DIY: Contest winners cooked up pleasing new kitchen

Bill and Mindy Sizemore spent six months searching for the perfect home before moving to Hampton Roads from Georgia in 2006.

"We just kept coming back to Port Norfolk," Mindy said, "because every street has a feel with these homes. We kept going past this one."

Added Bill: "We always look for a fixer-upper. This fit the bill."

The Portsmouth charmer that drew them in was a 100-year-old Victorian in need of loving care. The painted lady had plenty of room - more than 3,100 square feet - but the kitchen was a narrow, dark hole with limited storage, one tiny counter and no stove. The previous owner had taken in out for fear the tenant would cause a fire.

And so began the Sizemores' year long renovation odyssey that gave them a new kitchen and turned them into the Home section's 2008 Do-It-Yourself Contest winners for a kitchen makeover.

"It's hard to believe we lived in this," Mindy said of the experience.

First things first: The couple purchased a stove for use during the makeover. The downstairs guest bedroom held the refrigerator, and Mindy washed dishes in the shallow guest bathroom sink.

Looking for a way to open up the space, Bill removed a wall with an archway that led to the dining room. Nothing of the old room stayed.

The Sizemores ripped out all the cabinets, tile and plumbing, and covered up one of two windows to make room for the stove and mounted microwave. They put in new circuitry and plumbing, and Bill, with help from buddy Buster Wilson, installed a massive support beam where the arched-door wall once stood.

"It scared us to death," Mindy said of watching the men, with friend Gretchen Walker, Wilson's wife, put in the beam. "We had to leave."

The Sizemores also undertook building their own oak cabinets - from scratch. No ready-made, store stock or ordered ones would do.

A book, some trial and error, and can-do ingenuity almost tripled the number of cabinets, and drawers increased almost threefold, too. Bill specially designed the double-door pantry with pull-out shelves, tucked in a corner, to fit a space compromised by existing pipes.

To compliment their Victorian home, the Sizemores treated the space to several custom-designed leaded-glass cabinet doors from M&M Glass in Churchland. Bill installed lights inside the cabinets to show off the crackled and beveled glass.

Also on the menu was an island for additional dining and food preparation, a fan mounted in the almost-10-foot ceilings, 25 new light fixtures in the space once lit by a single bulb, new granite counters and all new appliances.

The project wasn't without its challenges. Because the home is in a historic district, the couple couldn't lose one of the two windows to make way for the stove and microwave. The window remains from the exterior, but inside no one can tell it ever existed. From the outdoors, it merely looks like a darkened room inside the window.

Also challenging was Bill's lack of work space. The home had a detached garage when they purchased the home, but severe termite damage meant it had to be taken down. Bill cut wood and built cabinets and moldings on the side porch or in the shelter of his friend's Norfolk garage.

While doing the kitchen, the Sizemores also renovated the dining room, downstairs bath and hallway. It was enough to test any couple, but their marriage of 29 years is still thriving - and cooking - in the new kitchen.

"I like doing stuff like this, but I would never do it as a profession," said Bill, who works at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. "I'm slow and meticulous. To me, half of the fun is just doing it."

The $500 the Sizemores earned for their winning kitchen entry in the Do-It-Yourself Contest is already earmarked: for a new garage once it gets approved by the city.

Fittingly, it'll be where Bill works on his do-it-yourself projects, he said.

IN THEIR WORDS:

Bill and Mindy Sizemore’s kitchen makeover

When we bought our 100-year-old Victorian in late 2006 we knew that the first project was to transform the  drab  15-by-7-foot, one-light kitchen into something of use.

First, with help from a strong friend and an engineered 2-by- 12-by-16-foot beam, we removed the arched opening wall between the kitchen and dining room, added an additional 2-by-12-by-12-foot beam  to open up the kitchen area, which  allowed for additional counter and storage space via a 5½-foot peninsula.

The second task was to remove the old cabinets, wall and ceiling drywall, hideous ceramic tiling, rotted subfloor, rotted floor joists and poor plumbing. The subfloor and floor joists were unexpected.

The third task was to replace all of the floor joists, subfloor, square the walls and ceiling with additional 2x4s and 2x8s (some termite damage was present) and cover a  window.

Fourth, we added four additional 120-volt 20A circuits to the  three 120-volt 14A circuits. Countertop outlets were increased from  two to eight. Individual circuits were run for the refrigerator, gas stove and microwave and garbage disposal, and one circuit was dedicated for additional lighting. New plumbing/drain lines were installed and, finally the drywall, painting and homemade crown molding.

Next came the fun as we had never made cabinets before. But with a book and a lot of enthusiasm we dove in . It was trial and error, and some minor mistakes are present, but the finished product was  pleasing and complimentary, and we got a great deal of satisfaction by doing it ourselves. Finally, the floor was finished with 2¼-inch butterscotch oak and ceramic tile was put in for the backsplash.

 Counter space was increased from 7½ feet  to 22 feet. Cabinets were increased from  five to 14. Drawers were increased from  four to 11. Lighting was increased from one lonely fixture to 25. The only finished products purchased were the granite countertops ,  seven custom-designed stained-glass cabinet windows  and 5-inch crown molding on the taller of the upper cabinets.
 
The cost was between $32,000 and 35,000, which included all new appliances. Time was more than than a year, only because we were redoing the dining room, hallway and a bath at the same time.

 This project was truly a labor of love. We are pleased with the way it was planned and especially the final results.
 
And, yes, we are still happily married. Don’t be afraid to tackle a new project. Plan to the inch and expect the unexpected. Be patient, accept advice from friends and others concerning areas of indecision. 

Victoria Hecht, (757) 446-2614, victoria.hecht@pilotonline.com