Starting the kitchen remodel

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.



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



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