Kitchen Design Dilemma – TN Kitchen BEFORE

I’ve never had such a hard time deciding what to do with a space as I am with this kitchen.  My kitchen is separated from the living room by a big wall so it feels like I’m in “Time Out” when I’m preparing meals or cleaning up.

TN Kitchen Before 4
TN Kitchen Before 3

I don’t really get how this house is set up.  There are 2 dining rooms right next to each other!  One kitty-corner to the kitchen.

TN Kitchen Before 1

And the other one, right next to the first one,  just off the main entrance hallway.

TN Kitchen Before 11

This dining room is small and will NEVER get used if the house remains set up as it is. I hate wasted space.  If this dining room was usable, I could use the other one as a craft room or a reading room and then both rooms would ACTUALLY GET USED.

This is what I’m thinking for my Kitchen Reconfiguration Project as of now:

Close up both doors in the dining room so this door (on the right) will be all wall.

TN Kitchen Before 6

Tear out the wall between the kitchen and living room.

TN Kitchen Before 10

Make the window in that little hallway — a door going outside. Then we can take the trash out without dragging it through the whole house and bring in groceries in the same manner!  The part of that little hallway that used to be a door to the dining room will be a “locker type” coat/bag/backpack hanging area.

TN kitchen before

Then open up a doorway to the dining room on this far wall, after the dividing wall is removed.

TN Kitchen Before 3

Then put in either one HUGE island or two narrow, long islands or one wide island in the center and another one kind of where the peninsula is right now only back farther or one huge island and a dining table…

TN kitchen before

I do know I want the oven on the opposite wall.  That part I am sure of!  I know I want a gas cooktop and double ovens and two separate sink stations.

I’m just having a hard time deciding exactly how I want to set it up.  I’m not excited about losing all these upper cabinets but I HATE having a kitchen that is all closed up to the rest of the house.  THAT MUST CHANGE!

I know regardless of the LAYOUT that I end up doing, just changing the finished will make me much happier.  I just love white kitchens.  I’m digging grey kitchens right now too…

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41 Comments

  1. What a pickle! Sandra you’re so lucky to have that huge space with so many options, my vote – one large island with one large kitchen table. There’s something about having that sit-down eating around the table together space that feels good. Oh I wish I could spend the day sketching up a bazillion ideas with you, good luck.

  2. Wow, we are so much alike. Every house I have lived in I go in and start tearing out walls and windows. No fear. 🙂

    I wish I were there so I could walk through it with you and see more details. It’s always so hard to tell from pictures.

    It’s a big project, that’s for sure! Lisa~

  3. I like the entire wall gone with the one HUGE island (first picture). I think there would be plenty of storage potential in an island of that size, so you wouldn’t miss all those cabinets. Then again, maybe you have WAY more dishes/appliances than I. All I know is that my kitchen has probably 1/4 that many cabinets, and I have survived just fine. I can’t wait to see what you decide! How exciting!

  4. Wow! I know whatever you decide will be fabulous, you have a great sense of style and design so I’m excited to see this all come together! I am going to paint the oak cabinets in our kitchen and I already purchased the white paint but I am really loving the gray cabinets right now as well. Looking forward to seeing your kitchen decisions and design!

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