Dishin' bout my Kitchen

Well, it's been just over 4 months since we moved into our house, and there are still some rooms I've yet to share!

One that I can not believe, has been overlooked this long, is our kitchen... especially considering how important I think kitchens are in the resale of a home, and how central they are to a family's life.

It could be because ours is actually tiny (yes, smaller than our rental condo), especially compared to some of the big, beautiful kitchens I see on other blogs. Or perhaps cause I'm still feeling it out, and figuring out the best place to put things... but in reality, I guess it was just that I hadn't ever remembered to take a photo when it was all clean and sparkly.

So a couple weekends back, when I was all alone, and cleaning.... I figured what a better time than this to snap some photos!!

Without further ado, here she is, in all her tiny glory:

Yes, it's quite a departure from all the bright, white, spacious kitchens out there...but I love it.

Our kitchen is also commented on, by every new person to visit our home - which is always nice to hear!!!

Here's a little insight:

The cabinets are dark, way darker than they appear here. There is a lot of detail in the panel, so we went with simple hardware. I regret the hardware entirely, but Cory could not fit a hand inside my first choice!

I hated all the tile options they gave me. Cory and I both agreed on glossy white subway tile. It looks good, is easy to clean, and lightens things up in here. There is under-cabinet lighting in those non-descript valance boxes.

Our countertops are formica. Yes, judge me... I wanted granite or Corian.... Cory refused to spend that kind of money on a house we'll sell in 5 years. It was my #2 of what they offered me (first was discontinued), and it turned out great with everthing. Looks better in person.

We upgraded our fridge twice. Our first package included a builder basic, but in stainless. We shelled out more money to get a side by side, with an icemaker and water dispenser. We love it.

However, I think it looks awful. The builder was suppossed to let the appliance people know to let us know the dimensions, so we could shop accordingly. The appliance guy lied, and we ended up too short....... ANY IDEAS ON WHAT TO USE TO COVER THE OPENING ABOVE FRIDGE????

We originally had planned a raised eating bar here. I had gorgeous leather stools for it and everything! I accidently discovered they were doing this sideboard/china cabinet option in another showhome and we fell in love!! However, we're not maximizing on the storage - we use (or don't use for that matter) it as a bar.

I'm gonna nix that plan and instead show off some of my white servingware eventually.

This last shot is more of an action shot, you know, the cutting board is out, things are visible. But it makes me realize that those blue canisters really need to find a new home, the papertowel holder isn't working for me, and I think a white crock should replace the metal tool caddy.

Anyhow, that's my kitchen. It's teeny, simple and nothing extravagant. But we're happy with what we've made of it. Plus, we're still finding our way around it, and determining what works for our life.

Any suggestions? Comments?