House Update: The Kitchen Nook

Kitchen Nook After Picture

 There is lots of progress being made on the house, but I have been holding out on showing ya'll updates because it is not yet "perfect".  Yet, it is rare I ever get it "perfect" so I'm going to try and show more progress updates.  The space I'm showing today has been one of my problem children: the breakfast nook.

When I first toured this house with my Mom she found it super odd that there were two dining areas within sight and in practically the same room as each other.  The kitchen nook table was literally less than 10 feet from the dining table.  The kind of close where we could sit at one table and the kids at the other and toss biscuits into their mouths.  I agreed it was unneeded and decided it would be turned into something else or be an extension of our some-day kitchen renovation.  Our kitchen is smallish and the extra room would be heavenly. But to expand the kitchen into that area has its own challenges including a large window that is too low and would have to be moved, the garage entrance door breaks up the space and unless we were to move plumbing way over there (EXPENSIVE) I know I would never walk the extra 10 feet across the room just to use counter space. Sooooo, at this point I am planning on NOT expanding kitchen into this space. It will be at least 6 more months before we start kitchen demo anyways, so I also wanted to make the space functional for now.

Check out the below 'before' images!  There are a couple progress shots after the floor was installed and new lighting put up.

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After scratching off the kitchen expansion idea, there was the thought of a sitting/mud room since it is right off our garage main family entry. But ultimately, I really don’t want to look at a coat rack and built-up disorder while eating dinner at my “real” dining table.

The final idea came to me when I woke up at the crack of dawn (early wake = baby + anxiety) and watched the sunrise through this same window. It was gorgeous and as I sipped my coffee I really wanted to just lounge and relax in front of this view forever. So I decided it would become a proper kitchen banquette, with built-in comfy seating where we could eat informally, kids could do homework, and I could sit with my feet up as the sun strolls in (hopefully not often, as I like to be in bed at this time). Then, funny enough, when we moved our table to this area temporarily while. we reno'd the dining room floors, we found we much preferred the cozier ambience for family meals. Basically, I decided it would be what it always has been - a kitchen nook.  Sometimes the original plan is the best plan.

Unfortunately, Liam has way too many projects right now that are higher priority than custom seating. So the lounge banquette seating will be on hold, indefinitely. After we moved our dining table back to the real dining room I promptly went on a voracious search for an affordable, white, stable, and cute dining table that would fit the space. Found it with this vintage Formica top leaf table on LetGo. Sold! And since I got new Anthropologie chairs for the dining room I moved our old gray fabric Target chairs to the Nook.  Those will be replaced when we do the built-in seating.

We put up this adorable new green chandelier (from Overstock) and finished installing the vinyl flooring that is consistent throughout the main living areas.  We got new windows installed and 3DayBlinds window coverings (roller shades in gold/cream color that are rolled up in pics under the trim).  I would have loved to install a cute and fun roman shade fabric, but I wanted all the window treatments to be consistent in the living spaces while being inconspicuous.  And more importantly was the fact that I was desperate for window coverings when we moved in and this point did not me leave time or energy to do any risk-taking window covering options. 

The star of this room, I think anyways, is the wallpaper.  I got this ADORABLE peel-and-stick Art Deco Swans print from Spoonflower, designed by Kate Rhees.  (BTW - I got the same print, in a larger scale and in black and white, for the guest room accent wall.  That will be showcased in another post!)  The nook had wainscoting with trim (see before photos) and for some reason I wasn't ready to get rid of it and plaster the walls along with the rest of the house before we moved in.  Sometimes I get real attached to original designs of an older home.  But after living with it, I realized it was just outdated and a bit sticky-gross.  So I covered the wood in this wallpaper design and painted the trim white.  I think it adds character and focus to the space and brings in color from the rest of the house.  

That's our progress on the breakfast nook.  I can't wait to give a full tour once we finish the kitchen!