What Ana Does

The Pantry, the little room off the kitchen, was a big selling point when we toured this house. It was full of cabinets and had a door on it that was ideal for storing platers and appliances, and tossing things I didn't want people to see while hosting.  But, it was also an afterthought to the owners. The cabinets were shoe-horned in, the floor was still an ancient linoleum and the counter was clearly just remnants from another job, which was clear due to a big crack in one piece. But it had a door, so it was livable.   I laid out the vinyl floor tiles when we first moved in five years ago. But they've since started to wiggle around on the floor. So a decision needed to be made, do I replace the moving tile pieces, or do we go for the renovation we've been putting off thanks to bigger projects.  This pantry should have been done with the rest of the kitchen , but budgets got tight, so it became a phase 2. Well ... it was time to tackle it because another vinyl tile j...

I think I finally got it right! After using this table at a local restaurant, I just knew it was the perfect solution for our kitchen. It has the classic butcher block top, super smooth, and black legs that matched my chairs. It's longer, but less-wide than our last table and it is heavier, so it stays exactly in place. And did I mention the top is smooth?  (Or old one was uneven.) Notice the two coordinating butcher block tops. Ideal!  And the black trestle base. Modern meets traditional. Perfect for my kitchen.  As with most butcher block, I'm assuming the top will mellow with age, being less vibrant like the counters. I also love the idea that, in the distant future, I could sand and refinish that top -- making it last a long time. Lastly, the spot at the end of the table is ideal for plants and other projects I'm working on and don't want to pack away. I can imagine moving my puzzle board here next winter, so I can puzzle while cooking and watching movies in the fam...

One of the last shopping items on my list was to find matching chairs for the kitchen table. My first idea was to find thrifted chairs and paint them all black. I've seen the look on Pinterest many times and it's awesome.  But after digging through all the online shops and striking out at the ReStore (twice), I found black metal chairs that matched the white metal stools at the island. Great idea, right? And the price was less than most of the chairs I was looking at.  (Here's the Wayfair link to the black metal chairs I bought.) Notice that I have two matching light-wood chairs we bought from Crate & Barrel back when Leah was born -- 16 years ago! -- and are no longer sold by that company, unfortunately.  The matching black matches the light fixtures all over the kitchen. And they're more comfortable than you'd think.  And last ... here's the kitchen table area with the finished floors. They're almost a light blonde and giving some Scandi vibes and I LO...

 I can't take enough pictures of our new kitchen. It's been a total game changer EVERYDAY.  I love all the light fixtures and options to light the space. I love the huge sink and cleaning it up each night. I love that I can see the TV, so I can watch Ted Lasso while I'm making dinner by myself. And that all of us can be preparing food in there at the same time, because there are several prep space options.  On the other side of the kitchen, I'm so glad we added these cabinets, in BLUE, to the space and basically doubling the size of the kitchen. It's amazing! I have my coffee station over there and all the cookbooks and baking pans are in the cabinet. It's handy. And PRETTY. The Nova color on the cabinets in the kitchen table area is just my favorite!  Then I added this horizontal panels to this part of the wall, an attempt to do that design trick and "tie" it in with the wood oven hood. It's rustic and interesting. It's the first thing you see...

I was chatting with our contractor about final plans for our kitchen renovation ... we're getting so close to starting up, and I can't wait.  We were talking about the open shelving I have planned and how we'd need to get the black iron brackets. "They're not going to be floating?" he asked.  Ugh no. It's not that I don't like the look of a floating shelf, they give that clean look, for sure. But is it weird to think they're like a lame magic trick. Like people look at them and think "WOW, how are those shelves being held up, especially with all that weight!"  Obviously, they know how it's done, but it still feels like I'm trying to trick someone.  I don't want that in my kitchen. Visible brackets will be holding them up our shelves because I like the look of them and they feel like they belong there. Also, I've seen too many DIY folks on Instagram have to re-do their floating shelves because they didn't add enough su...

I've looked at a lot of design inspiration photos for kitchens, and given the style of the house, my "modern colonial" theme, and what I think will last the next decade, this is the two directions I'm considering for the new kitchen:  I'm really drawn to the green, white and black option. The butcher block counters, the bold floors and subway tile on the wall is just the modern statement I want to make, but simple so hits that colonial vibe. On the other hand, bright white would give me the light and airy kitchen that sitting in the middle of our home -- with no direct sunlight -- would need. I also really love those slate black floors.  So, I ordered a few samples of tile. And looking at a ton more pictures to get my direction.  I also worked up a few sketches for our contractor to piece together some estimates, and some inspiration images so he knew where we were going. Because our next step is getting the COSTS and deciding if all of this is actually realistic....

It's starting! We have our first meeting with the contractor we used in the basement to talk about the KITCHEN remodel. That's right, it's time to tackle this crazy, dark kitchen!  One thing you need to know: Dave and I have been talking about a kitchen remodel for about 9 years. If you recall, the kitchen in our last house was OK, workable, but certainly nearing retirement. And we talked often about our wish list and what we'd do.  I had a pretty good layout in my head and have looked at hundreds of inspirational photos. So we're not walking in cold. If I'm being honest, I regret not tackling that kitchen in Illinois years ago. It had such potential and I carried that picture in my head for years, so it was sad to not see it get done. Though, I don't think we would have seen the return on investment, even in the crazy market. It would just been my satisfaction of knowing I gave that great house a great kitchen. But I digress.  This kitchen in our Modern Col...