Getting My Morph On, Thrifty Style!

We are in the midst of a Kitchen Metamorphosis at That Old House.

See, we have this awkwardly large counter in our kitchen.
It's like an Island, but it is not freestanding.

A picture from before we moved in; the painters used it as their staging area:

Last fall we got rid of the L-shaped green laminate countertop on the right of the picture,
removed the smooth cooktop and cast iron double sink,
and replaced it all with . . .

. . . soapstone countertop, gas cooktop, and stainless steel one bowl sink.

This picture is when we were washing wineglasses after Thanksgiving dinner.

That was Step One of the kitchen renovation.

Step Two begins today and involves the big awkward counter we call The Isthmus.
It's being cut back from 40-inches deep to a standard 24-inches, and we'll top it with a butcher block counter.

On top of the counter will go . . . this:

This is the top half of a cupboard we bought in Pennsylvania last week.
Open shelves, heavy old dark stained pine -- today it's being painted Ralph Lauren Bone Black.

The Isthmus base cabinets will also get a few coats of Bone Black, and new knobs.
Goodbye, oak!

When it's all painted, with the new configuration and new countertop,
I'm hoping to accomplish a Welsh Dresser sort of look. Think it will work?
Pardon all the clutter; it's not there to stay! Remember, this is a before!

We had planned to have a carpenter make open shelves above the base cabinets, but that's just not in the budget this year. So, since we paid $50 for the hutch, we figure that's $25 for the Kitchen Isthmus makeover, and . . .

. . . in the nearby Butler's Pantry, the hutch base --
the other $25 -- is going to get its own coat of Bone Black:

Although in the interests of time this week, with my Dad's 90th birthday party looming on Saturday, I may just let this piece wait for its paint a few weeks, and use it as is for now. It fits nicely here, with just enough room for the recycling container.

I think the hutch base in the pantry is an improvement over this arrangement:

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For Mary's Mosaic Monday, at Little Red House blog, I have this, from this morning:

Yesterday, on Mother's Day, my daughter Alida planned to make crepes for our breakfast. But our plans changed and we took my Dad out to brunch.

So today, Alida made the crepes, and she and her friend Beth and I enjoyed them mightily!
So mightily, in fact, that I forgot to take pictures until we were all members of The Clean Plate Club.
Crepes, with sugar and fresh lemon juice, and strawberries on the side . . . heaven.
Too bad you didn't get to see them!

Go visit Mary at Little Red House for more mosaics!

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch has marvelous pictures of those tween moments
between daylight and nightfall, and of course -- Metamorphosis Monday!

Over at Southern Hospitality, it's Today's Thrifty Treasures -- thank you, Rhoda!

I had a delightful Mother's Day; saw both my girls, and my father.
Letters To Juliet was a sweet and well done, lighthearted movie -- thank you, Annie!
Now, back to the kitchen and paint brushes for me! -- Cass