The Heart of the Home

Recently, on IG, I posted the first picture, of our kitchen, since the renovation of our home. I was overwhelmed by the interest & feedback from so many of you.  Largely, you wanted to see ‘before & progress’ pictures.  Therefore, that will be the main intent of this blogpost.

However, it would be beyond my character & style to leave it just at that.  I must interject a few words about the kitchen, as a whole.  There is no room, in any home, where more congregating happens.  When Our Valley Home is filled with the welcome company of family & friends, the first spot we meet everyday is, without fail, the kitchen.  In the morning, it could be because the kitchen is where the coffee is, but I think it’s basis is more deeply rooted than that.  The kitchen is, of course, where food is prepared.  We spend a lot of time, whether we like it or not, sourcing, cleaning, storing, prepping, eating, cleaning (again) & repeating said cycle of food.  I believe, fully, that there is more than physical sustenance involved.  Instead, we gather to eat & drink, & unintentionally, our souls are touched, mended, or stretched.  As we share in laughter, tears, & conversation, more than our stomachs are filled…more hearts have been healed, problems solved & friendships forged, I daresay, in the kitchen than in most confession booths, conference rooms or coffee shops!  So it is, I believe, part kitchen, part heart of the home…

It is with this mindset, we decided to really amp up our kitchen in space, functionality & style.

~We stole one entire room, complete with its exterior balcony, framed it in & captured it as interior space (It had been Darrell’s office, which had the best view in the house – he gave that up & gained the inversion of the staircases – which I may have mentioned, I did not think was necessary…)

~We took down walls (this had been a very 90’s home & was all sub-divided into small-ish rooms)

~ We claimed an outdoor veranda & made it into part of the interior walls

~ We took the entire east side, of our home, out the distance of a previous cantilevered alcove

~ We added windows & made other windows much larger

~ We took out interior & exterior doorways.

Whew!! And…this is only the list of structural components.  We added several new appliances, counter tops, cabinetry & pantry, & took every element of the kitchen to a larger scale.

This photo is where it all began…the glass door leads into the room that we captured & the door knob pictured (front left) is the old door to go to the lower level, now-completely open concept 🙂

This shows the style & size of the previous windows.  Also, the passage door that used to go out to the main floor deck…shutters & transoms are not bad things, they are just things that had never been a favorite, of ours, in the house…

This is the veranda that we captured for interior space (LH pic) as well as the exterior balcony & alcove (not a great pic, but you can see the alcove behind the basketball net & small balcony to the left of the net) We opened up these two sides, of the house,  reframed it all, & reclaimed it as interior square footage, for the kitchen…woot!!

           

This shows the balcony we closed in & how small the windows used to be…not to mention, the poor sun-beaten siding.  It went to siding heaven… 🙂 (Also, to be duly noted the removal of all cedars.  Again, cedars are not bad trees.  Ours, however, were reaching their life span & dying off, from the inside.  As a result, the pool deck was constantly covered in dry cedar leaves!  They had to go!!)

              

Here is a couple of progress pictures…

Annnnd….after a minutia of decisions on color, finish, product, style, etc., etc., etc., & days, weeks & months of hard work, by our general contractor & so many trades…this…

I am a girl from humble beginnings, a girl who has always leaned into the domestic, but a girl that couldn’t have even dreamed dreams this big.  I am deeply grateful for all we have, but none of it would mean a thing if it wasn’t for those who come to share it with us!!  And nothing makes my heart sing like these walls peeling with the noise of life, counters with elbows on, food steaming, bubbling & baking, glasses full, plates all a clatter…the sound of love reaching ‘the heart of the home…’