Not Disney related AT ALL... but figure if I put it down in black and white I will actually do it!
When we bought our house 11 years ago, I HATED my kitchen. Now, you might ask why someone would purchase a brand new house and hate the kitchen ...well, I loved the lot and we were downsizing...and the builder gave us a great idea on how to best renovate the kitchen to get what I wanted. The space is there, but the layout is horrible! (the builder went bankrupt before he got around to renovating the kitchen, the master bath and finishing the basement... go figure!)
Now, I don't have the money to do what I really want to with the kitchen, so I am reduced to making small changes to tide me over for a bit.
Eventually, we are going to take down one wall and make the dining room part of the kitchen, move the laundry room to the garage and turn the laundry room into a pantry. The kitchen is already an eat in kitchen, and we never use the dining room... so we will make the breakfast nook a keeping room and use the extra space in the dining room to make a country sized kitchen.
While it really is only taking out one wall, it is an expensive wall to take out since it has all the plumbing in it. So, I make tiny changes to make me feel a little bit better about the space and trying to ignore the fact that I really hate the kitchen.
Of course, if I didn't insist on going to Disney every year for 10 days to 2 weeks, as well as a week long beach vacation every year I might be able to afford the kitchen redo a bit faster...but we all have our priorities! LOL!
Today, my counter tops are driving me crazy! They are a white laminate with a wood trim on them. I hate white in a kitchen...especially when you are a very messy cook. The counter tops have to be bleached at least once a week (usually once every day or so. due to the coffee and tea drops!) I really want a granite counter top. I had considered once, using granite tile to redo the counter tops, since once we redo the whole kitchen, the counter tops will be long gone...since they will change in configuration as well as location. Then I decided I probably wouldn't really like the look of that for long...
This morning as I was bleaching them again, I thought about how I really like shiny counter tops and really want some granite. I am now wondering how bad it would look if I put a granite slab only beside the stove. I have two small cabinets on either side of my stove, probably 2 feet wide each. Even if the home for the stove changes (which the current plans call for it to stay where it is), I would still be using the same small counters on each side of the stove.
My problem comes form the fact that the granite I use may not be available once I get around to finishing the kitchen...and I am not sure I will like the look of three different granites in the kitchen...because once we redo it, we will have an island, and I want a different color of granite on it (or maybe marble...that part is still undecided!)
The kitchen originally had white appliances (all but the refrigerator have changed out to stainless) white laminate counter tops, white laminate floors (which have been changed out to off white 24 inch ceramic tile) and white walls (which have been painted about once a year, but are now a couple different shades of green which I actually like!) My horrible cabinets are a light wood, sort of a cross between a light maple and a light pine. Can't stand them, but can't convince my husband to paint them...since they are real wood. (the one place they used something quality and I hate them!) There is also a stupid white tile back splash...that I really want something like a tumbled marble or glass tile...but can't make up my mind. and since only the back splash by the stove will stay if/when the remodel takes place I am having trouble convincing my self to put any real money into it!
OK..so now you see my problem. I want to redo the kitchen in small steps, don't want to commit to anything that will have to be redone, and can't afford to redo it the right way! (the last kitchen designer I spoke with laughed at me!...I can't imagine why???)
Oh yeah...forgot to mention...that I want to rip up the tile floor and put hardwoods down. We put hardwood in the rest of the main floor...and when we put them in the dining room I had hoped he would go ahead and put them in the kitchen...but he found a good deal on the tile, so I lost out. The tile will have to be removed when we eventually remodel... of course hubby thinks we can make it work without....
So, any ideas...other than therapy? LOL
Nini
I do like ruffles... 
