The Kitchen - Part 2: Ceiling

New Kitchen Ceiling - Harder Than You'd Think

When last we met, the kitchen ceiling was old and cracked, and maybe even close to falling in.  I think it's likely the original ceiling from 1927 and it looked like this:

Obviously, it was time to do something about this!  So the best idea I had (absent ripping it all out - which I wasn't ready to do) was to go over that mess.  Why I felt the staging area for the beadboard needed to be in the entryway I'll never know, but there it is...

The thing is, the beadboard was so heavy, it had to be cut in half to make installation even possible.  I'll tell you - that was a tough day!

Our fondest memories are made gathered around the table with family and friends. - Author Unknown

All of which meant the seams would need to be covered.  At first I was really disappointed with the idea, but as you'll see when this is all done - it turned out to be okay because it added a nice architectural interest to the ceiling.

There's probably an easier or better, more professional way to make sure the boards lined up - but I couldn't think of one!  Here's one last look at the old ceiling - buh bye!

So, that's the ceiling until the reveal.  It came out quite nice, but to be honest pulling it down and putting up a new ceiling would have been a thousand times easier.  Because of the plaster-and-lathe and the weight of the panels, I had to use toggle bolts (look closely at the pictures) to make the panels flush with the ceiling.  These things worked great:

Next up:  The walls!