Friday Favorites

It's Friday!! Whoo Hoo! One of my favorite things is a before and after. Don't you just love a good before and after? I could look at them all day. I think it gives me hope. I have done a little work in our kitchen lately.
Here are a couple of befores...

I wish I could find pics of how it looked when we moved in. The cabinets were oak, there was wallpaper everywhere, the counter tops were white Formica (I'm too messy a cook for white Formica!), and the floor was shiny tile. Let's just say it wasn't my style. So, I took down the wallpaper, had someone texture, I painted it a warm golden color, and a few years later, we put in the granite counter tops, stone back splash, and laminate floors.

You'll notice the cabinet hanging over the bar. I can't tell you how many time I hit my head on it! 

 I begged Kelvin to take out the hanging cabinet, but he thought we should keep it. Being the good wife that I am, I didn't take a sledge hammer to it. I waited and waited and waited some more, and finally this past fall, the stars aligned, the heavens opened, and the cabinet came down! I was so excited!! I didn't even care about the large hole in my ceiling that was there for a week or so or the raw wood that was there for a wee bit longer than a week or so (more like a few months, but who's counting!)

 I just didn't understand the lighting in the kitchen...a huge box recessed fluorescent light...WHY?! Can't tell you how much I hated that light. I rarely turned it on. I would rather have worked in the dark.

 I LOVE the recessed lights! LOVE them! And with the hanging cabinet gone, the kitchen looks SO much bigger. My head hurts a lot less too. I also painted. I'm going for a coastal look and chose Sherwin Williams' Sea Salt. I really like it...so calming. I need calm.

The color looks a little bit different depending upon the light. It's really a great color. I can't wait to finish the rest of the first floor with it.

Oh, I almost forgot! After taking out the hanging cabinet, we were left with that raw wood. I bought some chalk paint at a new little shop here in town, and was thrilled with the results. I can't wait to paint something else with it. :)

 So, what do ya think? I have other plans for the chandy in the breakfast area. I want to replace it with something like this...

source

and put some bamboo shades in the windows. I wish money grew on trees, but mine are bare. 

Patience is a virtue, right?

So, that's my favorite before and after right now. What about you?

Have a great weekend!