I'm kind of a big deal

Just kidding. But really, have you ever started a project thinking "I'll just work on this for a few days, it's okay if it takes awhile." and then 9 hours later you're finishing the project? You're a terrible hot mess that hasn't eaten since breakfast and every muscle is sore but you've accomplished more than you thought was possible... Yeah. That just happened. 

Okay, so... I'm about to show you some pictures I'm very not proud of. Of our kitchen when we first moved in. 

This is the view as you walk in the door from the bedroom. I know, the robes are a nice touch. Here you can kind of see what the old counter/cupboard looked like... and how little counter space we had. 

You can see the full post on this update here.

This is the window above the sink

The previous owners (who we know) left up the curtains for us.

See the next door neighbors house/window? Yeah, great views over here. And absolutely NO walking around neked. 

First thing I did was take down the curtains.  Our house has an amazing craftsman style and I wanted to show off the moulding better.

Then I measured up 9 inches from the bottom of the window and installed these shelf supports. 

(My suggestion is to get your hands on some power tools for this.  I was too impatient and screwed them in by hand... I'm paying for it in blisters)

I picked out some boards at home depot that I think are made just for shelving. They are really pretty and perfect depth.  I picked out some that were 6 feet long- which worked out great cuz I didn't have to make any cuts. (When you go to the store, measure your space before. Chances are they will have a board in the size you want, and if not they will cut it for you for free)  I stained them and let them sit to dry. Don't forget, if your stain is really dark, you can wipe it off with a paper towel to lighten it a little.

I took a break from the shelving and mixed up some paint.  I wanted black but I have a lot of black in my house.  I searched through the oops paint and didn't see a color I loved.  I realized I had some paint leftover I could make my own color with.  I was going for a moody green- but it really turned out more black than anything.

I started painting... and since it was only one wall and not a ton of area, I finished in only a few hours.  I had to do about 3 coats.

I hung my shelves, screwed them all together so they aren't going anywhere, did my pile of dishes and organized the pictures on my fridge, filled my shelves (I finally opened our dishes from our wedding!!!)

And here is the other side.

And here is Stella, cleaning our floors for us.  She does a really good job.

Plate wall found here.

Here's a side by side view of before/after:

I know, you think I'm a big deal too. I mean, not everyone dares to sit on top of their fridge as they paint their kitchen... If only there was a picture of that fine moment.

So it turned out just as I hoped. And I don't think it looks too awkward blocking the windows with shelves... they're non-functioning anyways. (And I really don't even care, because I have a place to put our dishes now) It was amazing how much the dark paint opened up the room. It draws the eye up and accentuates our tall ceilings (which are rare for a house as old as ours). Not bad for a one day job! I'm off to eat now. Since it's been like... 10 hours.