Kitchen Part One!

We survived. Seven whole weeks without a kitchen...we are sick to death of chicken noodle soup (ok S-Money and I the kids were in heaven). It was a very long haul but our kitchen is so close to being finished. At this point we are totally functional...but still have a few important details to finish up!
So I figured I'd first need to start with before pictures....this tiny kitchen is in the center of the home...and when I say center I mean it. It sort of looked like a hallway with a giant stove in the middle. I kept telling Sean.."If we chose not to blow out the wall and just paint the cabinets I'm good with it...if we can get that stove out of the middle of the walkway its weird." It had a window and that was what won me over. The last house although a gorgeous custom home had no window and I missed having one.
So here goes...the Hoopty kitchen BEFORE

Thats it! Thats the whole kitchen. We call the house (among other colorful words) the house of built ins because they are everywhere. It must have been the thing to do in the late 40s and 50s. I had 4 count them people 4 useful cabinets. The others had really odd built in things in them that made them totally nonfunctional. Clearly that wasn't what sold me on the kitchen it was more this...

A large window (this one was even a crank window and although super cool....totally cold you might as well open it in the winter.)
And THIS window in the dinning room

These windows make this area they are so huge and so bright I fell in love instantly!
Its amazing what a little sunshine can do.
These pictures seem so foreign now...I bearly remember that odd space anymore. The new kitchen now has more cabinets then I have stuff for and more counter tops then I've ever enjoyed in a home! PLUS Sean and I poured our own concrete counter tops! They turned out darker then I wanted but SOOOOO awesome and it was pretty easy I'd do it again in a heartbeat! We opted to NOT pour them in place but pour them in forms in our living room...sounds insane...it was I will now have to start over in that room but it was worth it!
My good camera is visiting good friends right now....so I don't have new pictures BUT I cannot wait to reveal my kitchen its just what I have always wanted! Its white sunny and to me HUGE (but I had a glorified hallway before remember?)! I can't wait to show it off!
AND THEN.....well on to MORE projects my dinning room is going to be so awesome!

Barn Door Steal....

Ok so I've just been totally inspired...ok I totally want to copy this idea...you see I'm not sure if its inspiration if you just steal the idea...because its awesome and will totally work in your room instead of a door....and I love it...! (I had a design teacher tell me once...Design is all about OTHER PEOPLES ideas....but it would be nice to think of them on my own JUST once a great idea out of my OWN head....)

So I was reading on Grand Design...(Nikki is awesome seriously lots of talent the chicks in this family got a TON of creativity.) Nikki is going to be totally famous someday...and I worked with her was friends with her enjoyed her company and her sister and I have known each other for a long time...she did my hair for my wedding even....SO I think when Nikki is a famous designer...I can say I totally know her! Weather she will admit to knowing me...that's another story...regardless she is talented...while admiring her talents on her blog it led me to a new blog (new to me). Its so stinkin cool and I LOVE this door idea and I really think it would work in my room...now that I have closet (ok almost) and it will save the space a real door would take up...PLUS my brother might just build it for me.....you know he does that kind of thing!
Here is a quick phone (blah I know I'm too lazy to use the good camera) picture of my space....



By the way my kitchen is lookin awesome...we are pouring counter tops (concrete) tomorrow!!! Yahooo!!! Its a DIY first for us...wish us luck! (and yes by US I mean...mostly S-Money love that guy!)