kitchen | home sweet bargeron.

I've been cooking since I was just a little girl, but up until a few months ago I had never considered it something I looked forward to. That all changed in December, however, when my dream kitchen became my real life kitchen. I was in heaven then, and I'm still in heaven eight months later! Not only is it updated and beautiful, but it's, also large and open. There are many days when I prepare meals with a whole lot of toys at my feet, and I still have room to move around without kicking too many of them with my bare feet.

There wasn't much "sprucing up" that needed to be done in this room because it was already so incredibly gorgeous, but it has still been fun to add little touches of home here and there. There are enough cabinets to keep all of our cookware hidden and organized (something I've NEVER known of my whole life), and it's so refreshing for everything to have it's own space. We purchased the pantry beside our refrigerator (you will see below) right after we moved in as a housewarming gift to ourselves, and it was a very smart (and, quite honestly, necessary) investment.

The bar stools at our island have been with us since the very beginning of our marriage, along with the dinner knives and utensil holder, and the other items have been added along the way since we moved in. I wanted as little amount of "stuff" on the countertops as possible because I love a clean, fresh kitchen, and I love the tidy feeling and easy clean up that they help foster. I've, also, dreamed of having a window above my sink for as long as I can remember (probably because all of the houses I lived in while growing up had one), and this one is just perfect. The roman shade above it was one of my DIY projects when we first moved in. I couldn't believe that this house had all (yes, ALL!) of my favorite things, including this! And that gorgeous KitchenAid mixer you see beside our stove...be still my heart! That was one of the best surprises I've ever received, and I use it like it's going out of style.

Preparing dinner and the clean-up that follows has never been so fun. Yes, fun! If the day comes that we ever move again, the next kitchen will have to top this one...and I'm just not sure if that's possible!

Before:

After:

Isn't she lovely?