When we decided our 1960s-era kitchen needed an upgrade, we opted to undertake it ourselves. To save money, we bought used cabinets and granite countertops from a homeowner who was doing her own remodel and figured out how to transform what had been a galley kitchen into a much larger, more open space. Over the course of a few months, we raised the ceiling, put in can lights, replaced drywall, installed cabinets, added a second sink, stuck in a large island, put in a tile backsplash, and installed a hardwood floor. The crowning achievement was fabricating the granite countertops, including cutting a sink hole and polishing all the edges with a Ryobi angle grinder equipped with diamond polishing pads. The end result is a bright, comfortable kitchen that makes food preparation a delight and provides an attractive family gathering place.
When we decided our 1960s-era kitchen needed an upgrade, we opted to undertake it ourselves. To save money, we bought used cabinets and granite countertops from a homeowner who was doing her own remodel and figured out how to transform what had been a galley kitchen into a much larger, more open space. Over the course of a few months, we raised the ceiling, put in can lights, replaced drywall, installed cabinets, added a second sink, stuck in a large island, put in a tile backsplash, and installed a hardwood floor. The crowning achievement was fabricating the granite countertops, including cutting a sink hole and polishing all the edges with a Ryobi angle grinder equipped with diamond polishing pads. The end result is a bright, comfortable kitchen that makes food preparation a delight and provides an attractive family gathering place.
