after Jerry.... I have yet to meet Jerry but I know were his log cabin is! :)

I was living in the house for about a month in the pictures below...I painted, cleaned, got the really bad smell out and that was about it at this point!

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This place was so dark inside from all the dark wood, it was like being in the womb! I hated it! Please notice the built in place for the microwave...microwaves were sure big in the 80's! Ha...Yup demo!

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Over the stove top was a really BIG hood that wasn't an exhaust hood but rather a light...very stupid...what the hell were you thinking Jerry?? I took that down. There are some things Jerry did to this place that were not good design choices but I try to work around them. When I first moved in, you could often hear me mumbling, "Jerry what the hell were you thinking"??

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28 comments:

  1. I can't believe that is the same kitchen.
    The first is so ......... so pirate !

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  2. Chick Power! Way to renovate and make it your own.

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  3. I love what you did with it! I agree it was Way to dark, and I can tell were alike in the "Bright cheery colors make bright cheery people Dept." So whats next on the Deluxeville DIY list?! Did you ever fix that hole the the ceiling? haha

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  4. hahaha Mick...NO, ECKK!! The hole is still there but it's on my list, I just have to figure out how to do it!

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  5. Your kitchen looks so much better now, brighter and much more inviting. Jerry sounds like a very cool character though!

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  6. It looks so much better after you painted and added your own touches. Do you mean there was a room where your open loft is now ?

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  7. Good bones, patience, hard work, and a good attitude go a long way in turning one's world in to Shangri-La and it looks like you've done just that! Congrats! Your pad, inside and out, has the perfect atmosphere for a little summertime Atomic Cocktail Dinner Party! It would be swell!

    Touchofevil!

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  8. gorgeous kitchen!! We have almost the same cupboards and chrome appliances, but I ADORE that turquoise backsplash!!

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  9. Thanks Stefanie! I love a nice bright kitchen! Jerry's my man!

    Jaede..Yup, this place use to be a three bedroom house and then Jerry came along and ripped out the the floor to the one bedroom and put in a sky light and made a loft! It's the only place like it in my little row of town houses...I've toured a few of the houses in my row that were completely original and then had the owners visit my place...it blows them away when they come in. hahaha Jerry had some vision!

    TofE...You said it...patience...good things take time! When you don't have a lot of money to spend right up front, things get done in stages!

    MaryD

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  10. Wow- having done something similar to our house, I know how much work that was just to paint the cabinets! Aren't before and after photos fun? ;)

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  11. Wow, I remember staying in some motels and cabins in the 70s when my family went on vacation that looked like your kitchen. Its amazing what a little paint can do!

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  12. It must be a guy thing for not painting wood. My dad gave my mom so much flack when she painted the wood cabinets in their house before they did the renos. I'm sorry, but guys, sometimes things just look so much better with a coat of paint! It looks great now!

    Cheers!
    ~Paige

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  13. Susie...I love before and after photos...it really helps you realize how far you've come!

    TartDeco...I know that kitchen just screamed 70's..I swear it was sooooo ugly with it's fake ass chipped wood grain counter tops and yellow textured tile...gawd puke!

    Paige...you are right it is a guy thing. I remember my ex-bf was living here when I finally got around to painting the cabinets and he was like WTF are you doing! I said my house buddy and after I was done he admitted it looked much better. That's my favorite part...when my vision wins them over and there's nothing left for them to do but admit I'm right! Mauhahaha!

    MaryDeluxe

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  14. Painting over wood can be a sin, but not in the case of Jerry's kitchen wherein the sin is already in evidence. From tacky, dark and creepy to bright, clean and oh so much cooler with just a few gallons of paint, a brush and vision!

    Touchofevil!

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  15. TouchofEvil...not only did Jerry commit the dark wood stain sin in the kitchen but also the bathroom, living room, and bedrooms. Jerry loved dark stained wood and I hate it. Jerry and I would never have a successful relationship together...he would stain it and I would paint it! Then he would divorce me. HA!

    But shucks really, it's nothing any single gal with a bit of a design attitude couldn't accomplish!

    MaryD

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  16. I absolutely love what you did!! I just hope Cabin Jerry doesn't read yoru blog! LOL

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  17. I also love before and after pics, you have done a great job on the whole house and have transformed the kitchen!

    Design, taste or even colour co-ordination was not high on the list of priorities of the previous owner of our house, it's so nice to see nice colours and remove all trace of them! I bet when the last bit of stained wood went you were partying!!

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  18. The first old car I bought had a very "creative" DIY owner named Lance. A lot of stuff was done very shoddily, very dangerously too. When working on the car, un-doing a lot of what Lance did, you could hear me curse his name...."Dammit Lance!" Sometimes I still curse his name if I run across someone else's creative fix. Curse you Lance, you get all the blame! Your kitchen is AMAZING BTW!

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  19. WOW! WoW!! wOw!!!!! That's a lot of dark wood. You did an ingredible job. I love you kitchen....but the thought of all that work....opps, my head just exploded!

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  20. I like painted as well as dark stained wood, buuuuuuut it sounds like Jerry needed an intervention. He would have been better off with an addiction to heroin than darkstainedcabinesque wood. Heroin is a quicker fix and an easier addiction to hide. Besides heroin is also more socially acceptable than his affinity for darkstainedcabinesque wood.

    Touchofevil!

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  21. I normally love wood in kitchens but I do have to say that in this case, it had to go! I can't believe how nice they look painted - like brand new cabinets. That light over the stove is SO weird! Oh, Jerry..really, what WERE you thinking? :) Your kitchen looks perfect now. Good show!

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  22. Beautiful house and kitchen. I love everything about it, and the kitchen went from night to day.

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  23. Wow! What an amazing job you´ve done! The kitchen looks so spectacular and elegant!

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  24. I'm ridiculously envious of your new kitchen. I have to deal with a linoleum backsplash and flowered wallpaper on top of vinyl wallpaper. After two years, I can't even think about how to tackle it... so I just don't.

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  25. Gorgeous transformation--but (don't kill me), where is the chrome dinette set, the retro appliances, the chalkware, the pink radio, the red lustroware canisters...?!!?!?!?

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