Kitchen Wishin' And Hopin'

... and thinking and praying, planning and dreaming... sing it with me! 

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that we have started cookin' up some kitchen renovation updates around here!

We have been itching for a kitchen update for about the last 6 years.  And for the most part, I am really happy we have waited so long because over those years, our family has grown, our needs have changed and our style has evolved. 

Right now we are just in the dreaming and planning phase.  Gathering as many ideas and pieces of inspiration as we can, to be sure we aren't jumping into anything crazy we will regret down the line {like marble green formica counters, country cabinets and dated tile.... just sayin'}.

We are hoping to save as much as we can of our current kitchen, tear down a wall, build an island, swap out the counters and back splash and even lay some new floors.  Pretty ambitious, but we love a good challenge and we also hope to do as much as we can on our own to save a few pennies!  Wish us luck!

I thought I would pull some of our favorite inspiring kitchens and select some of the key elements from each that we are "dreaming" about incorporating within our own space.  I have pinned about eighteen-bajillion kitchens, but getting my hubby on board with each wasn't all that simple, but extremely important.  So he filtered through and we came up with some we both loved for various reasons.  This is a very helpful part of the planning phase for us, so I thought I would share, and also gather your thoughts and ideas on the perfectly pretty and functional kitchen.

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One of our ideas is to tear down the giant vaulted wall between our living room and kitchen to open things up a bit.  Whenever we entertain, there is such a division, and when we have people over for a "big game", it can't be seen from the kitchen.  Not to mention, family time would be much easier having the living area, kitchen and dining area all open.  I haven't always been a huge fan of the open concept idea, but I think it could work if done right.  The kitchen above makes me warm inside, the colors are beautiful, but what the hubs and I really loved were the floors.  Just like Goldilocks, we don't want something too light... or something too dark... and these look juuuust right!

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As I mentioned, an island is the name of the game.  It has to have good storage, and seat at least three comfortably.  I am over the moon for islands with butcher block counters... the contrast can be so charming and warm!

But where I am completely stumped is in the bold island or bold lower cabinets debate.  Being that the space will be so large and open, I fear we will have a very neutral color on the wall, but being the color loving gal I am, something is going to get splashed with paint! 

Island?

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Or cabinets?

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And don't even get me started on navy.  I am OBSESSED lately.  Which is so surprising to me since it never was a color on my radar at all in the past, but now I can't seem to get enough of the saturated color!

The other theme you may notice from the photos above, are the counter colors.  A white and gray blend feels so clean and classic.  And about as fantastically opposite of the counters we are sporting currently.

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When it comes to the sink, bigger is better in my eyes.  But divided or not, that is the question...

And how about backsplash?  Again, I have to go classic on this one, to avoid regrets two years from now when a new trend comes and goes. 

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White subway tile scares me {white in general in the kitchen is a scary thought}, but it is everywhere these days, and my guess is because it not only looks beautiful and is timeless, but it also just works.  And I like it paired with a darker grout.  Who knows though, maybe we will get risky and go with a different style to add a little extra interest....

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Ok, aren't those ceilings so gorg?  Planks and beams, oh my!  This is on the "wishing" list side of things.  Even a single wood beam could add so much interest.  Now to convince my hubby that it wouldn't be thaaat hard to install...

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One thing you can bet will happen is a bold cabinet interior.  It is simple and as inexpensive as some paint, but yet adds so much happiness. 

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A couple of shelves seem to always make a kitchen feel more open and airy.  And I love the idea of keeping everyday dishes right within arms reach.  Fab.

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When it comes to finishes, I would love to bring in a small touch of gold.... The hubs is shaking his head, but I think just tiny bits here and there would be amazing!

Let's chat about storage for a minute.  If we pull down the wall, we will lose some storage and have to gain it back in other ways.

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I would love to add a hutch to our existing sideboard in the dining room.  I think it could be really amazing and we definitely have the wall space to do something grand.

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I wish for a hidden microwave.  Being that our kitchen will be so open, anything I can do to reduce counter clutter is a win.  And bulky appliances get a thumbs down from me.  We rarely even use our microwave, I wonder if we could just live without it completely... hmmmm... thoughts?

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Pull out pantry drawers.  I am thinking we could DIY these and they would completely rock our storage world.

So who out there has done a kitchen reno and lived to chat about it?  What would you have done differently?  What were your "must haves"?  Who is on a color kick that is leaving you feeling happily surprised?

Psssst!  Jackie from Teal & Lime popped by earlier this month for a tour of our home and she is sharing it on her blog today.  I loved seeing our home from a different perspective and she has all sorts of new, never seen before angles!  You can check it out here.