Monday, March 31, 2014

Kitchen Planning



Big News
and 
A Question for my Readers...

First the big news-
It is really happening!
We are finally going to remodel our much loved but worn out 
and outdated 25 year old kitchen. 
It's time.

And I have to say- 
I love having a kitchen designer helping me with my kitchen remodeling plans.
I have been designing kitchens for many years 
and when it comes to figuring out what my customers need, 
I can usually zero right in and make recommendations without hesitation.
For my own kitchen, not so much...

Enter Sharon, from Amish Custom Kitchens in Chicago. 
Sharon has been patiently and thoughtfully working with me 
as I evaluate and re-evaluate and re-re-evaluate layouts and designs.

I have been very busy not blogging while I agonize over every inch of my kitchen plans.
And now, we are very, very close to actual dream kitchen status.
The cabinets have been ordered and will be delivered in May.
Demolition is scheduled to begin in late April. 
The whole project will hopefully be complete by June 
so we can get plenty of Michigan time in this summer.

My kitchen has served us well for a long time.
Remodeling it was the first thing we did when we moved into this house. 
I was not yet a kitchen designer but I worked with our builder 
to create the new space and include as much as our budget allowed.
We moved in in September, and about a week later the remodeling began.
The kitchen sink was installed on Christmas Eve and I had never had a better Christmas present!
As you can see from the picture below, Oak was king and we had it in spades!
I was quite proud of it for many years. 



Fast forward to 2014.
My kitchen is dark and dated.
Soffits, laminate countertops, and oak everywhere.
The appliances began to tire out and have been replaced.
I have been nursing the cooktop (above) along for several years- 
it's the last remaining original appliance.
New ovens, a new dishwasher and a new refrigerator have all been in place for months  
while we debated the value of remodeling the kitchen.

One of the things that bothers me most about the kitchen is how dark it is.
It's in the middle of the original part of the house so it has no windows, 
only light borrowed from the adjacant family room that we added on to the back of the house..
Look at that dark corner between the oven and the refrigerator!
Shudders!
I'll explain the green tape in a bit.



When we painted the powder room vanity recently, 
we were thrilled by the way it brightened up the room.
The same red oak cabinets in the kitchen were used in the powder room.
I wrote a post about painting the doors that you can read about here.

Let me refresh your memory...
Here is the before picture of the vanity:


And here is the After:


If we had any doubts about what white cabinets could do for our kitchen, 
they were erased by this project.
Time to pull the trigger on the kitchen remodeling plan.

We have spent hours debating layouts and trying the changes on for size.  
Mr. Grand has been remarkably patient with me...
The green tape in the picture below was used to simulate the dimensions of one island option. 
Adding an island is our number one reason for remodeling the kitchen.
In order to fit an island into our kitchen, other things must be sacrificed. 
The wall on the right, below, is going to be removed as is the penninsula on the left. 
The refrigerator will be moved to the wall where you see the two vertical pieces of green tape. 
There will be lots of other changes that I'll share as we go along 
but this gives you a basic idea of what the plan is.




I haven't been this excited since we bought our little cottage...

And now, on to my Question for you!

I have a few more days until no more changes can be made to the cabinetry order.
(Poor Sharon thinks we are done.)
And I keep thinking, what am I not thinking of?
Is there anything else I should be including?
So now, dear readers, I'm asking for your input!

Please tell me-
What is your favorite part of your own kitchen?
Is there one thing you have in your kitchen that you cannot do without?
I would love to hear from you!




Linking to :
Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

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9 comments:

  1. It is so exciting planning and getting a new kitchen! We have just finished a remodel and I can say whole heartedly my favorite thing in the whole kitchen is my single bowl farm sink or apron front sink. I saved for a long time to be able to afford it and I just love it! It was worth every penny. My second favorite thing is my hand painted delft tile backsplash. You have such beautiful taste that I can't wait to see the finished product.

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  2. how exciting. i have the finish line in sight with my own kitchen makeover now and don't regret my decisions to paint my cabinets white. looking forward to following your kitchen adventure!

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  3. How exciting is that Erin! I am sure you and your Amish Designer will create a gorgeous kitchen together. Your taste is premo so I can't wait to see all of the touches . . .

    Two favorites in my fairly small, somewhat outdated kitchen. A kitchen window that overlooks the woods, bird feeders and backyard gardens and my very large family gathering center island. Cozy indeed! I like my kitchen best in warmer weather when we can open the doors to the large screened in porch. It works perfectly for entertaining.

    Happy dreaming and planning . . .

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  4. Splurge on a beautiful sink and faucet, with a nice view behind them....you spend the most time there. Also, our peninsula is where all guests and our family congregates all the time, you will never regret making this as big as possible and get some comfy chairs to go around it. No matter how fabulous your indoor or outdoor living spaces are, somehow everyone ends up around the kitchen island 90% of the time! Can't wait to see the progress!

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  5. Oh my word, that bathroom makeover is amazing, what a fabulous transformation. I can't wait to see the kitchen, I am sure it will be amazing too. Wow, be sure to keep us informed. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  6. How exciting for you!!! I've planned a few kitchens myself......my favorite feature is having lots of wide deep drawer units instead of lower cabinets, a tall arched faucet, and a narrow bottom cabinet for cookie sheets and trays. I also prefer open soffits to display my pottery collection.......can't wait to see what you do!!!

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  7. I am so happy for you~!
    we are painting our cabinets in a few weeks from hickory tone to white- so all kitchen remodels are right up my alley.
    I'll follow your progress and cheer you on..

    Sonny

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  8. Of all the things we did in our new kitchen, I think I appreciate the pull out garbage and recycle bin the most! I didn't like the thought of losing a cabinet, but we really didn't because we added 18 feet of storage in the "butler's pantry". I would also recommend a single sink, a storage area for baking stuff, Oh and pull out metal drawers in the lower cabinets! Another thing that I am glad we did. Also, be sure you have enough light and plug-ins! Ok, that's some of what we did. HAVE FUN!

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  9. Hope you bought a newer and even better functioning refrigerator to go with the retooling! Nothing like upgraded appliance to make the kitchen look fresh, literally! So yeah, more power to kitchens that are not only welcoming, but also hold out for years on end.

    All About Air

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