Welcome to 1992....THAT kitchen...

the house I grew up in was built in 92....the same year as the house that I just purchased...and I'm not even kidding...I'm pretty sure these exact same hideous 2x2 green tiles and oak-y brown cabinets were in that house as well.

This kitchen is just plain...well it's just plain bad is what it is. The lay out is awkward...the amount of storage space is laughable at best and the microwave and dishwasher are ancient. 

BUT THAT IS WHY YOU BUY A FORECLOSURE...so you can get a deal, and use your savings to make it yours.

Which is perfect for us, because in the area that we live, the common style is VERY different from what we like....around here, you would think that every single person went straight to their builder and said "I want a Tuscan kitchen" EVERYTHING around here is heavy brown wood and oiled bronze and brown granite's...and while yes it really looks great when matched with the proper decor...its simply not my style. It's too stuffy...too dark..its just not what we like. I prefer BRIGHT. CLEAN. CRISP.....but don't get that confused with COLD. HARD. INDUSTRIAL. 

So though I would love to go in with a sledge hammer and drop half of these walls and get rid of those terrible cabinets and counter tops...the truth of the matter is the nerdy boy is a grad student and I am a stay at home mom...we don't have piles of money laying around.

We do have a little bit of wiggle money though, and we are going to use that to make this kitchen livable...for at least the next couple years...just a little botox remember?

The plan is to resurface the cabinets (inside and out) in a bright white shade

Add some hardware

Do a faux granite paint on the counter tops (in a *hopefully* greyish/whiteish/blackish tone)

Install a hammered tin back splash OVER the ugly green 2x2s

Build a banquette for the breakfast nook

Create a Command Center with a wall mounted TV in the top corner

And paint the room a pretty silvery grey color

Create an organized pantry (and possibly paint with an accent color if time/money allows)

Scrape out those awful drawer/cabinet liners and put in a cleaner liner 

Then walk away..................

That's it. No demo...no new cabinets...no ripping anything up or replacing anything...we are just making it less of an eye sore to get us through the next couple of years. Our budget for this is a meager $500. and that is going to have to buy:

- Cabinet resurfacing kit (we like the rustoleum one...but we are undecided)

- Counter top resurfacing kit (probably going to use Giani for this) 

- Hardware

- Hammered tin panels

- Lumber & supplies for the banquette

- Fabric for the seat cushions, pillows, window treatments

- Knick Knacks

- Room Paint 

- Misc Supplies

So needless to say...its going to be a tight job with little room for error....oh ya, and we are only giving ourselves 3 days to get it done in. HAH. 

This should be VERY interesting.