We’ve been talking about doing a major hell-raising kitchen renovation in about 5-7 years so that we have time to dream, plan and save money. In the meantime, the kitchen needs a mini-makeover. For a while, we’ve been tolerating its appearance, rationalizing that it was functional and spacious compared to some of our previous kitchens.

But things we tolerate also sap us of our energy and vitality, like a slowly dripping faucet. This morning, I made notes on all the things that bothered me about the kitchen. Let’s take a tour:kitchen stove

This corner of the kitchen is pretty set, there’s not much we can change about it.

left window side right side window

The left and right corners by the kitchen window. First of all, the pink color was chosen by the previous owner. Need I say more?

The closed upper cabinets crowd the window, block precious light and and make the corners feel more cramped. When we’re working at either side, we prefer easy access to the items. Replacing the cabinets with open shelves will free up this space and make it easier to work in.

kitchen island

This wall is where we do most of our prep work. I would like a bigger island, and to cover up the dangling light bulb. This would also be a good place to put in the magnetic knife rack we bought a while back.

butlers pantry

The view into the butler’s pantry. We could use some open shelves here, too. Note the shiny brass knobs; I would like to switch them out for some satin nickel knobs.