KITCHEN RENOS BEGIN! Hurrah!

Here are a few "before" pictures. Ian ripped up the dining room laminate (we are now totally laminate free on the main floor!) while I was at work one day, and there was no turning back after that.

These are some very very VERY old (and creaky) cupboards that we are planning to try to preserve and include in the renos. And behind those beautiful white Venetian blinds is... absolutely nothing! Apparently the person who lived here before us threw a frying pan through the window, so for the time we have lived here, there has been only poison-foam and cardboard to keep us warm (I think it is also called Stryo-foam). So we now have to decide on either a bay window (Jenny's choice), a regular window (Ian's choice) or a stained glass window (everyone else's suggestion).
This room has been many things so far: our bedroom while we re-did the hardwood in August, our dining room, an office, and most recently, Kerry's bedroom when she stayed with us. It will soon be part of our extended kitchen.

This is what the wood underneath looks like...it was more Ikea laminate prior to this, and soon it will look all shiny and new again.

And finally, a close up of the beautiful wallpaper that lines the wall between the kitchen and dining room. If you can't see it is a mix of blueberry and apricot plants. Why bother removing that?!