Renovation DONE!

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted about our renovation...life has been crazy!

The end of December & January were totally focused on all things renovation...it is seriously insane how this turned into a full time job.  Lily and I frequented Home Depot more than anywhere else during this time-just call me Nicole Curtis from DIY channel :)  

In all seriousness, this remodel was super stressful and took a lot out of me.  I don't think I've been so anxious and ready for something to be complete in my life!  Luckily, my support system (aka Slade) kept me from totally going nuts, and now we are finished with all things renovation for now :)

I thought it'd be fun to take you through the changes we made to the kitchen with a little before and after.  I apologize in advance for the dark pictures...I'm trying to shoot in manual mode these days and I haven't reached professional status yet :)

Just to recap---the original dining room and kitchen areas were way too small for our liking, so we decided to make the formal living room (because who needs those now a days?!?!) the new dining room and expand the kitchen into the original dining room...make sense?!  With this change, we also opened up a good portion of the existing wall between the two rooms and laid all new hardwoods throughout the main level.  

Double ovens are heaven in the kitchen!

The island wasn't in our original plans, but so glad we added it with a work sink!  It has made cooking a breeze.

Our designers talked me into a built-in, floor to ceiling pantry instead of building out a separate room.  So far I love it!  Tons of space and really easy to keep everything organized.

 

So as you can see, the original dining room was completely transformed into half of the kitchen.  

Now moving on to the original kitchen layout...a galley kitchen...yikes!  I knew this would not be functional for us.  We kept the sink and dishwasher where they were, but moved everything else around.  I opted for no upper cabinets on the right wall to open the space up a bit, and also to accommodate our coffee pot...caffeine is extremely important in this house :)  We added all new recess lighting, opened up the wall to the family room and expanded the laundry area.

 (Excuse all the mess...this picture was before the family room was complete)

A view from the family room side of the kitchen...

 Photo bomb by Tyde :)

We are SO happy with how it all turned out!  I love the openness we were able to accomplish and the functional layout.  They say a kitchen is the most important room in the home and I couldn't agree more.

Stay tuned for more house updates soon :)

Cha Cha Cha...Changes

As many of you know, the Sellers family will be picking up and moving in two weeks!  We aren't going far, but we will be cutting Mr. S's commute in half and gaining more space for our growing family.  We are so grateful for His provision while navigating our selling and buying process.

While we are super excited for our new house, there are some changes that need to be made...what worked in 1978 does not work in 2013 :)  Our first project will be to open up and expand the kitchen along with replacing all the floors on the main floor.  I am excited and nervous about living through a renovation...I hope our contractor doesn't fire ME before all is said and done! :)

 We haven't finalized our plans yet, but here are some kitchens I'm using for inspiration---

Love the white and gray combo.  Also dark floors are a must.  We will be replacing all the appliances too...bring on the double oven!  

Demolition starts in three weeks, so stay tuned for updates on the floor plan changes, countertop and cabinet selection and everything else renovation!