Here we go again!

We're reluctantly excited to start the kitchen renovation project. 
Certainly not looking forward to the dust & the inevitable bumps in the road that come along with a construction project, yet we're looking forward to once again having a kitchen that we enjoy cooking in!

Here's the current kitchen... (I left the lemonade in there, as a reference point.) 

This is the "Good" corner of the kitchen.
I like the light fixture and the fact that our corner table/bench set fit so nicely! 

I'm not wild about the wallpaper- it's a bit too country for me... but the kids love pointing out the cows, barns, apples, etc. pictured in the border.


The fridge & a food cabinet are to the left (and not pictured for good reason... both need to be replaced, but at least are functioning!)

And the not so good side...
We already removed the under-cabinet lighting, which hung down and was pretty crusty.
The biggest problem here is that we can't make toast & use the griddle at the same time, or else it trips the circuit breaker.

Please note the nice new dishwasher that we installed in July. We lost some cabinet & drawer space, but it's well worth it for the time & energy saved not having to handwash the dishes!


 And now a big picture for the "Just too much to list" side!


So the plan is...
1-Build two-story addition to back of house. 
First floor will include the kitchen, half bath, and butler's pantry (yay!).
Second floor will include an office and a laundry room.

2-Gut existing kitchen and transform into a dining room.

3-Create a formal living room out of the old dining room.

We've secured the architect, and are on the way to getting the plans drawn up- measurements have been completed, and necessary permits/variences researched.

Our original plan was to start construction in the fall, be enclosed by December, and finished by spring.  But, I think that's going to be rushing it!  We want to do it right, and not be choosing things, just to get it done quickly.  We need more time to work out the details.  So, looks like we'll get the drawings finished in the fall, put it out to bid this winter (while we pick out cabinetry, hardware, flooring, etc.), and begin construction in the spring.

The best part is that this go-round we're adding onto the back of the house, so we won't have to make a temporary kitchen in the dining room during the construction.  This will make that phase a little more bearable!

Much more to come as we embark on this project... Stay tuned!