Victory !

Chuck was here to check out the soffit. He cut a hole in the belly of the beast.

And it's empty !! Yahoo, I could have been in
trouble if there was plumbing or HVAC in it.

So now I need to figure out what kind of ceiling do I want. I have been eyeing the drop coffered ceiling. Chuck told me he could do an actual coffered ceiling or a tray ceiling. The world is my oyster...ceiling wise.

kitchen soffit- the saga continues

The more and more I look at my kitchen soffit, the more I hate it. Chuck, my contractor is coming by on Tuesday to discuss ripping it out.I know there is plumbing in part of the 3 foot soffit, so I have this crazy idea to  have a ceiling like the one in the picture. Believe it or not, it's actually a product called Armstrong Easy Elegance Coffer Ceiling. The tiles sit in a drop frame like a regular drop ceiling, but look fabulous instead of looking like an office.

Nicole- vs- The Soffit

These pics are for my boss who can't believe I have a soffit this big in my kitchen.
So I woke up at 3am and realized that due to this soffit the upper cabinets probably won't be opening!

this is why I need a new fridge

ANOTHER OPTION

Painted Cabinets ???

It's a way to kill half a day

So I spent 3 hours at Lowe's this morning trying to nail down my final floor plan. Plus I spent 2 hours at Home depot yesterday and 3 hour at Just Cabinets on Saturday. I know the CAT design program so well now that I was able to offer the Lowe's lady some pointers on sizing filler pieces.
So, lets meet the contestants on "who wants to be Nicole's cabinet style"

Solid Maple wood, Praline finish. Shaker style

The rails are smaller than the above cabinet and
it has a snazzy drawer detail. Cognac finish

More traditional looking.

Appliances!!

It wasn't easy, but I ordered my appliances. It involved me screaming at a guy at Sears  and took an entire afternoon. But I love them and I got a great deal! Still on the shopping list...dishwasher, microwave and range hood. Or should I get a combo microwave over the range with fan ???

Dining Room Photos

My current kitchen

yes, that is a bottle of 3 Olives Cherry Vodka and a
can of coke on my counter!

Let the games begin !!

It's like a perfect storm. A girl who watches way too much HGTV, has an ugly kitchen, and has some cash burning a hole in her pocket. Only I would decide to remodel my kitchen as I start my last semester at school. It'll all work out, I have my friend "Peggy" and her fabulous taste to help me. And lots of hours at work to scour the internet for deals on appliances and tile. I'll be posting some "before" pictures tonight.