How to Transform an Outdated 1970’s Kitchen!
The transformation of our French Country kitchen has been showing up a lot on Pinterest lately, and every time I see it, I’m amazed at the difference!
I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the very first room we transformed in our vintage 1970’s home, the kitchen!
When it comes to home renovation, Hubby and I were complete rookie’s when we bought this fixer upper.
The only renovating I had any experience with was a little bit of painting and hanging wallpaper, which was more than hubby had!
His idea of renovating was to pick up the phone and call someone!
I still shake my head and wonder, “What were we thinking?!?” when I look back at these pictures!
Renovating a home wasn’t in my plans when we were looking for a home, and looking back, I’m still not exactly sure what possessed us to bite off a fixer upper…..and do all the work ourselves.
It certainly wasn’t something either of us thought about doing before, but when we saw this house, we were like, “How hard could it be?!?”
There were definitely many moments when I ate those words.
But as each room in the home was completed, our renovating skills improved, and we gained more and more confidence in our abilities.
We made sure that we had the right tools for each job, consulted professionals when needed, and watched lots of YouTube tutorials!
Our one owner, custom built French Country home was built in 1972, and it hadn’t seen much updating in the last 40+ years.
It was a 3800 sq. ft. beauty and it was showing it’s neglect, inside and out.
The first time we looked at it, I just kept thinking, “It’s a time capsule”. The kitchen needed lots of attention, and I could see the potential, but worried that it might be more than we could handle.
After several weeks of trying to talk ourselves out of buying it, and going back to look at it many times, we couldn’t stop thinking about what it “could be”.
It had great bones, and being a custom built home, it had some very nice architectural features and details.
So, we went for it and purchased our first fixer upper.
We tackled the kitchen first, and it took us eight months to complete.
During that eight months, there were many, many times that I thought “what in the world have we done?!?”
Hubby and I made a pact before starting the renovation that no matter what, we wouldn’t mention the “D” word (Divorce), and we never did! However, I can’t promise that we never mentioned the “M” word (Murder)!
This is what we saw when we first walked into our home.
Like I said, it was a perfect 1972 time capsule.
Before
And this is what it looks like today, after it’s transformation.
We ended up having skills that I didn’t even know we had!
The first thing we did was take down a wall in order to open up the space between the kitchen and breakfast room.
We scraped the popcorn ceiling……what a horrible mess! Be sure and use protective gear when doing this!
We salvaged cabinets and relocated them, and added new cabinets where needed.
Using a jack hammer, we tore up the old tile floor and laid 5″ wide, handscraped oak floors.
This was the point that I thought that we might have lost our minds!
We covered the soffits with wood, old appliances were replaced, new lighting added….
Old closets were removed to make room for additional cabinets, and we modified the existing sink cabinet to hold a new farmhouse sink.
Everything received a fresh coat of paint!
We bought off the shelf, stock cabinets to fill in where needed.
With an entire home to renovate, inside and out, we were on a very tight budget, so we got really creative with getting the look I wanted, without breaking the bank.
We splurged on Carrara marble for the countertops and added stainless steel appliances, new sink hardware, cabinet hardware, a double farmhouse sink, and subway tile backsplash for a timeless look.
We also trimmed out all the cabinets with decorative trim so that both old and new, would blend seamlessly for a cohesive look.
The cabinets were primed with oil based primer and then painted in Sherwin Williams Snowbound, and finished with a dark brown glaze to bring out the details in the decorative trim.
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We planked the entire kitchen and breakfast room ceiling, using lightweight tongue and groove planks, then pickled them with Minwax pickling stain.
The round brick floor in the breakfast room was original to the house and it’s one of my favorite features.
We salvaged the original island, added trim and legs underneath, then painted it in Sherwin Williams Pussywillow.
Crown moulding was added in the entire room and the walls were painted in Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.
Subway tile was taken all the way up to the ceiling.
A gorgeous antique chandelier is the crowning glory for the center of the island.
All of the interior doors were painted in SW Pussywillow, and all the exterior doors are painted in SW Inkwell.
The home had amazing original, stained glass windows that weren’t even noticeable with everything else going on in this room.
Once we lightened the pallette, and trimmed the windows in black, the stained glass windows are now showcased beautifully.
In the original kitchen, there was a desk area built in underneath the windows. We removed the desk and added more cabinets topped with Carrara marble.
Hubby added some open shelving to display some of my ironstone collection.
The bar stools are from Overstock and I added the antique grain sack upholstery to give them a little bit more of a French feel.
The dry bar was originally a large double closet.
We removed the doors and shelves, trimmed the space out in beadboard, added stock cabinets topped with a remnant of black granite.
The upper cabinets are stock cabinets as well, that we elevated with decorative trim, cutting out the space in the door, and adding metal grate.
Hubby built the shelves and wine rack from scrap lumber.
We also built an island table extension for extra seating.
It just slides under the lip of the marble on the island.
If I had to choose my favorite thing about the kitchen transformation, it would have to be the planked ceiling.
It grabs everyone’s attention that walks into the room!
We love the way it turned out and I’m still amazed when I go back and look at the “before” pictures.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we could transform a room like this ourselves.
It just goes to show that anyone can do this!
If you would like to see other rooms that we have renovated, click on Master Bedroom, Dining Room, Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, Guest Bedroom, Study, Laundry Room, and Powder Room.
And if you would like to see the different ways we’ve decorated the kitchen for the holidays, just type “kitchen” into the search box in the sidebar!
Cheers,
Cindy
Beautiful! where did you get the burlap curtains?
Suzi, I found them at a little vintage shop in Arkansas several years ago.
Amazing renovation!!!
Amazing transformation
So fresh and welcoming
Danielle
Bless YOU Cindy (and hubby)- Your advice and tutorials on the Planked Ceiling – is what helped me to transform my own home with that dreaded popcorn several years ago! I only have one more room to tackle – and y’all were/are the Wind beneath my Wings 🙂 (I may need you to blow a little harder – as I need some motivation to continue LOL)
Terry, it does get a bit overwhelming sometimes, doesn’t it? I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to quit! Many times, I had to take a break until the motivation hits me again! You can do it!
This is one of the most beautiful kitchen renovations I’ve ever seen – professional or not, although now, I’d consider you a total pro!
Not a pro….I’m always working by the seat of my pants! Thank you!
Stunningly beautiful. Question…how high are your planked ceilings?
Most of the ceiling heights were between 8′ – 9′.
Hi, love your kitchen!! Could you tell me how you like the location of your fridge and ovens being on the opposite side of your sink and stove top? And please share the widths of your 3 “aisles” on each side of the center island. Appreciate all the other info you shared, down to the paint colors!
Hi Martha! There’s 3 1/2 feet between the cabinets and island. No issues with the placement of the ovens and fridge!
The expanse of windows is my favorite part of this kitchen.
Are your kitchen cabinets oak or another type of wood like maple?
Hi Shelley! The cabinets are maple.
do you have a link to the cabinet handles?
They are from Lowe’s.
Simply beautiful. Can you tell me the color of the island. Love this shade of Gray.
The color of the island is Sherwin Williams Pussywillow.
Your kitchen is beautiful!! Where did you get the platter holder on your counter that has sheep for legs? I love it!!
Thank you, Kathy! Here’s the link to the post about the sheep pedestal: https://wp.me/p5Xug9-pi
Did you use water or oil based stain on the ceiling planks?
We used Minwax pickling stain.
Can you please email me the place you got the dish on the counter top w/the sheep holding it up? Our home is called “La Bergerie” (the sheep pen) & I collect sheep! Thank you
Hi Sandi! Check out this post for all of the info: https://wp.me/p5Xug9-pi
I never get tired of seeing what y’all did in that beautiful home. Makes me excited for your next adventure although we do hope you’ll go easy on yourselves this time!!
Thank you, Deb! I definitely don’t want anything as extensive in the next home! I’m looking for simplified living!!
I have followed you for a long time. I love this home and sad to that you moved and therefore no more remodel on this home – our loss for sure! It is beautiful. I read all the comments but did not see what color black you used to trim out the kitchen window. Would you be so kind to reveal the color? Thanks so much
Hi Carolee! The black is Sherwin Williams Inkwell.
Oh my goodness! You and your husband did an amazing job. I love everything about your kitchen. My husband and I have done a couple Home redos in our lifetime. Currently working on our final home, I hope. So I can certainly appreciate the hours of hard work you both have sacrificed in your beautiful home. The before and after pictures shows what blood, sweat and tears went into your kitchen. Thanks for sharing. I look forward in reviewing the rest of your home.
Thank you, Carol! We are currently looking for our (hopefully) final home and we’re excited to start on a new project, but hopefully not as extensive as this one!
Très belle! It looks like it has always been a “French Country Kitchen” enjoyed by family and friends over the years!
Thank you so much, Linda!
Our kitchen looks like your before *sigh* wish we could completely redo. Love the light bright look!! May I ask what brand is your above the stove hood? I love that it’s so thin and fits under the cabinet. We need something like that our hood is completely out of whack with the kitchen we have.
I’m not sure of the brand, but we purchased it from Sears Home Store. It was probably a Kenmore. I hope that helps!
Lovely. I am curious to know if you did anything special to the doors before you painted them.
Hi Lina! All of our doors were originally stained so we had to primer them with an oil based primer, and then painted with latex paint.
Tell me about your moral clock. Love it all. Beautiful.
You and your husband have done a beautiful job! Thank you for sharing and I see the love and pride in your work!
I loved everything you did. I am crazy forFrench decor. I would love to see the rest of the house. Your look is so inspiring.
I like your clock where did you get it?
I have this clock for sale in our booth at Antiques at the Loop in Mobile, AL!
Perfect! I adore your choices. Just what I would do. This is one of the best kitchens I’ve seen. Congratulations with your hard work and good taste. Just beautiful.
I came across your blog and love how you honored your Mother and Mother in law. I also transformed my kitchen which had similar cabinetry. I used a cabinet transformation kit which worked very well. I used the cleaner in the kit then painted them white, 2 coats, and lastly applied a chocolate glaze along with a sealer. It really turned out beautiful especially considering how it originally looked. Problem being several years down the road the areas around some of the handles on the cabinet doors have begun to chip off. I’m thinking of trying a different application. I wondered why you chose not to put a polyurethane or acrylic top coat on your cabinetry?
Oh my! Love,love it!
Hi Cindy,
What kind of brown glaze did you use? I have no experience with glazing things…do you apply it to the entire cabinet and then wipe it off? Even the cabinet boxes (probably common sense but I just wanted to ask). Love your kitchen so much and although mine will have it’s own look, I really want my cabinet color to look like yours. 🙂
Thank you,
Marlo
Hi Marlo! We used a homemade glaze made from thinned Burnt Umber acrylic paint, found at any craft store. I applied it to the detail areas only with a small artist’s brush and then wiped back the excess. I didn’t apply it to the entire cabinet because it tends to leave a “muddier” look. I only apply the glaze into the detailed areas of the moulding, and then wipe the excess back, only leaving the glaze in the recessed areas. Our homemade glaze is water based so it’s very easy to remove if you add too much. Here’s a link to the blog post about our homemade glaze: https://wp.me/p5Xug9-1nI
Hi Cindy,
Not sure if I added too much water or why I feel like attempt one at the glazing failed but I do. Please provide anything more you can help me with. This was the part I was looking forward to and now I am stressed otherwise I love this ‘project’.
Thank you,
Marlo
Marlo, use a small 1/4″ artist’s brush to apply the glaze and only apply it to the recessed areas (nooks and crannies). Once you apply it, take a slightly damp cloth and wipe back, leaving the glaze only down in the recessed area. If the glaze is too thin, add more paint. It should be the consistency of milk. If you apply too much, wipe off with a damp cloth.
Literally just closed on a house and at menards getting stuff to copy your cabinets what was the glaze you used again I’m so sorry
Hi Megan! We used a homemade glaze made from thinned Burnt Umber acrylic paint, found at any craft store. I applied it to the detail areas only with a small artist’s brush and then wiped back the excess.
Hi Cindy. Can you please tell me where you got your kitchen chairs? I live in Toronto, Canada and need to find a store here where I can mabey buy the same or similar. Thank you dearly.
Hi Dayle! The chairs are from Overstock.com!
Did you use the pre-mixed water based white wash pickling stain by Minwax or did you have it mixed for Minwax?
Hi Marlo! This is what we used: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Pre-tinted-White-Wash-Water-based-Interior-Stain-Actual-Net-Contents-32-fl-oz/999913861
Thank you! It worked great! Now working on the cabinets. Did you use a brush or roller when priming and painting? Also did how many coats of each did you do? And if multiple coats did you sand in between?
Thank you for your help!:)
Marlo
Marlo, I used a brush. One coat of primer, two coats of latex. I didn’t sand in between coats. Good luck!
Hi Cindy,
One more question…did you polyurethane the cabinets when you were done with the latex?
Thank you,
Marlo
No.
LOVE your kitchen!!! I come back to it Continually as I’m trying to copy the look of your cabinets in my new home. I notice you said “The cabinets were primed with oil based primer and then painted in Sherwin Williams Snowbound” (Thank you so much for that tidbit!!!) Was there a certain reason you used oil based primer? Also, I’ve always dreamed of antiqued creme cabinets but I see what you’ve used is basically white. Do they look pretty white in real life? They read so warm in pictures!!!
Thank you, Megan! Our cabinets were originally stained, so in order to paint them, we first had to cover them in primer and Sherwin Williams recommended using an oil base primer before painting with latex paint. If you’re painting over cabinets that have already been painted, then you won’t need to use primer first. Snowbound is a true white, so it may just the the photos that make them appear warmer.
Would love to know if you’ve had any yellowing of the knots in your ceiling since staining… we have knotty pine beadboard and are having a hard time finding a white stain that doesn’t yellow. Thanks!
Hi Carrie! No, we haven’t had any yellowing at all!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog. Love, love, love your style! I have a question about your planked ceilings. Did you use a clear coat after staining the planks? I’m currently planning on planking over my popcorn and want to make sure it looks as lovely yours! Thanks!
We applied the stain, but we did not top with a clear coat.
I’m dumbfounded what all you did! It looks amazingly beautiful!
I am so happy to have found your site….I too, was struggling with popcorn ceilings and extremely tall vaulted ceilings. Just no way I wanted to take this project on. Hired two wonderful contractors to plank over the popcorn and whitewash stain the wood. I can’t even begin to express how happy I am! This room looks fantastic! Next is painting with Agreeable Gray (walls) Pussywillow (doors) and Snowbound (trim). You guys are a HUGE inspiration for me!
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much for commenting!
The whole room/house is stunning. I came here looking for an answer to a painted popcorn ceiling and now I’m intrigued with your breakfast area, primarily the bay window. Mine is similar and I have a fur down above the window which makes the area seem enclosed. Did you happen have a fur down/soffit above yours that you knocked out and opened up? I’m wondering if that is possible …either way, the detail is beautiful.
Hi Christine! There was no soffit in our breakfast area, but I can see that it would make it feel enclosed. I would definitely want to remove it.
Hi, Just love your beautiful renovation. Wondering what your floor covering is
Hi Tricia! The floor in the kitchen is wide plank, hand scraped oak floors.
Hi Cindy,
Your home is beautiful! What are the dimensions of your kitchen work area? Thanks. Delilah
Delilah, the center island is 44 1/2″ long x 26″ wide. The table extension is 48″ long x 26″ wide.
Hi! Beautiful home! What color did you use on the the base of the island?
Thank you, Lyndsay! The paint color is Sherwin Williams Pussywillow!
It is staggering! What a transformation! Hats off to you & your husband for the tenacity and spirit it has taken.
Thank you so much, Jo Anne!
Each time I look at your kitchen renovations it makes me so happy. It’s the perfect kitchen. Everything is so wonderful. Both of you are artists. Thank you for sharing that beauty.
Thank you so much, Françoise! Your kind words mean so much to me!
Hi Cindy,
I wanted to ask you what tools you and your husband used to plank the ceiling, I want to plank the vaulted ceiling of my master bedroom and will have to outfit myself with the tools necessary as this will be my first major project to do myself. I assume you need a staple gun and electric saw. I’m not sure what kind of staple gun to get and what kind of saw ( regular table saw/ circular saw?). Would really appreciate it if you would share your knowledge.
Thanks.
Isela, check out this post, it should have all of the info that you need!
https://edithandevelynvintage.com/plank-popcorn-ceiling/
I wish I could get my husband to slow down when we do a renovation. He just wants it DONE! I would live in a construction zone for as long as it takes to get what I want,how I want it at I price I can afford.
You are a lucky woman!!
Thank you, Margie! Hubby is definitely a keeper!
Me too
Hi Cindy, I saw where someone had asked about the replacement bbque grill grate but could not find a reply. Where it can be purchased and how it is applied on the back on the cabinet doors. Your transformations are amazing. Thank you for any info you can supply.
Hi Jowanda! Here is the link to the grate that we used: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-24-in-x-3-ft-Aluminum-Sheet-Metal/1000035093 We cut it to the size of the opening and then using a heavy duty staple gun, stapled into the back of the opening.
Your kitchen is stunning! We are just beginning to update our kitchen and yours will be my model! It is just beautifuI! I love the corbel/cookbook stand on your counter. Is there someplace that I could buy one?
Thank you so much, Rolanda! The corbel came from an antique market. I would recommend checking out flea markets, antique markets, estate sales, and even Ebay and Etsy!
I am obsessed with the chandelier in this space! It is beautiful. If you have any recommendations for similar ones online, I would really appreciate your help finding one!!
Hi Katherine! The chandelier in the kitchen is vintage. I would recommend checking flea markets, estate sale, and antique stores, as well as online at Ebay and Etsy! Good luck!
Hi Cindy,
Your renovations are absolutely gorgeous!
Could you please tell me the paint color you chose for your crown molding and trim throughout the rest of the room? We are about to paint our downstairs in SW Repose Gray with an accent wall in SW Mindful Gray and with so many white trim colors to choose from I’m having a hard time choosing the one I want. I think since your color scheme is very similar to what I’m going for your trim color might be the right one for me also.
Thanks in advance!
Lachelle
Hi Lachelle! The white that we have used throughout our home is Sherwin Williams Snowbound. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much Cindy! I’m trying to convince my husband to do planked ceilings like yours now. We are new to DIY but I have the bug now. Bless my husband’s heart!
Hi Cindy, love what you have done. We are thinking of painting our cupboards. You said you used oil based primer then painted over with semi gloss latex. Is that correct , because my husband said you cannot paint latex over oil, it will not stick.
Thanks
Yes, the paint expert at Sherwin Williams advised us to use an oil based primer over the top of our stained cabinets. Then paint with latex paint. It worked beautifully, and yes, the latex paint does indeed stick. The paint and primer came from Sherwin Williams.
I did the same in my mudroom that is similar (but different, LOL) to your kitchen. Took existing cabinets, added decorative trim to existing, beefed up the crown molding, scraped the ceilings, primed with Kilz, painted, glazed with stain, added newer, nicer hardware, (we even had to change location from center of door with ring pulls & decorative back plate (a la 70s) to lower corner. Easier to move the location b/c w/ painted cabinets you can cover the old screw hole & paint over while with stained cabinets the plug would show. We changed out the flooring from vinyl to high definition ceramic tile looking like slate, added coordinated tile back splash, granite counters, new sink, & new faucet.
Lots of sweat equity…our original build 1975 ranch got a complete interior remodeling. We gutted our kitchen & took down a wall. We did most of the work & all the demo (except kitchen which was contracted out). Opened it up as it was much smaller than yours, very inefficient, & now gorgeous, all new everything.
We pretty much gutted the interior of our house wall-to-wall, scraping the textured ceilings throughout, installing recessed can lights in several rooms, adding heavier molding throughout, gutted 2 baths, all new, put down hand-scraped, distressed, wide plank wood floors everywhere except mudroom & 2 baths….some contracted work, and did it over a 3 yr period, doing different areas in stages b/c it’s such a mess. No way to contain the mess & dirt to simply the “work zone.”
Your kitchen is gorgeous, Cindy. I can’t wait to see the entire reveal. You did a great job on the kitchen, really paying attention to detail & upgrading it all…It’s a work of art.
Your hubby s craftsmanship is exquisite along with your beautiful vision.Love ya ll s kitchen! !
Thank you so much, Janet!
Hello there! I am about to begin on my 1987 time capsule. I have light fixtures/chandeliers very similar to what you have, and I am looking to buy one to replace one that is pretty damaged. Can you tell me where you got your chandelier from?
Hi Teresa! The chandelier in the kitchen is vintage, found at an estate sale. The chandelier in the breakfast room, just off the kitchen is from http://www.parrotuncle.com. Good luck with your reno!!
Your kitchen and entire home is absolutely gorgeous, Cindy. I just love it. I would like to get carara marble countertops. Would you do it again? Guess I’m afraid they will have to be babied too much. thanks, Kay and I do hope you’re getting to spend time with your sister. xo
Hi Kay! I love the carrara marble countertops, but I love the look of old marble with all of it’s imperfections! 🙂 We haven’t had any staining because we seal it every six months, but I do have some etching and a few scratches. They don’t bother me, but I know for some people, it would drive them crazy!
Thanks!
Beautiful! Would love to know where you purchased the grill grates for the beverage nook!
You are one of my favorite designers ever!!!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much!
Absolutely beautiful. What stain did you use to pickle the ceiling?
Ginger, we used Minwax pickling stain in white, from Lowe’s.
Love your home . We are currently covering our popcorn with the planks How did you apply the stain to the ceiling? Brush, roller or rag. Thank you
Hi Diane! Taking a section at a time, I applied the stain with a brush and then immediately wiped back with a slightly damp cloth.
OMG, you nailed it! I love everything, and I do mean everything you did here. Very classy and beautiful.
Love love love the ceiling. My husband and I are gonna are going to put a tongue and groove ceiling in Our seasonal mobile home. How long did it take you to do the ceiling?
Hi Ell! It took about two days!
Where did you get the kitchen faucet?
Jessica, it came from a local supplier.
Cindy love your beautiful kitchen transformation & your colors; We’re fixing to work on our cabinets also. I would love to know if the stock cabinets were just plain flat doors that you added the trim to outside edges or did they come with that edge on them & did they come from lowes? Your hard work paid off.
Hi Betty! Yes, the stock cabinets were the ones with plain, flat doors, and we added trim to the doors to give them a custom look. Most of them came from Lowe’s. A few of them (the wider, three drawer cabinets) came from Home Depot.Good luck with your transformation!
Can’t find the tutorial on that adorable plate with sheep holders!
Hi Frannie! Here’s the link: https://edithandevelynvintage.com/diy-sheep-decor/
Your kitchen is the inspiration for my kitchen redo. I love everything about it!! Can you provide the source for your subway tile? Is it plain white porcelain or marble and what grout color? Thanks in advance!! I’m in KC and we may try to get the backsplash knocked out during this ice storm!! 😉
Hi Heather! The subway tile is from Lowe’s. It’s the plain white porcelain with medium gray grout. Hope that helps! Good Luck and stay safe!
Hi Cindy, Congratulations on a beautiful job! I am looking for the same kitchen handles that you chose and cannot locate them, in fact, that is why I was looking at your kitchen. Where did you buy them from. Although we live in New Zealand, we are happy to ship. Love your french country kitchen!
Thank you Ruth! The kitchen handles came from Lowe’s!
I noticed a few recessed lights. We just put in a planked ceiling, and need to put in a few recessed lights. We’ve never done recessed lighting. What size, type, and style did you use? Also, where did you find them?
I would love to know the paint colors too. Thanks.
Hi Nancy! the paint colors used in the kitchen are:
Walls: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Trim and Cabinets: Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Interior Doors and Island: Sherwin Williams Pussywillow
Hope that helps! Thanks for commenting!
What you’ve done with this is fantastic!! The layout is so similar to my kitchen and I’ve been racking my brain on how to lay it out when we remodel, I’m hoping we can do that center island with the table like you did! What are the dimensions of your kitchen? I’d love to compare as we start planning it out. Also, that window over your sink is beautiful, how big does it span across the wall? My husband has been not keen on me swapping out our standard 36″ for something like that, but I bet when I show him this he’ll change his mind!! Beautiful job and thanks for sharing how you did it!
Thank you Brittany! The windows over the sink are approx. 72″ wide. Good luck with your upcoming kitchen reno!
Everything looked beautiful. What color did you paint the walls?
Hi Patricia! I sent you an email with the colors!
WOW..stunning transformation! I love everything about it…colors, textures etc!
Thank you so much Sybil!
I am in love with everything you’ve done! We’re moving into a new home next week and I’m chomping at the bit to get started on similar projects. Thanks for all the ideas!
Thank you Tracy! Good luck on your upcoming renovations!
I did not find comments on/about the antiqued french blue buffet in the dining area. Did you do that yourself? I have a similar piece of furniture–a long, heavy dresser–in an outdated dark color that I plan on painting in the same fashion.
If you DIY’d it, may I know the colors and method you used? I was hoping to use Annie Sloan Paints as they are fast and easy. Though they have a very limited color range so one has to experiment with mixing.
Hi Sylva! Here is the post on the blue buffet: http://wp.me/p5Xug9-n9
Hi! Wow, your kitchen is gorgeous! I was wondering if you could do a post about the cabinets. I can’t believe you made them look so custom. Would you do a tutorial? Thanks! Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!
HI Cindy, Your ceiling is gorgeous. You have inspired me to do the same. Did you apply a conditioner to the planks beforehand or just the stain?
Hi Laura! We didn’t apply any conditioner, just stained them!
Brilliantly, brilliantly done…and the blue buffet!!! Absolutely gorgeous!!
Thank you so much!
My first visit to your blog and I am loving! This kitchen is amazing. can you list source info for flooring and chandelier?
Thank you Tami! The oak floors came from a local flooring company, Vermillion Hardwoods. The chandelier is vintage, from an antique market.
Oh my WORD!! Fabulous!
This just came up on FB from Better / After…. I am blown away. Amazing!
I am about to tackle my kitchen ( We built our home 15 yrs. ago & it is now in need of an update ) LOVE what you did to your cabinets. Gives me hope on transforming my white cabinets.. Adding trim, who would have thought?
Looking forward to looking thru the rest of your reno…
Nicely, nicely done!
Thank you so much for your sweet comments Kathy! Good luck with your kitchen project!
Cindy, this is gorgeous. I just went through your blog with my husband, s-l-o-w-l-y, so we could compare the before and afters. I hate my kitchen and I love your kitchen. With your photos for inspiration, maybe we can take that first step. Our next project, however, is flooring.
Thank you Iris! Good luck with your kitchen project!
This is beautiful!!!!! Could you tell me what you used for a finish on the cabinets after the glaze? Did you wax or polyurethane? Thanks
Thank you Nancy! We didn’t use any finish after the glaze. The cabinets were painted in an oil based primer, then semi gloss latex, then glazing only on the details.
Where did you get the decorative trim for your cabinets? Specifically that arched ones on the upper cabinets. They’re beautiful! My husband and I will be remodeling a house ourselves that already has a chateau feel to the outside. We just want to put that on the inside. We’ll be keeping the cabinets but I love that trim and would love to put it in the bathroom cabinets since we’ll probably be going with stock cabinets for them.
Thank you Stephanie! The “arched” trim on some of the cabinets were from the original cabinets. We were actually able to reuse some of this trim off of the old cabinets, on the new ones.
Cindy,
Love the pickled, planked ceiling. Getting ready to do a vaulted ceiling in my family room. Just a couple of questions about the staining process. How did you apply the stain? Brush, rolled, rag? One coat? And did you have to wipe off excess stain or did it just turn out gorgeous the first time? Did you apply a sealer? Thanks.
Hi Becca! I brushed the pickling stain on, working in sections. I would brush the stain on, and then lightly wipe the excess off with a slightly damp cloth. One coat is all that we needed. We didn’t apply any sealer, because it looked perfect after the first coat. Hope this helps, please ask any questions you may have! Thanks for following!
Hey! Getting ready to plank our ceiling and I want mine to look JUST LIKE yours!!! Lol they are beautiful! So I’m looked through the comments and see the stain you used and that you brush it on in sections and then wiped with a damp cloth…did you immediately wipe it off or give it a few minutes to sit before doing so? Also my husband has picked out some white pine planks…are the ones you used considered a white pine?
Hi Blair! Yes, I wiped off the stain immediately. I’m not sure if the planks we used were white pine or not. I don’t think it said on the packages.
Hi Cindy – I’ve admired this kitchen a number of times as I go back and look again and again. Love the fact that you used existing cabinets and did the work yourselves!!! I see you did an oil base coat and then SW paint. What did you use for a “glaze” and how did you apply? Fabulous job.
Thank you Susan! We used Valspar Antiquing Glaze in Asphaltum {a dark brown color}. We bought it at Lowe’s. Here’s a link to the glaze on Valspar’s website: http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/find-the-right-product/interior/decorative-paints/faux-antiquing-glaze.html
I used a small artist’s brush, only applying the glaze directly to the detailed areas. I would do one section at a time, apply with the brush, then wipe back with a slightly damp cloth. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Love love love it…painting my Moms kitchen-did you sand cabinets ? Did you use a brush to paint base coat. I know you must be tired of asking all us Diyers. It’s just so stunning
Thank you Kim! We cleaned the cabinets really well with a degreaser cleaner, then we painted a base coat with an oil based primer, then painted with Sherwin Williams Snowbound, using a brush. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Beautiful job!!! Where is the table runner from?
Thank you Amy! The table runner on the bar table is an antique grain sack. The one on the breakfast room table is just a scrap of burlap fabric cut to the right size.
*Gulp*
Holy moley, that is incredible.
Dear Cindy, please come to my house, I need help!!!!! : – )
Awww…thank you Michele!
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! For two people who don’t know anything about renovating, y’all sure are doing a fantastic job! Love this kitchen! Hugs, Leena
Thank you Leena! We were definitely rookies when we started, but I can’t say that now!
Absolutely Gorgeous, Cindy! I am new to your site… Now I need to subscribe! I love Country.. and French decor. I didn’t realize the two combined were an actual decor style! I will definitely stay posted!!!!!
Thank you Denise! And welcome!
Very nice….my husband and I are doing the same thing to an old 1920s farmhouse. What are the dimensions of your kitchen? What about the island and slide out? How much floor space do you have on the sides of your island?
Thank you Kim! The kitchen is approximately 19’6″ x 23’6, including the breakfast room. The island with the table extension is 2’2″ x 7’6″. We have 3′ of space on the sides of the island.
You did a great job! We did our whole kitchen last winter…or had it done…so I am amazed you could do this yourself. I love the plate on the little sheep, so cute… are they just little sheep you used?
Jillian, the little sheep tray is a DIY and so versatile! Here is the link to the tutorial:https://edithandevelynvintage.com/2015/06/02/diy-sheep-decor/
I love your kitchen. I could stare at it all day. We are starting to remodel our kitchen and I will be painting my cabinets and putting molding on the soffets as well. What color paint did you use for your cabinets and did you paint the soffets and molding the same color?
Can’t wait to see more. You inspire me.
Nadia
Thank you so much Nadia! Yes, we painted the cabinets, soffits, and moulding all the same color, Sherwin Williams Snowbound.
Can you give me some idea on how you girls are painting the cabinets? Brush / roller. And how did you attach the trim work?
Hi Kim, We painted the cabinets with a brush. The trim work was applied using Liquid Nails and then nailed with a nail gun using small finishing nails.
Amazing! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about your kitchen!!! Job well done.
Greetings!!
My first visit to your home. What a lovely, lovely kitchen you and your husband created !! What a dream come true, and I bet cooking is so much fun too ! 🙂
Would the beadboard have been easier to put up??
Paula
Thank you Paula! You could definitely put headboard on the ceiling, but I didn’t want the seams to deal with, so we chose individual planks instead.
Cindy, yepyep you are so right !! I must say last night I had your kitchen racing thur my head what I could apply to my kitchen!! 🙂
Paula
Lol, Paula!
You have a beautiful home. I love your ideas. What toy store did you find the cute little sheep?
Thank you Marisa! I found the sheep at ToyrRus.
Hi Cindy, love the kitchen..very nice. I like your plate on the island the one with the sheep for feet. Please tell me were it comes from. Thanks, Barb
Hi Barb! The sheep tray is a DIY project, made from toy store sheep! Very easy to make! Here is the link showing you how! https://edithandevelynvintage.com/2015/06/02/diy-sheep-decor/
That’s a surprise. I would have thought it was a very rare and expensive. thanks I will check it out. ( :
Cindy,
The planked ceiling is my favorite part of your beautiful kitchen/breakfast area, and I love all of it. Thanks for giving us a detailed account of your work.
Really a beautiful job!
Thank you Phyllis!
You’re amazing! Such an inspiration! I am a huge fan of vintage/french design and it never ceases to amaze me the talent to transform something into a dream design.
Thank you so much Kathleen!
New subscriber here, Cindy, and I have no idea why it took me so long. This is absolutely incredible! Incredible that it was your first renovation, incredible that it is so highly customized, and incredible if it doesn’t end up featured not just in blogs, but in major magazine publications. It’s really outstanding. Well done!
Rita C at Panoply
Thank you so much Rita! That means so much to me and such a wonderful compliment! I really appreciate you following along on our renovation journey!
OH MY GOSH ! This is incredibly stunning !
You put us to shame ( we bought a fixer upper too – but our results are nowhere near this ) This belongs in a magazine – it’s truly magnificent
Off to pin almost every after photo LOL
XOX
Aww…..thank you Suzan!
Oh, my goodness!
Your kitchen is awesome.
We are in the middle of redecorating our kitchen – nothing structural. Our pendant lights just arrived and it is killing me to wait for our electrician.
I love your kitchen. Please tell me where you got the plate planked by sheep on the island. I must have.
Hi Sharon! We made the little sheep pedestal. Here is the link to the post: http://wp.me/p5Xug9-pi. We just topped it with an ironstone platter and bowls.
I was able to find the sheep on Walmart.com. Thanks for the link on how you painted them. They look great in my house.
stunning transformation, wonderful styling and just dreamy to look at, you have done an amazing job.
Thank you Suzana!
Absolutely STUNNING!! You have good taste and style. I LOVE your kitchen!!
Oh, my goodness! Your kitchen is totally gorgeous! And to think your hubby and you had never done anything like this before! You really had vision too to redo it to look like this! Fabulous!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 🙂
Thank you so much Sheilia!
PERFECTION! Simply Perfection!!! I can’t believe this transformation! YOU are amazing, Cindy!!!! My favorite makeover of all time!
Awww….thank you Yvonne!! Coming from you, that is quite a compliment!
Hi Cindy. Every single thing that you’ve done in your home blows me away and your kitchen is no exception – wow!!! I hope that you and your hubby realize what an amazing space you turned out. But, one thing – I can’t for the life of me figure out why you didn’t keep that avocado dishwasher??? hahahahaha Totally kidding!
…..and the avocado refrigerator, and the harvest gold sink……hahaha! We actually moved the avocado refrigerator to the garage, it still works like a champ! They were certainly very popular for the time {you should see some of the bathroom fixtures in this house!}. Thank you for your kind words Suzy!
It turned out gorgeous, all your hard work paid off, I love how you painted your cabinets I’m in the process of painting mine any tips you may offer will be greatly appreciated…..enjoy your beautiful kitchen.
Smiles~
Mari
Cindy,
I LOVE your kitchen so much!!! I would love to get rid of our popcorn ceilings. Why did you need to scrape them prior to planking them? I am asking with the hopes of getting ours planked. 🙂
Blessings
Thank you Shelly! The first ceiling that we planked was in the kitchen. We scraped it first because we thought the planks would work better on a smooth surface, however we learned that wasn’t really necessary. The second ceiling we planked is the master bedroom and we didn’t scrape the popcorn first, we just planked right over the top of it. It was much easier and less mess!
I love your kitchen!!! Just the one I would love to have. You both did an excellent job!!
Thank you Jean!
LOVE <3 Where did you get the absolutely gorgeous stools at the counter? Did you add the grain sacks to them? I finally got my unfinished table for my kitchen today. Now my job is to make sure it has the "Cindy look" when its done. I adore the wing chairs in your dining room and would love to add a pair to my new kitchen table for a relaxing meal. We'll see how that works out.
Well done Cindy and I can hardly wait to see your bedroom. LOVE <3
Thank you Jemima! The counter stools are from Overstock, and yes, I added the grain sack to their backs. Thank you so much for following along!
I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at your blog! Seeing the transformation, your beautiful decorative palate, is such a great way to get ideas, and to appreciate the beauty of it all. What I love the most, is how with every room you have shown, each one seems so welcoming. Can’t wait to see more of your journey!
Thank you so much Toni!
I have just found you and I am blown away! What a great inspiration you are! Your kitchen is to die for! Absolutely over the top gorgeous! Can’t wait to see the rest of the house!
Thank you Colleen and Welcome!
Everything about your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! I adore looking at it! A question on your ceiling.. Why did you choose to pickle it after it was already up? Thanks!
Thank you Jesse! I pickled it with the stain after it was up for a couple of reasons…..the lightweight wood is a very inexpensive wood, which is great, but it does come with a negative. Because it’s thin and not top grade, there is a some warping and splitting to some of the planks, that you only find once you open the package. There were times that the plank would look fine but during installation, we would realize that it was warped or we would end up damaging it ourselves and we would have to replace it. Lowe’s was wonderful in exchanging any damaged or warped planks, so it was easy to just return/exchange what we couldn’t use, but if I had pickled beforehand, that wouldn’t have been possible. If you go with a better grade of planking, decreasing the possibility of damaged wood, then pickling beforehand is definitely the better option.
Cindy, I am still amazed at this beautiful transformation! I know the changes to your bedroom will be fabulous too.
Hugs,
Sherry
Thank you so much Sherry!
Your kitchen is just stunning!!! Thank you for explaining all the ways you customized it…..it certainly has an upscale look to it…..thanks to all your hard work and ingenuity!
Lovely, lovely, lovely!
Thank you Toni!
A newcomer to your blob and stayed awake til the wee hours of the morning soaking in the details. You guys are truly talented. Cheers!
Welcome Jonelle!
“blog”
It’s hard to imagine that folks like you didn’t have prior construction experience becuase this room is exquisite!!! I have a very small space that has been designated as a kitchen. I repainted the cabinets and added a marble counter top. I too have popcorn ceilings and am dying to put planks on the ceiling. What tips can you provide? I don’t feel I can do this by myself tho. You should feel extremely proud of your accomplishments in this room!!! I’m envious!
Thank you Mary! Planking a ceiling is definitely a two person job! Here is the link to the tutorial that we did on planking our ceiling: https://edithandevelynvintage.com/2015/05/04/how-to-plank-a-popcorn-ceiling/
Do you have to scrape the popcorn ceiling off, or just put the planks over it?
Hi Karen! The first time, when we planked the kitchen ceiling, we scraped the popcorn off first. However, we realized that really isn’t necessary. We recently planked the ceiling in our master bedroom, and we planked right over the top of the popcorn. So much easier!
Beautiful! Perfect in every way! I wouldn’t change a thing if I could have ! Trust me that is a huge compliment.
Really looking forward to following along with your journey 🙂
Thank you Gaylin!
you have one of the most beautiful kitchens I’ve seen. You’re right, the planked ceiling is a showstopper. I’m amazed that you have accomplished this on your own. Truly fabulous!
Thank you Debra! I’m pretty amazed myself!
I like that you could use the original cabinets. It isn’t always possible, but too many times we see reno’s where people throw out perfectly good items that can be revamped. AND – the cabinets are now spectacular. The finish is beautiful. The bar/entertainment area looks great with treatments that highlight the specific space.
We have a similar problem with floor vents in the middle of an area and had I flush mount grates made with the same wood finish as our floor. Flooring dealers will make them any size – now I’m not tripping over them and they look seamless.
Thank you Katherine! We have plans to get a flush mount grate made for the floor vent. It’s still on the “to do” list!
Cindy, I remember finding your kitchen and my mouth fell open and I gasped! I still cannot believe that y’all weren’t experienced renovating because it sure looks like a very professional job.
Thank you Kim! No experience at all in the beginning, but now a year and a half later, I’m pretty confident we could tackle just about anything!
Wowzer to this beautiful space. You not only made this kitchen a functional space but a STUNNING space. So comfortable to be in. Your attention to detail is spot on. And all done on a budget with your four little hands. Fabulous job to both of you. Can’t wait to see more!
Thank you Terry!
Good morning Cindy, I absolutely love your beautiful home! You and your husband are so talented, I can’t wait to see more!
Thank you Cheryl!
Pure Perfection……….and that circular brick flooring is the stuff dreams are made of! I took so many ideas from your fabulous kitchen redo. Thank you and enjoy this gorgeous space
Thank you Lynn!
Beautiful. I love how you keep some of the existing cabinets and the brick floor. I only recently found your website and I enjoy each peak into your home. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you Alaina!
Without a doubt, this is the prettiest kitchen I have ever seen. You and hubby are more talented than you know!!!
Thank you so much Diane!
Diane, I so agree- It is just beautiful and so elegant Country French.
This is just unbelievable! You both are true inspiration. Congratulations not only on owning a gorgeous kitchen, but on your vision, resolve, creativity, and amazing results. Kudos!
Thank you Maggie!
I can look at your gorgeous kitchen all day!..you had me at 5″ scraped oak floors!…Yes, I can see how the fabulous ceiling can grab anyone’s attention when they walk in the room… you two did a magnificent job! No one would ever know that you were “novice fixer uppers” … Waiting anxiously for your bedroom reveal…so loving the sneakie peekies!!
Thank you Shirley!
Love the kitchen! Just owndering are your vents for your heating/air conditioning on the outside wall? I would love to open up my kitchen, but the main vent feeding my upper floors is in the wall that seperates the kitchen from my dining room.
The only vent we had in the wall that we removed was a return air vent. We relocated it temporarily in the floor, at some point, we will have it rerouted. If your vents are in the wall that fee your upper floors, you will need to have them rerouted, if possible, before removing the wall. An HVAC person could look at it and tell you if it is possible to relocate.