Just a note .... and a flooring lesson.
Work continues on the kitchen .... as it will for at least another month. We are beginning to see the end ..... now we are putting things back together. But the to-do list is still very very long.
As you can see in previous posts, the walls were a sage green. A Martha Stewart color that also matched the color of our Auracana chicken eggs. (Martha picked many of her colors to match the eggs from her chickens.)
But I decided I needed a lighter and brighter kitchen so I chose this time, a pale gold that looks cream at some times and tan at others .... Sherwin Williams Blonde.
Now that all the walls are painted, it looks much warmer and brighter.
This weekend Honey started putting down the floor. We used a DIY product made by Forbo called Click.
It is a true linoleum, made of wood flour, pine resin and linseed oil.
Now .... if you are younger than 60 .... you may think that the vinyl floor that your mother had was linoleum. It wasn't. True linoleum hasn't really been in the flooring industry since the mid-1960's. It was there ... basically in Europe and used in high end commercial applications but sales weren't focused at homeowners. At that time, the industry went toward a no-wax floor that maintained its shine. It was a petroleum based product .... vinyl flooring.
It could easily tear and because it was much softer than linoleum, it would show dents and heel marks. The industry then embossed it so it would hide that defect. And it did stay shiny ... but over time, you would have to re-apply polish.
We tore up an existing vinyl floor and its sub-floor 16 years ago and found the original fir flooring. After sanding it and then painting it, I had a wood floor in my kitchen. Unfortunately, 120 years took its toll .... and the floor splintered and the tongue (of the tongue and groove) started breaking apart.
Our back door walks immediately into the kitchen ... right from the garden and the chicken coop. I wish I could say that we always kick off our shoes ..... but we don't. I bake a lot so flour dusts the floor and tomato canning season (or jamming!) leaves sticky traces around the stove and island.
Yea .... as much as I wanted a wood floor .... it doesn't cut it with my lifestyle.
I wanted something really easy to clean ...... but ceramic tile did not give that 1890 feel to the room. And if you haven't figured it out yet .... I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to restoring this old girl. My house has to be livable (and I am SUPER excited about having my very first dishwasher ever!) ..... but I want you to remember your grandmother's house when you walk in the door. Linoleum fits the bill as it was a common household flooring in the Victorian era, dating since the 1870's.
Click is a floating floor so you start out by leaving 3/8" away from the wall for expansion. Honey dropped a chalk line and the floor was pretty straight.
The wall was not. So it varies from 3/8" to 3/4" from the wall ..... quarter round will cover the gap and makes the floor lay flat.
The first couple of rows were a little tough. But after row number 3, Honey was moving right along.
You can see how much lighter the new floor is.
I am really excited as I think the island looks much nicer and becomes more of a focal point in the room. I think it blended into the "dark" and wasn't as pretty as it could have been. It will help that there is more storage and the island will not be filled to maximum capacity!!!!
Progress will go a little slower this week as I have four classes to teach and Honey hasn't quite retired yet.
OK .... he is still putting in his time. I'm not sure how much work is getting done! ;)
But the cabinets will be delivered on Wednesday so we should start installing a few of them next weekend.
That is this week's kitchen update. Wait for the celebration that will happen when I have a kitchen sink again!!!
As you can see in previous posts, the walls were a sage green. A Martha Stewart color that also matched the color of our Auracana chicken eggs. (Martha picked many of her colors to match the eggs from her chickens.)
But I decided I needed a lighter and brighter kitchen so I chose this time, a pale gold that looks cream at some times and tan at others .... Sherwin Williams Blonde.
Now that all the walls are painted, it looks much warmer and brighter.
This weekend Honey started putting down the floor. We used a DIY product made by Forbo called Click.
It is a true linoleum, made of wood flour, pine resin and linseed oil.
Now .... if you are younger than 60 .... you may think that the vinyl floor that your mother had was linoleum. It wasn't. True linoleum hasn't really been in the flooring industry since the mid-1960's. It was there ... basically in Europe and used in high end commercial applications but sales weren't focused at homeowners. At that time, the industry went toward a no-wax floor that maintained its shine. It was a petroleum based product .... vinyl flooring.
It could easily tear and because it was much softer than linoleum, it would show dents and heel marks. The industry then embossed it so it would hide that defect. And it did stay shiny ... but over time, you would have to re-apply polish.
We tore up an existing vinyl floor and its sub-floor 16 years ago and found the original fir flooring. After sanding it and then painting it, I had a wood floor in my kitchen. Unfortunately, 120 years took its toll .... and the floor splintered and the tongue (of the tongue and groove) started breaking apart.
Our back door walks immediately into the kitchen ... right from the garden and the chicken coop. I wish I could say that we always kick off our shoes ..... but we don't. I bake a lot so flour dusts the floor and tomato canning season (or jamming!) leaves sticky traces around the stove and island.
Yea .... as much as I wanted a wood floor .... it doesn't cut it with my lifestyle.
I wanted something really easy to clean ...... but ceramic tile did not give that 1890 feel to the room. And if you haven't figured it out yet .... I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to restoring this old girl. My house has to be livable (and I am SUPER excited about having my very first dishwasher ever!) ..... but I want you to remember your grandmother's house when you walk in the door. Linoleum fits the bill as it was a common household flooring in the Victorian era, dating since the 1870's.
Click is a floating floor so you start out by leaving 3/8" away from the wall for expansion. Honey dropped a chalk line and the floor was pretty straight.
The wall was not. So it varies from 3/8" to 3/4" from the wall ..... quarter round will cover the gap and makes the floor lay flat.
The first couple of rows were a little tough. But after row number 3, Honey was moving right along.
You can see how much lighter the new floor is.
I am really excited as I think the island looks much nicer and becomes more of a focal point in the room. I think it blended into the "dark" and wasn't as pretty as it could have been. It will help that there is more storage and the island will not be filled to maximum capacity!!!!
Progress will go a little slower this week as I have four classes to teach and Honey hasn't quite retired yet.
OK .... he is still putting in his time. I'm not sure how much work is getting done! ;)
But the cabinets will be delivered on Wednesday so we should start installing a few of them next weekend.
That is this week's kitchen update. Wait for the celebration that will happen when I have a kitchen sink again!!!
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