Today we started the kitchen remodel. I am quite excited by the prospect of a new kitchen. I have always hated my cabinets and we were constantly changing things to make the kitchen work for us. Here are some of the fabulous "features" of the old (current) kitchen.
The first thing that probably strikes you is the color. Believe me when I say that my paint job is a real improvement over the color they were when we moved in. As you will notice the floor is a honey oak color. The walls are painted white accented with a light avocado green. The cabinets were stained dark -- like the color of baker's chocolate. It made the kitchen look like a cave. After a year living in the cave, I decided that I could not stand the color of the cabinets and I painted them a light green and "aged" them with wood stain. When all of the doors were replaced, light finally shown in the kitchen. We were no longer cave dwellers. The paint however could not hide the fact that the framed doors were coming apart and paint could not repair the poorly functioning drawers.
There is something "off" about this picture. Did you notice it? It's not the mess. It is the fact that the sink is not centered on the window. As Mr. Spie and I were standing in the kitchen talking about what we would like, I said that I would really like to have the sink centered on the window. He said that he never really had noticed that it wasn't centered on the window before. (We have lived here 6 years). Now, he says it bothers him. -- The sink has been centered on the window in the new kitchen plan.
Wait? What is that ringing? Do you hear the telephone? Where is the telephone? Why can't I find the telephone!?!You can't find the telephone because it is in this wall of cabinets. The "bat phone" as we lovingly call it sits behind door #1 in the middle row of cabinets. The cabinets are only 13.5" deep so they do not hold much bigger than a box of cereal. The top row of cabinets I used to hold food. The middle row held the telephone and telephone necessities, napkins, kitchen linens, etc. I had small appliances, which you can see, in the bottom row. This made the Fry Daddy very accessible to Captain Destruction. He is also the reason for the missing cabinet door. As he was climbing the cabinets to get his own "snack" the door broke off. We had repaired at least three other cabinets after they met the same fate.
The first thing that probably strikes you is the color. Believe me when I say that my paint job is a real improvement over the color they were when we moved in. As you will notice the floor is a honey oak color. The walls are painted white accented with a light avocado green. The cabinets were stained dark -- like the color of baker's chocolate. It made the kitchen look like a cave. After a year living in the cave, I decided that I could not stand the color of the cabinets and I painted them a light green and "aged" them with wood stain. When all of the doors were replaced, light finally shown in the kitchen. We were no longer cave dwellers. The paint however could not hide the fact that the framed doors were coming apart and paint could not repair the poorly functioning drawers.
This is a picture of the interior of the workspace. This peninsula has been the bane of our existence. When we moved in this was a breakfast bar. The counter top extended about 8 inches on the other side. At that time, we had two children ages 2 and 6 months. We would not sit them at a breakfast bar. The breakfast bar also limited access to the backyard. If you notice, there is a sliding glass door along the wall on the other side of the peninsula. The breakfast bar in a combination with the kitchen table made using that door almost impossible. Similar to the "fix" of the color, we "fixed" the counter top as well. We dusted off the circular saw and cut off the breakfast bar making more room for the kitchen table and giving access to the backyard through the sliding door. Another feature to note is the garbage can under the counter. The overhang is a little of the left over breakfast bar. We could not see losing the counter space. Prior to the garbage can residing there numerous "right height" children gave themselves some nice goose eggs on the overhang. This part of the kitchen coined the famous phrase in our house -- "It's not a party until someone throws up, there is blood, and a head injury."
I know this is a repeat of the first image, but I forgot to point out an important "non -safety" feature of my kitchen. Note the stove, it is right next to the doorway. I have always been paranoid that I will have a handle of a pan sticking out over the edge of the stove top, into the door opening and a child will whiz by and send food sailing and (most likely) send a child to the hospital for burns. It is obvious that the kitchen designer did not have kids. (We did in fact have a pan fly, but it was a husband, not a child that caused the demise of that dinner -- I think that it may have been on purpose as he was quick to suggest pizza after he cleaned up the mess). The stove will move over to the right and a small cabinet will been added to the left of the stove for additional storage and safety.
I know this is a repeat of the first image, but I forgot to point out an important "non -safety" feature of my kitchen. Note the stove, it is right next to the doorway. I have always been paranoid that I will have a handle of a pan sticking out over the edge of the stove top, into the door opening and a child will whiz by and send food sailing and (most likely) send a child to the hospital for burns. It is obvious that the kitchen designer did not have kids. (We did in fact have a pan fly, but it was a husband, not a child that caused the demise of that dinner -- I think that it may have been on purpose as he was quick to suggest pizza after he cleaned up the mess). The stove will move over to the right and a small cabinet will been added to the left of the stove for additional storage and safety.
There is something "off" about this picture. Did you notice it? It's not the mess. It is the fact that the sink is not centered on the window. As Mr. Spie and I were standing in the kitchen talking about what we would like, I said that I would really like to have the sink centered on the window. He said that he never really had noticed that it wasn't centered on the window before. (We have lived here 6 years). Now, he says it bothers him. -- The sink has been centered on the window in the new kitchen plan.
Wait? What is that ringing? Do you hear the telephone? Where is the telephone? Why can't I find the telephone!?!You can't find the telephone because it is in this wall of cabinets. The "bat phone" as we lovingly call it sits behind door #1 in the middle row of cabinets. The cabinets are only 13.5" deep so they do not hold much bigger than a box of cereal. The top row of cabinets I used to hold food. The middle row held the telephone and telephone necessities, napkins, kitchen linens, etc. I had small appliances, which you can see, in the bottom row. This made the Fry Daddy very accessible to Captain Destruction. He is also the reason for the missing cabinet door. As he was climbing the cabinets to get his own "snack" the door broke off. We had repaired at least three other cabinets after they met the same fate. Our new cabinets will not be green. My stove will not be a safety hazard. The view will be the same from both sides of the sink. I will have functioning drawers. All cabinets will have doors and the "goose egg maker" over hang will be no more.
Up next -- pictures of the interim kitchen.
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