Before: Kitchen lists....

These are from when we looked around the house before we bought it so they're not our things in the pictures.

Today I want to focus on what I DO like about the room.

Here's my 'like' list:

the units, which are cream and shaker-style - they were put in by the previous owners just before we moved in and luckily are pretty much what I would choose in that price range;

the tap;

the lino flooring is neutral and very practical (good for four young children dropping china!) and easy to clean;

the pale wooden window frames;

the lighting - there's a main light and two spotlights;

the number of cupboards is great for storage;

the layout works excellently;

the beech worktops - when we first moved in I was worried about marking them but if you do, you just sand the mark away as if by magic! Plus I LOVE the smell of the danish oil, which is a bonus.

What I want to change:

the boiler in the corner - so ugly, so noisy;

the wall colour - too orange;

the tiles - too garish;

the wood stain on the back door - too dark, too orange;

the faux wood kick-boards - they visually break up the pale cupboards and flooring too much.

We did look at getting the dividing wall moved but the builders seemed unsure how big a job it would be. There is an RSJ in there, although there's no walls above it to support. We were all very confused and I was keen for this room to be a makeover, rather than a complete overhaul, which meant avoiding potentially structural work. When the actual kitchen units themselves need replacing then we'll tackle the whole room head on.