Designing a New/Old Kitchen

As you all know, I've been working with my parents on their house. Well, we're at the point where it is time to rip out the old kitchen and start over! This has to be the biggest and most dreaded part of the house to remodel/redesign. This is where all of the things I tell you about where and how to start come in to play. I'll take you on a little journey with me as this all gets done.

First, let me tell you that the room is not very large, and at the current time has a set of stairs coming down one wall that land and turn out into the kitchen, they are going! There is also a storage area under the stairs that is no longer needed due to the large pantry we added on. So by removing this two-in-one feature, we are creating a lot more space. However, we are having to move the desk area out of the living room so we are building in a "home office" in that space. Having said all of that basically means that the footprint of the kitchen is remaining the same, so the goal is to make it much more functional!

So, to start off with my first step, taking stock of what we have to work with! Ok, the room is 14' 4" X 17', there are only three walls as one side is open to the dining room. There is a door to the deck in the corner and a window on the shorter wall over the sink. That window is going to be replaced, and we have not yet decided whether to add the same size or double it up (Momma and I say, double it up). Adding more window is great, more light and more view, but less cabinet space, so it's a toss up.

We have three large unfinished armoires which I put five shelves in each, two of them will serve as office supply storage, as well as the CPU and printer, craft supplies and books, the other will store dishes. They will make up one wall and will also serve as the ends of a desk top that will be fitted between them. The desk will also serve as a place for sewing, so the plan is to put a flat screen computer monitor on the wall over the desk, reserving the surface for other tasks. We will paint these armoires white, to tie them to the other cabinetry, since we have not selected the cabinetry yet, the color and hardware will be the common thread here.

"rough draft" of kitchen, but on the right track!

I've been working with the kitchen planning software on the Ikea website. I haven't yet figured out how to attach the plan to the blog, but when I do, I'll send it along. Of course, it is subject to change as we find obstacles to the plan. (This feature on Ikea's site is awesome, you can actually look at the room from all sides and angles, but this still image will have to suffice for now.)

Right now, we have all of the appliances except for the dishwasher and microwave, however, Daddy has been shopping for these in the "scratch-and-dent" sections of his favorite appliance stores. He has gotten some incredible deals on high-end appliances. Some of these were just purchased and then didn't fit in the spaces and returned, but because they weren't in new packaging, they mark them down tremendously! So, we're on the look-out for a dishwasher, microwave and great stainless sink!

As we search for materials and ideas, I'll keep you posted, and would love to hear your thoughts and ideas as well. Remember, this is a project on a tight budget and will be reusing, repurposing and recycling as much as possible. This isn't just about saving a dime, it's about saving the environment as well. We want to be true to the style of the house and still have modern conveniences. So creatively using materials and finishes is going to be the key to making this old kitchen new!