shanbr's Kitchen

• 2:27 AM
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• starpooh

Engineered stone/quartz/ Avanza counters/white thermofoil facelift

Posted by: shanbr (My Page) on Fri, Sep 12, 03 at 15:14

Wasn't going to post this but there aren't many pics of engineered stone yet so
thought it might be helpful. I didn't have any decent before pics.

Improvements include small updates to a 6 year 'builder's' kitchen with ample size
and agreeable floorplan. Appliances remain (Cook, no. Eat, yes)

- Removed GIANT fluorescent box fixture from ceiling. Left a 50 sq ft hole in ceiling. (DIY)
- Installed recessed lighting (Lowe's remodel kits) throughout kitchen and UC lighting
(GE slim fluor. lights) (DIY) Repaired/repainted ceiling.
- Installed new pendants over table/island (home depot)
- Replaced really bad laminate countertops with AVANZA engineered stone (Color is
ABRUZZO). DIY on demolition of old counters. Professional install of new.
- Replaced cabinet knobs with metallic copper color knobs(Great Indoors). Cabinets
are existing white thermofoil in excellent shape.
- Recolored 300+ sq feet of dirty 'white' floor grout. Grout colorant from
www.thisoldgrout.com - chaparral (caramel brown) is the color.

I can offer advice on DIY recessed light installation, flurorescent box removal,
laminate counter removal (thanks remodeling forum), and grout coloring. Also, can
relate experience with Avanza purchase.

Shannon

Here is a link that might be useful: My kitchen
editor's note: Shannon's link showed only html text, so I copy and pasted the html here:

This is the big hole that was left after the large fluorescent
fixtures were removed. There was a large frame built around them that
was covered in crown molding. By the time we cut back some of the sheetrock for
attaching new drywall, we had about a 10 ft x 5 ft hole.

Other pictures are "after pictures" from our kitchen facelift.

During June/July 2003 we:

Changed the countertops from faux marble laminate to AVANZA engineered quartz - color is ABRUZZO

Removed the large bright fluorescent fixture out of the middle of the kitchen.
Replaced drywall, retextured/repainted ceiling. Hung double pendant over island that
matches pendant over breakfast table.

Added recessed lights throughout kitchen/breakfast area.

Added under cabinet fluorescent lights.

Recolored 300+ sq feet of floor grout with grout stain from thisoldgrout.com -- color is CHAPPARAL -
caramel like brown.

Changed knobs on cabinets and drawers (47 knobs) to a coppery metallic colored knob.

Updated backsplash over stove with plaques.

The following projects were do it yourself:

Removing old fixture.
Installing recessed fixtures and island/table fixtures.
Replacing sheetrock on ceiling.
Demolition of old countertops.
Re-coloring of floor grout.

We hired painter to refloat/retexture/repaint the ceiling.
The countertops were professionally installed as that is not a DIY job.

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