SIMON"S KITCHEN Part 1

Blasting Out the Walls of a Boring 80's Suburban House

If you think you can't add personality to a boring 80's house in the suburbs, I am going to prove you wrong. Out the way Mike Holmes, Simon's in charge of this one.  Simon and his wife bought their home a year ago. It hadn't been touched since it was built in the 80's.  Owned by an older couple, it was wallpapered to death and had absolutely no architectural features and zero charm.  Simon is not only a master cabinetmaker and contractor, he has worked on countless older homes in Europe, and this experience, combined with his quest for perfection, and his very stylish wife's skills as a decorator, means this kitchen is going to rock.

So this is what they have.  3 young kids, a tiny, dark, kitchen with no space for even the microwave, and a living room, dining room combination that is barely used.  What they are going to get is a multipurpise great room, full of light and space.

Short on storage and space, the microwave has to sit by the eating area. You can just peek into the dining room which is dark and small.  This part is going to become the dining room part of a large great room that will encompass the kitchen, breakfast area and a more practical, less formal dining room.

The wall has come down and the dining room is now the kitchen area of the great room.  Notice the amount of light in the room from that back window (which will soon be a garden door).  Part of the hexagonal floor has been removed and has been replaced with a large rectangular linen colored porcelain tile that fits in with the contemporary, clean, neutral decor.

L-Boy sneaking past.

The old kitchen in the first picture is still there and fully functional, while the new kitchen is being built. Once this side is complete, the old kitchen will be demolished and will become the dining room.  Note the rough in for the island is there, plus a few units have been hung. Some of the units are from a big box store, but they will be customized and from what I can gather some of the doors are going to be be in an exotic wood.

Part of the pantry has been installed and the kitchen table is in it's temporary space.

Next week, the appliances arrive and I know I am going to have some serious stove envy.  Check back next Saturday to see what progress has been made. You will be amazed at what can happen when you think outside of the box, I am so excited to see the progress.