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!

And then tonight, my grandmother was featured on My Parents Were Awesome! Isn’t she beautiful? She’s back home in Iowa and will be tickled when I tell her how many people have “liked” her photo on Google Reader! Here are a few more photos of her and my ridiculously handsome grandpa, who passed away when I was in elementary school and is very much missed…

On Thanksgiving Ben and I painted our bedroom (well, three of the four walls) with black chalkboard paint. It’s obviously not for everyone, but I am absolutely in love with it. LOVE.

(See what the bedroom used to look like here.) The chalkboard paint was inspired by Jenna Lyons’s Brooklyn Brownstone, which has been featured in both Domino and LivingEtc and coveted by millions. If I could live in any house in the world, it just might be hers. (Or maybe this one — Steventon House, on the property where Jane Austen lived!)

The rug and grey roller shades are from IKEA and — guess what, Mom? That’s what you got me for Christmas! Thanks! There are still a lot of other things in transition in the bedroom — like the bedding, for example. For now I just got rid of the old duvet cover, replaced the old sheets with the ones from our guest bed, and dug the blanket out of the back of a closet. I actually like the look, but we are badly in need of a new feather comforter! I’d also like to replace the nightstand with a gold table I’ve got my eye on, and I’ve got a new bedside lamp in my sights too — both from my absolute favorite store, Jayson Home & Garden. It’s almost enough to make me pack up and move to Chicago!

Over here I painted my old green dresser black as well, and the lamp — which was a steal from a Weatherford antiques store — got a coat of black paint too.  The Bertoia chair is shortly to be replaced by a gorgeous rust-colored velvet armchair — I can’t wait! And the antique Belgian painting on the dresser is my Christmas present from Ben! (Yes, I obviously have a problem waiting for Christmas…)

On the wall over here is a vintage UK bus roll from Economica’s etsy shop. I’d been wanting one for a long time and this one is just beautiful.

I cannot keep the cats out of this bedroom. They love it almost as much as I do. And have I mentioned that I love it? Love love love it.

Okay, on to the next project: A month or so ago we wallpapered one wall of the dining room with the Cole & Son woods wallpaper you see everywhere.

(See what the dining room used to look like here.) As soon as we started hanging it, I kept saying “omigosh, I love this even more than I thought I would!” We also took out the area rug in here to expose the wood floors and replaced the dark red curtains with some light, airy panels from IKEA to brighten the whole room up a bit. That part of the makeover at least was cheap!

As soon as I got over my fear of putting holes in the wallpaper, we hung a couple sets of antlers — which I somehow find simultaneously repulsive and awesome.

The mercury glass is usually the centerpiece in here, but we add the red for the holidays.

And over on the other side of the wallpapered wall is this fantastic mailbox — another score from the Weatherford antiques store!

These were definitely the two most dramatic changes around the house recently, but I’ve got some other stuff to show you too, so check back soon. You know, we’ll probably never be able to move now, since there aren’t too many people who’d be into black walls and wallpaper — but that’s okay by me! I’ll guess I’ll just have to stay here forever!