The Kitchen Renovation - So Far

Since the kitchen had been extensively renovated, the only thing that we wanted to do before moving in was open it up a bit more into the great room.

It was a hard decision for me though because the kitchen was just so pretty.  Here is a before of the middle section above the counter that we had torn out:

Once the two cabinets and the shelves were down, we realized that some electrical wiring and water pipes would need to be moved.  This delayed the process slightly.

Once that was taken care of, the opening was cut through to the other side.

We had our builder add a custom wood-block countertop to make a raised bar area.  I think wood was the best choice to transition from the kitchen with marble into the great room.

The trash can was just there for clean up.  We do not plan on leaving it there. 

Here is a close-up of the counter:

I really do like the contrast in color and texture:

For barstools, I wanted something durable.  We have probably bought three different sets of barstools in the past nine years.  It's amazing what kids can do to them.  

When I got my Shades of Light catalog this summer, I knew exactly what I wanted to get.

I like the mix of industrial with traditional. And trust me, it will take a lot for the boys to break something off of these.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this project turned out.  Again, it was not my first choice in design, but I do think it is the best choice for making this space more livable for our family.