Well. Summer is gone, cold weather is upon us and it seems my time may allow me to sit at my computer and do a little catch up on my blog. Doing a post about my new kitchen has been on my mind, even though it has been done for a good while and there are so many more important things I could be focusing upon, but I guess I just need to get this over with so I can move on to those more important things.
Last fall, just about this time last year, I was frantic to get our kitchen done so that I could fix Thanksgiving dinner in my house. I wasn't going to my Mom's house or my mom-in-law's house for the holiday. I was staying home, AND, we would be having house guests, AND, Tom and I would be tying the knot as recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a commonwealth, not a state, and don't ask me what that means. I just know that it is, and that our marriage is considered official and legal here in the commonwealth. 'Nuf said (pull left, bottom eyelid down with left pointer and assume haughtiness).
Anyway. Here we would be in our house for the Thanksgiving holiday, with guests in the house, so the kitchen just HAD to be finished. I will say the contractors hauled it, and they did indeed give us a kitchen in which we could have cooked Thanksgiving dinner, however, our friends, the Richmans, who live down the street three houses, invited us over, and, well, who could say no? I did fix some marvelous big breakfasts that holiday weekend, just not turkey and dressing.
Anyway. It's been a year now, and while there are things that are not done, the kitchen is as done it's going to be for a good while, so I guess it's time to show it off.
We decided that we were not going to put in a kitchen to just get us by, and then put in the kitchen we really wanted years later. I mean, really. Who has the time for that? I said, "Lookit. I don't have the patience or money to put in crappy cabinets and make-do appliances only to do it all over again some other year. Let's just bite the bullet, dig our hole, put in the cabinets I've been fantasizing over all these years, and the best appliances my patience will allow, and be done with it." So, that's what we did.
Earlier in this blog you have seen the before and during, but instead of making you go all the way back to look at all that mess, I've copied some of it forward for your convenient viewing pleasure.
The first two "before" photos are similar, but different. The first was taken by the sellers of the house, capturing the door into the area that would become our den, the second photo was taken by me, capturing more of the area that would become the stove area of the kitchen.
This next photo is another perspective of where the new kitchen will be. This photo is actually of the old kitchen, which in our reality it becomes the dining area. The wall behind the microwave is now gone, revealing the space that is the new kitchen.
Okay, these next photos shows the "during". What's missing is the wall behind the microwave above.
This next photo represents what happens if we scan to the right from the photo above.
And these next photos is what we see if we continue scanning to the right - "during" and "further into during".
Okay, maestro, drum roll, please!
Presenting "Our New Kitchen".
Here are a couple more photos, taking in more of the kitchen, left and right, while standing in the old kitchen space.
Now, as for the old kitchen, which is now our dining area, it's still a construction zone. We were hoping that the old floor hidden under the layers and layers of tile and linoleum would be restorable. Let's just say there was a good reason it was hidden under layers of and layers of tile and linoleum. When we can, we'll lay a new floor of antique pine. The wainscotting was tore up moving a window and deleting a door, and sections of it that lived behind the old sink area was pretty much rotten. We could go through and piece together and restore it, but the longer we sit and look at the old wainscotting, the more I think we'll end up ripping it out and putting in all new while having a mud room bench custom built for the area where the old washer and dryer used to live.
As for the pantry, all it needs is shelving, and as for the den, well, it looks like an explosion hit it most of the time as that is where we live and will continue to live until more the house is done, which ain't gonna be for a gooooood while (imitate Andy Griffith or Grandma Foon for the correct effect).
Last fall, just about this time last year, I was frantic to get our kitchen done so that I could fix Thanksgiving dinner in my house. I wasn't going to my Mom's house or my mom-in-law's house for the holiday. I was staying home, AND, we would be having house guests, AND, Tom and I would be tying the knot as recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a commonwealth, not a state, and don't ask me what that means. I just know that it is, and that our marriage is considered official and legal here in the commonwealth. 'Nuf said (pull left, bottom eyelid down with left pointer and assume haughtiness).
Anyway. Here we would be in our house for the Thanksgiving holiday, with guests in the house, so the kitchen just HAD to be finished. I will say the contractors hauled it, and they did indeed give us a kitchen in which we could have cooked Thanksgiving dinner, however, our friends, the Richmans, who live down the street three houses, invited us over, and, well, who could say no? I did fix some marvelous big breakfasts that holiday weekend, just not turkey and dressing.
Anyway. It's been a year now, and while there are things that are not done, the kitchen is as done it's going to be for a good while, so I guess it's time to show it off.
We decided that we were not going to put in a kitchen to just get us by, and then put in the kitchen we really wanted years later. I mean, really. Who has the time for that? I said, "Lookit. I don't have the patience or money to put in crappy cabinets and make-do appliances only to do it all over again some other year. Let's just bite the bullet, dig our hole, put in the cabinets I've been fantasizing over all these years, and the best appliances my patience will allow, and be done with it." So, that's what we did.
Earlier in this blog you have seen the before and during, but instead of making you go all the way back to look at all that mess, I've copied some of it forward for your convenient viewing pleasure.
The first two "before" photos are similar, but different. The first was taken by the sellers of the house, capturing the door into the area that would become our den, the second photo was taken by me, capturing more of the area that would become the stove area of the kitchen.
This next photo is another perspective of where the new kitchen will be. This photo is actually of the old kitchen, which in our reality it becomes the dining area. The wall behind the microwave is now gone, revealing the space that is the new kitchen.
Okay, these next photos shows the "during". What's missing is the wall behind the microwave above.
This next photo represents what happens if we scan to the right from the photo above.
And these next photos is what we see if we continue scanning to the right - "during" and "further into during".
Okay, maestro, drum roll, please!
Presenting "Our New Kitchen".
Here are a couple more photos, taking in more of the kitchen, left and right, while standing in the old kitchen space.
Now, as for the old kitchen, which is now our dining area, it's still a construction zone. We were hoping that the old floor hidden under the layers and layers of tile and linoleum would be restorable. Let's just say there was a good reason it was hidden under layers of and layers of tile and linoleum. When we can, we'll lay a new floor of antique pine. The wainscotting was tore up moving a window and deleting a door, and sections of it that lived behind the old sink area was pretty much rotten. We could go through and piece together and restore it, but the longer we sit and look at the old wainscotting, the more I think we'll end up ripping it out and putting in all new while having a mud room bench custom built for the area where the old washer and dryer used to live.
As for the pantry, all it needs is shelving, and as for the den, well, it looks like an explosion hit it most of the time as that is where we live and will continue to live until more the house is done, which ain't gonna be for a gooooood while (imitate Andy Griffith or Grandma Foon for the correct effect).