My New Kitchen: A Favorite 2010 Project Revealed!

Since this is my official week back at work from "Christmas vacation" it sort of feels like New Year's just happened, and its the beginning of the year for me.  I'm looking forward to a productive and rewarding 2011, and hoping that I can stick to some of my resolutions.  I'm the kind of girl with an ongoing "to do" list and I love projects.  However, I also get overambitious and have a tendency to keep adding new things without first completing the old ones.  I'm resolving this year to be a little more strict with myself, and not let my creative mind wander all over the place before finishing the tasks at hand.  That said, I'm looking back to my favorite completed project of 2010, hoping to be inspired by the work that was done, and motivated to keep going and make my little "cottage" feel more and more like home.  Hope you enjoy the transformation!

Even though this kitchen was tired and in desperate need of modernization, it had such nostalgia and charm.  The family who lived here for 40 years previous to us buying the home had been great hosts, and welcomed countless guests into their home.  I know this little kitchen worked very hard to produce wonderful meals and create meaningful fellowship among friends and family.  Needless to say, I was glad to get rid of the golden oak cabinets, wallpaper, laminate flooring, and quirky layout!

Here are a couple of drawings I did to conceptualize the space.  These are the ones I settled on as the final design, but I did multiple layouts and design plans during the initial stages.  I usually do this with client projects as well--there are often many ways to achieve a well-designed layout, and the hybrid of a few ideas can form a great final design.

Here it is.....the finished product!  I'm pretty excited about how it all came together, and at how drastically transformed the space was.  The major things we did were removing the wall that separated the dining room from the kitchen, and removing two small kitchen windows in order to add one large one.  This opened the space up tremendously, but still respected the age and existing layout of the home.  Open concept homes have been a trend for a few years now, but I'm noticing that trends are moving toward floor plans that are more compartmentalized.  This house needed to maintain some separation, and opening up just one wall keeps things proportionate while still adding an airy feel.

It wasn't hard to decide on the cabinet color, given my love of white kitchens.  I opted for a door style that is a little more contemporary, adding pilasters that come to the floor to give the base cabinets a more unique look.  The overall feel is kind of "bistro-modern", using classic elements like honed granite, marble and polished nickel, and mixing them with contemporary lines and cool stainless steel.  That little island is an IKEA find, and is just the right size.  My kitchen didn't have the width for a traditional island with seating, but still needed something for additional work space and storage.  I bought this one, and had a marble remnant cut to fit the top to make it look a little more customized.

And finally, here's the kitchen "in use" by my precious little niece.  That little sink was the perfect size for her "bathtub".........I love her to pieces, and think it doesn't get much cuter than this!

Thanks for checking out my new space.  Cheers to a great start to 2011, and may it hold lots of new design adventures and completed projects!