Tell me about your kitchen

I love to look at pictures of kitchens. I especially love looking at all the details and seeing something that would work in my kitchen. That got me thinking about my kitchen. Immediately I thought about its faults. Isn't that how it seems to go? (At least I tend to do that.)

I decided to do a "5 - 5 - 5s" of my kitchen. I'd start with what I love, mention the things that bother me, and then dream a little. All in fives.

Here's a picture of my kitchen. A couple of things have changed. For one, I have a new (white) stove. I also moved my toaster oven to a little (unpictured) hutch that is on a tiny wall near the basement door. In its place is my 1982 stand mixer. Take note of the light fixture in the ceiling. It does not amuse me as you'll read in my notes below.

My 5 - 5 - 5s

Five Things I Love About My Kitchen:

Not too big, not too small--As long as there are no more than two of us working in it! When it's just me, I don't have many steps to walk to get things. When there are two of us, there's still room to work as long as you designate areas.

Window over the sink--Though not necessary, I do like being able to see into the back yard. I especially like when snow is floating down softly in the winter.

Centralized--The open layout of this side of the house makes it appear bigger than it really is. The kitchen is right in the center of the house, which makes for easy access.

My new stove--I finally got a new stove after 10 years of dealing with the old one's oven being less than it should be. It was actually from a model mobile home, so it had been used to heat food for the realtor on occasion. The oven had NEVER been used. It's also white. The one pictured above is the old one that was almond.

My dishwasher--I hate to wash dishes by hand. "Why" is a whole other post, but suffice it to say that my husband installing it ONE WEEK after we moved in shows how high on the priority list it was for me!

Now for the (sadly) easier list.

Five Things I Dislike About My Kitchen:

The stove is slap up against the refrigerator--Normally there's at least a small counter with a bit of storage between the two, but there's just no room for that. It has bugged me from the moment we moved in.

The tile floor--This I absolutely hate. It desperately needs replacing but that's just not going to happen any time soon.

The lighting--It just isn't quite right. I'm not sure what to do about it, but it doesn't give me a sunny, warm feel. If you feel that your kitchen is a warm, inviting place and it has something to do with your choice of lighting, please share. I am at a loss how to make that happen in my kitchen.

Too few cabinets--It really could use more. I've already pared down on the storage and provided a free-standing unit to help, but just a smidge more cabinet storage would make things more practical.

I don't have a number five--Which is good. The other four, though, are really annoying!

Five Things I Would Like to Have in My Kitchen (aside from the above issues):

A refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom and double doors on the top--I really, really do want this. I can't complain about my frig, though. We've never had to pay for one. When the frig that was here when we moved in died, a customer of my husband GAVE him their old one when they remodeled their kitchen. Free is good!

A vacuum unit in the kickspace area--This is a luxury thing that would be so useful. Imagine sweeping up the kitchen with the little pile near the kickspace, flipping a switch, and having it all sucked away! No bending with the dustpan. How's that for lazy?

A vintage linoleum--One that is all one piece with no grooves or textures to trap dirt. I'd even wax it when it needed it!

A way to separate the kitchen--Though it's nice that mine is centralized, sometimes it really would be nice to just close it away and not look at the mess when we're eating! Since I moved the dining area into the living room (click to see photos), that's less of a problem, but it would still be nice.

Completely new cabinet fronts--Ours our a bit cheezy. They're thin and badly made. My husband can do this, but, you know (no time, money's tight, yada, yada). I'd want highly washable white paint. I'd want it so highly washable that the dirt wouldn't even stick. It would just slide right down to the floor and get sucked away by my kickspace vacuum!

I would love to hear your 5 - 5 - 5's of your kitchen. Do a post about it, let me know, and I'll link to you. Pictures would be nice, too!

ETA:

Melb2005 at The Southern Housewife posted her "5 - 5 - 5's" about her kitchen that is my kitchen's twin! You can see her pictures and comments HERE.

Trixie at Farm Home Life also posted her "5 - 5 - 5's." Click HERE and enjoy her sunny kitchen.