It seems, no matter how awesome and welcoming the rest of a house may be, inevitably, the kitchen is where guests will gravitate. So, it's no surprise that we have been focusing a lot of our time and energy towards the kitchen. We love to entertain, John loves to cook, I love to bake, and when I am forced to actually prepare a meal, John pretends whatever I have produced tastes delicious.

And speaking of John, can I just pause to acknowledge the wonderful that is my husband. I often talk about the side project I'm fumbling through, while here in reality, slow and steady, without complaint (or tears) John is the one getting shit done. Demo, framing, electrical, wood-working sorcery. There's nothing he can not do. I am truly, the luckiest girl in the world. It is because of John's thoughtful demeanor, craftsmanship, and attention to detail that Content. will be restored to her former glory. (cue the singing angels). I love that manly-man!

Ok, now back to the show. The following chronicles several weekend projects we've tackled over the last three months.

You all remember my demoed post? That's where it all began in mid-October. First, we ripped out all the old cabinetry, and funky layout.



Kitchen: Before

I'm the boy on the right :)



Kitchen: After demo



Kitchen: After demo

Then, we assessed the ceiling. Who in their right mind would cover beautiful exposed beams? Not this chick, rip em' down!

My sister Lindsey and her boyfriend Mario came over to flex their demo muscles on this job. Thanks for all your hard work guys!





After

Then, John swapped the position of the courtyard-side door and window. I use the word "swap" as if I'm changing a pair of shoes, but this was no easy task. We did this in order to gain a more continuous run of wall, enabling us to configure the kitchen more efficiently.

It was obvious that the previous owners had encountered similar issues due to the lack of wall space (most Content. walls are occupied by a door or window) and they resolved to pulling their major kitchen components (sink, stove and dishwasher) into the center island. This was not a solution we wanted to repeat, so, the door was moved and John cut the existing window in half and placed it over the new sink location. (Genius idea John!) Repurposing the old window helped keep Content's. esthetic consistent, and it turned out even better than we'd imagined.



Before: Window on left and door on right.



Old kitchen window is out, making room for the new door.



Door has been removed, ready to board up; creating more wall space for countertops.



After reframing the wall, John's cutting the new window.



Repurposing the old full size window frame, now sized in half to sit over the kitchen sink.



The woodworking sorcerer, himself.

Then, John and our wonderful friend Dave tackled the interior wall which divides the kitchen and dining room. We thought adding pocket doors between these rooms would add an interesting architectural detail, but this change required more structural support.

Basically, the switch from a 30" single, door opening to nearly double that expanse required the addition of a beam. This was a big project, taking an entire weekend.

I took some cool time lapse photography throughout Saturday, which makes the whole job seem to fly by. Sadly, my basic blogging know-how end here because for the life of me, I can't figure out how to upload the full days footage.... I've shared the short snippet that I previously posted on Instagram. Be sure to note my dance moves as my only solid contribution all day (oh, and I picked up lunch).



So, that's the start of the kitchen project. Stay tuned. I'm excited to share with you our Home Depot cabinet layouts and amazing appliances scored during Black Friday!

If you're still reading, be sure to share your comments below!