Before and After - The Kitchen & Dining Room

The sneak peak...

And the before & after continues. I know I missed "Favorite Friday" this week, so I thought I'd surprise you with a Saturday post, a before and after. When we first moved into the Cape Cod, everyone said the kitchen was great, but I wasn't so convinced. I  knew from the start that something was going to have to change and the hubby definitely agreed. The U-Shaped Kitchen with double sided cabinets seemed so outdated, but the cupboards were handmade solid wood, so we couldn't destroy everything. Let's take a peak at what we did.

Ah... the kitchen. The outdated countertops, dated wood cabinets and lack of functionality. It was definitely something from the 80's and was driving me insane since day one. The space felt small and wasn't the greatest for entertaining. Take a peek at the pictures below.

The dining room was just one the other side. It seemed to fit our dining set well, but it was always a squeeze to maneuver around. In the pictures below you'll notice a wall that stands between the dining room and the living room, making everything seem closed up and choppy. On the upside, the patio doors were perfect and stepped out onto our stoned patio and country oasis, where nobody could be seen or heard. Time would only make everything perfect. 

And the transformation... Pot lights were put in around the kitchen. The cupboards were painted (a very long process that I'm not sure I would do again), new hinges and knobs were added. New countertops were added at the very end, pulling everything together just perfectly.

A new light hangs over the island - and that green you see behind it, is an access panel that had to be put in to access electrical. Of course, the tape is now gone... I just forgot before the pictures were taken. And of course, you can see our island that was built in December...  Ryan did it himself, we had the wood countertop planed and Ryan joined them together. He also built the island out of two base cabinets from the hardware store and then finished off all the way around with the wainscoting and trim, I chose the red paint to throw in some modern country charm!  

I forgot to mention, Ryan also took the cupboards above the dishwasher and cut out the center, went to a local hobbyist and had the glass cut to shape. He then made these awesome new doors! They show off our glasses and colored mugs, another great feature I love.

Our dining room shares the space with the kitchen, and it is perfect for fitting in a larger table that we can entertain at. The comfy high bar chairs are a favorite for visitors and also pull up to the island when we're just hanging out. I don't know about you but every time we have guests everyone seems to migrate to the kitchen, with all the renovations, it's been a perfect place to host and entertain.

The wall... is GONE! The flow is so much better and sharing a fireplace with the living room was one of the best designs I came up with. Yes, for weeks while we debated pulling out the existing wood fireplace and putting in the propane one, we couldn't figure out what to do. Putting a large stove like that in the living room would leave nearly no room or options for redecorating. So, one Saturday morning I sat staring at the space and finally realized the solution, allowing the heat to flow down both sides of the house while adding an amazing feature to two great rooms! Definitely a lot of work at the time, but well worth the process.

It's been an adventure and the pictures will definitely continue. This new space is one of my favorites and I love entertaining in it. Now, I must leave you and go clean this place from top to bottom. The open house is tomorrow and we're hoping it will be a great turnout. I've never had nor been to one so I'm not sure what to expect, especially living out in the country. Have a great weekend out there!!