Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

Remember the kitchen, that lovely ugly room where I was required to preform miracles using equipment that did not work?  If you don’t just click on the kitchen category and visit that ugly space.  Then DH performed a few miracles while I was out west.

This is still a work-in-process but here’s what I came home to! The major change is a simple move or kitchen-stretch. We transfered 3′ from the eating area of the kitchen into the work area by simple moving the island 3′ away from the sink. This has made a huge difference.

But let me take you on a little tour of the new space. The tile floor is new and was laid by my talented DH. The pattern is called a pinwheel and I love the layout. And that’s what matters, right? That I love it.

Cabinet doors are coming. The backside of the island will hold the microwave and shelves for all my cookbooks, and a wine-rack. The trashcan will be hidden in the finished kitchen.

So, back to the tour. See that doorway, that’s where I was standing when I took the first photo.

The refrigerator is counter-depth which means there isn’t anything sticking out into the work-zone or walking aisle-way. It is shallow and I hope it works out. The stove is a 4-burner gas unit with a center grill. Our last kitchen had a grill and we constantly used it through the winter. Below the stovetop are two deep drawers, and on either side are two deep drawers for all my pots and pans. See that giant hood, it can really suck the smelly air right out of the kitchen.

The very top cabinets will have glass fronts and will display my ceramic pot collection. Yes, they will have lights and if you look closely you’ll see the wires that DH is pulling through.   There will be under the counter lighting too.

I haven’t decided what to put in the space above the refrigerator though. If you have a suggestion please leave it in the comment section. I’d love some ideas.

Oh, all the cabinet shelves are totally adjustable too.  DH’s going to start making the cherry cabinet doors in mission style soon.  He’s made all the cabinets too.  What talent.

Look at that corner cabinet. Do you see that it is curved? DH did that! He is such a woodworker!

I love the countertops but really need information on the do’s and don’ts of owning granite. If you have any tips please leave them in the comment section. I could use some advice like when do I need to seal it again? What cleaners can I use on it and which ones should I avoid?

The sink is HUGE and DEEP and a single bowl. Ahhh, it is fun to use. And that double oven will get lots of use when we go baking cookies or having a Thanksgiving style meal. The space above the oven has vertical slots so that my cookie sheets and other flat cookware can easily be stored.

This end of the island has a lift mechanism for my kitchen aid which will swing the mixer up when I’m in need of it and down and out of sight when it isn’t needed. The large open spaces will have pull out shelves in those cabinets. Nothing to be lost in the back corner anymore.

And here was one of the kitchen surprises. My TV, located on the wall, out of the way. Now if I could just lock it on HGTV.

Here’s my latest decision issue. The space above the cooktop, this 36×36″ space, calls for something special. A picture. A design. Something that pulls the kitchen together. In our last kitchen I had ceramic tile as the backsplash material and I loved it. I loved how easily it cleaned up and always looked fresh and new, never old like painted dry wall.

On Saturday I visited my tile guy and spent some time searching through his wares. Here’s what I came up with, a 24×24″ marble medallion for the vertical area behind the cooktop. The tumbled marble 4×4″ square on the lower right is what we are thinking of using as the backsplash material, between the countertops and cabinets.

Does it fit?