The pressures of building your own home

Pressure.

I don't like it.

As some of you know, we're in the middle (beginning, really) of the process of designing our future home. It sounds dreamy, build your home to work for you. Any house I've ever rented or lived in it was easy to see the flaws. "If I had designed this bathroom I would have added a window..." Or "Why didn't they make the living room more spacious?" or "Why in the world is this weird shaped closet here? I would never have done that."

But now the pressure is on.

What do I want? Specifically, what do I want in a kitchen. Where will the cabinets go? The sink? The stove? An island? No island? Breakfast bar? Area for desk?

The kitchen is where I live, and kitchen decor seems so permanent. Cabinets are kind of forever when you own them.

I peruse Flickr in hopes of finding the perfect kitchen that I can show to the architect and say, "This one! This is what I want!" I have ended up with a folder full of kitchen images and all very different....but I think I do have a vague idea of some of the things I want.

1. An island.
2. A breakfast bar.
3. A bookshelf. (Yes. In the kitchen.)
4. Hanging pots.

But don't ask me about tile color or countertops. It makes me nervous.

Kitchen
I like the island. It's open and spacious. I like space.

Rustic Kitchen Cabinets - StarMark Cabinetry
I think I like the open shelves above the sink. Would they just attract clutter?


Kitchen
Open shelving for pantry, but am I neat enough? Probably not. It would look so much more messy.

Country Kitchen
Simple, rustic, natural. I'm in love.


Kitchen with potrack and bookshelves
Yes! Yes and yes! To the bookshelf for all my cookbooks, to the jars on the counters full of whatever they're full of, yes to the hanging pots side by side. I'm really liking this one.


Kitchen

I like all the products on display, the vegetables laying around, the kitchen island. So many great ides.


Obviously our kitchen won't be the exact replica of any of these due to budget. (Too bad.)
But still, there are many decisions to be made.

So tell me what you think. What would you love/need/ wish for in a kitchen. I want to know.


5 comments:

Sarah Joy said...

If I designed my own kitchen I would want the sink and food prep counter facing the rest of the house (on the island!) so I can watch the kids in the living room while I'm cooking. I love an open kitcken with a long bar for the kids to sit and eat casual lunches. Have fun! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, and I know you are too.

Heather Wheelock said...

I'd say a definite yes on the bookshelf and the hanging pots. I have the bookshelves in my kitchen and love the easy access on the cookbooks. The only downside is the dust, I don't know how it is in Paraguay, but here anything out in the open gets a healthy layer of dust daily. However, hanging with the inside facing the wall may help to eliminate that problem. Also agree with the comment about the sink and food prep area facing the kids. I have an island/bar area that faces the living room and eating area of the kitchen which makes a great space for little helpers as well as watching the play time. Have fun! I can't imagine the stress of designing it myself...can't wait to see the finished product.

Brenda said...

I love the white kitchen but the one with the books reminds me more of you and Brian. Its hard to design your own kitchen! So many choice. .

Kathy said...

Just keep telling yourself, "I'm having fun!" It does sound like fun to me! I too like the idea of an island with a breakfast bar and (at least some) bookshelves are a must of course. I'd get a pantry with a door so I wouldn't HAVE to keep it tidy! :) Our pantry here has a doorway, but no door. I hung a sheer dark blue curtain there and it looks nice and no one can see inside. I'd definately have my sink looking out a window with a nice view if possible. (Don't have a good view here, so have to keep the curtains closed.) Well, have fun! Also looking forward to seeing the finished product. Happy Holidays!

Unknown said...

Tons of counter space is a must for me. I want to be able to stand around baking with the kids and not be bumping in to each other the whole time. I love the pictures of the openness that you were showing, but I would be WAY too messy, so I think the biggest musts for me would be lots of counterspace, shelves for cookbooks, and a huge pantry!