It looks like this beautiful house is in the middle of being cleared out. It can be quite difficult to make changes while in mourning. Since the house is lovely as it is, I suggest you move in and live there for a year before making significant changes. You'll know what you want to change by then. If the 1988 architect's firm is still in business, you could consult them about changes in keeping with the overall design.

In the meantime, you can have the carpets and tile professionally cleaned, then add your own easy touches such as new towels, welcome mats, shower curtains, and so on. Having windows professionally washed, especially the high-up ones that are hard to reach, can make the house look fresh again, too. Change the air filters to keep up with the dust stirred up by moving, it makes a big difference. Change any old scented cleaning products to your own current favorites.

I am guessing your mother in law would be thrilled you even want to keep the home, and would appreciate you putting your own spin on things. She no doubt was influenced to lower the kitchen ceiling, today, she may have loved the vault with natural light.

I would remove all of the kitchen and install a current design within the natural roof line.

Just knowing that you and your husband will retrace her steps every day in the home on the golf course is the real treat.

I would open it up by removing the uppers and the beams used for mounting those cabinets except for the uppers on the back wall.

When they built the home- the designer told her she couldn’t have cabinets all around her without closing off the room with walls. She said yeah I can - and drew what you see now on a napkin. (The beams attached to cabinets)

She was a very special lady. I love her very much.

But How Do I Update Kitchen?

What is your definition of update?

You have a nice 1988 kitchen, but I'd do as Lyn suggested -- remove all of the kitchen and install a current design.

And if possible, prior to move in.

Consider the entire house and make a plan for what it needs, and what you would like to change.

That’s actually my whole conundrum. The house is a 4700 so foot 1 story home and it all flows into each “common area”. We will definitely be doing this before move in. I wish there was a way to keep what she has done for the most part but not make it seem so small or claustrophobic. If I had no attachment to anything I’d love to take down the cabinets on the beams, and create two islands that run long ways to the cook top.

This is tricky. The kitchen is too wide--you have that barrier island between the sink and range, when what you want is having just a comfy 48" to 52" aisle between the two. But the kitchen has clearly been designed to be centered on the ceiling vault and window arch. And is tied into those beams and support posts, which may be structural. So just shrinking the kitchen width isn't simple. You need an architect, either the orginal as suggested above, or a someone new. A good fix for this probably involves some structural work.

Have you looked at induction cooktops? Much better than conventional electrics. Many of us feel they are better than gas. And much easier to run the necessary new circuit than to install a gas line.

Here are some more pictures that may help you get an idea of the home’s flow. 1st picture is walking just past the kitchen. Next is formal dining on the left with a serving area and hutch cabinets on right, next is formal living on the left. To the head of the house is the master.

What an amazing opportunity - so lovely for you all to be in the home. If it were me, I would settle in and see how it lives. I think you will eventually want an architect and a KD - it will be so worth it

I’ve actually spent quite a lot of time in this home over the last 16 years - especially cooking holiday meals in the kitchen.

I absolutely agree with la_la Girl I know you’ve cooked in the house but you did so when it was your MILs kitchen not yours. Take your time to see how YOU live in it. When it’s an emotional involvment you don’t want to have regrets for rushing in or making mistakes.

without the heavy dark kitchen framework, it could really be fabulous.

There is certainly opportunities for great cabinet storage in a creative configuration.

I would suggest putting together a vision board of bits and pieces you are drawn to, then find a kitchen architect to put your vision together. Looks like a fabulous project.

With the good bones, the sky is the limit, have fun!

@Lyn Nielson that is a very similar shape to this kitchen and nook - thank you for sharing! Since she did something so custom and unique when she built this house - I'd like to do something unique as well. A tribute to her if you will.

I have definitely been finding things I like. The only trouble is, I don't know how to make any of it work into the house without changing the whole thing since it's open concept. I'm a very creative person, just hitting a mental block with this.

Getting my husband to snap a picture from the kitchen looking into the family room so you guys can see the flow. I'll share it when he sends.

If I had no attachment to anything I’d love to take down the cabinets on the beams, and create two islands that run long ways to the cook top.

Have an attachment to the person and her spirit - not to her 1988 kitchen. Seems like her motto was to have a vision and make it happen. She'd probably be proud of you for making something new and exciting in the space.

I can certainly imagine that over 16 years you know what does or doesn't work in a space. (My favorite past time at my MIL's home - to drown out her wacky yammering about UFOs and aliens coming to snatch your body, was to reimagine how I'd renovate the first floor.)

Post a drawing of the layout of the first floor along with the additional pictures. The more the conversation evolves, and the more others post pics, the more you will start to craft a vision of this space as your own. Daydream big and don't be limited by her in the moment a-ha's. You need to have your own.

Start from fresh in the space. Good-bye to what is currently in the kitchen.

BTW - I adore that sofa with the huge wood arms. Incredible.

This is an easy one for me!

I would remove all the flooring and put in new engineered wood floors in living areas and bedrooms.

Bathrooms can be tackled at a later time.

Paint all the wood work white.

Gut the whole kitchen and come up with new layout/design.

Check the "health" of all windows and doors, and repair/replace as needed. You don't want to do this after you've painted all the trim.

If it was my house, I would take down the lower beam and columns if that's possible. I would also renovate the entire kitchen with current style cabinets.

Here are the additional pictures I mentioned. Also included the breakfast nook where I’m thinking we could expand the kitchen’s footprint? My sweet FIL loves keeping the Christmas tree up year round. 🥰 (FYI he knows we are looking at what to do with the house and he encouraged it.)

Not sure why the open flow of it seems so problematic. It is really not that different than most open concept kitchen and living areas -- or am I missing something?

Being single story means all the beams and posts tied into the hanging cabinets and across the front of the island can come out to open the space up. That's a good first step.

At first glance there is a lot about this kitchen that fits the cozy English pub vibe you love! I really like all the beams and posts for that, but not the upper cabinets attached to them. On closer examination, I see there are far too few lower drawers for ease, and the island is quite small and a barrier. If you wanted to make modest changes and don't have big frustrations with layout and use, I'd suggest removing the floating uppers, change counter to a warm marble/stone type with either a cream or rich colored publike tile backsplash, and delete the current island for a painted furniture style worktable/legged kind of piece instead. And add knobs & bin pulls which always makes a huge difference. BUT. If you have the funds, a total redo could optimize things a lot and bring in all those touches of innovation, style, and comfort that today's kitchens routinely have.

Transforming this open concept house to your dream house is a big deal. I’m in the “wait a year” camp. Get ideas, save photos of your dream kitchen, interview architects-contractors-kitchen designers. Moving too quickly on any major renovation always doubles the cost somewhere.

This house is a huge gift. It can be fabulous and very much “yours” without feeling like you are removing the great feelings it gives you. I would take it slow and get ideas first. Even “just painting” the cabinets could end up being an unnecessary expense.

Love the fireplace area!

@Kendrah it’s more so a complication with flooring and things. Stops/starts etc. plus with all the wood trim and cabinetry I don’t know how it’s possible to get the wood flooring throughout that I would really love. I am probably just having a hard time visualizing. (Which is why I was asking for help 😉)

@Amanda C - Getting the floor decision done first is critical. Every room will look better with one cohesive floor product (except for tile in kitchen and bathrooms). I extended the wood flooring to my kitchen since I have open concept, but there is tile in the adjoining laundry and mudroom.

This is why you need a plan for the whole house before you spend money on any products.

It’s a huge project as you know - a talented architect & designer can create renderings that will enable you to see it, I think an upgraded design for this space is beyond the lay person (myself included) - the right pros are key for a project of this magnitude

We found the plans for the house!

@RedRyder I agree- I want wood through out like I have in my current home but don’t think we can do that in this house because there is so much wood everywhere. At least I’m having trouble visualizing it anyways.

Maybe create a wish list prioritizing what you’d like to tackle first. Have two contractors in to see what’s structurally possible, advise what you’d like to do, discuss your vision. Once you have a rough quote you’ll be able to create a short and long term plan,. Then hire an interior designer.

BeverlyFLADesigner posted some great mockups of a cabin recently, adding wood floors to a cabin with wood walls and ceiling. It looked great! The trick was she used a very different tone of wood for the floor, either much lighter or much darker. You could do the same here--maple, white oak, red oak with a clear coat or a light stain. It would look amazing.

^^ Agree - def think you can do wood flooring

You can absolutely do wood floors. Find websites that give you the option to upload photos and try different choices. LumberLiquidators used to have that feature. Some wood flooring website does! The colors of the wood (light, medium, dark - ash, oak, mahogany, walnut) are important for the overall “feel” of your house. Dark wood floors are running but do show everything. I’ve always loved medium brown tones.

It is REALLY hard to visualize an entire new wood floor in any house. But I would take the time to do my research because floors are like “skin”- if it doesn’t look good, nothing that goes on it will either.

Hang in there!

I'll bet most casual meals are eaten in the nook, not the dining room, which is close to, but not in any way connected to, the kitchen. The built-in china cabinet is beautiful, but has no connection to the dining room (which is where I usually think of putting a china cabinet). Is there any chance the china cab is freestanding, and can be moved to the dining room?

I would try to marry the kitchen and dining somehow (perhaps open up the wall where the china cabinet is?)

Nope - it’s built in to the cabinetry. There are also built in upper china cabinets above the buffet near the formal dining, as well as above the bar next to the formal living. I would be removing the one in the nook, I think.

My little family tends to eat at the island, so I was thinking maybe a double island with one that is larger that extends into the existing nook space. Chairs around that so it serves as a dining space but also more prep space. Idk how that would look though 🤔