kitchen and dining room.

The kitchen has probably been changed the least since we moved in. It’s old, but perfectly functional. David removed some of the cabinet doors when we bought the house, painted the walls, and we bought the island, but other than that, this is basically how the kitchen looked.

It’s a tiny kitchen but has lots of light and there’s a good-sized pantry. I have a whole Kitchen board on Pinterest with ideas for our kitchen remodel, which may or may not happen in a year or so. I don’t think we’ll take out any walls; just update the cabinets and light fixtures, backsplash, and maybe some appliances. It’s fun to dream.

I’m taking this photo standing in the dining room. We love that the kitchen and dining room are connected, and that we can stand fixing dinner at the island and hang out with folks sitting around the table. It’s one of our favorite features of our house.

You may remember our white-washed hutch. Once we moved in we realized it kind of dominated the dining room, plus posed a continual hazard since someone leaning back in their chair could hit the glass doors. So we sold it on Craigslist, and after much searching, found a sideboard we love at HomeGoods.

We had plans to hang some shelves over the sideboard because we like the look of open shelving, but we’ve come to really enjoy the simplicity of that gray wall. I’m telling you, it’s a constant challenge to make our space homey but also keep it uncluttered.

Since the dining room was originally a bedroom (with a wall to the kitchen), there’s a good-sized closet. It’s been a junk closet all year, but now is in the process of becoming a combined extra pantry and homeschooling closet. We currently use the sideboard for craft supplies.

Here’s our kitchen/dining progression . . .

And here we are today!