Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Pipe Dream Before & After

Kitchen Chimny  Thanks for all the kitchen kindness! It's been really rewarding reading the comments. Since you know, the cupboards aren't exactly speaking up to say thanks. And they really should! It was a huge job! But the one who owes me big time is Mr. Lincoln- the bizarre stove pipe. He was a hot mess.


Before:  The Challenges
1. Big metal stove pipe that makes me think of Ma Ingles or Abe Lincoln.

2. Does anyone know what the weird plastic cups hanging off my range hood were for? I have this fear that they are grease catchers or something and one day I am going to regret taking them off. Seriously.

3.Duct tape. I love duct tape. I even used Gorilla brand duct tape on my headboard. Still, duct tape is like a good bra, it needs to work behind the scenes. I don't know the root problem, but I am going to trust that the duct tape is doing it's job and leave it alone.

IMG_2927 
Middle: It's already looking better.
Chimney Cupboard 
While painting up here I noticed that it looked like there may have been a cupboard up here to conceal the pipe. Perhaps it was cut out to fix the pipe or something.  Or maybe the cupboard was destroyed to make room for the pipe. I find it kind of creepy.

Getting Better: Can you see what I did?
IMG_2948

I went and got a $3 piece of molding from Home Depot. I had them cut it to the exact measurement. The cupboard wasn't cut evenly so it turned out to be such a tight fit I didn't even need to screw or glue it in place. I used some wood filler to fill in the gaps and cracks and painted it up.

Now for the fun stuff. That spot right above the stove is the only wall space to decorate in the whole kitchen. I had several choices for art, but couldn't choose just one. Ana White $10 Ledge to the rescue!

Now I can change out pictures, salt and pepper shakers and so on. The folks at Home Depot cut the wood for me, then all I did was screw it together, paint and screw it into the wall. Truly a very easy project. I have the wood in my trunk to make three more this weekend.

Ah, so much better!

Future plan: Spray paint the top "control panel" where the clock an and timer are. It will have to wait until summer, but the scratches (mostly concealed by my teapot) are bringing down my high rent makeover!

Just one more kitchen post tomorrow and then I'll let it rest. Promise.


 I am linking this up to the January Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick because it still is my favorite "before and after" in the new place!

2 comments:

littlemissmk said...

you are so funny! the abe lincoln comparison and "duct tape is like a good bra, it needs to work behind the scenes." i laughed out loud! great work on the kitchen- it looks fantastic! :) very inspiring!

Sarah and Jack said...

I couldnt see that plastic thing close enough to even hazard a guess about it. BUT, yes, usually the vent pipe is enclosed in a cabinet. It would have still been a little weird in that kitchen though, because that cabinet would have had to go to the ceiling and others are open soffit cabinets. (My vent went through the outside wall and so is in a soffit in the laundry room, aka former garage.)

You can also buy range hoods that dont vent to the outside. Just in case you were dying to know all the useless stuff I learned while remodeling. LOL