Obsession: Kitchens

Ever since we started down this road a couple months ago Eric and I have gone through an "obsession of the day." It's a bit overwhelming to think about all of the decisions we are going to have to make, some of them having big implications money-wise or design-wise for the house. It's easier to think about things project by project, rather than all at once. Today's obsession is the kitchen! The general idea is to open up the wall where the oven is right now so it looks into the family room. It could be a half wall, a peek-through or even the removal of the wall all together! Here's what it looks like now:

That large ugly closet holds the water heater, which will be moved to outside of the house during construction. The family room is on the other side of this wall.

Things we're pondering: 

- How much of that wall should we remove?

- If we add an island (which we're hoping to do) should we put a cooktop/oven in it so this wall can be all cabinet/counter space?

- The refrigerator opening is tiny- can we put it to the left of the sink so we can accomodate a larger fridge?

- The dishwasher is in a bad spot- when open for unloading you can't access the cabinets above it or next to it! 

- The door to the utility room has been discussed as the site of the stairs- I'll discuss this in another "obsession" post!

Things we want with new kitchen (subject to change!):

- White shaker style cabinets.

- Light colored granite counters. We LOVE the marble peninsula that is currently in the house, but marble isn't very practical for our family, so we'd like to mirror the look in a more durable granite.

- White or light colored subway tile backsplash.

- Awesome island with sitting area on back side. 

Inspiration: