Kitchen remodel

Well, we have started. I don't think I will have a kitchen for Thanksgiving since the cabinets were just ordered  -  takes 4 to 5 weeks to be delivered and then more time for the guy to get out here to install. Right now we are demolishing the old kitchen - all my appliances are sitting in my dining room since we aren't replacing them except for the microwave. Almost all of the cabinets are out. We were hoping for my husband to be able to lay the new floor this weekend, but that isn't going to happen. He thought he would take out the old cabinets one day, tear up the old floor the next, and install the tile on the third day. He had a 3 day weekend. I sort of thought that was ambitious, especially since neither one of us is in our youth any longer! I am trying to pick out a laundry/service sink for the laundry/bath area. I need to have a large enough one with a  sprayer so I can bath the cats there for the shows. I am like a cat in that I don't like my routine disrupted and boy has it been disrupted! I feel like I am camping (and I HATE camping!). I like everything in it's place, all neat and tidy. This is not going to be easy!!! Today I am going to tape up the computer generated photos of what the kitchen is going to look like so I can look at them when I need encouragement.

Oh, I feel your pain, LOL! We did this about 10 years ago, totally by ourselves, except for the kitchen counter, which was manufactured and installed by a pro. I bought cabinets from eBay, new. and we assembled and installed them. What a delightful experience that was...however, it got us better quality cabinets that were a lot cheaper than Home Depot's.

When we demoed our kitchen, I set up a small kitchen area away from the kitchen in our family room: a table with the microwave, toaster oven, dish pan, coffee maker, etc. I used a lot of paper plates and cups and plastic cutlery. We only ate very simple meals that could be cooked with those appliances.

I can't wait to see what you've done!!! Please post photos!

We purchased through Lowes. Our original cabinets that the builder put in were particle board. I  did not know this until we started taking them out. I am amazed they lasted 24 years!! We ordered wood construction this time. Yesterday we went and picked out the granite counter. The one Lowes had on display that we liked was too dark when I saw the slab so we changed to another one.  So I got a hunk of rock for my birthday - yesterday was my B-day. Tomorrow night we pick up the tile and hopefully Friday he can start that. I am anxious for everything to be finished but right now I am focused on getting the tile in. Once that is done he can move the appliances back where they belong and I can use the washer, dryer and stove again. Eating out is fun, but it isn't good for me. I need to watch the sodium intake since I have high blood pressure and that is very difficult eating out. I can tell that I have had to much salt - my ankles are swelling. Back to eating salads with dressing on the side.

Been there. Like you, we completely gutted our kitchen, taking out windows and removing an old pantry closet. We did dishes in the bathtub in plastic tubs for several weeks because I had no kitchen sink. I used our pressure cooker, our microwave, and the outside grill for meals (although we did eat out more often than we wanted, too). I did a lot of cooking ahead of time, so we were able to eat from the freezer.

Our kitchen remodel was done during late fall, and I do tons of applesauce every year. So there I was, with about 100 pounds of apples on the kitchen floor, ready to be made into quarts and quarts and quarts of applesauce, dozens of apple dumplings, and apple pies. I did it with no counter space and no kitchen sink. Just the stove and the kitchen table. It was.....interesting and not something I'd want to do again any time soon.

It will be worth it! When it's done and you're sitting at your kitchen table some morning with your coffee and you look around......that's when it's worth it! And when you're standing at your kitchen counter and you're cooking and baking or even just doing dishes.....that's when it's worth it.

Best thing we ever did in the house. I love our kitchen.

Please take some before/after pictures. I just love looking at kitchens.

And Happy Belated Birthday! I can't think of a better birthday present than a hunk of rock! 

How exciting!!  Please do post pictures when you are done!  I love this kind of stuff! 

I'm surprised you got 24 years out of particle board cabinets too!  We had them at our old place and I really disliked them.  Of course our old place had been repossessed and needed TLC when DH bought it.  It wasn't kept very nicely at all.  It probably helps me appreciate the wood cabinets that came with our current home (new when we bought it).  Although I will say it hurts more when you catch your finger in the door! 

No tiling will be done this weekend after all. My daughter came home for the weekend. We didn't want to tear up the bathroom because it is the one she uses while here. All of the fixtures are being removed  to tile.  I am thinking about asking for all new dishware and cookware for Christmas to go with the new kitchen. Hopefully it will be finished by then!!! On top of everything else I have decided to refinish our dining room table, but that won't be until spring. Funny how when you start one project, you see 10 more that need to be done. That is why I sat down and made a list. My hubby teases me about my lists, but I find it keeps me focused on what needs to be done first.

My cabinets won't be delivered until December 2! At the moment I have no water downstairs except for the water dispenser on the refrigerator.  Both of us are tired of microwave dinners and eating out. Just keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end.

You'll be fine. Do you have a pressure cooker? How about a crock pot? Can you use your outdoor grill? We used them during our kitchen remodel. We did dishes in tubs in the bathtub, but we're all on one floor. You can heat water for dishes on your grill, if need be. Or just use disposable stuff for now. We did that, too.

When I use my crock pot, I put it in the basement as I don't quite trust the cats with it when nobody's home. I just fill it, take it downstairs, and plug it in on top of the dryer. 

It will be worth it!

Oh boy!  It will be worth it in the end!  I guess it will just force you to be creative in the meantime!  Do they still make hot plates?  I don't like leaving things unattended; but you could always run it overnight and reheat for dinner the next night.

How are the kitties dealing with things being torn up?

Winchester said:

 
You'll be fine. Do you have a pressure cooker? How about a crock pot? Can you use your outdoor grill? We used them during our kitchen remodel. We did dishes in tubs in the bathtub, but we're all on one floor. You can heat water for dishes on your grill, if need be. Or just use disposable stuff for now. We did that, too.

When I use my crock pot, I put it in the basement as I don't quite trust the cats with it when nobody's home. I just fill it, take it downstairs, and plug it in on top of the dryer. 

It will be worth it!

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Carrying the dishes upstairs to do is the worst. We are using disposable as much as possible. We have a grill, a crockpot, a microwave and a George Foreman grill as well as a hot pot (boils water in less than a minute.). As fo the crockpot I will not use it unless I am home - I know that defeats the purpose, but we had one short out on us years agoeven though it was brand new and if I hadn't been there our home would have burned.

MoochNNoodles said:

 
Oh boy!  It will be worth it in the end!  I guess it will just force you to be creative in the meantime!  Do they still make hot plates?  I don't like leaving things unattended; but you could always run it overnight and reheat for dinner the next night.

How are the kitties dealing with things being torn up?

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Kitties seem to be dealing with it better than we are. With everything moved around and boxed up, it gives them spots to explore.

Tuesday I spent decluttering.  My kids have moved in and out several times since they are grown and always left things here when they moved out again. I told them a few months ago to take what they wanted because I was going to rent a dumpster and clear the junk. I am donating a lot of the stuff, but the furniture isn't worth it. I shouldn't have done so much Tuesday because now I am having back trouble again. One room will be my cat/photography room. I plan to put a couple of new cat trees in there as well as set up my photography lights, finish hanging all the rosettes we have won, and store my show supplies and grooming tools. Another one of the kids rooms will be a guest room. The third room, I don't know about yet - it is the smallest of the 3.
 

posiepurrs said:

 
Carrying the dishes upstairs to do is the worst. We are using disposable as much as possible. We have a grill, a crockpot, a microwave and a George Foreman grill as well as a hot pot (boils water in less than a minute.). As fo the crockpot I will not use it unless I am home - I know that defeats the purpose, but we had one short out on us years agoeven though it was brand new and if I hadn't been there our home would have burned.

Kitties seem to be dealing with it better than we are. 

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Oh wow; I certainly don't blame you for being leery of your crock pot!

I have always been leery of using a crock pot when I am not home.  I did it when I still physically went to work and had kids to feed but it always did bother me, just that little nagging worry.  I found out about the Instant Pot in a thread here and I am thinking about getting one.  I like the idea of a small appliance that can do several things.  I have always been a little afraid of pressure cookers but I think they probably have more in the way of safety features then when I was young.  My mother was afraid of them that's probably where I got it from.  My father would use it though.  We had one that went on the stove top and didn't even have a gauge.  My father would just go by how fast this thing on the lid rocked.

I'd love to use a Crock Pot but can't because I know Leroy will push the entire thing off the counter to get to the yummy food inside I have an open layout so there's no way I can close off the kitchen.

Are you changing the layout of the ktichen or keeping the same layout and changing cabinets, et al?

MoochNNoodles said:

 
Oh boy!  It will be worth it in the end!  I guess it will just force you to be creative in the meantime!  Do they still make hot plates?  I don't like leaving things unattended; but you could always run it overnight and reheat for dinner the next night.

How are the kitties dealing with things being torn up?

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They still make hot plates.  I recently bought one for $9.97 (single burner) at Wal-Mart. Until we got our range at the charity I cook for, I used it. You can also get double burner ones for under $20.00. I'd recommend keeping one on hand for emergencies anyway.

Do you know anybody who has a campstove? You could use that for small things, maybe some eggs, or bbq, soup, etc.

Winchester said:

 
Do you know anybody who has a campstove? You could use that for small things, maybe some eggs, or bbq, soup, etc.

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Don't you have to use those outside, though? (I've never used one myself.)

posiepurrs said:

Well, we have started. I don't think I will have a kitchen for Thanksgiving since the cabinets were just ordered  -  takes 4 to 5 weeks to be delivered and then more time for the guy to get out here to install. Right now we are demolishing the old kitchen - all my appliances are sitting in my dining room since we aren't replacing them except for the microwave. Almost all of the cabinets are out. We were hoping for my husband to be able to lay the new floor this weekend, but that isn't going to happen. He thought he would take out the old cabinets one day, tear up the old floor the next, and install the tile on the third day. He had a 3 day weekend. I sort of thought that was ambitious, especially since neither one of us is in our youth any longer!:bigwink: I am trying to pick out a laundry/service sink for the laundry/bath area. I need to have a large enough one with a  sprayer so I can bath the cats there for the shows. I am like a cat in that I don't like my routine disrupted and boy has it been disrupted! I feel like I am camping (and I HATE camping!). I like everything in it's place, all neat and tidy. This is not going to be easy!!! Today I am going to tape up the computer generated photos of what the kitchen is going to look like so I can look at them when I need encouragement.

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Can't think of anything worse than what you're going through. I hate disruption of any kind.

Winchester said:

Do you have a pressure cooker?

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Nothing would induce me to use one of those. They seem terrifying.

MoochNNoodles said:

 
Oh boy!  It will be worth it in the end!  I guess it will just force you to be creative in the meantime!  Do they still make hot plates?  I don't like leaving things unattended; but you could always run it overnight and reheat for dinner the next night.

How are the kitties dealing with things being torn up?

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Gosh i just reread that.  I was referring to running a crock pot overnight; not a hot plate.  

My cousin's husband is a fireman and he will not let her leave the crock pot on while they are at work or not home.  So I consider it taking a professional's advice. 

posiepurrs said:

 
Kitties seem to be dealing with it better than we are. With everything moved around and boxed up, it gives them spots to explore.

Tuesday I spent decluttering.  My kids have moved in and out several times since they are grown and always left things here when they moved out again. I told them a few months ago to take what they wanted because I was going to rent a dumpster and clear the junk. I am donating a lot of the stuff, but the furniture isn't worth it. I shouldn't have done so much Tuesday because now I am having back trouble again. One room will be my cat/photography room. I plan to put a couple of new cat trees in there as well as set up my photography lights, finish hanging all the rosettes we have won, and store my show supplies and grooming tools. Another one of the kids rooms will be a guest room. The third room, I don't know about yet - it is the smallest of the 3.
 

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That's great they are fine with things being out of place.  One less thing for you to worry about.     My mother has been finally clearing out things left behind and redoing their "empty nest."  She even painted over my purple wall in my old bedroom last year.    12 years after I moved out.    Although I was the first to leave.    It will be nice for you to have a room thats for YOU.  I daydream about putting a little additon on our house so I can have a quiet room set apart from everything else.  

MoochNNoodles said:

 
My mother has been finally clearing out things left behind and redoing their "empty nest."  She even painted over my purple wall in my old bedroom last year. 

  12 years after I moved out. 

  Although I was the first to leave. 

  It will be nice for you to have a room thats for YOU.  I daydream about putting a little additon on our house so I can have a quiet room set apart from everything else.  

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When our son moved out, the first thing we did was go back to his room and strip the old PennState wallpaper off the bedroom walls.   Nothing against PennState at all; it's Rick's favorite college team, too, but I had plans on putting the desks and computers back there, so that wallpaper had to go!