Space

I am not a minimalist.

(I came to that conclusion, sadly, after this discussion at Lisa's blog, Trapped in North Jersey.)

But, oh, my gawd. We took down the cookbook shelf and the microwave shelf and in spite of the awful, awful walls, I love it. The emptiness. The openness.

What an incredible difference it makes to my perception of the space. Especially as I enter--since the microwave isn't there to take up all that visual (and physical) space.

yesterday

 today.

In my ideal kitchen, this stove wouldn't be here at all. Here we would have a custom fit pantry (and separate broom closet) that would match the depth of that chimney flue on the right. It would stop somewhere maybe a foot? short of the doorway.

yesterday (I didn't take a proper shot of the doorway but this does show the cookbook shelf with my utensils hanging off a double row of towel bars. The towel bars will not be put back up.) 

today.

Not a lot of painting done. Mostly repairs. Like this:

We used up so much spackle, we actually had to go out in the snow storm to get more.

I am just craving space.

ETA: After writing the above, I putzed around with the shelves in the dining room.

Before:

After:

And yes! I got my cookbooks on them.