We are so happy to be in our new kitchen! We’ve been using it for about two weeks, and I wanted to share some photos comparing our original (old) kitchen (upstairs) on the third floor with the new kitchen (downstairs) on the second floor. We used the upstairs kitchen for a year; we couldn’t have lived without it and are so grateful for it, but oh, gosh, it’s so nice to be in a more functional kitchen. And we love not having to carry our dinner downstairs every night – finally, our kitchen is on the same floor as our terrace. There’s still work to do, but the heavy lifting is over!

Downstairs: Jeff now sits here at the bar, and there’s plenty of room around him.

Upstairs: He used to sit here at the kitchen table – he’s adorable, but with this kitchen plan, it was difficult to get into the cabinets behind him. (Oh, and don’t you just love the tile, and the cork boards on the walls?)

Upstairs: The previous owners put the dishwasher right next to a cabinet, so we couldn’t open both at the same time to put dishes away.

Downstairs: Dishwasher is never in the way thanks to drawers and modern kitchen design.

Upstairs: No counter space next to the oven or microwave; the microwave is below the oven (we use the microwave much more than the oven, so the microwave should be on top), and there’s very little counter space to the left of the cooktop. (Plus, that’s a cute wood-fired pizza oven, but we’ll never, ever use it.)

Upstairs: Separate fridge and freezer (so at least we have a lot of space inside – very happy to have them, and they’re an excellent brand), but no counter space next to the fridge/freezer setup.

Downstairs: Plenty of counter space next to the microwave (which is on top), oven, cooktop and fridge.

Upstairs: The countertops were tile, so I always had to put towels under the cutting boards, because without towels, the boards were teeter-tottery and noisy.

Downstairs: Smooth countertops – no more towels!

Upstairs: When we were at the sink, we didn’t have a view of the kitchen door, so one didn’t know when someone came into the kitchen.

Downstairs: Now, no matter where we’re hanging out in the kitchen, we can see the entryway.

Downstairs: Here’s a photo of the door to our terrace, taken from the kitchen entryway. Just steps away! (Yes, there’s still work to do, but at least it’s right there!)

Upstairs: Cracked (in three places), yellowish/brownish sink with a built-in drain board that’s very popular here, but to me is a waste of counter space.

Downstairs: Happy, happy, happy! Cheers! 🙂

Related

• Before and After: Our Salon and Staircase
  April 28, 2019
• Now Serving Drinks at our Balcony Bar!
  July 3, 2019
• Our New Granite is Installed!
  July 19, 2019