Kitchen Re DO!

We were lucky (blessed!) enough to get to visit pretty much every single member of both our extended families this year over the holiday season.  After Christmas with my family, we headed out to San Francisco to visit Billy's parents and siblings.

Another huge bonus was getting to see their Brand New Kitchen!!!  The Leiva's have been undergoing a MAJOR re-model of their entire house.  In fact, the last time we were there (for a wedding in October) the entire downstairs was down to it's studs.  There was no kitchen and almost no bathroom.  Michele (my MIL) had them wait to tear out the toilet until the morning after we left :>) Smart thinkin'!

The ONLY before I have is from Christmas morning last year.  

That's my sister in law, Caitlin.  Note the  wall behind her, the carpet, the tile in the kitchen, the railing, pretty much nothing is the same.

I wish I had some "in-between" photos - it really was amazing to see just the bones of the house.

  Now for some afters.  Or I guess I should say In-Progress-ers...they aren't done yet.

The new Kitchen!!!  Gorgeous hard wood floors, all new cabinets.  The old kitchen had a drop ceiling so it was about a foot and a half lower.  And imagine that island turned perpendicular and attached to the counters on the left, cutting into the room.  Now, with the new island and higher ceiling it is so much bigger! And brighter with all those gorgeous white cabinets.  (I took these pictures the day that Billy's grandparents came down to visit)

In this picture, I'm shooting into the living room from the "before" shot above.  They put in a wine fridge (AMAZING!) with 2 refrigerated drink drawers underneath.  I love that idea.  First of all, obviously I love the wine fridge and would love one of my own (eventually an entire wine cellar like my parents! Oh happy day).  Secondly, I think the drink drawers are awesome.  My fridge is full of pop, water, juice, wine, beer - you name it.  There is barely enough room for actual food :>)  These drawers take care of that problem.

The kitchen is so much lighter now.  They get great natural light through those windows and sliding doors.  The island will eventually have granite on top to match the rest of the granite.

A view of the sink.  It got put in backwards :>) But the Leiva's like it that way! So it stays.

A view in the opposite direction.  They got rid of the white railing that divided the kitchen and the lower family room.  The put in built in cabinets and a bench that will eventually be one side of seating for a small breakfast table.  

This is looking into the new living room!  Look at those GORGEOUS wood floors.  They decided to put a small strip of darker wood around the perimeter.  Can you see that on the right? It is a great way to define the room and tie in the darker hard wood on the stair case to the right.  Also, remember how there were 2 openings into the kitchen?  Reminder:

They moved that wall over to the right and made the opening larger.  It looks great and is so much more functional.

Billy brought his mom flowers.  Such an amazing husband :>)  Yellow flowers in the kitchen for good luck!

Billy and his grandfather.

So blessed.

We go back out to see them in April for another wedding - more pictures to come.  The bathrooms will be done, hardwood throughout the rest of the lower level, the family room fireplace (bye-bye stone wall!)...it's going to be gorgeous!

xo,

k