the kitchen.

i slept in until 10 AM today.  it was glorious! 

upon waking up, i went into the kitchen and chopped an entire cantaloupe from the farmers market.  then i proceeded to eat half of it.

i made myself useful and cleaned the kitchen while noshing on the melon.  once the dishes were done and the counters were cleaned, i made some french pressed coffee and a yogurt bowl for breakfast.

bird’s eye view.

i sauced my java up a bit with some whole milk.

i love this houndstooth mug that emily gave us as a wedding gift!

in the bowl:

• 1 (5.3 oz) container dannon greek yogurt (plain)
• handful of TJ’s high fiber cereal
• handful of nature’s indulgence vanilla nut granola
• 1/2 of a banana + 1 TB crunchy peanut butter cut into mini banana sandwiches

banana sandwiches make any meal more fun!

since my kitchen was actually clean today, i decided to finally give you all a glimpse of the renovations we completed before moving into our house.  things are not done quite yet, but they have come a long way.  it is a work in progress, that’s for sure!  we still have to get a new range, change all the light switches and electrical sockets and cover them, hang the window and door coverings and decorate the walls.

here are a few “before & after” shots.

before:

after:

as you can see, we took out the drop ceiling and florescent lighting.  we sheetrocked the new ceiling and added can lighting.  this really opened up the space and made it seem a lot bigger.

before:

after:

 

it may be hard to see the changes, but we took out the french doors that went out onto the deck and replaced them with a sliding glass door.  we tiled the floors and baseboards and painted the walls.  it is amazing what a few changes will do.  i love our kitchen table! we got it at RC Willey.

before:

after:

the previous countertops were hideous!  we replaced them with concrete countertops.  this little space shown above is now our “coffee station”.  the grinder, electric kettle and french press fit perfectly.  we use the cupboard above for mugs.

before:

after:

here is another look at the countertop transformation.  sorry for the glare, we still need blinds.  in the before photo above, you can get a good look at that drop ceiling that we took out.

before:

after:

we took out the closet doors that you see on the left of the before photo above (those doors cover the area where the washer & dryer are) and instead we hung tan linen curtains.  it really softened the room up.  i think the before photo above has WAY too much white and reminds me of a hospital.  the earth tone walls, countertops and floors really set a nicer mood in the kitchen. we are fortunate that we were able to leave the cabinets as-is,

before:

after:

 

just another look. we need to get a kitchen rug!

before:

after:

we traded the two small sinks for one large one.  i LOVE the sink! i also love the pull-out faucet. we got the sink from CSN stores (online) and the faucet from Costco.

before:

after:

i love this corner! in addition to loving the new countertops, i love what i was able to fit into this small space. 

i’ve got my awesome spice rack (my sister got it for us as a wedding gift—from crate & barrel) and those four jars are filled with xanthan gum, chia seeds, guar gum and baking powder.  i love the little jars, they were also a wedding gift. the trivet was a gift from costa rica. we got the spoon holder in jamaica.

 

i was also able to fit the toaster, kitchenaid & dog treat jar into the corner.

before:

after:

 

this area is still a little cluttered, but i am a big fan of the aloe vera plant in my volcom pot, the fruit bowl my parents brought back from costa rica, and the stainless steel canisters.  in the canisters: whole wheat flour, muesli and protein powder.

the only art on any of our walls so far is this coffee art that was a wedding gift from kristen’s mom & step dad. we love it.

here are a couple close-up shots of the tile, countertops and backsplash.  my brother did all the work.  he has amazing talent!

hope you liked taking a look at the renovations! it is no dream kitchen, but it is DEFINITELY a dream come true for me.  i have been longing for my own kitchen for ages.  i am happy to finally have a kitchen (and house!) to call my own.  i am also happy we were able to update it to make it more “our style”.  maybe one day i will be able to afford a dream kitchen.. but for now, this is a great start!

hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend. check ya later!

Qs~

1. what are some items that would be in your dream kitchen? i would have a hanging pot rack, a pot filler (faucet that is over the stove so you can fill pots with water!) and a giant walk-in pantry.

2. what types of art do you have hanging on your walls? we need to get on that.. our walls are bare! we bought an awesome painting in mexico while on our honeymoon. i can’t wait to frame it.  we also plan to purchase two large canvases that are playing cards: a kind and a queen.

xo. janetha g.