Kitchen Progress - New Counters, New Sink, New Faucet

Hello Cottage Friends!

Happy October! I was shocked to see I let the month of September pass without a blog post. (heavy sigh) I started this post over a week ago, then work got extremely busy and with all the extra physical exertion required, I lost steam. I'm not complaining though. Everything is humming along, despite the craziness in our world right now.

I've had my new countertops, sink and faucet for about a month, and I must say, I'm really happy with the choices I made.



The sink -- a Kohler Cape Dory cast iron sink-- was a great buy. I was able to purchase it from Home Depot for under $260. It's a four hole sink, so that allowed me to use an affordable bridge faucet and side sprayer I found from Kingston Brass. The sprayer is solid brass; very heavy. The faucet comes in a variety of different finishes, and I opted for brushed nickel. I know chrome is very popular right now, however I prefer a lower sheen. I used brushed nickel on all the kitchen and bathroom fixtures in my Oregon cottage, and I was very pleased with that choice.




The countertops are Formica laminate180 fx Calacatta Marble in Satin Touch with a waterfall edge. I couldn't be happier with their appearance, and actually they look even better than I thought they would. The company that built and installed the countertops did a spectacular job, and there aren't enough words in the English language to describe how professional they are, and how well they treated me. They installed extra supports under the portion of the countertop that holds my sink, just to make sure there would be no problem with the weight of the cast iron. And they did it at no extra charge to me.




 
I took these photos right after the countertops were installed. You can see how pretty they are.




A couple of you commented that you were planning to replace your countertops in the near future, and that you were considering Formica laminate 180 fx Calacatta Marble in Satin Touch after you saw the sample I showed in an earlier post. If you are still thinking of choosing the Formica laminate180 fx Calacatta Marble in Satin Touch I would say, "go for it". I think it's a great alternative to real marble. Certainly much more affordable, and easy to maintain.

I've made progress on the kitchen walls, too. After removing all the batten strips and caulking the gaps, I primed the walls and began the process of texturing. I have never done this before, so I was a little nervous about just jumping in and doing the work myself. However, as I've mentioned before this is a budget project and I can only afford to hire professionals for jobs too big/difficult for me to tackle -- such as the countertops, sink and faucet. So, I spent hours watching Youtube videos on how to apply joint compound to get the texturing I wanted, and took the plunge. I'm about 3/4 finished with the texturing, and I have to say it's been a fun project. This is a closeup of the texture. I will prime and paint this when I've finished all the texturing.


The pattern is very random, and achieved by applying joint compound with a skip trowel method. I want my kitchen to have a vintage, old world look and this texture is helping me achieve the desired effect. It's not an expensive DIY project. A 3.5 gallon box of pre-mixed joint compound at Home Depot is about $9. So far I've used almost one box and will probably use about half of a second box to finish my kitchen walls. So, that's about $13 for material that will make a big impact. My labor is free, whereas if I had a contractor do this for me I'd spend as much as $2.00 a square foot for their work. I haven't measured my walls, but I'd estimate there's about 200 - 300 sq ft to cover. So, I'm saving a big chunk of change doing this myself.

Today I hope to complete the texturing, and then I can prime and paint. I'll be painting the walls white, just not sure what shade of white yet. 

Hope you're well and enjoying the cooler days. Believe it or not, my patio flowers are still in bloom. However, I did relinquish the front of my home to Fall. My scarecrow Charlie Dickens is a thrift store find. The "So Long Summer, Hello Fall" sign and pumpkins came from Walmart.


This little vignette brings a smile to my face. Hope you're smiling, too.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

Hugs.











29 comments

  1. Nancy, I am completely in love with your new kitchen sink, faucet, and countertops! What great choices! And I love the wall texturing you're doing. You are well underway to that old world kitchen. I guess I'm even more impressed after spending an hour online looking for a new faucet for our kitchen sink and giving up in complete confusion over what to choose. Pat yourself on the back! These are huge changes and I'll be looking forward to see what comes next.

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  2. Nancy, I really like the white marble look of the laminate counter tops.
    It looks so natural. And the faucet gives the effective look for old
    fashion kitchen with the textured walls to set it all of when you have
    finished all that hard work. Good job, well done. Yes, time to change
    up to Fall flowers and decorations in Ohio, too. Not ready to give up
    the warm weather. You have been very busy, make time to enjoy
    the rewards. Lynn

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  3. I LOVE your new sink and faucets.. they definitely look "old world".. and I think the marble look using laminate is such a great idea. We need new countertops, but also the wood underneath I think, so it's a total rebuild. I want to use laminate but the big box stores say they don't have anyone to install it! Your wall texturing looks great - we had that done in one of our last homes and I really loved it. We painted it a pale yellow for our kitchen and dining area and it was so bright and pretty and the texture added so much. Yours will look awesome when done! And love your little Fall vignette in the front too.. yes goodbye summer and hello Fall, although we are still experiencing summer weather here in central Oregon - really hot days, but cooler nights. Haven't hit freezing yet so flowers are still abloom. Hugs.. Marilyn

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  4. Your new sink looks so nice. I like the faucet too. I love the new counter tops too. Have a great new week. xoxo

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  5. Hi Nancy,
    Thank you for sharing how things are going with your new cottage. Jeremy and I just finished a huge project. We stained our house, changed the trim colors, replaced a door and two outdoor lights. I will be sharing on The River soon. It feels so good to have completed a project. We will be starting to paint and re-do the boys bedroom into a guest bedroom in a few weeks.
    Take Care, Carla

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  6. The countertop looks great and love what you have done.

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  7. Simply Lovely Nancy . . .
    The sink, faucet, your texturing . . . very, very nice.
    I enjoy someone who goes off on their own,
    with a bit of research and makes things happen.
    You sound happy and appreciative. Can we ask for anything more!
    I am very happy FOR you . . .

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  8. Your facet is gorgeous. Love the counter tops too. It always takes time but it will all come together.
    After my divorce, I had to leave my former home, where everything was just perfect. I bought a home that had "fake molded marble" sinks. As I was showing the home to my sister, I got a bit choked up at
    how much I hated it. Without missing a beat she said, "What does it really matter? When you spill your toothpaste and spread out your make-up it all still works the same!!!'
    It is fun to watch your progress!!! God Bless!!!

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  9. Wow, on your countertops, faucet and sink! It all looks wonderful and your textured wall is amazing. You are doing a great job! I look forward to seeing your kitchen when it's all finished. Happy Fall ~ FlowerLady

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  10. Oh, your kitchen! It is just gorgeous! I LOVE, love, love your sink, countertops, and faucets. I love it all! GREAT choices. And, what a neat project on your walls! You are so brave to tackle things and have such a gift for creativity. I am so happy you shared with us. It is all coming together so beautifully. Wonderful work, sweet friend!

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  11. Oh Nancy, your countertops look like real marble. I envy you your sink and faucet. Can't wait to see your walls finished. You have been quite busy lately. Don't know if I told you but I finally got my forever home. The backyard is huge but it is good exercise pushing the mower. Like your scarecrow. I have a lady scarecrow on my frontdoor. maybe we can introduce them. ;)

    God Bless and stay warm up there. Debie

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  12. I LOVE the way your kitchen looks. I've been considering the same laminate countertop to replace my current countertop. I can't wait to see more.
    ~Adrienne~

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  13. I have to go back, Nancy. Do you have a new house? I will look back but for now I want to say you have such great taste and style. I love that sink and the textured walls are awesome. After having to remove popcorn ceilings in most rooms at the Lakehouse, my hubby would croak if I did something like this, but I'd really love to! Keep up the good work!😘

    Jane

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  14. Nancy your kitchen is absolutely wonder. You have the talent of knowing exactly what will go together to make an extremely charming completed room. Elegance on a budget, I for one am in awe of your abilities. It's a gift to be grateful for.
    I always get excited when I see that you have published a new post and I thoroughly enjoy watching you create your new home.
    God bless you sweet friend,
    Connie :)

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  15. Oh how attractive the countertop is! And the faucets are def. in line with the "old world" look you're going for! I'm very inspired by your Can Do spirit and example. ❤️

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  16. Your kitchen is downright gorgeous!! And it looks like your texturing is very nice looking too!!

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  17. Your countertops and sink are simply lovely! I have always been a big fan of marble, but it's not the easiest surface to maintain. You made a great choice. Very happy for you. Enjoy the new kitchen!

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  18. Your kitchen re-do is looking great! I love your creativity.

    Carla from Kansas

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  19. The place looks great, Nancy! We have formica in our kitchen...it's been almost 20 years and it still looks great. I think you'll be super happy with it. And your bridge faucet is dreamy! I love that choice. I may have to put that on my list. Enjoy your view!

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  20. Thanks for sharing Nancy. You have a blank canvas and I look forward to seeing the transformation unfold and imprinting your style on your new home. I have friends who have a mobile home and they have difficulty getting handymen to do simple repairs. You were lucky to find a good one! Be well and safe♥

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  21. Way to GO!!!!
    Love following your progress.

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  22. Hi Nancy! I love everything. You're amazing ♥

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  23. Looking really good over your way. Happy Fall Nancy.

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  24. oh nancy i love the new countertops!!!
    my husband's brother and his wife have the exact
    same and it looks equally beautiful in their home.
    watching your lovely home come together with
    thought and creativity makes me smile. so happy for you.

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  25. I just love youre new countertops Nancy, and the kitchen sink with the new faucet looks so charming! How wonderful that you are able to figure out how to texture your walls by yourself! You are so talented, and I'm always inspired by your creativity! Hoping you've had a beautiful fall there, and no doubt you are seeing winter now too, I've heard CO has gotten some snow. I am sorry for my late appearance to this blog post, and trust that you are doing well! Much love to you dear friend :)

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  26. So impressed with the progress you've made, dear Nancy. Everything looks gorgeous and I especially like the new faucet. I hope you are well and enjoying this month of November, it all goes by so quickly.
    Amalia
    xo

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  27. Your countertops, faucet and sink look lovely Nancy, and you've done a great job texturing the wall, you must feel very proud of what you've achieved so far x

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