Planning the kitchen....the heart and hub of the home!  I love the clean and fresh feel of a white kitchen along with the sleekness of stainless appliances with highlights of glass and silver.  Here is one of my favourite inspiration photos:

Based on what I am starting with on this house, my initial approach was to absolutely gut the existing kitchen and start from scratch.  However, in my very taurus like approach (we hate waste and appreciate value) I began to reconsider for several reasons.  The existing cabinet are shaker style and white (my favourite)....although would benefit from a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore's Cloud White.  The counter top is a beautiful gallo granite which I quite like and it has been finished with a very sharp white subway tile backsplash with some pretty natural stone detail.  I want to take on the challenge of making this kitchen spectacular without having to completely gut it. See below.....

This galley style kitchen also flows into a lovely west facing sunroom which is currently being used as a family room.  There is a bank of windows looking out over the backyard which flood the room with beautiful natural sunlight.  It is in this room where the transformation will truly be as I will be having  a very large island or peninsula constructed and topped with matching granite to the existing counters.   With shiny new stainless appliances, a coat of Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen on the walls and a beautiful new wood floor throughout, the space will blossom.  The new island, with loads of storage underneath and a beautiful chandelier over it, this is where my children will pull up on stools to grab a quick bite to eat or work on their homework while I am preparing a meal.  This is where true vision comes in and right now it's all in my head!!!  But not for long.....I can just see it now. 

Wanting to include my children in the decorating of their own bedrooms, I had asked them to think about what colour scheme they thought they would like.  Blues, greens and taupes seemed to be the popular choice.  Being so pleased, I began to think about a coastal inspired color scheme with hues of the sky, ocean and sand beaches.  

 For my eldest son's room, I was envisioning a more mature and sophisticated palette of dark wood furniture against smokey blue walls.  A room that would grow with him into adulthood.  I was thinking of Benjamin Moore's Wedgewood Gray:

But my son had other ideas!  His choice, Benjamin Moore's Fresh Scent Green:

Well, I thought, my daughter will of course share my love of dreamy blues and greens.....fresh and light.  For her room, the perfect choice would be Benjamin Moore's Whythe Blue....one of my favourites:

My daughter however, piped up with her choice and there was nothing subtle about it......the brighter the better!  Her choice, Benjamin Moore's Cool Aqua!

So then it was my youngest son's turn to share his choice.  Having had bedrooms in various shades of taupe, I was convinced he would remain consistent and continue to want what he had always had.  For him, I was thinking of Benjamin Moore's Powell Buff:

But alas, no.  He also had very strong ideas about colour and what he wanted for his new bedroom.  Am just not sure how one could sleep with such a colour as Benjamin Moore's Traffic Light Green:

Looks like I have my work cut out for me!!  Stay tuned.......

Dreaming......of a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore's Palladian Blue and a fluffy white duvet on a white rod iron bed.  This picture represents the perfect bedroom for me! Sweet Dreams!!

Inspiration comes from so many different places.  Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to pinterest. Wow......what a wonderful resource to organize inspirations.  This will become a very valuable tool in my process of refining the vision I see for my new home.  From romantic prairie style....to casual elegance.....to coastal inspired cottage.  I can't wait to see how this project unfolds.  In the meantime, here is sample of one of my inspirations!

Well, I have bought my 10th house! About to embark on a renovation from top to bottom....inside and outside.  It will become home to my 3 children, myself and our yellow labrador, Tanner.  It is located in an older leafy neighbourhood in Winnipeg which is my hometown.  I have returned after being away for several years and quite happy to be back on the prairies.  As the saying goes, you can take the girl from the west, but you can't take the west from the girl.  Not only am I motivated to make this house beautiful and highly functional, but will do so on a budget supporting local businesses in the process.  Looking forward to the journey!