Kitchen Upgrades

As I mentioned on Thanksgiving, the kitchen received a quick makeover in the weeks leading up to the holiday. 

We had been living with this hole in the ceiling for longer than I would like to admit.

It was a result of plumbing issues, and we decided to wait until the project in the bathroom above was complete before making repairs in the kitchen. 

And, then there was the matter of these light fixtures.

 

We have an older house with low ceilings, and not only were the lights not asthetically pleasing, but they just made the ceiling feel that much lower.  So, if we were going to be patching the ceiling anyway, we decided that it was time to call in an electrician to install recessed lighting.

 

Then, there was the matter of the spacing above the cabinets.  The aforementioned low ceilings don't allow for things like decorative vases and baskets to be placed on top. They do allow for dust to collect.  I had always thought the cabinets would look more finished if we added moulding to the top.  And so, the project grew.  

 

There were also a few trouble spots to address.  Note below the random strip of wood above the sink that connects the cabinets on either side.  I think it was there to conceal the bare lightbulb behind it, because whoever installed the lighting ran out of ugly fixtures.

 

Also, it was brought to our attention by the electrician who came to install the recessed lighting that the new microwave we purchased last year was too close to the stove, and therefore not up to code. 

 

So, we decided to remove the cabinet above it, and lift it up to the proper height. 

 

All of these things added up to a mini-makeover for the kitchen that has resulted in some nice improvements, I think.  Check it out.

 

My cookbooks are now exposed on a shelf above the stove.  See how much more room there is between the stove and microwave? 

 

It looks better, and it's more functional. We weren't willing to admit before that it was annoying to have to lean in a little bit to adjust the knobs on the stove, but it was. And now it's not.

 

That unnecessary strip of wood has been removed from above the sink.  We added a light fixture from Rejuvenation, and raised the curtain rod to expose more window, elevating everything a little bit.

We added moulding and raised the curtain above the other kitchen window, too, for consistency.

And, I am so pleased with how the moulding finishes off the cabinets.

 

The recessed lighting just disappears into the ceiling, but provides all of the light we need in all of the right places.  (We toyed with the idea of spending a little more for the energy efficiency of LED lights, but ultimately went with traditional incandescent, because we felt there was a bit of a glare with the LED that might drive us crazy.)

 

Of course, now that the moulding has fresh paint, the cabinets look like they could use a little freshening, but we'll see if we get to that in 2013.  My other dream is to put banquette seating in that far right corner (like this), with a round pedestal table (something like this).  And to replace the dishwasher with something stainless. Some day....

 

In the meantime, we are enjoying the new improvements, particularly that the ceiling feels six inches taller.  What do you think?