My Summer Vacation by Shelly F.

So I quit my job. I'm a "kept woman" for the time being while the kitchen is being remodeled. We're going from a dingy, pale yellow 1960s remodel to a modern-ish (but timeless) white and black kitchen with some interesting yellow tied in here and there. A salute to the former, yet hideous, yellow kitchen, if you will. The room gets flooded with sun in the morning even though there are only two tiny windows. Both windows will be replaced and the east-facing window above the sink will be enlarged. Also, we're thinking about two skylights above the sink to let in even more glorious sunshine.

I'm worried about the cats... But this time off will also give me the chance to take care of a lot of things that have been needing attention for years. These things would be really boring to you, so I won't mention what they are. Anyway, I will be posting the progress of our kitchen remodel here for you, family and friends. It should be a hoot! Wall-knockin'-down began yesterday and the progress they've already made is astonishing. Disgusting "before" pics coming soon... Until then, enjoy these pictures of the stuff we've picked out for the new cucina:

1. The range. This very kick ass range comes from Italy and is manufactured near the Ferrari plant; thus the vibrant, sportscar-like color palette. Take a look:


2. The rest of the appliances will come from Jenn-Air - the Pro-Style Stainless collection.


3. The countertops will most likely be soapstone. The countertops and sink will be very similar to those in this picture.


4. Subway tile backsplash.


5. A couple of textured glass cabinets with LED interior lighting beside the sink; something similar to this.


The floor will be wood but, so as not to clash with the original wood floors in adjoining rooms, the kitchen floor will be stained dark, almost black. The cabinets will be painted white and, like I said before, a few will have textured glass and interior lights. Also, we are installing an island around this weird old coal chimney that goes straight through the house down into the basement. That part will be exposed brick and I think it's going to look super! So far, I'm very impressed with the speed of the project. Crazy! Will post the pics soon...