Tracy and Tony are remodeling their 112-year-old Victorian home's kitchen. Previously, Tracy told us about her old kitchen's problems, the realities of remodeling, and in the fourth installment of Remodeling with Tracy and Tony, she fills us in on the final makeover of her new kitchen.
Tony & Tracy's fully remodeled kitchen.
What was I thinking? In my first two entries, I referred to the next phase of our life as an “empty nest.” Well, I stand corrected. “Revolving door” is a more accurate description for what life will be like in our home. Just days after the last drawer pull screw was tightened, the last bit of trim painted, both our sons returned home – the older one just graduated from college, and the younger one came home from LA where he’d been working on a project before graduating from high school.
It’s been great to have them both home for a spell, and I couldn’t wait to see them walk into a kitchen that bore zero resemblance to the one they’d left. They stopped dead in their tracks: “Whoa, Mom, this is crazy!” Yeah, Mom may be getting older, but she still has a few tricks up her sleeve!
The new kitchen layout is as versatile as we’d hoped. Given the nocturnal propensities of teens and twenty-something’s, the kitchen has been in use almost constantly. The boys groggily meander downstairs for coffee around the same time my husband and I are making lunch. Thanks to the second sink, the fridge drawers and the six-burner stove, we can cook two separate meals without tripping over each other. Now that the weather’s warmer, the ice machine and beverage fridge are in constant use. And when the four of us are actually all home for dinner, I’ve loved having us all sit in the dining room to eat together. (Really, what makes a mom happier?) We’ve also entertained family recently; our parents were here to celebrate both boys’ graduations, and the longer counter area allowed us to both serve buffet style and clean up with room to spare.
New Jenn-Air appliances are a standout feature in this dream kitchen.
Of course, the revolving door never stops spinning. The boys left this morning and will be gone for a month. I’ll miss them, but I have to admit, the silence is pretty relaxing! And can you say “grownup party time?” Next week, we’re hosting a big open house, and I can’t wait to crank the music, mix some cocktails and share our new kitchen with our friends and neighbors.
The new floorplan is perfect for entertaining friends and family.
I’m so glad we did this remodel. As is true for most families, the kitchen is the heart of our home, and we now have a space that’s open and flexible enough whether it’s just the two of us or whether we have a house full of people. It truly took a village of talented Chicago-area professionals to design and build our kitchen, and I’d like to thank the folks at Smartrooms/Wood-Mode, Greene & Proppe Design, MP Construction, Falcon Construction, Community Home Supply and Jenn-Air for their creativity, diligence and inexhaustible attention to detail. Together, they helped make a kitchen we’ve already fallen in love with, and one where memories will be made for years to come.
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