Fashionable Farmhouse

Hello again. It has been a while since I last posted, but things have been busy around the farmhouse, and at the renthouse for that matter. We've been taking care of a sick one year old this week and it turns out it was a reaction to the varicella (chicken pox) vaccination. But she seems to be on the rebound, thank goodness. When you have a sick kiddo, nothing else really matters. Simple as that.

Below are some pics of the current condition of things. Turns out I do like the color Sea Salt that we chose for the kids' bath and baby girl bedroom. I think it has a nice tranquil quality to it, and let me tell ya, we could use some tranquility around here....particularly with little Miss Princess. She is quite the strong willed warrior princess. Good thing, cause she showed those chicken pox whose boss. Boo-yah.

 And here are the pics of the framed out corner pantry. I am really excited to have a pantry again, and I've always wanted a corner pantry. Yea! We contemplated putting a decorative window above the pantry door, but I opted against that today. Just ask my mother, my house may APPEAR to be spotless relatively clean but open up any cabinet door or closet and you will see my true colors. What can I say? Out of sight, out of mind. Super tidy hidden spaces have just never been a priority of mine. So I decided to be truthful with myself and enjoy being able to stash things on top shelves without worrying about their appearance. The pantry dimensions are 48" x 48", less the dimensions to angle the door. To the right of the pantry is where the double ovens (halleluia!) will be installed. And to the left of the pantry (under the window) we plan on building a bench.

 Okay, so the pic below illustrates a renovation reality: surprises (a.k.a. more money) will happen. When the original pantry was deconstructed we found a little surprise....the plumbing drain from upstairs. Oh joy. It looks like it can be moved relatively easily to the left, which is where it should have been in the first place! One upper cabinet that will house the microwave and one base cabinet will be installed here. It's also where I plan on keeping the coffee pot; I'm envisioning a mini coffee bar here. Hoo-ra! Push me up to a coffee bar any day of the week,  y'all. I'm in.

 And here is one excited boy about all the action that's taken place. He keeps asking when the moving truck is coming so we can stay at the farmhouse for good.

 And the pic here shows another renovation reality....not all walls can really be removed. Or at least easily r emoved. We had planned to take down this strange 43" wide wall and totally open up the kitchen to the dining room. Umm....not gonna happen. At least for now, anyway. Inside there is the plumbing that runs from the basement to the second story. But that's really a non-issue, because it could be moved. The problem is that 43" is actually load bearing. In theory, we could take it out, have a beam constructed, move the plumbing, move the electrical and on and on, but we are going to leave it for now. Ever heard the phrase "if you can't fix it, feature it"? Well boy do we have a feature planned. I'm going to leave that for a surprise for later. Can't be telling all our secrets, now can we? But let me say, it's gonna be awesome. And it was my idea, and Mr. Fashionable Farmhouse is totally pumped about it.

 And here you can see the cabinets that were removed from that 43" wall that will become the center island. I want an island that is all countertop. No sink. No cooktop. Just counterspace. Almost everyone else has advised against this, but I am set on it. The house I grew up in has an awesome bar space where we spent all of our time. Doing homework, chatting, baking etc. And I loved it. I want the same for our kiddos. It will be all one level too. I like the raised bars, but not with little ones. Just doesn't work very well.

Okay. So there is the progress for this week. Hopefully things will continue to move onward and upward. When not at the farmhouse, I have been sorting through the storage rooms in the basement and cleaning out a lot of superfilous items. I've already made several trips to the local donation center, and it feels great!