Dreaming of My Kitchen.....

We just signed with a company that is going to "consult" with us on building our new house.

They are technically not a "builder" but they pretty much act like one, if I want them to.

#YAY!!!!  #FINALLY!!! #NO MORE BUILDERS!!!

So, the first thing I did to celebrate was start dreaming about my new kitchen again!

First, I REALLY miss my old kitchen.

Second, I haven't even allowed myself to dream about the new house for quite some time.

Third, kitchens are everything to me!

I would blow my entire budget for the house on my kitchen.

This is why logical husbands are good to have around.

The past ten months have actually been very depressing and stressful.  

I know, with all the problems of the world, it's rather silly to get upset about not having your very own house, or your very own kitchen, but living with other people and their things, gets old rather quickly.

Especially after 10 months! 

And lets face it, a person like me needs her own home.

I never realized before how much I LOVED my kitchen.

Life is so cold without my kitchen.

Here's the plan for the new kitchen:

It's all about contrast.

Not the typical, black and white sort of contrast, but contrast through lines and mixing different eras.

I want a really fresh, modern feel, with an old soul.

There is an "old" feeling with some classics:

-Wood floors

-White porcelain subway tile

-Marble used here and there ( Yes, for the love of Nancy, I know it scratches and stains!) 

-Open shelving (only a little bit because heaven forbid our things get dusty)

-Antique lighting

-Detailed moldings

The modern edge is created with shiny new things that have clean lines:

-Clean and straight hardware

-Shiny modern faucet ( the Delta Trinsic is my favorite at the moment)

-Counters with straight lines, no bevels

-Modern/abstract art

-Modern Dinnerware

-Modern utensils

As for cabinetry, I think I will forever be a painted cabinet kind of girl.

I love wood and all, but I just don't like it above eye level, unless it is installed as some sort of backdrop to lighter objects or as a ceiling detail.

I am really loving the look of inset, framed doors, but I have a feeling that they come with a hefty price tag.....

....they just look so clean and elegant!

If inset Shakers are not in the budget, some overlay Shakers might do the trick....

It can be hard to tell the difference, but one takes much more precision than the other.

Precision = dollars.

We'll see just how much precision I can afford.

I am mostly excited to have a kitchen large enough for seating.

The old kitchen required guests to stand if they wanted to hang out with me while I cooked. 

I am all about cozy seating in the kitchen.

image via Celery Kemble Interiors

I personally prefer lower seating in the kitchen because my legs are long and they go numb very quickly on high bar stools, so we will have normal seating heights and lower counter stools for maximum comfort.

Expert tip: It is easier for older people to get down from bar stools than to get up from standard height chairs. Something to keep in mind when trying to accommodate older people.

Another hot topic for the new kitchen is the appliances.

Viking

vs.

GE Monogram.

There was once a time that I would have gone without chocolate AND coffee for like a whole day if I could have a Wolf or a Viking.

I'm not gonna lie, I really fell hard for the Viking.

It has shiny stainless steel and matte gold!

I sorta molested the showroom model at Abt.

Then, I tried to pick up one of the stove grates with one hand.

NOT possible.

Then, when I put down the heavy grate, it scratched the stainless steel surface underneath it.

NOT good.

I don't know about you, but I am way too lazy to use both hands to lift one grate.

Also, when I have to use the grate as a weapon when an intruder is in the house, I will need to grab the grate with one hand in order to bash his head in. 

There just isn't enough time for grabbing a grate with both hands when it comes to home invasions.

If I have to stop and be like, "Hold on a second.... I need both hands to grab this damn grate before I can bash your head in",  he will totally see it coming.

Now the grates on the GE Monogram.....

 ....are totally manageable weapons.

Each grate is separate and easy to lift.

And get this....they are REVERSIBLE!! 

You can flip them over to use a wok or any curved pan or bowl! 

How smart is that?!?

Then, I opened the stove doors...

....it was so beautiful! 

It brought tears to my eyes.

All three racks had the easy glide hardware with stainless steel ball bearings.

The Viking, without "upgrades", only had two.

The griddle comes with a cutting board...

Not that I need another cutting board, but the fact that it fits between the burners is pretty smart if you ask me.

So, I had to break it off with Mr. Viking.

He was all looks and no brains.

I honestly expected such an expensive appliance to be engineered with a bit more practicality and a few more bells and whistles. 

I may still be vulnerable to the looks of Mr. Viking if he gives me a 5 year test drive for free.

I mean, I need some convincing.

Now that I am much happier and we are steadily moving forward with the house, I may blog more often.

I see a post about staircases in the near future.

Does this one look familiar?

Every time I watch American Horror Story's Coven series, I get all caught up in the decor and totally ignore all the crazy witch business going on.

My husband is usually very disturbed by all the blood and violence and I am totally lost in the details of the house. He'll be like "OH gross! That's. just. sick. She's stabbing out her own eyeballs"!

And I'm like, "what?? That settee is so perfect and all the white details with the dark paintings......perfection!!"

I can't help it.

More to come on the house once I have an idea of what it will look like!