Hi sweet friends!

Many times during this remodel journey I wondered if my

dream

Farmhouse Style Kitchen and Keeping Room would actually come true?  It has!

We hired a contractor to permit our project and to oversee the removing of walls, installation of the beam and footers, and also for installing the front bay window.  It took so long to get those things scheduled and done so for the rest of the project we hired, scheduled, and supervised the trades working on our kitchen project.  It was a lot of work but we are
finally
finished and I'm so happy to share our new kitchen with you!

Kitchen Reveal~ish

Hi sweet friends!

 I wasn't sure what to call this post.

You see, most everything has been installed except the pantry doors and a little crown molding, but there is still a bit to do before we can move back in.  So I am so excited to share our Kitchen Reveal~ish with you!

The cabinets are white shaker with a little beaded detail for the perimeter and cherry raised panel for the island.  The counter tops have been installed.

Here they are installing the piece of soapstone that goes in front of the kitchen window...

Nearing the Finish Line ~ Kitchen Update

There is so much to share but with only a bit of time so once all the dust settles I will fill in the blanks!

This has been a very productive week and we are nearing the finish line which of course is thrilling for us!

The last of the orders have arrived including the cabinetry hardware...

The island is cherry like this sample and I wanted to give you a little peek at some of the hardware...

Kitchen and Flooring Updates ~ Lessons Learned

I haven't been visiting or posting much lately so thank you for sticking with me!
The end is in sight and I can't wait for things to get back to normal.

Our daughter and SIL built a home and have lived in it for a year...we are still in this remodel.

One of my best friends has sold her home, searched for another, and has been moved in...we are still in this remodel.

It is so true...

remodeling looks real ugly, and in our case takes a  l-o-n-g  time, before things look pretty!

When sharing about the Dry Wall and New Flooring being installed you may remember where the old and new floors were weaved together how mismatched they looked?  Today I get to share how well they turned out and also some lessons I've learned along the way...

Kitchen Remodel Update ~ Lots to Share!

I am excited to share these remodel updates with you today!

So much has happened in the past two weeks.
We are in the final stages so it's really hopping around here!

Let's see, where did I leave off?

Oh, yeah...bare to the bone!

All of the paneling had been removed,

the wall between the old den and old kitchen had come down,

 and the steel beam was put in...

It's the Weekend...

It's Saturday morning

and so far we've had a slow morning of breakfast and coffee on the porch

while the guys are installing insulation in the kitchen/keeping room.

I finally feel we are on our way

because the next step after the insulation inspection will be the

drywall installation and I can't tell you how excited that makes me!

With the hardwood floor installation close behind there is more clearing out to do

so things are being packed away...

The Truth is Ugly!

Who doesn't like their home to be pretty,

and clean,

and dust free,

and decorated for the season,

and smelling good?

Truth is...remodeling is just plain u g l y !

Here's the truth about this gut job and it's not pretty...

Truth is, 

when gutting your old kitchen and den for a new kitchen

it's thrilling to have a strange man on your roof peeking down at you through a hole...

Kitchen Countertops ~ Our Choices

Whether remodeling a kitchen or just giving one a face-lift

the countertops are an important element in achieving the look and feel of the space.

We have sure learned a bunch through our remodeling journey and as promised I'll keep sharing as we go along...

Kitchen Updates & Our Kitchen Design

I've learned a few things.

When remodeling there are times when things are moving forward,
times when things are at a stand still,
and when nearing the end everything comes at once!

My head is spinning there is so much going on,
time to share some updates with you and also our kitchen design!

First I want to show you this kitchen I recently found. . . isn't it charming!

Beadboard walls,
an old style stove,
buffalo check curtains,
roosters, silver, ironstone, blue and white plates hanging on the wall...so cute!


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The Keeping Room

I just shared my S p e c i a l P l a c e  with you...

The one down the road a spell,

 that is old and full of history,

with the farmhouse kitchen!

Well,

there is another room we are making decisions for...

the

The keeping room dates back to colonial days and was located just off the kitchen.

In those days this room was filled with utilitarian pieces such as jelly cupboards,

samplers children would stitch as part of their schooling,

hand-hooked rugs,

candles to read by,

wooden bowls and buckets,

rocking chairs and tables made of pine,

baskets for gathering from the garden and storing goods.

Farmhouse Kitchen with a Twist ~ My Special Place

I often travel to this special place.

It's located down the road a spell and just around the bend...

It's old.

Made of stone and wood.

Full of history.

If these walls could talk, the amazing stories she could share...

The Cat's Out ~ Kitchen Updates

There is never a dull moment around here these days.

The guys have been working hard to get things done while still leaving some of our kitchen intact, which I really appreciate.

It's one thing to have no counter tops to prep on,

but it's entirely another to have no sink, stove, or fridge.

I'm thankful the work is being done around these so I have some sort of kitchen as long as possible, even if the appliances are sitting in the middle of the floor.

It was explained to us that once the wall came down and the header was installed soon to follow would be the footers.

So several large holes were cut in the floor for easier access underneath the house,

and the old bypassed plumbing pipes from the previous owners kitchen reno were removed,

and they began digging the new footers...

Walls Come Tumbling Down...

To ensure our home remains whole

and

no walls come tumbling down on top of us,

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a steel beam is required to keep the second floor

on the second floor!

The New Kitchen Window ~ A Special Place

As a little girl one of my favorite places in Granny's house was her kitchen.

The sink was just beneath the window and had two sides; one for washing and one for rinsing.  Just outside the window was her beautiful green lawn, flower beds, and large garden which ran all along the fence line.

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How About Those Knobs...

It's all about the details these days, including the cabinetry hardware.

So, how about those knobs?

Pulls, knobs, cup pulls...

Glass, brass, oil rubbed bronze, polished nickel...

All the same or mix and match...

plain, rustic, or fancy?

So many choices and inspiration galore...

Choosing Kitchen Lighting ~ What's Your Style?

Recently I shared how difficult it has been to narrow down a choice for the kitchen backsplash and the same is true about the lighting.

With so many styles, materials, and finishes available...choosing kitchen lighting is mind boggling!

So sweet friend, I would love to know. . .

what's YOUR lighting style?

Pick your number(s)...

~ 1 ~

Kitchen Backsplash ~ Which Would You Choose?

We've made a lot of decisions for the kitchen
and things are moving along!

We've decided on...

~ White shaker style cabinetry for the parameter

~ Dark stained cabinetry for the island

~ Brazilian cherry hardwood floors

~ Apron front porcelain sinks

and more...BUT...

I'm totally stumped about what to choose for the backsplash!

This kitchen was the closest I could find to our kitchen plan and colors,
white parameter cabinetry and dark island with dark wood floors...



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Happy Day, the Kitchen Sinks Arrived!

One of my favorite parts in planning for the kitchen has been choosing the fixtures.

There are so many choices to consider, take the kitchen sink for instance...

one bowl or two,

apron front, undermount, or drop in,

and which material?

Porcelain sinks...

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Got To Get This Off My Chest! ~ We're Moving In

We're finally moving in!

There's a big room to fill
and
we have furniture, lamps, and pictures to fill it with,
but I have to confess I find it a bit daunting deciding what comes in and what goes where.

Just so happened the first two pieces were red,

don't worry...they won't be staying side by side!

I'm Just a Girl...So What Do I Know?!

In the beginning I told you I'd share the good,

the bad,

and ALL the other stuff that goes along with this remodel.

Well, it's time for some of the other stuff.

Remember when I was doing cartwheels because the floor was finished, and we were excited to move the furniture back in the great room so we could start demo in the kitchen?