#kitchenremodel

2025-12-03

🌊 10 Coastal Kitchen Design Ideas for Your Beach House Dream Kitchen
Discover the trending elements that create perfect coastal charm: navy blue islands with white cabinets, woven rattan pendant lights, shiplap walls, natural wood countertops, sea glass tile backsplashes & brass fixtures.
Complete guide with photos: omnihomeideas.com/design/coast
#CoastalKitchen #HomeDesign #KitchenRemodel #BeachHouse #InteriorDesign

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-28

Doots has been kind of a horrible goose so far today. In the 2 minutes in which I left the kitchen to smooch spouse as he ventured out to get us coffee and breakfast sandwiches, Doots got up on the counter and ate ALL of Loki’s prescription food I was about to serve.

Here he is inspecting the kitchen remodeling progress.

Doots, a one-eyed Lynx Point Siamese cat, sitting primly on an old janky kitchen cabinet that we uprooted from one side of our kitchen and temporarily put on the other side. He has his head cocked to one side, looking to the right of the camera. Doots, a one-eyed Lynx Point Siamese cat, sitting in the loaf position on an old janky kitchen cabinet that we uprooted from one side of our kitchen and temporarily put on the other side. This photo is taken from farther away, and from the opposite angle. He is looking up at the opposite wall of the kitchen, which has been torn apart. A blur of tall coniferous trees is in the distance outside the window behind him. The west wall of our kitchen, where the former cabinet used to reside. Markings on the old tan Sheetrock indicate where the new vent hood and electrical are going to go.

Upgrade your kitchen and bath with designs that blend style, comfort, and functionality. From sleek countertops to cozy lighting, every detail matters. Create spaces that feel like home—beautiful, practical, and uniquely yours. ✨

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-27

I am SO GLAD we decided to go ahead and replace these cabinets rather than try to refinish them. They are heavy, but pretty gross, with all the layers of old oil paint and cooking grease built up over the years.

Whoever said it would take the same amount of time and money was probably not wrong, given what we’ve discovered today.

After 60 years and 3+ layers of paint plus a final refacing with MDF/laminate, it’s time for new cabinets.

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-27

This very sturdy, very heavy upper cabinet was held up entirely by ten nails. 😱

The west wall of our kitchen, with the red upper cabinets taken off the wall and being held at an extreme angle by my spouse. His left arm is visible, clad in a royal blue hoodie, as are his hands, wearing workman’s gloves.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-27

The tile has been removed! Well, the more recent 6x6 off-white tiles, anyway. The older cream w/brown speckled tile is still up, b/c it’s behind the upper cabinets (which are coming down soon).

In pic 2 you can see a scorch/burn mark on the old green paint. I bet that’s why they eventually installed tile on the side of the wall oven cabinet too, probably at the same time they installed the vent/hood.

West wall of our kitchen, showing our red upper cabinets, and a scarred bald wall of 1850s old tan Sheetrock, where patches of old mastic cling to it, where off-white 6x6 porcelain tiles were once installed. They were also installed on the side of the oven cabinet to the right. Closeup of the corner where the wall oven cabinet meets the West wall. A small rectangle of lime green paint, previously hidden by the vent/hood, shows darkening along the lower front corner, indicating that burning or scorching from the cooktop  happened at some point.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-27

At some point the cabinets were painted Pepto Bismal Pink, followed by Vivid Pea Green, and then Mustard Yellow. It’s like doing archeology, localized entirely within this kitchen.
Altho at every point when we’ve encountered a baffling design choice by previous residents, and I ask why, Why, WHY?! The only answer that makes sense is “it was the cheapest option.” Like the MDF doors not covering the openings at the top. 💀 :scremcat:

A red upper cabinet in our kitchen. The side that was covered by a vent shows layers of yello, green, and pink paint.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-27

Apparently the white 6x6 tile I’ve come to know and (almost) love are not the originals:

A close-up view of the upper cabinets where a large vent/hood once was. Just up under the cabinet, previously hidden by the vent hood, is a row of different, older tiles. They are 4x4 cream with tiny brown flecks or speckles in them.  The underside of the upper cabinet was previously painted pink at some point.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

The vent hood has been removed. It was held up by 4 screws, but even after those were removed, the vent stayed in there. It had been VERY skillfully wedged in there by whoever installed it. It took a lot of strength and wiggling for Spouse to dislodge it.
Someone didn’t measure well, and/or didn’t account for the tile.

More info in the ALT text (highly recommend reading it).

Our red upper cabinets, with the vent/hood removed. A few boards of wide red moulding lean against the corner in the space where the lower cabinet once was. Notice the gap where the red MDF doors do not go all the way up, and where instead the openings were covered by the wide ceiling moulding. The ghost of owners past shrug in despondent embarrassment. The distant wail of kitties can be heard, perturbed that their favorite restaurant is being demolished before their very eyes.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

We are definitely not cooking Thanksgiving dinner in our usual way tomorrow. It’s gonna be cold cut turkey sandwiches, store-bought pie, and microwave stuffing and cranberry sauce.

I accidentally bought a box of traditional stuffing mix, which does NOT include instructions for how to make it in the microwave. 😬
But just about anything can be cooked in the microwave if you BELIEVE. ✨ 🌈 💫 ⛅️

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

Things are moving slowly. Spouse wants to remove the upper cabinets and take off the tile and Sheetrock in order to move the vent duct and electrical over to be centered in the space between the (future) fridge cabinet and oven cabinet.

Then he will remove the flooring under the cabinet, before putting it back and wiring the induction cooktop back so we can use it until we are ready for the new cabinets.

As always there is more info in the ALTtext.

The red MDF panel concealing the vent hood’s duct has been removed. The ancient white and black vent will remain for the time being, unless more things go sideways. But the cabinets to the left must be removed today to install the new vent ductwork. The tile backsplash and Sheetrock will also be demolished today, I think. Heavy sigh.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

The cooktop cabinet is temporarily on the opposite wall. This gives a good idea of how tight things would be if cabinets stretched all the way down the East wall, creating a true galley kitchen. It’s very tight for 2 people to work in.

The cabinet cannot sit up against the wall because the windowsills prevent it from being flush. I told spouse it feels like a pregnant cow is looming in the kitchen.

I don’t know why the cow is pregnant.

View of our kitchen looking north. On the left side is the fridge and the oven cabinet, with a big gap where the cooktop cabinet normally goes. On the right is the cooktop cabinet, sticking out slightly compared to the sink cabinet it is next to, because the windowsills are in the way, preventing it from being pushed all the way back against the wall.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

Yesterday’s work was all about removing the cabinet in the middle with the cooktop on it, in order to remove the flooring under it. We will also need to move some ducting and wiring since the fridge is shifted over and the vent/cooktop will be more centered in the space.
It took spouse SIX HOURS to find the 15 nails that were securing this cabinet to those 2x4s you see here that were serving as the base/toekick. The flooring underneath has yet to be removed. 😩

The West wall of our kitchen with the center cabinet holding our induction cooktop and all our pots and pans removed. A rectangle configuration of 2x4 boards is secured on the floor, and served as the base/toekick for it and the adjacent wall oven cabinet. Bare old tan Sheetrock from the 1950s is visible where the cabinet once resided.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

…he explained easy at-home ways to test for that. The easiest (but a lil daring) way was to pour some on your skin and see if it makes your skin sting and turn white.
So I did. It was as harmless as water; no white marks.
So the vendor sold me expired product.
We have not heard back from them. So now I have to contact them to get it resolved. Get my money back? See if they can ship me fresh, non-expired product?
Ugh 😩
2/2

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-26

Monday’s work ended with the layers of vinyl flooring removed, the one piece of sub flooring replaced (turns out it was damage from carpenter ants, and was probably installed that way), and the fridge moved over into the corner where the new fridge will reside.

Things take a lot longer when you’re doing deconstruction instead of demolition. Because we still need to use our kitchen as much as possible!

Elevation view of the West wall of our kitchen. The cabinets are red painted MDF over old laminate. One small cabinet has been removed and the flooring beneath it and the fridge has also been removed. The fridge was returned to the corner and the removed cabinet has not been put back in place.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-25

I also double-checked my process against this video, which I've watched several times now to ensure I didn't mess up.

youtu.be/gCv7jqh9I5U

Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-25

I followed the application method #1, as described in the AltText.

I followed the instructions TO THE LETTER.

Does anyone know why this happened? Maybe the product is too old and therefore expired and no longer effective?

I just got it shipped to me a few days ago. :welp:

Does anyone know what might be happening between the Hydrogen Peroxide and the Sodium Hydroxide to cause this outcome?

Bottles of Part A and Part B of the 2-art bleach. Part A contains Hydrogen Peroxide, and Part B contains Sodium Hydroxide. APPLICATION
OPTION 1 - EQUAL MIXTURE APPLICATION (A + B)
Wear Circa 1850 Stripping Gloves and protective eyewear. In a clean, plastic container, mix equal quantities of PARTS A and B. Do not mix more than is required for one application. Using a synthetic paint brush or sponge, apply a coat of the new mixture. Ensure the solution does not puddle on the surface. The bleach should activate immediately. Allow the wood to dry for a minimum of 3 hours. Reapply a new mixture of bleach if additional lightening is desired. Once the desired appearance has been achieved, the surface needs to be neutralized. In a separate clean, plastic container, mix one part white vinegar with 2 parts warm water. Apply the diluted vinegar to the surface using a synthetic paint brush or sponge. Ensure the solution does not puddle on the surface. Allow to dry thoroughly for a minimum of 24 hours.

Allow to dry thoroughly for a minimum of 24 hours.
SANDING
After the surface has thoroughly dried, sand the wood if desired to remove any grain raise or rough areas. Follow the label directions foresanding for any Knish that will be used.

Picture of the box of Circa 1850 Wood Bleach. It shows a picture of natural red oak, and a picture of medium red-brown stained red oak, side-by-side. It claims to "Remove the natural color from Bare Wood" and to also "Lighten the colour of Stained Wood."
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-25

Am I...being punked? These wood samples are now DARKER than they were before I put the 2-part bleach on!
I double-checked that I followed the instructions EXACTLY. The only thing that might not be right is that the solution didn't have tiny bubbles (that I could see) when I mixed them together, as one YouTube tutorial showed.

I have applied it again, per the instructions, which say to do it again if you're not happy with the amount of lightening the 1st time.

Ten samples of white oak, with a second application of Circa 1850 2-part wood bleach applied. Ten samples of white oak wood, in various shades of yellow, brown, and pink tones, before any wood bleach has been applied.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-25

One hour left until I can see if my 2-part bleach worked on my stain samples!

In the meantime, here is what our new LPV flooring in Ledge Point Pecan looks like.

It actually doesn’t look quite so grey on its own, but laid out on our golden engineered bamboo floors in our rec room, they look fairly grey. They are actually a pretty neutral light-to-medium brown.

A box of six LVP planks in Ledge Point Pecan from Lifeproof flooring laid out across a golden-hued engineered bamboo floor. The Ledge Point Pecan is a light-to-medium brown color with occasional thin streaks of a creamy light pecan color, which is more like the color of a shelled cashew.
Cat Lady Kydia Music 🇺🇦KydiaMusic
2025-11-25

Spouse has gone to the hardware store to buy lumber to replace the one piece that has dry rot. Hopefully it is the only one.

Meanwhile, I have applied the 2--part bleach solution to my sample pieces. The color variation between the pieces is quite pronounced while they are still wet.

Now I must wait 3 hours before I can neutralize the bleach with vinegar, and determine how well it has worked.

Ten sample pieces of white oak, with a 2-part bleach solution applied. When wet, it is very apparent how much variation there is between some pieces.

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