Sunday, July 10, 2016

Life without a Kitchen


If we were ever going to renovate our kitchen, now was the time. Summer is the time. The grill has been our savior. I'm keeping my bikini body as I never feel like "cooking". The freezer is stocked with ice cream 24/7. There is no need for china - plastic works just fine. It turns out yogurt, peanut butter, chia seeds & fruit is a staple food. And Moose's bathtub has turned into the perfect kitchen sink.

This is life without a kitchen.

We are about 6 weeks into the renovation and Andrew has been rocking along. After my parents visited and we finished gutting the original kitchen, it was time to spend a week or two figuring out the design and what we actually wanted in this new space. The big question was, where do we put the downstairs 1/2 bath? It was originally in our kitchen and frankly, it was just weird. Real weird. But, with 3 bedrooms upstairs and only one bathroom, we knew we had to keep a bathroom downstairs. The question was, WHERE?



We came up with a plan to take the bathroom out of the kitchen completely and move it to our now dining room. Before you say, "ok, that's even weirder"...we are moving the dining room to the room beside the kitchen, allowing for the most logical flow. The now dining room, located just off the front entrance to our house, will be transformed this winter into a half bath and an office. Another project, but hopefully a pretty easy one!

As for the rest of the kitchen design, Andrew blew out the wall that was in between the kitchen/bathroom and the back living room. We spend 90% of our time in the winter in that living room and my goal has been to connect the kitchen to this space where we can better entertain and live on a daily basis. With the wall removed and a smaller half wall built, this space is taking on a whole new look and I am so excited about it.




Here are some of our design thoughts and ideas...

  • Kitchen Island - Butcher block top with a small bar sink and disposal and two large silver pendant lights - drawers for silverware + storage for trash bins + microwave stored underneath
  • Light grey Soapstone countertops
  • White cabinets & trim with silver hardware
  • Light grey/blue wall color to coordinate with the living room
  • Sea-foam green glass tile for the backsplash tile
  • Yellow leaf pine floors
  • Inlaid cabinet doors  
  • Built in pantry surrounding the fridge
  • Kitchen bar with stools and a nice countertop for serving food
  • Command center desk for keys + family calendar + purses + cookbooks etc. 

As we wait for the walls to be sanded/mudded this week, Andrew is busy installing a new fence for our backyard and I am busy designing the interior of the kitchen & living room. 

I have settled on 3 colors - navy, sea-foam green, and hints of light coral with lots of tans and silvers in the mix. The middle fabric I've already purchased for my curtain panels and plan to pair them with bamboo roman shades. The other fabrics I am contemplating for throw pillows and accents. Both our couch and 2 arm chairs and light tan linen or twill. I also purchased a BEAUTIFUL jute/sisal rug from Home Decorators that I think will really tie the space together. Andrew is worried its going to look too beachy, but I assured him that my goal is "the Nantucket classic chic". 



I think we are in the home stretch for this renovation - I am hopeful that the floors and appliances will be in in 3 weeks and I can get back to using an oven and dishwasher!

 
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