MY BIG BEAR LAKE COTTAGE KITCHEN RENOVATION – #7

Hi!

Today I’m really excited to show you the before, the in-progress, and the after photos of my Big Bear Lake cottage kitchen renovation.  To wet your appetite, I’ll give you a sneak peek of how the tiny kitchen looks today.  But it didn’t always look like this.

On the left is what the kitchen looked like the first day we saw the cottage with our real estate agent when it was on the market.  On the right is what it looked like the day we took possession of it and the previous owners had removed all of the furniture. Dreadful, isn’t it?

So, to put it out of its misery, we gutted the place.

And the one and only item I kept was the stove…

because it came in handy as a desk.

The notebook you see there is my “Cottage Renovation Notebook”.  I’m a very visual person and need to have easy access to all my ideas, inspiration, and design plans.  So, whenever I embark on a new design project I put together a binder with sections dedicated to every room/area in the home.  It keeps me really organized.

After the new plumbing and electrical went in, (thanks in part to a chance encounter I had with a good plumber in Los Angeles), we insulated the walls, including the interior ones which helps with sound insulation between rooms.  I walked in just in time to discover that the insulation folks had covered up the ceiling joists which I had planned to leave exposed.  The wood, almost 100 years old with a beautiful patina, really looks wonderful.  So that had to be fixed.

Next, the drywall went in and you can see here how lovely the exposed ceiling joists look.

My carpenter built custom cabinets I designed to maximize the very limited space.

Once the cabinets were in place, we installed my beautiful vessel sink.  I purchased the 24″ Fireclay Kelby Farmhouse Sink from Signature Hardware. And, in order to save counter space I installed an under-counter refrigerator.  There is a compact, 18″ dishwasher as well.

Then the counter was floated, making it tile-ready.

Next, the tile countertops and backsplash were installed.

I used the same Jeffrey Court tile as in the bathroom.  It’s called Toscano and these are the 2″ x 2″ Travertine Mosaic tiles.

The 12″ x 12″ sheets are sold here at Home Depot for $12.89 each.  I love the “Rustic Luxe” look that is in keeping with the hundred year old charm of the cottage.

The next step was to paint the cabinets.

It was really exciting to watch my carpenters install the custom, hand forged wrought iron shelving unit I designed and manufactured for the space.

I can help you design ironwork for your projects too.  Contact me here at The Hill Ironworks.

It was a really exciting day when the cottage renovation was complete (except for the lighting) and I spent an evening staging it.

Because I love to cook, having a beautiful yet functional kitchen, complete with every necessary cooking tool, was important to me.  Since the kitchen is microscopic in size, I had to get really creative in my space planning.  I designed and manufactured the long iron counters that provide in-kitchen eating.

I topped them with the same Travertine stone used to tile the kitchen counter.

I also designed and manufactured the custom iron counter stools and upholstered them in dark brown leather.

And, as you can see, by this time the floors had also been installed. Because this is a mountain cottage where it snows heavily and mud and moisture are tracked in, I needed to have a durable flooring.  So I selected a Mannington Laminate called Arcadia.  It is part of their “Restoration” collection and you can check it out here. The Arcadia collection comes in three colors and I chose “Bark”.  It has a hardwood look. In fact, everyone who comes in the cottage thinks it is hardwood. I love the natural distressed character about it and its subtle wire brush effect.

For lighting, I designed this custom lighted Pot Rack.

With very limited storage space, the Pot Rack does double duty as a light fixture and a way to store pots and pans.

And 2 custom iron, 3-tiered chandeliers were added for additional light.

I also manufactured an iron paper towel holder for the kitchen.  By the way, the sink faucet is a Bellevue Bridge Faucet in oil rubbed bronze.  I purchased it from Signature Hardware.

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing the complete renovation of my kitchen.  The cottage is now finished and available for vacation rental.  Visit Vacation Rental By Owner, VRBO.com, for all the details here.

So there you have it: My Big Bear Lake Cottage Kitchen Renovation – #7

Thank you for visiting and stay tuned for more of my cottage renovation coming soon.

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