I've been thinking a lot about how to tell you about my kitchen renovation. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you've probably seen glimpses of the full home renovation that engulfed me and my husband for most of 2012. In the process of dragging an old, problematic house into the 21st century we lived through the very real clichés of remodeling: Cost overruns, shocking surprises, electricians giggling at the state of our wiring, differences of opinion (ahem) between our contractor and architect. We sledgehammered walls and dragged out construction debris; we navigated the torturous halls of IKEA, and spent long nights assembling cabinets.

But, in the end, I have my dream kitchen — and I feel like the luckiest girl on the earth. It's been hard to know where to start, but today I will just plunge in and explain the beginnings of the project. Over the next week or two I will show you how it all went and what it looks like now. Want to come along? More

I'm always so inspired by dream kitchens like this cottage kitchen in Maine or any one of these gorgeous, glamorous spaces. I appreciate the details, materials, the layout, all the finer things that make it special and swoon-worthy. But sometimes too much day dreaming can make me feel a little deflated when I walk into my thoroughly average and unspectacular rental kitchen. Has that ever happened to you? Most of us probably don't cook in our dream kitchen. Instead, we deal with our kitchens' quirks and inconveniences on a daily basis.

But your kitchen can still be a place that you love and cherish, a place you enjoy, not merely tolerate. These 10 small changes are easy upgrades, but they'll go a long way towards making you feel more organized and uplifted in your kitchen. More

A blank, white wall can be intimidating or inspiring. Do you leave it as is and own the emptiness? Do you hang a bunch of prints, or shove a cabinet in front of it? You could do any one of these things, or you could take a note from Adrienne Antonson's Brooklyn apartment and hang a wall of black pots (with a few handy tools thrown in). In addition to being a functional storage solution for her pans, the black and white contrast makes for a great display. As a bonus, Adrienne says the radiator below heats up the pots for her, so they're already toasty warm when she puts them on the stove. More

This charming kitchen is all about the accessories. Love the look? Want to emulate some of it in your own kitchen? Here are sources to help you get the look. Fill in the blanks in the comments!

Urban Eclectic Kitchen Sources

Artwork: ______________
Cabinet Hardware: ______________
Countertops: ______________
Dishware: Vintage copper pot from Porte de Clignancourt Flea Market, Paris, France; rice bowls from Pearl River Market; cutting board from La Petite Cuisine, Versailles, France; vintage US Navy Dishes from Fish's Eddy.
Espresso Machine: Williams-Sonoma
Island: Vintage found on eBay.
Lighting: Restoration Hardware
Paint – Walls & Ceiling: Behr Premium Plus in Silver Hill
Refrigerator: ______________
Seating: Ghost Chair and Tolix stool from Design Within Reach; Counter stools from Crate & Barrel.
Sink: ______________
Stove: ______________

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There's something immediately arresting about herringbone floors, don't you think? A classic design, it goes well in both modern and traditional kitchens depending on the material used. Wood, tile, brick—we've seen it all, and it all works. What do you think? More

Generally, when we see homework stations in kitchens, they're at low desk surfaces squeezed into a corner or way off to the side. Not so in this Madison, WI kitchen remodel. There's a place to do homework right in the thick of things, without being in the way. More

I've driven by Kathy Delgado's store, Vintageweave Interiors, a dozen of times. She specializes in amazing French farmhouse style antiques and home decor. I am not sure how I got so lucky to get an invite to have lunch with her and tour her own kitchen, but I did!

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We first spotted Michele Varian's New York City loft kitchen a few years ago in this Apartment Therapy House Tour, so it was a pleasure to see it pop up again recently on Anthology magazine's blog. It looks like Michele still has her bright blue painted wall in her corner kitchen, along with a bevy of collected curios and vintage accessories. More

Small kitchen cooks have a unique set of challenges, and we understand that. Many of us cook in small kitchens as well, which means when we find something cool, useful, or inspirational for our tiny kitchen, we want to share it with you, too! Here are 15 of this year's favorite tips, products, and inspirational ideas for small kitchens: More

If kitchen eye candy is your thing, we had quite the year for that. A number of our Kitchen Tours upped the ante in the glam department with sleek appliances, custom detailing, and other jaw-dropping elements that had us pinning them to our "Dream Kitchen" board post-haste. Here are 10 favorites to feast your eyes on: More