Today is the first day of the One Room Challenge. This is my first time participating and I can appreciate that the word “challenge” is right there in the title (why didn’t I pay closer attention to that word when I agreed to sign on this summer?)

The One Room Challenge was started by Linda from Calling it Home. It’s made up of twenty designers and/or design bloggers “challenged” to redo a room in just six weeks.
During these six weeks we’ll update on our progress once a week on
Wednesdays.

Renovating can be stressful. Also stressful? Moving. If you’re new here, we’re moving from Westchester, New York to near by Connecticut (hopefully) at the end of this month. By “we”, I mean, myself and Mr. Zhush and our three kids. When we move depends on the timing of our new home’s renovation. So, why not document this whole tense situation here? Seemed like a fun idea back in July, now I’m really just hoping this whole thing comes together before Thanksgiving!

OK, enough whining. The room I’m featuring is the new kitchen in the new house. The photo above is our current kitchen. I really love this kitchen, it’s going to be the inspiration for our new one. Here’s the new one…

Not bad, right? Just not my “dream kitchen”~ Here’s what I’m planning on doing/changing:

1. The lights above the island are far too small, I love my current island lights, the scale is perfect, they are coming with me.

2. Black granite counter tops are going. I love the look of our white marble counters, I’m hoping to find something just as nice.

3. Speaking of white, my preference for kitchens is always all white, just like our current kitchen. I know from past experiences (here and here) that these yellowish/cream cabinets will look amazing once they are re-painted all white.
a. The same holds true for that dark center island-painting it white.
b. And losing the heavy look of those center island “legs”.

4. That back splash is going too.

5. There are currently two fridges in this kitchen-actually one is a giant freezer and one is a fridge. Right now they are made to look like two giant cabinets. I love the industrial look that stainless steel brings to a kitchen, so I’m hoping to switch out those doors for stainless steel ones.

6. The floors here (and in the whole house) currently have a reddish hue to them. We’ll be staining them a deep dark brown.

7. I would love to have a farm house sink just like our current one above. Hoping to make this happen.

8. We’ll be moving around a few things. Boring things that you can’t really see in the photos, but for real life living don’t make a lot of sense. Expanding the little built in garbage to two pails instead of one. Moving the second dishwasher from the butler’s pantry to the kitchen.

9. Painting the walls a complimentary color. Probably a pale greige/gray.

10. Changing the hardware…thinking unlacquered brass.

11. Changing the glass cabinet doors to look a bit more modern.

12. Losing the light in the “breakfast” area of the kitchen, bringing our current fixture with me here as well.

13. And, finally, I’m hoping to add a “hot water” faucet. The idea of boiling water on tap seems very luxurious. Hope to make that happen.

Here’s a few more shots from my current kitchen (including one of my favorite shots from our feature in HGTV Magazine two years ago.) This will be the main inspiration for our Connecticut kitchen. I’ve brought back Muse Interiors to help me source and sort this kitchen out-and the whole new house in general (check it out on Instagram)…beyond thankful for that!

Be sure to check out the rest of the One Room Challenge participants- I know many of these ladies in real life and some I’ve been following for years-trust me, you’ll want to see their rooms and their designs!