Growing up, my family had a large kitchen. Tons of counter space, breakfast bar, walls of cabinets, and plenty of space to linger over pots of food (and piles of dishes!). Dad and I would solve the world's problems while we peeled potatoes at the counter, mom and I would talk about raising kids while we (she) chopped veggies, and dinner time around the table was always full of laughter, good talks, and comfort.

I loved having a big kitchen, not so much because I loved to cook (still working on that!), but because it's so much less formal than the dining room. Guests turn into family when they clear dishes, help themselves to whatever is in our fridge, and sit on our counter to finish that great conversation - and I love every second of it. 

When we bought this house, we knew we'd be working with a bit of a smaller space specifically in the kitchen - but we loved the walk-through layout and the potential it carried. Sunil immediately began scheming ideas of how to install a dishwasher for me (we never had one!), where to put it, and how to move heaven and earth to make it all look pretty (just for me!). I'm a modern girl at heart, so I dreamed of white cabinets, grey walls, and simple, fresh design. 

This is how it looked when we bought it. Simple. And I really did love it... because it was mine. :)  

This is our kitchen now! 

One of the biggest things we tried right away was moving the fridge to the empty opposite wall! We put up temporary shelves in its place - just to see if it would work for us! And it did! Last fall we hired our good friend Joe Timm to come install the dishwasher, new open shelving above the dishwasher, and another cupboard on the right side. The original plan was to add a butcher top counter top over the dishwasher to extend the counter.  

(This is our Clutter Corner. #reallife)

After Joe installed the dishwasher, shelves, and new cabinet for us, we decided (while we were at it!) that butcher block was so beautiful - why not do the whole counter top? 

One thing lead to another, and soon we were redoing the back-splash as well! (Yay projects!) 

Sunil created and installed under-cabinet lighting (ITS MOTION SENSOR!!) and it gives the entire kitchen a lovely bright feeling. 

The butcher block is SO beautiful!! Joe did such an awesome job! 

The cabinet to the right of the dishwasher was almost too narrow to a shelf, so Joe installed three sliding drawers for us. It's the perfect space for a mini pantry! 

He also custom designed a wine-glass rack to sit right above our open shelves, and stained it to match the cabinets! It fits perfectly. :) 

Overall it's much brighter, there's LOADS more counter space, and we have more storage! Did I mention I have a real life dishwasher now?? It's really the best thing we did for our house!! :)

Excuse me while I go do my dishes (in less than 30 seconds!). 

EDITED TO ADD

Y'all. Joe does amazing work. If you're ever interested in any woodworking ideas/projects/dreams that you want done, and done well, give him a call! Love this guy! 

When Sunil and I bought our first home in the summer of 2014, I knew it would be a huge adjustment - we'd only ever rented before!! I was eager to paint and decorate, but I had TOO many ideas to choose from! We decided to tackle it all quite slowly (to save money - yay!) and painted our first wall four months after we moved in. Those four months felt like an eternity!

Part of me is extremely grateful that we waited so long to begin customizing our home. It taught me to be cautious, and it helped me really settle and nest. In some odd way, getting to know your house is a little like getting to know a person; you really need time to understand how they think and what things are important to them. Where you'll spend all your time. Where the sunlight hits the floor in the afternoon. Where that perfect reading nook should go. And for me, living in a house that didn't quite look like my ideal taught me to appreciate the flaws and lean into the perfections. It taught me that it doesn't matter what color the paint on the wall is... I can still make my home a place of safety, rest, and comfort for anyone who walks through my doors. 

When we finally started painting, I was super hesitant. I think I bought 20 samples of paint for our very first wall of color, JUST because I was so nervous about wasting money!

(Side-note: I hate spending money. I'm a saver/hoarder of money and my husband has to almost FORCE me to spend money on myself. Legit.) 

Reading a book called The Nesting Place really showed me what I was so afraid of: I was afraid that if I started decorating my house I couldn't stop until it was perfect. Done. Complete. It showed me that what I was really looking for was perfection, and deep down inside I knew I wouldn't find it. And that scared me. 

So I decided the only thing that would help was if I jumped in with both feet. We painted that first wall and I fell in love with the color AND the feeling. Improvement, not perfection. It gave me confidence to keep going; not for perfection's sake. But to make it lovely. To make it mine. 

I've decided to show you my guest bedroom today. Before and now. Not before and after. Because it's not done and perfect yet. But I still think it's lovely. And out of all the rooms in my house, this is the one that serves people the most. Out of town guests, last minute family needing a place to stay, unexpected visitors who need a place to be alone, sick friends that need to be cared for: that's what this room is for. And I hope it continues to be a place of rest and peace for our guests in the future. 

When we moved in, everything was peach. EVERYTHING. I hate peach. So we've started painting most things grey. Because grey is awesome. :) 

I debated whether or not I should remove all the clutter, iron, boxes and everything else that's kept in this credenza. But I decided to be real, not perfect. I still think it's lovely. :) 

When our guests come to stay, they find these toiletries waiting for them. Having some extra toothbrushes has come in handy a time or two. :)

The canvases on the right REALLY need to go on the wall... but I decided to be real, not perfect. :) 

Love that clock! 

When I can't decide if I want to hang things permanently or not, I use tape. It's the perfect solution for an indecisive person like me! :) 

Honest truth #1. The reason this room is so clean is because we will have two different visitors this week! Good timing, right?? :)

Honest truth #2: The sun came out ten minutes after I took these photos, and I ALMOST re-shot everything because the sun is so lovely in this room. #photographerproblems