The kitchen Island, a Hutch design and French Doors

The island is finally done!

I wanted the microwave in the island not above the stove. I wanted a mantle style for the oven area. We are still waiting for that.

We had our issues, but we worked them out. I had to make sure to get reduced size cabinets on the one side of the kitchen because the area we were working with just wasn't wide enough for an island AND full size cabinets on both walls. and I really wanted an island that we could sit at. These small stools work out well. They are very low profile and tuck in easily. They are really comfy too, and simple to assemble. All real wood.

Views above are from Dining room area.

View below is as you walk into kitchen. 

Ignore the mess in dining room still working in there!

So in compromising for the smaller size of the cabinets I compensated myself by making that area appear like a hutch. Which will do nicely when we set up food buffet style, at Christmas and Easter. So let me know what you think. We stepped back from the refridg to a 15 inch deep pantry and then stepped back again to 12 inch cabinets...

I still have to set up my shelves in this cabinet but the lights just got installed.

Remember this area Before ?...yuk.  We tore it all out.

I did love and keep ONLY my sink.  A black granite indestructable sink. ( more of that later)

During... taking down the seperation. The plumber was disconnecting! 
See the door opening in the background?

Now... that door opening in the background is now french doors. Soooo much prettier.

When I finish my table I will show more of that.  And more of the Dining room area. I am still finishing up the corner cabinet repaint. I finally found a rug that has the right color to go in there.

The reduced cabinet hutch area segues into the new french doors I had put in to separate the Dining room from the Living room. ( Where hubbo currently is working from.) So I added curtains that I can pull shut if needed. see the pretty new chandy!! ( Full view of that below.)

And my corner cabinet has found a new home in this corner of the Dining room. I think she fits in nicely there! With a fresh shot of white paint and nickel finish sprayed on her hinges... you like?
My cottage kitchen table will now stand in for the Dining table which has been delegated to the basement. I just want to paint the cottage table legs the same white as everything else. Right now she is off white.
The Before of this Dining room area at Thanksgiving (with  horrible old chandy)

And the new chandy which I Heart.

And I have been busy working on the Dining chairs. Taking them from
This Before :

To this After.

A little peek at the new back door that was a window before. ( Now we have a mess out there to fix up!)


A fresh, simple, line of paint at top and new fabric.

In the background you can also see a little bit of the end run of the cabinets on the sink- oven side.
My end of run

I was inspired by a photo in a magazine (don't remember which) but here it is below! I posted it before as an inspiration photo. The yellow x's are features I liked and incorporated.
Inspiration photo

It's good to have an idea book, so you know what you want and love. Just rip out of the magazines and save.
I have been doing that for a few years. I can't believe I finally have a nice kitchen!!!
 And it seems so much bigger, just by opening it up.

Oh... one last pic!  From the corner of the Dining Room, looking into the kitchen B4 ( these cabinets hung from the ceiling and opened from both sides! That huge block in the middle covered the back of the stove...

And the view from the same spot now:

It's been fun and nerve racking at the same time but all in all this kitchen re-do only took 1 month to complete.
Except for that one cabinet we are waiting for , and a few finishing details.
I will show the sink area in a future post.
Thanks for stopping!

Going to join a metamorphosis monday party at

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com