Kitchen Debut

Our kitchen remodel has been a wonderful distraction the last couple of months. Even though I missed cooking, I was actually amazed at how much free time I have if I don't cook--it was a liberating two months. 

This whole kitchen remodel started with a small problem. We desperately wanted a new fridge as our old one had broken shelves that were held up by cookie sheets, and it was extremely small. The only problem with getting a new fridge was the built-in cabinetry surrounding it, preventing us from getting a new fridge without some work. The only solution was demolishing the entire kitchen. I kid. I kid. But, truly, we needed to remove the cabinetry on one side of our kitchen, which led us to the thought of the pink laminate counter tops. I think pink is pretty for baby girls, a new shirt or dress now and then, and flowers. Kitchen counter tops...not so much. So we toyed with that idea. Then there was the oven, which had issues a few months into our moving in, and our appliance repair guy said that the next time issues would arise, it would be a goner. Then there was the desk. I love the idea having a desk off to the side of our kitchen (like our last house); however, this desk was literally in the middle of the kitchen. It seemed like wasted space. Although it looks from afar like I had quite a bit of counter space, it really was 5 separate small work spaces that felt choppy and disjointed when I was working in the kitchen. Then there was the fact that we wanted the people in the kitchen (namely, me) to be more a part of the family room action. So we toyed with the idea of knocking down the entire family room wall, knocking it part way, or leaving it as it was. So this kitchen remodel is brought to you by old, small, broken fridge solution that spiraled out of control. 

The before...

The after...

More before...

We decided to part way knock down the wall, and I am so glad we did! If we had knocked down the wall the entire way, my island would have had to have the sink in it, eliminating major work space, and I would have lost cabinet space. And I think it would have made the family room feel a little bit too much like it was in the kitchen.

So many hours went into deciding the backsplash, the counters, the knobs, the fixtures. I don't know how people build their own homes--so many decisions!

 




It has been a few weeks since the kitchen has been functional, and I am loving it. The flow and the work space help me feel, again, that cooking is my happy place, like it used to be in our last home. I am loving the new appliances, the pot filler (that weird silver thing above the stove), the double ovens (an absolute dream come true), the deep one basin Blanco sink, and the huge island. A lot of things in life can be tricky and hard, but a new kitchen has been a beautiful, wonderful distraction for me.