After spending an inordinate amount of time lurking on this forum, I've finally plucked up the courage to post pictures of my kitchen remodel. I want to thank everyone for the invaluable advice and lively discussions and I hope you like the finished product.

As background information, the house, built in 1959, contained a kitchen that remained relatively unchanged since that time. Only newer appliances and a few coats of paint altered the space. I kept the square footage of the redesign to the original 11'x11' footprint, but removed one wall so that it's is now open to the family room, atrium and living room. I looked to Jill77's kitchen for inspiration and tried to incorporate a design style in keeping with the rest of the home without breaking the bank.

In addition to the kitchen remodel, the back wall of the house was opened for floor to ceiling windows, a concept often seen in modern houses of this era. Now upon entering, one is greeted with a view through the space and into the back yard. I guess we'll be landscaping next.

Before- kitchen (too much white paint and vinyl flooring I could never get to look clean. The kiddo cleans up much easier)

Before- the wall between the kitchen and family room is removed and the post and beam design of the home is exposed, opening the space. Soffits were also removed to allow wall cabinets to the ceiling.

After- kitchen

Pantry wall designed to provide much needed storage

At the threshold between the wood and concrete floors I added glass mosaic tile. It's a nice detail for a large transition space that a simple wood threshold could not cover.

Before- family room with almost no windows to speak of. Upon walking to the sliding door vistors would exclaim, "Oh, you do have a backyard!"

After- family room is now a proper mid century modern open to the outdoors. Vistors now exclaim, "Wow!"

Atrium- before (Yes, that is a dirt floor)

Atrium-after (we added a fountain and large concrete pavers to the space. It's now a calm sitting area where one can enjoy the sounds of the water)

Before- exterior (What else can I say...boring!)

After- exterior

cabinets- Ikea Nexus brown-black and Rubrik white glass

countertops- Silestone Blanco Maple

floors- diamond-polished concrete slab

refrigerator- 36" built-in GE Monogram

range- 36" Dacor dual-fuel

hood- 36" stainless steel and glass (bought on Ebay from Kitchenvent)

dishwasher- Thermador (purchased 3 years ago)

microwave- under cabinet GE Monogram Spacemaker

sink- 33" undermount, zero radius, stainless steel (bought on Ebay)

faucet- Grohe Minta in chrome

soap dispenser-Blanco 911-374

air switch- Insinkerator in chrome

disposal- Insinkerator Evolution

backsplash tile-Matchstix in "Mountain" blend

threshold tile- Oceanside Facets in "Tiger's Eye" blend

counter stools- Bertoia look-alikes

pendant lights- maybe Tech Lighting, I've long since thrown away the box