We've been contemplating an upgrade in the kitchen for some time now. For reference this is what our kitchen looked like when we moved in.
Then we bought a stove and a fridge, knocked down a pantry wall, and it looked like this.
But, after replacing all of our major appliances it didn't feel right to keep our dingy old cabinets. That's where I told Jen in an off-hand way that if I found cabinets while she was in Pheonix, I might remodel the kitchen. I don't think that this is what she had in mind.
Jen left for Phoenix on Wednesday morning and things started happening right away.
Wednesday: found cabinets at Re-store which is a second-hand building supply store much like the D.I or Goodwill is for clothes and furniture. Builders and home-owners donate new or used materials and all proceeds from the sale of the items benefits Habitat for Humanity. After finding cabinets at Re-store I turned to Craigslist and found a used Corian countertop. My new problem was finding a way to install the newly acquired items in our kitchen. Not easy especially when you consider that the new sink would have to be relocated to the corner. I had some planning to do.
Wednesday Night: Old kitchen was gone. Everything ended up in Brnylee's room except the appliances and cabinets, which ended up in the living room.
Thursday: Home Depot and I begin a long and torrid affair. This trip was the first of several dozen trips I would make over the next 10 days. I bought a flatbed full of supplies and set off for home. Thursday night the backer board went in, thin set mortar went down, and I laid the final tile at about 4 a.m.
Friday: Down went the wall. Fortunately there was only one electrical line that had to be re-routed. The phone line couldn't be moved so the entryway could only be so wide. I had hoped to have some flexibility in that regard but alas, it wasn't meant to be. That led to the first of several drawings on the existing walls.
Saturday: I recruited my old friend Phil to help me pick up cabinets. We rented a U-haul and brought them back. After several days of trying to subsist off of bagged potato chips I took a break for shrimp fest at Red Lobster, an annual tradition in the Burk household (at least for Nate it is.)
Saturday night: Drywall went up, did some electrical work adding outlets, moving the disposal lines to the corner, and tried to figure out where everything was going to go. Picked up the countertop and moved it in the house around 1 a.m. Not an easy task to haul a 6 foot by 7 foot countertop on your own. I don't recommend it.
Sunday: largely a cleaning day. Did some minor adjustments here and there but after stake conference and home teaching the day was almost over. Homework that night.
Monday-Wednesday: School. Class all day, meetings at night. Drywall patching until the wee hours of the morning.
Thursday: Rented a circular saw and went to work. Cut the countertop. Framed the new wall. Cut countertop supports for the new corner cabinet I will have to make. Finally figured out how everything was going to fit into the new space. After literally moving every appliance the fridge ended up on the opposite corner, the stove was moved over a few feet, the sink of course was in the corner, and the dishwasher ended up on the new wall adjacent to the washer/dryer.
Thursday night: Hung cabinets. Being that it was late at night I didn't have very many volunteers. So I ended up screwing a 2x4 to the wall and resting the wall cabinets on it while I secured them to the studs. Worked out pretty well actually. Through careful planning and divine providence I was actually able to find a way to utilize all but 2 cabinets. The only gap is where the new microwave will sit on some open shelving.
Friday: Countertop goes on with Phil's help again. We figured out how to mount the sink, installed the remaining base cabinet.
Saturday: Appliances went in, connected the sink, ice maker, disposal, dishwasher, faucet, and stove. Picked up Jen at the airport. She nearly had a heart attack when she walked in the door. Although a small spot of paint on my elbow gave away my activities to some extent, she thought I had bought new cabinets, and possibly painted. She was surprised, but we love our new kitchen.
Here are a few recent shots. We're about 90% of the way there and will update you all with our final pictures soon.
Then we bought a stove and a fridge, knocked down a pantry wall, and it looked like this.
But, after replacing all of our major appliances it didn't feel right to keep our dingy old cabinets. That's where I told Jen in an off-hand way that if I found cabinets while she was in Pheonix, I might remodel the kitchen. I don't think that this is what she had in mind.
Jen left for Phoenix on Wednesday morning and things started happening right away.
Wednesday: found cabinets at Re-store which is a second-hand building supply store much like the D.I or Goodwill is for clothes and furniture. Builders and home-owners donate new or used materials and all proceeds from the sale of the items benefits Habitat for Humanity. After finding cabinets at Re-store I turned to Craigslist and found a used Corian countertop. My new problem was finding a way to install the newly acquired items in our kitchen. Not easy especially when you consider that the new sink would have to be relocated to the corner. I had some planning to do.
Wednesday Night: Old kitchen was gone. Everything ended up in Brnylee's room except the appliances and cabinets, which ended up in the living room.
Thursday: Home Depot and I begin a long and torrid affair. This trip was the first of several dozen trips I would make over the next 10 days. I bought a flatbed full of supplies and set off for home. Thursday night the backer board went in, thin set mortar went down, and I laid the final tile at about 4 a.m.
Friday: Down went the wall. Fortunately there was only one electrical line that had to be re-routed. The phone line couldn't be moved so the entryway could only be so wide. I had hoped to have some flexibility in that regard but alas, it wasn't meant to be. That led to the first of several drawings on the existing walls.
The mind of a mad man.
Saturday: I recruited my old friend Phil to help me pick up cabinets. We rented a U-haul and brought them back. After several days of trying to subsist off of bagged potato chips I took a break for shrimp fest at Red Lobster, an annual tradition in the Burk household (at least for Nate it is.)
Saturday night: Drywall went up, did some electrical work adding outlets, moving the disposal lines to the corner, and tried to figure out where everything was going to go. Picked up the countertop and moved it in the house around 1 a.m. Not an easy task to haul a 6 foot by 7 foot countertop on your own. I don't recommend it.
Monday-Wednesday: School. Class all day, meetings at night. Drywall patching until the wee hours of the morning.
Thursday: Rented a circular saw and went to work. Cut the countertop. Framed the new wall. Cut countertop supports for the new corner cabinet I will have to make. Finally figured out how everything was going to fit into the new space. After literally moving every appliance the fridge ended up on the opposite corner, the stove was moved over a few feet, the sink of course was in the corner, and the dishwasher ended up on the new wall adjacent to the washer/dryer.
Thursday night: Hung cabinets. Being that it was late at night I didn't have very many volunteers. So I ended up screwing a 2x4 to the wall and resting the wall cabinets on it while I secured them to the studs. Worked out pretty well actually. Through careful planning and divine providence I was actually able to find a way to utilize all but 2 cabinets. The only gap is where the new microwave will sit on some open shelving.
Friday: Countertop goes on with Phil's help again. We figured out how to mount the sink, installed the remaining base cabinet.
Saturday: Appliances went in, connected the sink, ice maker, disposal, dishwasher, faucet, and stove. Picked up Jen at the airport. She nearly had a heart attack when she walked in the door. Although a small spot of paint on my elbow gave away my activities to some extent, she thought I had bought new cabinets, and possibly painted. She was surprised, but we love our new kitchen.
Here are a few recent shots. We're about 90% of the way there and will update you all with our final pictures soon.
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