My Impromptu Kitchen Remodel (Foreshadowing Of What’s To Come)

I have a confession. Since we moved into our house mid-October of last year, I haven’t cooked a single meal in our kitchen. Not one.

We actually didn’t even have a stove until about two weeks ago, and quite honestly, I wasn’t in a hurry to get one. Not only do I hate cooking, but I was also not anxious at all to have to use our kitchen. It was the most inefficiently arranged room I had ever seen.

floor plan before

It’s a very long room, with one bank of cabinets on one end (where the sink is), and another bank of cabinets at the other end.  And on the empty side walls, there’s the hookup for the gas range and fridge.

I actually moved the stove and fridge to the same wall, but it didn’t really help anything.

kitchen 1

With no countertop near the range, and most of the countertop near the sink taken up with dish drying racks (I don’t have a dishwasher), a water filter, a coffee maker, and a few other items, there was barely enough room to make a sandwich, much less cook a meal.  And the other countertop was so far away — too far to be of any actual, practical use.

So when my father-in-law got here on February 8th, I had a list of things that I wanted his help with.  And one of the things I had on the list was to move the lower cabinets on that far wall to the right of the fridge to the empty wall opposite the fridge.

I could tell he wasn’t too thrilled with that plan, mostly because he didn’t actually think it was do-able, and he thought it would take a really long time to get it done.

But yesterday morning over breakfast, he told me that he had cleared out everything from the countertop and cabinets because he was going to tackle moving the cabinet.

So after breakfast, I went in there to help, and we had that thing moved in about 15 minutes!

kitchen 2

Then we brought in an extra 24-inch base cabinet that I just happened to have in the garage and stuck it between the range and fridge.

kitchen 3

We later put a makeshift plywood countertop on it.  It’s not pretty, but at least it’s functional for now!

So that was supposed to be the end of the project, according to him.  🙂

I floated the idea of removing the upper cabinets, and he just laughed and told me that wasn’t gonna happen.  And he went into the living room and sat down in the chair for a nap.

Well, I was pretty convinced that it was gonna happen, but I wasn’t going to nag.  I was just going to let things take their course, because I know him well enough to know that once an idea is planted, he can’t rest until it’s finished.  He and I are a lot alike that way.

So it wasn’t even an hour later that he said, “Okay, let’s do the upper cabinets.”  😀

They were considerably harder to remove than the lower cabinets.  They were bolted into the ceiling with 5-inch bolts (!!) plus nailed every which way with big, long nails.  But after about 30 minutes of prying and pulling, we finally got the first cabinet removed.

kitchen 5

And in the process, we uncovered some of the most beautiful wallpaper you’ve ever seen.  😀

kitchen 4

And, of course, we ruined some of the polystyrene ceiling tiles.  (Oh, darn!)

So with that victory under our belts, he sent me off to the Mexican restaurant down the road to pick up our victory lunch.  (That was actually the deal — he said he’d remove the cabinets if I bought him a taco salad from the Mexican restaurant.  A small price to pay, if you ask me.  And I’m sure I got the better end of that deal.)  😀

I told him that he was absolutely not allowed to remove the second cabinet by himself, and that he was to wait until I got back.  But he’s about as independent as I am.  When I got back, the second cabinet was down, and I proceeded to rip the faux tile wall board from the wall.

kitchen 6

I couldn’t believe what a difference it made in the room!  Even with everything still a complete mess, it already felt way more efficient to me.

Plus, I was finally getting a glimpse of how this room will feel after I remodel.  If you’ll remember, this is the floor plan I’m planning for the final kitchen.

floor plan after

And now that I can see it, I think I’m going to love it.

I do remember a few of you questioning this layout, and suggesting that I move the fridge to the empty wall at the end, and add more cabinets on either side, making it more of a “U” shape.

I tried that, and as soon as I moved the fridge to that wall, it made the kitchen feel so tiny and cramped.  I didn’t like it at all.

This arrangement makes everything feel so much more open and spacious.  Plus, it’s what I’m used to.  My mom’s house (the house I grew up in) is arranged like this, and this is also the arrangement I had in the condo, except that my kitchen is bigger than both my mom’s kitchen and the condo kitchen.

kitchen 9

But I did remember the suggestion that a few of you gave me to leave a bit of room to the right of the fridge so that the door will open wider, and add a cabinet to that side for storing broom, dustpan, and similar skinny items.  I think I’m going to love that idea.  (And obviously once that second doorway behind the fridge is closed in, I’ll have another outlet added for the fridge).

This actually makes me so excited about this kitchen.  I don’t need or want some big, huge, fancy gourmet kitchen.  That would be money wasted on me.  But I do want a nice kitchen, and I’ve been doubting that I would ever be able to make this kitchen efficient.  But now I see that I can, and I’m getting excited about starting on the real remodel!

kitchen 13

kitchen 10

And since we had already destroyed some of the polystyrene ceiling tiles, I just went ahead and removed all of them.

kitchen 14

This has to be one of the saddest things ever for me regarding this house, because it looks like they put these things over perfectly good drywall.  I had assumed that they were trying to cover up drywall problems, but every area I’ve uncovered so far looks like the drywall was in perfect condition.  But taking down all of those 1 x 4’s that they’re stapled to is absolutely wrecking the drywall.  It’s so incredibly frustrating to me.  I honest to goodness have no idea why anyone would do this.

And it also amazes me how much taller the ceiling looks just by removing them.  I’ve only gained about 1.5 inches, but it feels like I’ve gained a foot.

So that’s where my kitchen remodel stands right now.  😀

kitchen 11

kitchen 8

kitchen 10

I really have no idea how much time and effort (and money!) I’ll spend on it at this point, because at some point in the future, everything in here will go (with the exception of the range and fridge) and be replaced with everything new.  So anything done now will just be temporary, and that feels like a big, huge waste of time and money to me.  But we’ll see.  I don’t think I’ll be able to live long with that jungle/camouflage motif on the far wall.  I’ll probably at least end up painting in here just to cover up all of the crazy patterns and drab antique white everything, and to bright up the room.

I will be saving all of the cabinets, though.  They’re my future garage storage and workbench!  😀

EDIT:  After reading your comments and suggestions, I’ve decided that in the final remodel, I’m going to flip flop the range/fridge side with the sink side, and then open up the wall completely between the kitchen and the dining room.  That will make the sink area look more like an island than a bank of cabinets against a wall.

So here’s the original floor plan of our house.  The room labeled “Den” is the one that will eventually be our breakfast room/dining room.  (Nothing too formal, probably.)

house floor plan - resized

So I’m thinking that if I knock the wall out between the kitchen and future dining room (marked “Den” above), then that will open up the kitchen, allow for more natural sunlight through the big wall of windows at the front of that room, and make the kitchen feel bigger even though it’ll remain the same size it is now.

floor plan after - revised

I didn’t do anything with the wall of cabinets (where the sink is currently) in the drawing above, but obviously it’ll need some reworking as well.  Exciting!  😀

 

 

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85 Comments

  1. I agree that this layout will work much better for you. I love that you just jump right in and try things out – it really helps to get a feel for what the final result will be. I’m so excited to see what you do with this room, and all the projects you will come up with to make it beautiful and your own!

    1. Hey everyone, Go to apartmenttherapy.com/nominate and nominate Kristi’s blog P-L-E-A-S-E. We all know she’s the best there is at crafting, building and everything in be tween. She needs to win this. Thanks

  2. Is there a door behind where you’ve moved your fridge to? BTW, hafta’ say I LOVE how daring you are . . I’m always afraid to demo something for fear I’ll never be able to get it put back together . . the more I watch you the braver I’m getting :>) You GO Gurrl!!!

  3. I love it! Are you going to recess the refrigerator a bit into the door niche? What are your plans for all those cabinets in the current sink area?

    1. There’s not really enough room to recess the fridge, but right now, it’s not even pushed all the way against the wall because the cord wouldn’t reach. 😀 So it’ll be sitting back a bit more than it is right now. It’ll leave plenty of room.

      The wall where the sink is currently will be turned into a wall of storage/pantry. And I’ll probably keep the countertop going all the way across because it’s handy for buffet-style meals when we have people over.

      1. Not that you are thinking of modifying the upper cabinets on the current sink & window wall, but if so, I have a suggestion. I have lived with former kitchens that had the little row of cupboard doors above the main upper cupboard doors. I never liked them because I’m short and I had to get on a step stool or ladder to see what was in them when I needed some seldom-used item. If I guessed the wrong cupboard, I had to get down, move the ladder to the next door and try again. When I was blessed with the chance to remodel my kitchen I chose no soffit, no little row of cupboard doors and not open on the top either (dust collector big-time). I did want cupboards to the ceiling, because the room is small and I wanted as much storage as possible. So my upper cabinet doors are 42″ tall. Yes, I still have to get on the step stool to get something from the top shelves, but I can see what’s there while I’m still on the floor, instead of having to move the step stool a couple times while I hunt.

  4. That wallpaper is kinda groovy! 😉 I love how you and your father-in-law tackled this to move things around. This will be a big project but I can’t wait for this one either. I can’t wait to see what you do next!

  5. How exciting!!! That is my kind of project… just to attack 🙂 I’m excited to see how it turns out for you!!! Good luck!!

  6. Moving in the right direction 😀

    I like the plan for your new layout. Don’t know if making the opening a bit larger so you can recess the fridge some there when closing up the doorway would be helpful.

  7. I love the fridge you selected! I also moved my fridge into a doorway that will eventually be closed up. My kitchen had 2 normal size doorways and one double sized that nealds to the dining room. Closing off the door that leads to the main hallway of the house completely cut one major walkway out of the kitchen and opened up the space Those cabinets will be great for the garage, they look like they came down in really good condition.

  8. I will be interested to see your updates in this room. I also moved my fridge into a doorway that will eventually be closed up. My kitchen had 2 normal size doorways and one double sized that nealds to the dining room. Closing off the door that leads to the main hallway of the house completely cut one major walkway out of the kitchen and opened up the space Those cabinets will be great for the garage, they look like they came down in really good condition.

  9. Have you thought about the kind of countertop you will be putting in? I love quartz but am not sure I can afford it, I am considering concrete…which some brave people do themselves (not sure I’m that brave!)
    I want an undermount sink too, which I have no idea how to install…we are doing a cheapo kitchen reno ourselves, we are keeping our 1962 vintage cabinets as they are solid wood and in fairly good shape.

    1. My dream would be a combo of soapstone and carrera marble. But since I don’t have an island, I’m not sure how it would look to have two different countertops. If I had to choose one, I would want the marble.

      1. go with soapstone counter tops and concrete or marble/granite for island. May I also suggest when you place brroom cabinet/closet next to fridge for island that you recess it sufficiently for future fridge door to open fully. We bought older home and in needing new fridge measured to insure new fridge would fit space…EXCEPT… we failed to measure for door to open enough to pull out shelf or veggie bins…consequently took another trip to appliance center to find right fit…not my dream fridge I had chosen in the beginning but it does the job 🙂

      2. Marble is very hard to take care of..it stains very easy and has to be sealed frequently. With soapstone you just put on mineral oil to enhance the darkening process. It does not need to be sealed as it is nonporous. It takes about three applications of the oil before the soapstone is at its max color. At first the oil will fade and the counter will lighten, just rub the oil in again and buff it and it will again be fine. After about 6 or 8 months period your counter will not need oiled again and never need sealed.

        1. I completely disagree. Marble isn’t hard to take care of at all, and if it’s sealed, it doesn’t stain easily. Sealing it is about as difficult as wiping it down with a sponge. What marble does do is etch. So most Americans are afraid of it, because we want picture perfect kitchens. But marble has been used for centuries in Europe in all sorts of ways — exterior of buildings, sidewalks, and all over the interiors of homes. As it is used and ages, it develops a gorgeous patina. It can also be found in 100-year-old farm houses. It’s a beautiful material that Europeans have taken full advantage of for centuries.

          If anyone wants more info from someone who has it and loves it, and gives the details of staining vs. etching, you can read here:

          http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2013/03/marble.html

  10. Love the fridge; is it an older model? Can the handles be switched to the rt. side? Ever since I was a kid watching Leave it to Beaver, I wanted a June Cleaver Fridge–freezer on the bottom!

      1. I was also going to ask about the frig. It is beautiful! I am a huge appliance addict. So nice not to see stainless steel.

  11. So glad you moved that fridge away from the stove. I’ve always had an aversion to the fridge being smacked up against the refrigerator..just something bothers me about the hot against the cold..lol The wallpaper was a flashback for sure but LOVE all the cabinets. It will be great when you are finished!

  12. I’m glad you found a cabinet to put between the fridge and stove. From the description I thought they would be right next to each other. I’ve seen this before and it amazes me that people put something that gets hot next to something that gets cold. Such a waste of energy! I would love to see your newly painted cabinets and walls in here! I keep trying to convince my mom to order new cabinet doors for her old house, but she won’t… They make such a difference!

  13. Wow! You’re doing a great job and you should be proud of your boldness and willingness to just go for it and try many different arrangements. Do you think you’ll regret covering up the window or doorway (I couldn’t tell) with the fridge? Can’t wait to watch your progress as it goes along!!!

    1. Nope, I won’t regret it at all. There are two doorways on that wall leading into the same room (our future dining room), so that second door isn’t needed at all.

      The only think I’ll miss is the light that comes in through the big wall of windows in the dining room and pours into the kitchen. I do hate that the kitchen doesn’t have any windows, but I’m thinking of adding a big skylight, or at least one or two solar tubes, to add natural light to the room. And I’ll still get natural light through the window (which will eventually be a bigger open bar area) that leads into the sunroom (which will eventually be the family room).

      My gosh…just typing that made me tired thinking about all that needs to be done! 😀

      1. You could always add extra windows to the wall where the sink currently is. That might solve your natural light problem. I love natural lighting, too – it makes a room so much more user-friendly. 🙂

        1. What about adding a stationary window up high to allow light in, that is what I am going to do when I start in certain rooms.

  14. Kristi — your kitchen today looks like a gourmet kitchen compared to my fixer-upper. I ripped the cabinets out immediately because there had been mice in this house and oh YUCK. I currently have no cabinets, I have a utility sink because I had no water in the kitchen and couldn’t function. I have no stove but I do have a microwave and an electric skillet!! Also, my prize Hoosier cabinet. But when I get done it will be awesome as I know yours will. You are lucky that yours is much larger than mine. But like you I don’t need a huge gourmet kitchen. Am going to use butcher block for the counter tops. Love Carrera marble but really do want the bb. I did not have any lovely wallpaper like you.

  15. Hey, love the stuff you do! From one ripper and tearer to another. My only concern is that you will not have much counter space by your stove. I have that In my kitchen. I was wondering if you could incorporate your stove in the space of kitchen cabinets that you moved. Then move those cabinets where the stove was. Just an idea. Keep up the great work!

  16. Oh, dear. Our favorite ceiling tile is gone. I hope that gives you some courage and hope for the rest of the house. However, leveling could cause damage to the existing ceiling, so any repair work should probably wait. I’m so much like your mother. One room at a time, girl. But I do love that you are able to check out your new design, and it looks like it will work perfectly. Remember that’s going to be the hardest and most expensive room of the house.The longer you procrastinate with those living room curtains and that floral monstrasity, the more dreadful they will become.

  17. I love kitchen remodels – can’t wait to see what you do with this one. I think you should try to salvage a square of that lovely wallpaper to frame for the kitchen for posterity! Guests won’t believe what was hanging there when you are done.

  18. What are you going to do with the those ceiling tiles? There has to be a craft project in there somewhere! I LIKE the wallpaper though, it’s vintage. Good luck on this new project and you have an awesome Father-in -law!

  19. Father-in-law “thought it would take a really long time to get it done” – Buhawahahahahahah! He doesn’t know our Kristi! Once again I am totally amazed at the speed with which you get things done. And a big round of applause to him, what a great father-in-law!

    Have you decided on your kitchen color scheme? Will you be using the same color scheme as your condo? Loved those teal blue cabinets and the wood countertops.

    I so look forward each day to your blog posts. I am reliving vicariously all the remodeling and decorating projects I’ve done over the years. Geaux YOU!

  20. Love the new fridge and stove! And yes the kitchen layout is much better now. You have a wonderful FIL. Does Matt like to cook at all? And if he does will you be designing the kitchen with some wheelchair height counters? Hope that question is not prying too much and if it is please accept my apologies in advance. Love your work!
    Sheila

  21. oh my gosh! How awesome is that?! Seriously. You got it goin’ on! So excited to see how things play out. You know I’m living vicariously through your remodels. Your blog is so awesome. 😀

  22. You seriously need to bottle up some of that energy and send some my way. Please! Such a huge improvement already and those are really nice appliances! Glad you posted this because I have a question. We did a small Phase I reno of our kitchen and hope to continue, probably next year with Phase II which hopefully will be the last phase. We are thinking of moving things around and I’m having a really hard time trying to figure it out, even with keeping the work triangle in mind. Do you have any suggestions on a good way to approach this or even a website to use?

  23. What!! you don’t like the leaves! must have been a sale way back when……our house has them in the foyer and all the way up our staircase into the upstairs hall! lol
    great job opening up the kitchen- can’t wait until the paint…..teehee-love the way you get things done!

  24. Kristy, You have so much ambition and good taste. I love seeing your projects progress as you do them! Just know I can’t help you physically, I’m with you in spirit “Cheering you on!”

  25. I cannot wait for this project! The only thing I can think of is how awesome it would look with a bank of windows on the back wall, but, alas, the sunroom. Oh, well. And one more thing – that leaf wallpaper is stunning. Bet you could find more if you went back to the 60’s. You know, to bring the outside in!

  26. Even with just those changes the room looks great. The hidden wallpaper is a true treasure, ha ha ha. Older homes have so many secrets just waiting to be shared given the right opportunity. Thanks for sharing…

  27. LOVE it!!! It looks like there might even be a tiny bit of room on the left side of the stove to add another little cupboard/counter area. It would be small, but I’m thinking you could put the cookie sheets/cake pans, etc in there sideways (standing up?) with a hard divider or two for function. Another thought: Is there also room when you get a new counter top and cabinets to make them deeper? That would allow more work space, too.

  28. Kristi,
    Thank you for keeping it real, as usual! It is so nice to see that although you are a dead talented decorator, everything isn’t perfect in your home. We just purchased and moved into a 1918 farmhouse, and sometimes I get down by all the ugly around me, and the slow slow progress.

  29. Yes! Hallelujah! Woohoo! I love the change even with jungle camo! I guess it is almost set up as a galley kitchen (?) which can be very efficient! Definitely looking forward to seeing it all come together…over time, of course 🙂

  30. I do like the reconfiguration of the kitchen and the cupboards look like they are very sturdy and will hold up well until you can put in your gourmet kitchen in the future. That wallpaper is a hoot! Isn’t it amazing what you find when you move stuff? My suggestion for your temporary kitchen: Paint your walls and ceiling a bright white and use a ‘fun, bright’ color on the cabinets. Make it a cheerful, fun place to prepare your meals.

  31. I hate to cook, too! I’d much rather craft or sew or even clean! ! What is with that wallpaper? It’s still around- my house was built in 1999 and the first thing I did was rip down a kitchen full of vine wallpaper. It took ten years but there is no longer wallpaper anywhere in my house. I vote for bright colors in yours if you won’t have much light. Also- get a crock pot and a microwave and a ” One Pot Meals” cookbook and be done with it! LOL

  32. I’m on a Mid-Century kick right now, and those are sweet MCM-type cabinets–wish I could take them home with me. What year is your house?

    (Got a kick out of the wallpaper. . .)

  33. We just moved our fridge in front of a door opening as well. We left it there a week to make sure we liked it. Now we’ve closed it in with drywall. Going to buy a cabinet base and place it where the fridge used to sit and get new countertops. I can’t believe how making that one little change has totally changed our kitchen. Who plans these kitchens anyway? LOL.

  34. Hi Kristi, I love following your blog; you’re such a talented lady. I worked as a kitchen designer for fifteen years and your new layout is a big improvement. I hope you don’t mind if I suggest another alternative. Have you considered removing that wall between the kitchen & dining room? Then you could utilize the other three walls and have room for an island between the kitchen and dining room. That would also allow you to get extra light from your dining room area into the kitchen. My favorite part of kitchen designing was always space planning…hope you don’t mind me sharing my thoughts.

  35. I love your plan and I love the cabinets at the end of the kitchen as they are! LOL I’m currently remodelling my kitchen and its been …interesting! Right now I’m hating being in there its such a mess.

  36. In the south, we have “Re-Store”, they are Habitat for Humanity stores that sell everything. That might be a great place to look for cabinets, counter tops and a new sink! Their prices are amazing. 🙂

  37. You are a woman after my own heart!!! I want to tear down walls and move cabinets but can’t do it by myself and although my husband can do anything dealing with remodeling he isn’t always willing!
    He just restored a sewing cabinet, we took out of our previous home, into a great kitchen island. We used butcher block on the top. I wanted to seal it but he told me we needed to use mineral oil. That is when I came upon your blog with your butcher block experience. You saved me a lot of time and money. Thanks!!!

  38. Good start on your kitchen. Because you have others priorities to do before a kitchen remodel, just painting all of the walls would make a huge difference in this room. You could paint the ceiling, going over the wood strips so they disappear a little bit. Having some color on the walls may make the cabinets look less dingy white, too.

  39. Kristi, your kitchen is going to look fabulous, as does everything you do! It truly amazes me what you do for yourself…and the talent you have to do it!

    May I suggest that you consider adding a small cabinet on the left side of the stove? The counter top, albeit small, will come in handy when you cook, but the cabinet space below would be a great place to put cutting boards, trays, pizza pans, etc. I have a similar small cabinet, although not next to my stove, and it is great for those particular type of items!

    I’m looking forward to following you through your kitchen reno!

  40. I would be in hog heaven to have all those cabinets! You have unending storage with those. My kitchen is the size of most people’s walk-in closets, plus I don’t have a pantry….no joke. Looking forward to following you on your kitchen journey also.

  41. When i read about what some people suggested before with the “U” shape. i was thiking of a “U” shape but put the stove on the wall were the said to put the fridge and put the fridge were you have the stove in the picture then i would not have cabinets on the long wall and have a small table and chairs. if i would have cabinets on the long wall i might do a bench and table and chairs with tall cabinets on both sides. i love the layout of my kitchen but do not like the cabinets are too dark i would love to paint them but i am the only one that does. have fun with your kitchen.

  42. Yay! I’m so glad you chose to flip flop the design and knock out that wall. Brilliant idea! It will be so open and lots of light!

  43. Maybe I am not understanding the remodel….but, why move the sink and incur all the cost of moving the sink….besides I think it is nice to look outside when washing away at the sink. Just make the divider into a true island with no appliance or sink in it. Just a good ole big island?

  44. Really good call on switching walls and cutting the top half of the wall out. You’ll really lose a big chunk of overhead cabinets, but that banquet wall will make up for it. You might consider taking out that window and putting overhead cabinets all the way across the banquet wall. If I remember right, you have to raise the floor in the den and raise the slanted ceiling. It will certainly be worth all the work. Your dream house is turning in to my dream house! LOL.

  45. I really like the cabinets! I think you should keep them. They are so charming. I guess a charming garage will be nice too, but I just love them.

  46. Could you solve your ceiling problem that you have ripping out the wood where tiles were attached-by constructing fake beams or the ones (I don’t know what they are called) that make squares in the ceiling. Painting the whole thing white would look good and cover up some of the messed up dry wall you are encountering with your removal of the boards.

  47. Hi Kristi, your energy astounds me. I loved this post. It’s so great to see the real parts of decorating and remodelling. I really love the idea of opening up your kitchen to your dining room. That big window will certainly give you lots of light. I agree with some other commenters about making your kitchen a U especially since you are making an island type wall. Another thing I noticed is in your new dining room you are going to have a door leading to the garage right where your dining table will be. I would move that door to the back and have that as an entrance to your storage room. Your storage room then would also be an entrance to the garage like a mud room. If you do this then the dining room becomes more square. And the back part would feel more like a pass through. Just a thought for you to consider. Cheers

  48. I absolutely hate cooking also, so when we gutted our 1901 block home I wanted a small kitchen so I wouldn’t feel so lost in it, and that is what I got, love, love, love my small kitchen!!! But I still hate cooking!!!

  49. I love to cook when I have the time but probably cooking is overrated. Looks like a good plan. Now that you have begun there is no way that this, that and the other will not drive you crazy. I predict the kitchen to be the next project area. Keep this in mind…homemade baked Mac & Cheese….

  50. Wow, there are some really good ideas posted here this time. I love the planning stage and tearing out that wall will be wonderful. I really like the idea of a “U” shape too, it certainly seems wide enough. It just seems like that blank wall at the end is such a wasted space. I know I have strange taste sometime, but I love the leafy wallpaper. You will figure it all out and it will be wonderful.

    1. After looking again, maybe an “L” shape with an island would work well too, without wasting that end wall space.

  51. Kudos to You! My favorite part of your blog is your “Actual, Real-Life , Genuine, we-the-People HOME. It’s not all pretty and perfect. It’s real. I love it Keep going, girl.

  52. Girl…I still want to know what you eat for Breakfast , Lunch & Dinner!!! Your energy is amazing!

    I love that you have jumped in and started the changes and since everyone seems to be putting in their 2 cents worth then I will too…

    I still think you should put the frig in the space where the sink is now, especially since your already going to move the sink location. And I would keep those cabinets and counter tops because we can never have too many counter tops!

    That way the frig is visually out of the way and also easier access for Matt!

  53. Your kitchen will look great when you’re done! I highly recommend looking at RTA (Ready to Assemble) cabinets from CS Hardware when you get ready for your remodel. They’re a very cost effective option–even their least expensive option is excellent quality, but their pricing is comparable (if not less!) than the price of in-stock cabinets from a big-box store. We have personally used their cabinets in two of our own kitchen remodels and have recommended them about half-a-dozen others for their remodels–everyone has been very pleased. They are VERY easy to put together and hang.

    http://www.cshardware.com/kitchen-and-bath/cabinets/kitchen-cabinets.html