The kitchen pantry and breakfast nook area makes the kitchen feel huge. In an otherwise small house, the kitchen provided the room I needed to make this space my own.
Before
Progress
After taking off the wallpaper, the entire kitchen needed a skim coat to cover up the damaged walls.
After
With the dining room right on the other side of the wall, there was no need to add another table. Instead, I added a pot rack, mounted a small TV (to watch cooking shows while I learn to make my own recipes), and installed a bar made of the same butcher block countertop material in the rest of the kitchen.
When we threw a surprise retirement party for my mom earlier this year, we got a great shot of this new space… and the lack of a permanent table in this spot means we can move around furniture and lead people out onto the new deck!
House Tour
Sarah, my dearest, you have succeeded in bringing great joy into my life. I closed on a new condo this morning and set out to remove wallpaper, with horrifying results. I was looking for tips and tricks and found your instructions on skim coating. I exclaimed “I #$÷=ing LOVE the internet” several times out loud for the clarity, marveling at your use of the word “gunky” & was most pleased to know this blog was written by a women. Of course it’s written by a woman. No man could ever be this organized. Thank you for being a fabulous home owner, and thank you so much for sharing!!!
Best,
Jess
Aw Jess, I’m so glad you stumbled onto this site and that you found the tutorials useful! Anytime I hear that they have helped, it makes me feel like I’m doing something right. Congratulations on your new condo! I hope the two of you have a very happy life together. :)
I hate to break it to ya dear (JESS) but there are many men that can be organized. It has nothing to do with GENDER or being male or female. It has to do with what skills you have in your life, some you get from your parents and then most you leave behind with your parents and build your own life. IT use to be that people thought Gay men were the only ones that are organized clean & neat, but these days lot’s of straight men are a lot cleaner & organized than a lot of women I know. It’s not about your SEX it’s about your SKILLZ & how you want your Home to represent you and also it’s about how you want to feel in your home. Your home is your sanctuary. I also love this website as I was researching an easier route to do my kitchen cabinets this website was the only one I could find that had products that were safe for humans & pets. QUESTION: in your kitchen remodel did the Any of the PRODUCTS put out a ODOR that was to strong for you as a human or for a pet? Pets are more sensitive to smells. I have a Cat that is getting old. I don’t really want to put her thru to much. I am very careful about what I allow in my home. I do not use HARSH chemicals. Only vinegar & hot water to clean with . Sometimes I use Dawn for stubborn grease. Did you notice any STRONG ODORS from any chemicals you used?
Also great job. I love this website.
When it comes to harsh odors, you should look for low or no-VOC paints. The primer and paint I used sometimes had a faint odor, but nothing too harsh or strong (if memory serves). Same with the TSP substitute and liquid sander (you’re in luck, because I actually used them both again this week or I wouldn’t have remembered!). If you’re concerned a great deal about it, I would probably ask the paint specialist BEFORE they add the tint if I could get a whiff of the base paint. That way I would know if I thought the odor was too strong before committing to the primer or paint and go with a different option if I didn’t like it without wasting money on mixed paint.