The Heart of Our Home

Mid July marks the one year mark that we have owned our house in Houston.  When we bought the home, there were many things we liked about it but there were definitely some things we did not.  Over the last year, we have slowly changed out and upgraded most of the dated and non functional parts of the house to make it just about perfect for us.  

Our biggest project was completely gutting and rebuilding the kitchen.  We knew when we bought the house we would eventually do something to the kitchen because it the original layout was not meant for more then one person in it at a time and it had so much wasted space. 

Before the remodel, the kitchen space always felt so closed off (even in an open floorplan) and it was hard to have the kids in there with us without tripping over them or running out of counter space.  Our priority of the remodel was to create a family space that could hold us all as our family grows.  

We wanted a kitchen that could be a gathering place for our family and friends, that had enough space for the kids to join us in cooking and food prep and a place that we could all spend time together and make family memories.  We feel like we achieved what we wanted.  The pictures don't even begin to explain how much more functional the space is.  

In the few weeks that the remodel has been finished, we have been enjoying being able to cook together as a family more.   It was almost a year since Aaron and I could comfortably be in our kitchen together, so it is a huge treat to have enough space for all four of us! 

The kids LOVE being little chef helpers and are learning a lot as we talk together as we prepare the food.  I underestimated how much changing the flow of the kitchen would change our day to day life.  

And the time before dinner is so much less stressful now that E & Kels are part of the process, sitting at the counter reading books as I cut or helping mix ingredients, rather then trying to distract them to be outside of the kitchen while I quickly get a meal made. 

   

Living through a remodel was interesting, but actually not as invasive as I was prepared for.  I think the kids actually enjoyed seeing all the different people in our kitchen and watching the room transform.  And once it was all done, we did a celebration dance on the new countertops.

They definitely enjoyed all the boxes the new appliances came in... 

...and the messes that could be made in the construction zone.

Luckily, even clean up is easier in the new space, especially when they take care of it themselves.  :)

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One more before...

...and after.
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It is true, the kitchen really is the heart of a home.