Hi everyone! I am just so excited, and a bit nervous. My husband and I are going to start our kitchen face lift next week. If anyone has any advice/etc. along the way I would really appreciate it! We are working with an interior designer (a neighbor and friend, we have worked with her before) and a kitchen person (where our existing merillat cabinets are sold). Here is the order of what we are doing -I think we will be very tired in a few months.

1. Ordering new appliances (SS, GE profile, asko, sharp)

2. Getting a few new cabinets put in to maximize space ans storage, moving around a few to enlarge the island.

3. Getting under cab lighting, and new recessed lighting put in (my kitchen is so dark), power to a new cabinet that will house a microwave drawer!!!

4. PAINTING our oak stained cabinets, an off white color. Leaving a few oak, adding some oak stained bead board behind some open shelving we are going to put in.

5. Cambria quartz countertops (Reading is the color)

Except on the desk area, that will be an Oak top to help pull it all together----we already have oak floors, just a little too much oak with the cabs the same color, KWIM?

6. A tile backsplash- undecided yet.

We are so excited- my young children think it is funny that a kitchen could be so exciting to mommy and daddy. While I wish it was in our budget to start from scratch, there is some satisfaction with re-using/ re-purposing what we already have.

I hope to take pics along the way- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Wish us luck! And thanks for your advice