Planning a renovation

Walking into my kitchen is like walking into a 1970's time warp. 

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home.  So why then, do we leave the renovations in the kitchen to the last, I ask you?  Four years ago we just sort of moved in, unpacked, tried to make things fit, and got on with it.  Mind you, four years ago when we moved in here- in the middle of winter...two days before Christmas...things seems complicated enough and with one thing and another, the kitchen was sort of forgotten.  After all, it worked, more or less.  Alley kitchens usually do.  The triangle of stove, sink and frig are in place.  We didn't like the overhead lights, and couldn't understand the choice of stainless steel door handles on the cupboard, but after a while we looked past all that...and got on with it.

We knocked down a ridiculous and useless wall to make more room for a dining room.  We pulled the upstairs bathroom apart and made a new one.  We painted walls.  We renovated the forgotten garden.

And then...I broke my back, other things happened, and for the last  year we have done nothing but maintain the status quo.

 Now it's time...and.ready or not, we are finally going to try to make a silk purse our of this sow's ear of a kitchen.

The new counter tops are ordered - Mystic Gemstone #2830K=35.  The cupboards will be painted white inside and out,  and the back splash up the counter wall and behind the stove is this lovely stone tile.  We found blackened copper door handles and drawer pulls which will match the hardware and the walls will be Sisal - third chip from the top here.  The accents will be red.  I found a lovely red hanging light for over the table.  And a curved directional ceiling light to aim at the sink and the stove.  If we pull this off the effect will be warm and welcoming...and clean looking. 

That rickety wooden shelving unit will be firewood and good riddance to it! - and the long narrow cupboard beside the frig, with the help of some nifty wire shelving, will finally become a proper pantry cupboard.
 So...the plan is in place and the work is starting.  I can hardly wait to unveil it.