Here are a few “before” shots:

You love those avocado green laminate countertops and fluorescent lights, right?

That nonsensical wall of cabinets that stuck out into the room really drove me crazy.And the super-low hanging upper cabinets and all the strange overhangs always made me feel claustrophobic.

Off the back of the kitchen, behind that tower of cabinets, was a ridiculous dividing wall that created a “laundry hallway” (where we usually put trash) and a tiny breakfast nook:

Both were too small to really be functional. So, after a whole lot of weighing our options, in the end we decided to take out that dividing wall and make the kitchen/laundry room/breakfast nook into one giant space. We also wanted the kitchen to open more freely into the dining room, without destroying the general structure and flow of our home (which was built in 1928, long before the days of “open concept” living). So I drew up some designs, and we hired a fantastic contractor — George Brunson of Brunson Restoration and Remodeling — and he took it from there! They started demo in January and we had a finished kitchen just a little more than two months later. Lest you think the whole ordeal was glamorous, here are some photos of the renovation process:

There were definitely times when I thought I was crazy to have undertaken a project of this magnitude while I was pregnant — when our whole house had random furniture strewn about and we were covered in dust and could only eat microwave dinners off of paper plates, for instance — but now that we have the finished product, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was all worth it! Here’s how the kitchen looks now!

Can you even believe it?? Everything is so white and bright and open — exactly the opposite of the way things were before, and I absolutely love it! Here are a few more detail shots:

The kitchen has gone from being my least favorite to my most favorite room in the house. I sit on the bench in the seating area and hang out with Ben while he cooks, we eat a fabulous dinner and then clean up together — so much better than eating in front of the TV and just dumping our dishes in the sink, like we always used to do. It’s such a happy, functional room now, I can’t wait for the baby to hang out in it with us!

Just for fun, I put together a few more “before and after” comparisons that really show the remarkable differences in the space — “befores” on the left, “afters” on the right:

So the kitchen is now open for business! And ready for baby…

And here’s a few shots of my very patient husband putting the crib together. Thank goodness for all his help — without his muscle, none of this would ever have gotten done!

Such a sweet boy! And Bo’s older brother found my childhood oven and promptly set to work making us dessert. Look how he wields those pot holders — his momma has taught him well!

And another lovely store we visited, just about two blocks from our apartment in the Marais, is Le Petit Atelier de Paris. It sells porcelain homewares and other beautiful items made on site (in the cave below the store). Its designer-owners are extremely nice and they packaged all our many purchases beautifully. And we even made friends with their chien, who loved us for the fresh baguette we were carrying.

I originally saw the apartment on Designtripper, and since then it’s been featured almost everywhere — including Elle Decor! And it’s no wonder: everything about the apartment, from structure to the smallest detail, is perfection. It was such an inspiring place to stay while visiting the Paris flea markets. And the apartment is in a fabulous location in the Marais, just blocks from the Centre Pompidou (which you can see from the apartment windows!), and in the midst of plenty of shopping and restaurants. And there are so many boucheries, boulangeries, and patisseries nearby that we frequently ate meals at home!

Here is the Hotel d’Hallwyl from the street:

Once you get through those imposing doors, there’s a lovely private courtyard.

And then once inside the building, you’re faced with this gorgeous staircase!

And finally, the apartment!

And did I mention those rooftop views???

This apartment was just the perfect place to stay in Paris. If you’re interested in booking it for your visit, you can find more information here.