As you saw on our floor plans post, we are shifting the location and design of the kitchen. Currently, you walk in the back door to a galley kitchen. Off to the right is a room that will be the future laundry room. To the left was a breakfast nook with a closet, washer and dryer, water heater and a half bath. The first time I showed Josh this house, he walked into the kitchen and instantly said, “This will not work.”
Josh and I love to cook and entertain, and both of us were raised where the kitchen was the heart of the home and always full of people. We knew we wanted careful planning to ensure a kitchen that’s both beautiful and highly functional. Thinking about how we use our kitchen, it was easy to identify a few priorities by determining what works and what doesn’t in our current space.
For several months, whenever a friend would post a picture on Facebook of their beautiful kids cooking or a delicious meal they had prepared, minutes later they would get a message from me: “This may sound creepy, saw your picture… tell me about those double ovens in the background” or “Where is your microwave?”
One of the biggest complaints about our current kitchen design is the lack of counter space when we are both cooking and inadequate storage for our small appliances. A few other things we kept in mind included:
- The dishwasher in the island with the sink
- Stained wood cabinets
- Gas appliances
- A proper vent for the stove
- A pantry
- A pot-filler
- Lots of drawers
This is a rough draft of what we have in mind. In order to make it a functional kitchen, we will need to shorten two windows. The window in the current pantry will be removed to allow for a wall and a narrower pantry. Full length cabinets beside the refrigerator will lead to a hidden pantry behind that wall. Double ovens will allow for easier holidays and drawers will add storage and function to our cabinets.
Adding history and character to our kitchen was an important part of the planning process. We’ve recruited my dad’s help with a tile accent wall and Josh’s dad is helping build a wooden hood vent for the range. We are also incorporating sentimental light fixtures into the design. Last month, my in-laws gave us a couple of large milk glass schoolhouse light pendants that came out of the oldest building on Josh’s (and his dad’s) college campus in Rapid City, SD. The building was built in 1885 and my father-in-law helped with the demolition in 1972. He salvaged many items that have now made their way back to campus in one form or another; however, two schoolhouse pendants will soon hang in our Barnesville home.
Demolition has started in this area. Crews have already, stripped the plaster and sheetrock, raised the ceiling height two feet, removed the old cabinets, demoed the bathroom/pantry walls and are opening the doorway into the future breakfast nook. Next week, we are meeting our contractor to discuss the future kitchen and chalk out the lines, ensuring the plan promotes convenience and functionality for the space.