If you’re a first-time homeowner, it’s more than likely that the home you own doesn’t have everything on your dream list, and it’s also more than likely that you’ll have to tackle projects over time to make things exactly the way you want them (or close to that).
First-time homeowners Michelle Samuels and EJ tackled small projects in their kitchen, like eliminating the “terrible panel light in the ceiling” and giving the backsplash tiles a DIY upgrade before hiring a contractor, pro painter, plumber, electrician, and cabinet installers to give their kitchen a major upgrade. During the pro portion, the layout of the 1990s-era kitchen was reworked a bit.
Previously, “the old fridge was stuck in the corner by the doorway to the rest of the house and in-the-way, but with no other spot to put it,” Michelle recalls. “There were mottled gray laminated particle board countertops that never looked clean and fake wood linoleum floors. The upper cabinets were original to the circa 1940s kitchen and in halfway decent shape, but most of the lower cabinets were IKEA boxes that had seen better days.”
Moving the radiator meant the homeowners could move the fridge.
Michelle and EJ decided to use Boxco to upgrade their kitchen, and that’s where they met their contractor, Dan Baker, along with Taylor Powell from Hill Street Concrete for their new countertops. “We had the heating company move the large steam radiator from one wall to another, so we could move the fridge to a spot that makes much more sense,” Michelle explains.
Then Dan came in and demoed the old counters and lower cabinets, pulled up the old floor and installed checkerboard tile, and installed new cabinets and appliances with the help of plumber Harvey Rivard and electrician Harry Kuenzel. It was a “a massive upgrade compared with the mid-’90s models the house came with,” Michelle says.
The cabinets got a berry and cream makeover.
Pro painter Mark Barry gave the upper cabinets their new paint (Benjamin Moore’s Palace White), and Michelle and EJ painted the rest of the kitchen themselves. “We had done a little painting elsewhere in the house before this, but our skills definitely improved,” Michelle says. “Since we’d only rented previously, almost everything was a first for us! … We got a lot better at painting and learned that painter’s tape is (for us) more of a hindrance than a help.” The new lower cabinets from Boxco are exposed-edge plywood in the “Cranberry” finish.
Michelle says the new cabinetry makes “a huge difference in how functional the kitchen is; she especially loves her new spice rack, LeMans shelves in the blind corner cabinet, and the gentle-close drawers. And we also keep playing with the gentle-close drawers.”
Where the old fridge was, there’s a custom storage bench.
There’s also added storage via the upholstered bench EJ made in the corner where the fridge once was. “The seat lifts up to make space to store food for our dog and our cat, and with Dan’s help, EJ blended the seat into the walls with matching beadboard and baseboard,” Michelle says, adding that it’s become a spot they like to hang out and where EJ keeps her company while she cooks.
The backsplash tiles were a Delft-inspired DIY project for $100.
The new floor tile is from Fireclay, and EJ painted the green designs on the tiles behind the stove. They include the year the couple bought the house, their dog and cat, the full zodiac, nearby landmarks, and a copy of a rooster tile from Michelle’s childhood home.
Next on EJ’s project list? Some floating shelves for Michelle’s cookbooks.
There are several DIY projects in the kitchen.
“We did the rest of the painting in the kitchen and adjoining entryway and bathroom, replaced fixtures and hardware, and — a first but not last for us! — put up the William Morris fruit wallpaper that was the inspiration for the shades of red, yellow, and white used in the three rooms,” Michelle says of the final product. Michelle says now that the fridge is relocated, the lights are no longer perfectly centered on the ceiling, which is slightly annoying, but they’re learning to live with it.
Mostly, she and EJ love their new kitchen. “This is definitely now the dream kitchen!” she says. “The colors, wallpaper, and backsplash are … just really delightful and make it such a nice room to hang out in.”