When we were planning our home renovation, upgrading the kitchen was one of our top priorities. We dreamed of having an island we could gather around with friends & family, but our existing galley kitchen was just too small to accommodate this layout. So, we decided to convert the old 3-season sunroom into the new kitchen, and turn the old kitchen into the new dining room.
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| BEFORE (Old 3-Season Sunroom) |
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| BEFORE (Old Galley Kitchen) |
This turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made! Instead of the cramped and closed-off kitchen we had before, it is now an open and welcoming space that truly serves as the heart of our home. The kitchen is where so much of our life happens -- gathered around the island, cooking together, doing art projects, making messes and memories 💗
Since our kids are young and still very messy eaters, we were hesitant about getting any "nice" furniture in the kitchen for fear that it would just get destroyed. For a while, we had some inexpensive stools at the island that did the job, but weren't very comfortable and didn't really add anything to the room from a design perspective.
Enter Serena & Lily's Balboa counter stools 😍 Not only are they beautiful, but they are SO comfortable and durable too! Serena & Lily's pieces are so thoughtfully designed to feel welcoming yet refined -- their fresh take on casual dining is perfect for families like mine who want both functionality and style. The white Perennials fabric on the cushions is so easy to clean and maintain (yes, even with 2 kids and 2 dogs!) so I can have my cake and eat it too! 🙌 I love how the rattan and brass details tie this room together and add so much warmth & dimension to the space.
I've never really been a rug-in-the-kitchen person for the same reasons -- they always look beautiful, but I was worried about the kids and dogs just destroying them. The Seaview runner we just added from Serena & Lily is actually an indoor-outdoor rug and you can literally hose it off to clean it!! Mind blown! You would never know it either -- it feels so soft and cushiony under foot, and the design is the perfect "coastal casual" aesthetic I was looking for. The dogs definitely approve, too 😉
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We also added this little teak step stool, which I can already tell is going to be one of those things we end up fighting over in every room! It's perfect for the kids to reach the kitchen sink & counters so they can help with cooking and cleaning, and also for me to reach things that are up high (I'm only 5'2" so for me that's pretty much everything! 😆) It would also be great in a laundry room, bathroom or kids room -- it is such cute design, it is pretty enough to use anywhere!
We are big breakfast/brunch lovers in this house, so we were so excited to try out our new Serena & Lily goodies over some homemade Belgian waffles yesterday! (There's nothing like a cozy brunch at home in your jammies, am I right!?) The Brela napkins were the perfect touch to make it feel just fancy enough, and could work just as well for a casual breakfast as they could for a formal dinner.
The Spinnaker tray is the perfect centerpiece or serving tray, too! I love the subtle detail of the rattan-wrapped handles and how easy it is to clean!
I am looking forward to making many more memories gathered around this island, and I feel so good knowing that these pieces from Serena & Lily will stand the test of time and look beautiful for years to come!
xo,
Marcie
