It was a tough decision to renovate my published kitchen (Inspired house 2004

http://www.taunton.com/inspiredhouse/pages/ih00003_01.asp Great kitchens 2007

http://www.tauntonstore.com/great-kitchens-082003.html).  My husband and I have really enjoyed the kitchen. We liked the basic layout (good orientation, easy transition between appliances and an open central workspace), the open plan feel and how it related to other spaces and allowed exterior light to fill the space.  We chose many of the finishes together and even carried the backsplash tile back from a trip to Australia.   

However, when I designed and built the space 16 years ago, we had different needs and a singular lifestyle.  It was also only the second kitchen we had lived in (the first being a poorly designed apartment alley kitchen).  Our first kitchen design was a compromise of ingenuity, cost, and function but did not include all of the necessities for a growing family (small boys eat their weight in food every week and teenage boys eat twice that…..we have one of each). Especially one that enjoys cooking, eating and entertaining. When the majority of our appliances gave out over a 6 month period and the wear and tear started to become more apparent, we took the opportunity in hand and set out to create a better functioning kitchen, one that accommodated our family’s needs, and became a great place for entertaining in the heart of the home.

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