I almost hate to say that the progress made on the kitchen last week is a little boring, but the walls and staircase being removed were so dramatic that drywall doesn’t seem as noteworthy. (If you’ve missed the kitchen renovation so far, you can catch up HERE.) But, exciting progress has been made even if it doesn’t make for flashy photos. The crew worked on framing, drywall, skim-coating, and removing the top layer of the subfloor. (There are two layers and one is being removed so the new hardwood floors will be flush with the old ones.) We also had the electricians for a day and they started moving around switches and outlets.
One of the most exciting things, though, is seeing the light coming into the kitchen all the way from the back of the hallway. It’s so open now while still allowing the kitchen to be its own room.
(Sebastian has been staying with my parents during the renovation since saws are so scary, but they had a little trip planned, so he’s been back with us for a few days. He’ll go back to Oma’s house today, though, so he can have some peace and quiet. And, he loves my mom.)
While drywall isn’t too exciting, it is nice to see the walls and ceiling smoothed out. You can really see the bones of the room starting to shape up.
For lighting, we’re down to dangling bulbs, but the funny thing is that these dangling bulbs provide better light than the old fixtures did! We’re putting in 11-12 recessed lights plus sconces, so this room will be very well-lit when the electricians are done.
For the first two weeks of the renovation, we’ve been able to use this section of the kitchen. I’ve just covered the sink and stove in the morning with dropcloths and then cleaned things up in the evening so I could make dinner. The crew has also been great about vacuuming when they finish work for the day so the mess and dust are manageable. Don’t get me wrong, things are still dusty, but it could be much worse!
We’re at the stage, though, where the rest of the cabinets need to be ripped out so they can finish removing the top layer of the subfloor and start installing the hardwood. They will leave the sink and stove for a little bit longer so we can still have running water and a stovetop.
This week, the new basement staircase, door to the basement, and wood floors are slated to go in and the drywall work will continue. I should be priming and painting by the end of the week!
The little landing inside the basement staircase will actually be a nice feature and will make a little place to hang Sebastian’s leash and maybe a few other small things.
When we do finally have to take out the sink and stove, we’ll have some good alternative cooking options including the toaster oven, microwave, electric kettle, grill, air fryer, camp stove, crock pot, etc., but we’ll probably just keep things really simple with sandwiches, salads, cereal, and some grilled chicken and burgers. I don’t want to have to wash out a crockpot in the hose or the bathtub! This old fridge will eventually go in the basement for beverages and overflow during the holidays, but it’ll be moved to the hallway for the short term so it’s more accessible.
When they were framing, the old pantry door was filled in and they removed the wall to open up the closet that was behind it. I’ll definitely do a video tour when it’s all finished so it’ll be easier to understand the layout. I know it’s a little challenging just with pictures. You can see a before and after of the floorplan HERE.
One mishap that happened on Friday was the glass oven door on the old electric range shattered. The contractor was using a saw to cut and remove the top layer of subflooring and the vibrations shattered the glass. They said they have never seen that happen before. Fortunately, we didn’t have any plans for the old range, so it’s nothing we’re upset about. The only unfortunate thing is we were going to give it away and now it really isn’t safe to use the oven.
I told them not to worry about it at all. It’s really no big deal. Now, if that were my new range, it would be a problem! They assured me all of the sawing would be finished when the new range is installed.
Speaking of the new range, you can see the pencil marks on the wall showing where it will be located. (There are actually several sets of notes on the wall and the 42W refers to the old cabinets. The new range is 48″ wide.)
They did put in the light over the sink, which is centered on the placement of the sink and window. The new window will end where the pencil line is to the right of the current window. The little circle with the + in it is where the right sconce will go. We will be gaining just over 28″ with the new window which will bring in so much light! I can’t wait to see it installed.
So we could put the electrical in the right places, the contractor also marked off the cabinets. I don’t know about you, but when I can see things marked off, that gets me really excited. I can start to see how it’s all going to feel.
In other kitchen news, I finally did pick out a counter. I had a pretty specific idea of what I was looking for and, unfortunately, I either kept picking samples that were discontinued or ones that were going to really stretch the budget.
I did learn the Corian Quartz is actually not discontinued, but the distributor in our area closed so getting a slab was going to be difficult. I really loved the Ashen Gray, though, so the kitchen design company worked on getting slabs from the Ohio distributor. The lead time would be longer and shipping costs would add to the total, but they could get it.
With that cleared up and Ashen Gray back on the table, I thought that might be the direction I would go. I really liked it when we looked at it in the showroom a couple of weeks ago.
But, the designer had ordered some more samples for me and had a buffet of options set out to review. I meandered through the samples but then went straight for Carrara Caldia by MSI when I spotted it. The interesting thing is I hadn’t even considered that sample before because I thought it was too warm. But, it looked lovely with the Vanilla Waypoint cabinets and the Sage green as well.
It had the blurry veining I like and reads as gray even though it’s warm gray. I looked at it under the showroom lights and in natural light and it just worked. I compared it with the Ashen Gray and, next to the Carrara Caldia, The Ashen Gray looked too cold and too white.
It has a bit more movement in the veining than some of the other quartz samples I was considering, but I felt drawn to it. I just went with my gut and that became the winning counter.
It’s a relief to have the counter selected and to know it’s readily available so we can have a quick turnaround once the cabinets are installed. If I really loved the Ashen Gray more or even one of the more expensive options, it would’ve been worth the higher price and/or longer lead time, but I’m glad it worked out this way. I’m also glad I didn’t rush the decision on the counter. I gave myself permission to not have it figured out and to look at more samples to make sure I was happy with the final decision.
Well, the banging and sawing commenced this morning after a bit of quiet this weekend, so we’re back at it…
28 Responses
Use crock pot liners, no clean up, just toss after use!
I totally agree. Crock pot liners are the verybest!
Thank you so much for sharing all the before & after pictures. The size of your kitchen looks so spacious. I’m so happy for you & your family that your vision is coming to pass!
Everything is going to be gorgeous. What a fun ride.
Wow, it is SO SPACIOUS in there now! It is night and day from the old convoluted layout! All that space just feels restful and peaceful, even though it will eventually be filled in with gorgeous new kitchen components. All the light just makes it feel happier and what a huge difference moving the stairs has made! So glad you were able to get a nice countertop. It is all very exciting indeed.
I always love when the drywall goes up… you’re turning the corner into the finishing and you can really start to see the finished area!
I remember this phase when we had our kitchen redone, and it felt like a miracle! This is so exciting — esp. seeing all that beautiful light pouring in. It will be amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing all the before & after pictures. The size of your kitchen looks so spacious. I’m so happy for you & your family that your vision is coming to pass!
I love your countertop choice! And seeing your thought process helps me because I am in the beginning stage of a minor kitchen makeover myself and I’m having to think about new lighting, countertops, whether I want to change any of the cabinet configuration, etc. I definitely am getting a new stove and new refrigerator (the need for the refrigerator started all of this 🤣)! But after living with what we have for 20 years, I’m ready!! Thanks for the great tips and best wishes. I love watching your progress!
I love your choice of counter – it will tie in to your warm flooring well, too – it handles it all.
I absolutely LOVE the green cabs you chose. Oh this is just all beyond exciting. I may not be able to afford to
redo my kitchen, but am gloriously happy to be enjoying this journey through you. YAY!!!!! I appreciate your sharing the whys and wherefores as well – and super sorry about the oven window. I know you are so generous and wanted it to have a happy home for someone. Dang. But yes, thank the good Lord Above it wasn’t your new one.
Makes my stomach turn just thinking of it. How strange the vibrations broke it. Weird. maybe it was a blessing in disguise in ways we cannot know.
You have impeccable taste…I’m so jealous!!!
Love the countertop!! It’s beautiful.
The countertop you chose is beautiful – what a wonderful selection. Everything is going along quite smoothly it seems (sorry about the oven though). Back in 2002 I completely gutted a kitchen: walls, floors, ceiling everything had to go and we did not have a working kitchen for several months. We had a fridge (in the dining room), microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker etc. and it was really not that bad. What I am saying is the temporary inconvenience is so worth it in the end! This will be a room that you and your family will spend so much time in every single day and it is going to be fabulous!
I have to say, I was a little on the fence about the darker green cabinets until you picked that countertop. It’s perfect and will make your kitchen a showplace.
Did you consider recession the basement door and having the open space inside the kitchen instead of inside the stairwell enclosure? It might give you more usable space in the kitchen doorway area? I may have missed your commentary on this. Thanks for taking us on this journey! I love the selections you’ve made and can’t wait to see the finished product!
It was going to be that way, but we extended the wall to make more room for the fridge/pantry to go on that wall. It was going to be a little tight, so we moved everything over to give more room coming in from the hall.
Your kitchen looks so much light and larger already! The awkwardness is gone! I’m wondering though, under the little peninsula in the kitchen there looks like a step or ledge, I have seen that in another house about the same age. Do you or the contractor have any idea what it was for? A strange footrest idea?
Marian, your kitchen is going to be so beautiful! I love what you have decided on for your new countertop. It’s just perfect! So happy for you that everything is working out for the better. It always seems like there are always a few problems when doing a new kitchen. There is just so much to think about and you want to get it exactly right — and this can certainly be a little stressful! It won’t be too long before you are able to enjoy your lovely new kitchen. Have a great week!
The counter color is so nice with your cabinetry. I took one look and knew it had to be the one! It was a Goldilocks moment. Funny how things just click when you need it to. So exciting. This kitchen is going to be front page magazine worthy!
As someone who has installed and finished drywall, I think it would be immensely exciting to see it done. It is a lot harder and requires much more finesse than most people realize. My husband and I watched countless hours of YT videos on the subject while doing all the finish work on our house. A good drywaller is worth their weight in gold. All progress is good progress. Thanks for sharing your already lovely kitchen. 🙂
It’s going to be so beautiful! I just noticed your attic access is now at the far end of the new stairwell – where will you relocate it?
It will be relocated to the garage. 👍🏻
I always love seeing this part of a renovation! It may not be glamorous, but moving walls and hanging drywall make SUCH a difference! This will be great!
I love your counter choice and green is my favorite color, so I’m going to love it all! Also, my art teacher’s oven door recently shattered and she ordered another one with no problem and at minimal cost. Her stove was 20+ years old. I know yours is an older stove, but someone (maybe a homeless shelter or half-way house) might could find another door and replace it on their own. I love everything you do!
The countertop choice is just perfection!!! I couldn’t love it more. I was worried about the warm & cool mix of some other choices but I’m sure this is the perfect choice. I’m doing a happy dance for you.
What does the sink window look out over? You didn’t want to widen it for more light?
We are widening it. We’re just waiting for the new window to arrive, which should be late next week.
Oh, and it looks over the side yard. We’ll eventually plant a kitchen garden there.