We've been dreaming and scheming about building a new kitchen since we bought this house. Most of the house had been updated before we bought it but the kitchen definitely left much to be desired. This is obviously a huge project, so here were are 2.5 years later- Project Kitchen is finally happening and I couldn't be more excited!!
The before: Our home is a 1960's colonial and the kitchen, while repainted over the years, was the original. It was clean and bright, but really outdated- laminate counter tops, original cabinets that wouldn't really close, etc. The drawers were so hard to open that when they did, sawdust would rub off so much underneath that you'd need to rewash the dishes and bowls before they were used. We switched out the original brass knobs and pulls for brushed silver and replaced some of the appliances when we moved in but otherwise, we made no real updates. We knew we'd (hopefully) be tackling this project sooner than later.
Some before shots taken just about a month ago. We took these next couple just before we began packing up all the cabinets. We commented that it was sooooo nice to be packing up the kitchen but NOT actually be moving (for once!!)
The counter and stove didn't even meet, classy ;)
We were lucky in that our contractor was able to get the bulk of the demolition done the week before Connor started school. So the kids and I headed up to the camp for the week to avoid the dust and chaos (separate post about our awesome time up at the camp!) Being that our home is an older colonial, the rooms are all very compartmentalized. One of our first goals was to open everything up, and make the kitchen a much larger space, thus allowing for an island where the kids can sit (my #1 wishlist item!!) This involved taking the room down to the studs and removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room (and pushing the beam that holds up the second floor into the ceiling- this was a huge job).
Demo (what it looked like when I left):
Andrew sent me this video while we were away.
What it looked like when I came home. Not much better but it was only another day or so before there were walls and floors.
We've been out of a kitchen for just about a month now. Less than ideal obviously, but it's actually been better than we were anticipating. We moved our table and chairs into the living room, and everything else that we'd need into the playroom. Luckily the weather has been really nice lately so we've been able to grill, and Andrew's Mom was a saving grace when she sent us a single plug-in burner so at least now we can boil water, steam veggies and make one pot meals. I'm afraid we've been eating out way more than usual (we usually almost always cook at home) - so I'm definitely looking forward to having a working kitchen again soon!! The hardest part has been not having a kitchen sink. We've been using our (very) small bathroom sink to wash dishes- not fun! Over the weekend I commented to Andrew that he hasn't done any of the dishes since we began this project and that the sink was starting to drive me nuts. The next morning I found him out back washing the dishes like this (he assured me he cleaned this out before using it). Love the way he thinks ;)
It was so exciting when we had walls again- and the new space is so much bigger! And while I didn't get a picture, this made a great space for some indoor floor hockey.
Connor helping me try out some potential paint colors (we decided on a grey instead).
Cabinet delivery!
Cabinet boxes make for some great hiding places.
They loved sitting here where the oven would eventually go.
In-cabinet tea party.
Inspecting the day's work ;)
At this point we're just waiting on a new window, countertops, sink, paint, and tile backsplash. Official before and after pictures to come then, we're so close!!
