I’ve been a little quiet on the blog in the new year. That’s because our lives were turned upside-down this winter… in the best way possible!
February and most of March were consumed with the realization of a long-dreamed-of kitchen renovation. Ever since we moved into our house seven years ago (when I was eight months pregnant with our second daughter), my husband and I have been pacing the floors, wondering what an updated kitchen space would even look like. It wasn’t a matter of if. It was when.
We made some cuts on our own - literal cuts - removing this peninsula (below) among other things, and we updated appliances slowly, as break downs occurred.
But something more had to be done. Our 44-year-old cabinets, part of the original 1976 construction, were falling off the hinges, and a year of quarantine life put an extra bright spotlight on the disfunction.
Not that there weren’t a million beautiful memories made in the old kitchen.
Yogurt baths…
First steps…
Sister playtime…
Cooking escapades…
And Christmas morning gymnastics…
But don’t be distracted by the cute children! Changes needed to be made!
There were years when we thought it would never happen at all - and that’s why it was so overwhelming when construction took only three weeks! Many, many thanks to our kitchen designer Nancy Muller of CR Cabinetry (and Monarch Cabinetry of Sullivan, IL) and our local contractor Robert Silvestri of Park West Design/Construction.
With warm mid-century wood tones, shiny surfaces, clean-yet-classic lines, and black accents on the brain, we created a plan and went for it. Here are the before-and-after pics!
BEFORE: Looking into the kitchen
AFTER: Wall down, same view
(Soffits and cabinets out, lighter floors and walls, new lighting, cabinets and counters)
BEFORE: Sink and primary prep space
AFTER: Same area, different angle
(Moved the oven, closed one window, installed a bigger window over the sink)
BEFORE: Wall between kitchen and dining room
AFTER: Same view, wall removed
BEFORE: Refrigerator wall
AFTER: Same wall
(Added a much needed pantry!)
And just like that, it’s done!
Wow, is it nice to have a more open floor plan. We are researching getting a new gait trainer for our 9 year old, Miss E - like the one she uses at school (below). She’ll have much more room to move in her equipment in this new set up. I recently wrote an update on Miss E on the www.wolfhirschhorn.org website (Elsa: 9 years old), in case you’d like to check that out!
Happy spring (and spring break) to all of you! And be sure to scroll down to the posts below, to see the books I’ve reviewed on the blog so far this year. They are all EXCELLENT and not to be missed.
Until next time!