Our New Home Reno Series:Kitchen Remodel
The second phase of my own remodeling has begun! I’ve been working on plans for the kitchen.
Below are some before photos to give you context on how the kitchen and family room are laid out. Our kitchen is now 23 years old and needs EVERYTHING!
The Thermofoil finish on the cabinets is peeling at the edges and the appliances are touch and go. Every day I’m reminded that time is not my friend. =0/
Here are some of my observations about the main issues around how this kitchen was designed:
First off, the ceilings are 9 feet tall and in my opinion, having the cabinets below the ceiling is wasted storage and a missed opportunity for displaying the nicer dishes and serving ware we’ve collected over the years.
That said, since I plan to make them full height, the HVAC register will need to be relocated onto the ceiling in front of where you see the refrigerator.
Above you’ll see that there is currently a 30” microwave above a large storage with shelves.
A little spoiler….I’ll be adding double wall ovens which will include steam so we can forego the gigantic microwave and instead, opt for a smaller one for coffee or a plate of leftovers now and then. Steam is a much healthier and efficient way to freshen leftovers and can cook almost everything.
Did you know? A microwave will deplete almost all of the nutrients in our food where steam will preserve most all of them. That’s my main driver for going steam.
In that corner, we have a major traffic jam most days when trying to make a cup of coffee and cook at the same time. So, one more reason to downsize the micro.
I plan to turn the island 90 degrees for a more functional cooking experience. More on that later.
This desk is not something we need so it will be replaced with full-height cabinets and countertops.
And over in the family room is this TV and Fireplace wall. The fireplace is oddly spaced so I’d like to even up the walls around it. Also, the cavity for the TV is a bit awkward and way too deep. I’ll share my ideas for the new cabinetry with you in the coming weeks.
That’s it for now. Thanks for visiting and stay tuned!
P.S. I have a Kitchen & Bath Planning Guide over in the DIY Outlet if you’re ready to start your own remodel. It will give you lots of ideas for how to begin the process and what decisions you’ll need to make.
Here’s a link! CLICK HERE
