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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Starting the kitchen remodel

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I've been a little slow on the posts lately, but I hope to pick up the pace soon!  In the mean time I wanted to share with you my plans for doing a little remodeling in my kitchen.  It is a tiny space, which I really don't mind for functionality purposes, but I have always wanted the space to feel more open.  I've toyed around with the idea of knocking out the cabinets that hang over the peninsula for a while now, but haven't had the courage to do so.  I have been afraid that I would lose too much storage space.

My mom recently convinced me that I could make it work, and I have already started the process.  I pulled out everything from those cupboards, and rearranged them in the lazy susan to the left of the stove.  The lazy susan was just housing odds and ends (pantry items) that were easily moved to the pantry and to the storage room in the basement.

Can you believe that almost everything from that overhead fit beautifully into the lazy susan? ... And I am so pleased with the results.  The top shelf holds the colanders, mixing bowls (stacked nicely), and bread pans, while the bottom holds the small appliances like blenders, hand mixers etc.  Those items are so much more accessible now.  When we moved into this house, I thought I had purged down to having only the necessities in this kitchen.  Now I realize that there are always ways to better organize, and still things to be moved out (like the kids' snow cone machine that gets used only during the summer!).

When we lived in a home with a huge, and I mean huge (too big) island, the cabinets below it held so stuff  that it was hard to find anything!  It was always such a mess.  It really pays to organize and get rid of or store what you really don't need in the kitchen.

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Here is the view of the kitchen from the family room...

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I'll keep you updated!  I am still being so inspired by Susan Susanka's books!  I hope you enjoy them as well.

5 comments:

  1. Wow Robin! That's a huge job! What a great idea. R u going to do the dry walling? Good luck. I'm excited to see the finished job! Also, I got the book u recommended today at the library! Yay!

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    1. Jess, I hope you like the book! Be sure to check out any of her other books there too! I hope to do the drywall. But someone has to teach me first!!

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  2. Robin, taking out the hanging peninsula cabts is key. You will LOVE the more open feel!! If you need any help, or have any questions, I am a Kitchen Designer. Feel free to pick my brain.

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    1. Kristol, boy am I lucky! I have been wanting to talk to someone and didn't know who! I am so going to pick your brain. We took out the cabinets (photos soon) and LOVE it. I think we have decided to leave the soffits because they sort of define the space. I think I need to put some can lights in the soffit just over the peninsula. My husband thinks we should put two there. What do you think? And is there a rule of thumb when it comes to how to know how much lighting should be in a room?

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  3. Love that you're getting rid of the soffits. Can't wait to see the end result!
    Kelly

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