Lake Kitchen Progress

So, this is what the little kitchen in the lake house

 has looked like for the last 21 years.

It was a small addition to the back of the camp.

 We found the Quaker Maid cabinets at a yard sale

 and Mr. Flea adapted them to fit our space.

The counters we put in were hunter green Formica which we thought was very daring... and oh so Adirondacky.

Picture those green counters crammed with old kitchen collectibles, kitschy souvenirs, wooden ware and all manner of things adorned with cutesy moose and bear motifs.

Although I love my mountains and lake...

I am sooo over the Adirondack theme in every room of the house!

This was to be a low budget, cosmetic make over.

I desperately wanted a lighter, brighter look.

First, Dad and I  painted the cabinets with Cabinet Rescue.

In retrospect, we probably should have tinted the white

 so it is not quite so bright...

...but I am happy with them.

The hardware is the original....just cleaned up.

I like the silvery pewter color.

Next, we tackled the green Formica. 

We used Rustoleum countertop paint.

It was not easy and it is not perfect.

But, I'm not a picky kind of girl and I LOVE the color!

This stuff is tough to work with...

...it sets up quick and didn't dry evenly.

It is an epoxy like substance and the odor is very strong.

We gave it four days to dry and it still hadn't cured all the way.

You can see here how the sheen is uneven and the texture is pebbly in places.

 I think we gave this small counter a third coat.

We learned a lot along the way...

especially what we would do differently!

But, overall...I am happy to have a fresh new look.

I am keeping my fingers crossed in regards to durability.

I have been having fun pulling out stashed kitchen collectibles from hidden boxes and bringing some dishes and things up from home to decorate my new pewter colored counters.

I painted the dish rack to sort of match...

just mixed a little black and white paint together and sloshed it on!

I've been giving the tops of the cabinets a new look too

 using tin, wire, enamelware and wood.

The decorating with all my pretty things was my favorite part...

...the DIY part was hard and frustrating and took such a long time!

And, of course we are not done yet.

We still have to tackle some drywall issues on the back wall, need to figure out a back splash, finish the floor, add a shelf over the sink between the cabinets and one over the fridge.

 But...we are pretty much done for this season.

Next summer we will finish up!

And yes, I am one happy camper!

What do you think?

Any suggestions for a back splash?

What kind of pendant light for over the sink?

farmhouse? industrial?

A valance at the window?

More color?

I need your help!

But, aren't you proud of me for tackling this DIY project?

(Thanks Dad! )

 Dan will be here this weekend...

he says he liked the green counters and couldn't understand

 why I wanted to change things...

...hope he likes it!

:)