The Kitchen

First things first.  I had to have a functional kitchen.  A CLEAN, and functional kitchen.  

As you can tell by the before pictures.  This was not a CLEAN or functional kitchen.  The past few years had not been friendly to this room.  The great thing about it though, was that it had great bones.  The cabinets were in fairly good condition, and after some wood glue, mineral spirits and elbow grease, they cleaned up great!  

The floors had to be completely changed.  There was a slimy film on the previous floor that stained and destroyed the 1970's vinyl floor.  I supposed, even if it wasn't damaged, it was time for a face lift.

I love pinterest and started getting ideas from there with what to do with the place.  I had just a few requirements:  I had to do it the entire kitchen renovation with just $300.  I know that most people spend WAY more than that, but I am a teacher.  So, I had to do this on a teacher-friendly budget.  Even with the very limited budget, I am quite pleased with the finished product.

 Notice the floors!  CLEAN, and functional.

 This is a great shot of the cabinets.  They are now all polished up, repaired, and filled with all my belongings.  I have added a few touches from IKEA as well.  Three buckets on the wall to hold knives, forks, and spoons.  Also, above the sink is all my spatulas, serving spoons and other serving gadgets.

 I only had a small kitchen table, but this oversized kitchen could have easily had a full-sized table with six chairs.

 I love our backsplash!  I looks like pressed tin, but it's not!  It is actually plastic!

A better picture of my utensil buckets and the knife magnets.

Getting Started

February 2015

This... is the old Drug Store, also known as the "Pool Hall", also known as the "Jireh House".  Now, it is ours to renovate.  I think we will call it our "labor of love".  It was built in the early 1900's in our small town to serve at the town drug store.  It was amazing back in it's glory days.  The Harrison family owned it and served ice cream, sodas, candy, and pharmaceuticals.

In the late 1980's-90's it became the town "Pool Hall".  where it served as a place where people came together to hang out and socialize.  Then, in the early 2000's the store was renovated and became a children's ministry.  Kids could come and play games, do crafts, eat a meal, and hear all about the love of Jesus.  In 2010 it was boarded up at was left for dreamers like my husband and I to stumble upon.

....Fast forward to 2015

Here I am.  Living in it.  I know, crazy right?  That is what most of my co-workers, family and friends think.  Yeah, maybe it is crazy.  Living in this hundred year old building is certainly not a dream-come-true suburbia home.  When we first opened the building up there was a lot wrong with it.

Cold Kentucky winters had busted every single water pipe.  Hot humid summers had caused all the ceilings upstairs to curdle and peel, and a leak in the roof had nearly destroyed the entire master bedroom and ice cream parlor below.  Not to mention, the rest of the build appeared as if it had been placed in a time capsule from the 1950's.

So why in the world would I want to live in such a place?  Firstly,  there is something magical about the building.  When you walk in the front doors, you can't help but be amazed by the beauty of the Amish built 10 foot tall, hundred year old pharmacy cabinets.  Upstairs, the charming and cozy apartment was nearly 1800 square feet!  Secondly, I love a home with "character".  I have never had the desire to live in a subdivision.  We were itching for a challenge.

Over the next few blogs, I will be posting before and after pictures of each of the spaces that I have rehabbed. I hope you enjoy!