Demolition

Day 2 of Demolition is over!  This is our very lovely kitchen before demolition.  I've never minded this kitchen.  It was tastefully out of date.  The wallpaper was charming and the light fixture was on the brink of being stylish again.  The layout was terrible.  Especially the location of the dishwasher.  My favorite part about this kitchen was that I knew we would redo it so there was never any stress about the messes we made in there.  I think I could have given this kitchen a quick makeover on a shoestring but what fun would that be?  This is our first full out remodel.  It's fun, exciting, and a little nerve wracking!  

There were hanging cabinets over the peninsula that we took down almost as soon as we moved in.  Then I took off all of the cabinet doors on the upper cabinets to see how I would like open shelving.  I loved it.  Everything was so easy to reach.  This was a great help when I had to decide if I would actually do open shelving in the new kitchen and we did!

 The light has always been great in this room, the whole house actually.  I think that's why I fell in love with this house to begin with.  I remember walking through the kitchen and being completely charmed with it.  I said, "I can live with this!"  This view is looking from the dining room swinging door.  While the dining room is flooded with light in the afternoons, the kitchen becomes a little dark.  We are centering this door (and sadly removing the swinging door, I've always loved those).  The door will be much bigger allowing for the afternoon sun to flood the kitchen.

 Those floors were a laminate.  I was fooled when we bought the house, thinking they were pickled oak, only until I saw the floor curling in the corners.  When they pulled it up there was linoleum underneath, it was really cute linoleum too!  We are putting in hardwood to match the rest of the house.   I love wood floors in a kitchen.

Our kitchen is now completely shelled.  We've created a makeshift kitchen in the dining room.  So far, it has been fine.  We've been lucky enough to have my parents in town.  With a pool in their backyard, long naps taken by the kiddos, and handed a hot meal to take home, this seems a little too easy.  :)

As a side note, it is Magnolia's last week of school (which has made me sadder than I would have ever imagined) and we are leaving for St. Louis immediately after her last day.  It's a bit chaotic but we are looking forward to a little break and some warm weather!