Where will my collection of blue & white china go?

This was my first question when we decided to renovate the kitchen. I know this sounds silly, but for all passionate collectors, this is what makes remodeling exciting.

I wanted a down-home, Swedish style kitchen with a simple look, but with many of the modern bells and whistles. And, oh yes, I must have a work island to seat at least four family members. Now that shouldn't be too hard, right?

If you are renovating a kitchen, prepare yourself. Especially if you are doing some of the work yourself. It takes twice as long as you anticipated and at least 20% more than what your budget allows.

When it comes to kitchens, style is important, but function rules.

Living in a small stone farmhouse, I have limited floor space with which to work. I must make serious trade-offs just to fit in the island I covet. A convenient first-floor laundry room was banished to the basement. I moved a darling powder room to a large closet, and I took out some walls and moved some doors – just to make room for the island.

It was important that the kitchen feel cozy and intimate. After the basic layout was carved in stone, decisions had to be made about scores of details. There are numerous styles and colorations of cabinet doors. There are a million different drawer pulls. There are several different kinds of counter tops, some take stains, and some won't. Marble tops only come in limited colors, so you may not find exactly what you want. Sinks can be top mounted or under mounted (which are much easier to clean). Some sinks scratch, some don't. Faucets must complement the overall kitchen style.

I'll admit that it was hard to stay focused on my original style concept without being tempted by all the new modern technology available for kitchens today, such as fancy appliances that do most of the work for you, and even flat-screen TVs that fold up or drop down under.

To be sure, there have been many stressful moments. It was difficult to find someone to hand mill the customized legs for the island. Finding the perfect color marble required traveling all over Northern Virginia and Maryland. And you can never prepare for the phenomenal amount of continuous dust during demolition and construction.

I did, however, learn some truly valuable lessons. Cabinets can be customized to hide all kinds of contraptions, such as ironing boards, mixers, spices, and even dishwashers and refrigerators. Also, cabinets can be made to look like pieces of furniture to add style and context to the kitchen.

Above all, natural lighting can be beautifully complemented by warm incandescent lighting and several well placed recessed halogen fixtures. And by installing beautiful French doors we ensured that the morning sunlight would bathe the back of the kitchen.

There's so much more to do.

And, to be honest, I'm still not sure where to put my blue and white china.

Wanda Crossley is the owner of The English Manor in Leesburg, Virginia