This was our kitchen when we bought our home:
We impulsively knocked down this wall that separated the kitchen and dining room because it was ~all the rage~ to knock down walls in 2017.
And this is how it currently looks after we knocked down the wall. I painted the cabinets Chantilly Lace before we moved in:
It pretty much looks just like this today, except the notes of Farmhouse have long since been removed
Here are some of my general ideas. My contractor said “anything is possible,” but of course, there will be a budget to stick to.
I love our backyard and hate that we only have a small window above the sink that looks out into it, so I definitely want to expand that space above the sink and have a larger window.
I debated sharing this next photo because it’s really embarrassing. I have a lot to explain for why it looks the way it looks. But this is the view to our dining room…
I’ll be doing a separate blog post (possibly a series) with the entire renovation plans once we have those solidified. This is sort of a kickoff to my new personality.
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Dream kitchen cabinetry:
….but also dream kitchen cabinetry:
I know that whatever you decide to do it will look stunning.
I do think you should put the wall back and make a breakfast nook as in your inspiration photo. That would make your formal dining room much more special. I personally do not like the open concept fad. I look forward to 2024 to see what you do.
Thank you Diane! I agree, I like the breakfast nook idea. But Angelo is leaning towards the peninsula. We’ll see!
You could have a breakfast nook while still keeping it open and airy by using interior windows: basically a half-wall between kitchen and dining room, built to the height of the back of a banquette, and finished above with steel-framed/Crittal windows. House and Garden magazine is full of examples, as is the portfolio of Salvesen Graham. Might be worth a look.
Teresa, that was exactly my thoughts on adding breakfast nook, but keeping things a little more bright/airy — the partial window wall.
I’ve been swatching cabinet colors for over a year!!! Countertops, floors and lighting got upgraded and it helped a lot. Do renovations for your current self. If you knew you were moving in 12-18 months that would be different.
Whatever you decide will be magical! I cannot wait to see and follow as the process begins!
I love all of your inspiration pics, bring on the kitchen content woooo!
Also: I really like and appreciate seeing “real” spaces. Instagram is nice for the perfectly coifed photos, but they also set unrealistic expectations that people live inside magazine shoots. Your photo isn’t anything to be embarrassed about, IMO!!
Thank you so much, Amy <3
I would guess that you will end up moving to another home as once you have “finished” your current home you will want/need another project! So do everything with resale in mind. Actually the pale green would work for resale (I am an agent in CA and color is definitely trending in kitchens). I would also create a small breakfast area (photo) bc you have a small child and eating in the dining room all of the time is not convenient with young children. Good luck and your blog is truly wonderful!
That would be ideal, but who knows with the real estate market?! Thank you so much for the insight!
I love the white look so much more than the green. I cannot wait to see kitchen Alisa! Everything you do is beautiful, even in all its farmhouse glory lol
HAH! You’re so kind, thank you Kat! I’m team white cabinets, Angelo is team green. We’ll see what happens LOL
As a former Realtor for 20 years and now a designer, I would advise doing exactly what you love. I doubt a buyer would buy your house without loving it the way it is, so I keep the vibe going. Yes, put the wall back and the breakfast area looks perfect. I am not one for overhead cabinets, especially when you have a wall for pantries. If you must just the stove wall. The sink wall will be so nice to open your view to the back. Green or white you can’t go wrong, they both are perfect with the rest of your home. In some cases I have advised clients to think of resale but only if they really know they will be moving shortly. If you have interest you can see some of my examples on Laurel Bern’s blog.(I think you follow her) Nancy Keyes, Nancy.Keyes.Design on Instagram. Good luck, enjoy the process! My FB memory today was our kitchen completely gutted…
Thank you so much, Nancy! I appreciate the insight. I will definitely check out your Instagram 🙂
I love your ideas but I don’t think it will feel right for you if you decorate for resale. If you want to sell then I’d save the money to spend on your new house rather than spending it twice. Go for the vision that suits your family and I hope you go for the green, much warmer and inviting. Still classic. Even if you sell, whoever buys will have their own plans. Do what you love. You have excellent taste.
Whichever kitchen board sings to your heart, go for it! I recently turned my kitchen into the kitchen of my dreams — white quartzite, cabinets, creamy yellow walls. The naysayers warned about re-sale, but my view is that, if you’re decorating for the next buyers, then you’ll never feel like you’re living in your own home. The realtors in our area advise sellers to re-paint the walls in beige. Beige…yikes! My soul would die.
Each of the kitchen photos is fabulous — you’re not going to wrong with any of these looks. And if the next buyers don’t love the color, well…it’s a can of paint!
Can’t wait to see the gorgeous outcome!
My daughter loves color and it showed in her home. When it came time to buy a bigger house for her growing family and to list her current home…well it didn’t sell in three months…she hired another realtor who told her to paint her walls a soft white or light cream…sold in days. She has moved onto another home that had beige walls and just couldn’t take the blandness so she has painted with color. I guess the moral of the story is to paint your home with color that makes you happy but trust that you probably have to paint again for resale. No one wants to move in and have to paint right away. So, you’re right but the realtor is spot on, as well.
Your taste is so good I’d renovate the way you want it to look; I think anything you choose will enhance your resale. Looking forward to more posts about your projects!
Ok, this is hyper specific advice after we did our kitchen reno, but here are the things I love the most in our kitchen:
Drawer microwave (so helpful with kids- they can use it at a young age and are much more self efficient)
Touch faucet- the best when you have dirty hands!
Pop up outlets in the island so they are not in the eye line
Good luck!
And my two cents, depending on the budget, design the kitchen you love. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t. We redid our kitchen 3 years ago and may move in the next year or two, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
First, seeing what you’ve done in the rest of your home, I know whatever you do in the kitchen, will be fabulous. You have impeccable taste and an eye for making your home a showplace that should be featured in a home decor magazine.
I can relate to your years of planning. It took us about 10 years from the time I started plans to the time we actually started demo and I’m sure glad we waited. My plans changed 3 times, the last being what we did and it was exactly the right thing to do!
I’m a believer in “make it what you truly want” especially because I know with your design sense, your kitchen will be a top selling point when the time comes. Your inspiration photos are wonderful and I love both the green and the soft white cabinetry, either one would work with the design aesthetic you’ve already created in your other rooms.
I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to follow along on this fun adventure.
Personally, I love the soft white cabinets and as a person who has bought and sold many homes, I would always build with resale in mind. You can always add the green in paint, wallpaper and decor. The soft white and new bigger window will also makes your kitchen feel brighter.
I love the open concept and think the peninsula will give you more cupboard and more counter space but I can see why closing off your dining room will make that room more special and having an eating nook would be better for a young family.
I’m excited for you and this new project! I love your ideas. What I liked most in this post is the real life view into the dining room! I have four little kids, and my view is rarely perfect. In fact when I sit down to relax, I purposely position myself so I can’t see laundry mid fold on the couch or toys scattered on the floor…but it’s there! Your vulnerability with that picture is one of the things that makes you so endearing to us readers! Can’t wait to follow along!
We just remolded our kitchen and I went with green cabinets, quartz that looks like soapstone and brass hardware and we love it. It looks much like the picture you posted. Go with what makes you happy not for resale. Green is a beautiful color in a kitchen and I don’t think it would negatively impact resale. It is your kitchen make it fit you. I know it will be so pretty and anyone would love to buy your home.
That’s what I came to say, Laurel Bern is redoing her own kitchen and has worked on many others in her blog. I would close up the wall. Your home is not the casual house for open concept.
I also agree with other readers, everything you do is gorgeous. Do exactly what you like.
We are also remodeling next year. We have a giant peninsula and at I first I hated it. But it’s the handiest place ever for projects of every kind and homework. I love it now.
I am team white kitchen (though both are beautiful) because there is a lot of green of varying tones/shades already in your home as the dominant color scheme if I recall in your master, bathroom, office, baby’s room, dining room… Trust me, I love all those dreamy greens too but I think the white will be a nice break and you can do splashes of green in other ways in the kitchen.
I also like the wall back up in the kitchen to fit in a more casual place to eat — is there room to make the opening entrance into the dining room wider/tall? I did that to my last kitchen, remove the door and widened the opening another foot and took it all the way up to my 8′ ceiling, it made it seemed grander/taller. There was no door in its place.
So looking forward to seeing your steps along the way and end result!
Hi Alisa, I’m excited to see this come together. Of all the renovations I’ve done in my homes over the years, kitchens are by far my favorite. I believe you can’t go wrong with white or green cabinetry. Some may think green is not good for resale, but I had no problem selling my house when I did blue kitchen cabinetry. Do what you love no matter how long you think you will live in your home. Blessings to you and your beautiful family
FWIW my kids love sitting at our peninsula to be with me and “help” when I’m in the kitchen (they are 4 and 1). Sitting at the counter lets them see everything going on and interact which I think would be more difficult if the seating option was at a table farther away from the action. Sounds like you spend a lot of time in the kitchen (me too) so thought I’d share since your son isn’t quite at the stage of participating with you in the kitchen yet. Love all your inspo photos and can’t wait to see where you end up!
I’m old, but a little sage advice. We said we would only stay in our starter home 3years, several remodels and two raised sons, 30 years later first two buyers bid on it.
Todays world everyone remodels kitchens and baths first thing anyway. Your classic style is perfection. Your kitchen board is fabulous. I vote for the built in banquette for easy family meals with both of your Angelos. Do what you want as it will be gorgeous. Enjoy while your there.
I would give a lot thought about high end appliances and whether you can recoup the cost down the road.
Close the wall up and add a pocket door! Then you can hide the kitchen mess when entertaining, and contain a moving baby too, at least at one end of the room. 😉
Great inspiration pix!
Do what you love now.
I’ve been living in and renovating my farm house for over
48 years.
Tastes change, as you know. If you do sell down the road, the buyer will probably do what you are doing now….change things to their own style.
Looking forward to more!
Love all of your inspiration photos. My vote would be for a white or light kitchen and the breakfast nook idea. Color can always be added in with accessories, window treatments, chair upholstery, artwork, etc. Have a great time with the design process!
My neighbor renovated her kitchen, same floor plan as you guys I’m pretty sure, and did the peninsula between dining and kitchen. The space felt SO much bigger than before. Granted they previously had sliders in their kitchen and switched to a single door and added cabinetry along the back (peninsula on the other side of the door) but I couldn’t believe how much bigger it felt. So I love the banquette idea but just thought I’d throw that out there!!!
Our cabinets were green when we moved into our house- we painted them white and I maybe regret it? However it was green + greenish tinted granite counter + the most awful 90s-country wallpaper and boarder (think cranberry hearts and starts woven together with vines) and I panicked! I think it’s good you waited to hone your style. I love your blog and everything you do! I personally think if you also love the white, go white- I do think resale is important! You can always add the other touches you love in non-permanent ways. But I’m such a rookie compared to you and could be convinced otherwise.
If just worried about cabinet color, do for your current self! When people house shop they often don’t mentally account for something like paint in their offer price because they think it’s something free they can DIY! When it comes to wall/appliance layout or anything requiring contractor work, plan for resale!