Opening up your kitchen

This is like that crazy kitchen on Seinfeld, where it got so awkward leaning over and talking under the cabinets that they stopped hanging out at Jerry's. Taking out the middle suspended cabinets really opened up the space between the kitchen and dinning room. This made the kitchen less awkward and better for entertaining.

Kitchens have gotten a lot bigger in the last few years. That means for the older houses something relatively dramatic has to be done to open up the space. This can sometimes be done without tearing out and redoing a lot of cabinets, however, this is a great time to rearrange and do new cabinets. Don't let this intimidate you, cabinets really don't have to be that expensive. I'm not talking about those cheap Home Depot cabinets with the doors that never seem to sit straight, you can get solid alder or maple cabinets installed for about the same price. Also, you'd be amazed at what $.20 tile for a backsplash and under cabinet lights do.

The Vances:

The Wards: