Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Up and Running

The electrician put in our new outlets and switches this week and Bob the Builder came by to put on the last piece of cabinet trim, so we are officially remodel:complete! Now I want to repaint, but that's another story.

Let me tell you, I haven't yet grown numb to the beauties of having a dishwasher. I swear, the first time I used it I almost wrote an entire post dedicated to its perfection. But I realize that most of you know how great your dishwasher really is (hint: if you don't fully appreciate it, I encourage you to carry all your dishes upstairs and wash them in a small sink for a few days. That'll give you a hint into my current appliance worship.)

Before and after photos for your amusement (or not - feel free to skip) and because I had a direct request to "take them from exactly the same angle", I tried to do just that. No promises!


from the eating area, before and after (sorry, lighting's different and our kitchen isn't really that dark)




stove/sink wall before and after




desk wall before (as in, it was a desk) and after (now houses the fridge and counter)




pantry wall before (with fridge) and after (no fridge, now an extra-deep workspace)



So you're probably figuring out that we didn't change the footprint of the kitchen. Remember when I mentioned back in February that we had new wood floors put in before the closing? Well, we didn't anticipate changing the kitchen so we didn't factor in the floors. It turns out that patching new wood floors was not on our agenda nor in our budget, so we really needed to leave the cabinets in the same spots. FYI, not the order of events I'd recommend! We did move the refrigerator which got us some more usable counter space and shortened our "work triangle" (which I've been told is an antiquated notion. Whatever. I noticed when I had a work rhombus and not a triangle. I like my new triangle!) Moving the refrigerator has made me really happy. Simple pleasures, you know?


Oh, and in case you need further proof that we're truly enjoying the increased functionality around here, some proof:
Wyatt asked to make cookies MANY times while we were kitchenless, so he was thrilled to have this be our post-nap, pre-dinner activity the other day. Gingersnaps were concocted, the mess was confined to our new work area next to the pantry, Wyatt helped an extra special amount with the flour and guess who got to lick a beater for the first time?

Yep, life around here is pretty good.

4 comments:

Steph said...

Love it! Don't projects like this make your house so much more . . . homey? I'm a firm believer in spending the money and LOVING where you spend every. single. day. for the next however many years than just dealing with what you had. I'll bet you probably walk into your kitchen now and think "Damn, I love this kitchen" instead of "meh." So worth it!

The Blake Family said...

It turned out lovely!! I think you all did a fabulous job. And, I love the "flour" picture of Wyatt. So, whenever we move back to America and buy a house...can we hire you to come design the remodel??

Erin Frederick said...

Your new kitchen is gorgeous! I definately agree with the choice to move the fridge...and the pantry area is really nice! Hope you continue to enjoy it!

Heather and Scott said...

Love the new kitchen! And whoever told you to take the pictures in the exact same spot, I love it!!! Made it easier for me to see the changes...and I LOVE them!! I think the work triangle is perfect! Love the cabinets, countertops, built-in microwave, and the flooring! You guys chose nicely!