Decorative Columns. Ugh.
We have hated the decorative columns in our kitchen forever, in fact we aren’t really “column” fans. They seem to get in the way, and break up spaces a little too much for us. They also are a little too formal. That’s not to say we hate ALL decorative columns…they just have to be used correctly, in the right place, at the right setting. I mean, our house we just moved into has strong columns in front, so…we won’t tear those out, but, back to the story.
One New Year’s Day morning, we were bored, and the wheels were spinning in our heads when we decided to “just do it.” I mean, we’ve wanted to get started on a kitchen renovation anyways, so why not get a head start and see how the kitchen would look with these decorative columns out of the way. It was only meant to give us the idea of what a kitchen change would be like.
Here is the BEFORE (well, a couple of saws into the first column later):
Design Hubby is so excited for this project (total sarcasm here…he pretty much rolls his eyes when we get going on an idea)!
And we’ve got Gpa in on the project too! It’s a family affair in our house.
Total game changer! It’s amazing how a decorative detail totally obstructs a view. This small, and quick change totally shifted the design and brought the kitchen from the early 1990s into the 2000s…now to change the rest of the kitchen to catch up with the times! Don’t you love that peach tile? (Blech…cannot WAIT to take that out!)
Lessons learned:
Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. Trust your gut, don’t settle, go out and make that change. Because even a small change can give you big reward.
If you’re interested in how our kitchen turned out, check out this post for the final reveal!

We’re Emma Carole Paradis and Kimberly Carole, the owners and designers of Impeccable Nest, based in Bedford, New Hampshire. A mother-daughter team with a love of design. Originally from Manhattan Beach, California, now based in Bedford, New Hampshire, we bring a Southern California cool and New England tradition to our design. Not only do we work together…we also live together in a multi-generational home…and a home that they are known to design for others.