Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

WAAAAYYYYYY back in October I posted about a new pantry DH installed in my kitchen. OH, have I ever enjoyed having that pantry with pull-out shelves. So much space and so easy to get to everything too. Over the past few months DH has been building cabinets and shelves, and we have been visiting granite stores and warehouses, and tile stores, and appliance stores, and lightening stores picking out all new items for our kitchen…….. Finally today I filled the final box containing all the kitchen utensils.

The kitchen is totally boxed up!!! I then took some before photos to share with you how the kitchen looks today, and all those little issues that kept it from ever being my dream kitchen.

The story begins on one fine day as I was doing dishes that I asked DH:

if he couldn’t possible change out the mauve countertops to something else.

Mauve, after all, was NOT my color and I knew DH had the skills to change these countertops to some other color. It would be a quick, little job for him.

Afterall there was a little problem with quality too. If one looked closely poor craftsmanship showed through, and through this kitchen.

But no, DH said. If he was going to change the countertops then he would change the cabinets too. Their quality was not up to his standards. It wasn’t just that they fell off the walls, or that they were made from particle board instead of solid wood, but they did NOT have pull out shelves. Worst still the upper shelf in every cabinet is not even a half-shelf deep. Such a waste of space.

Well, I replied, if you are going to put in new cabinets then I think the kitchen needs a slight alteration to the layout too. And that stove, well

it is gross, and while I can’t show you in a photo, it doesn’t light without the use of a match. New appliances are needed too.

And if the layout is changing then this wonderful floor needs to go too. And look at the quality workmanship that is missing here too. No baseboards in this kitchen. Oh, that duck tape there hides an electrical outlet that we taped over since it stuck out from the wall and we didn’t really want to see one of our pets or a little child get zapped.

And since I changed the kitchen layout DH decided that the ceiling light fixtures that coincidentally direct their light onto these beams that do nothing, and cast shadows onto your work surface needed to go. How yucky! Oh, and it was impossible to change their direction too.

We agreed, a kitchen remodel was needed. That was SIX years ago. But a garage / woodworking shop had to be built first. And then cabinets had to be built…. but here we are and finally ready to begin. So let me give you a tour of how our new kitchen will look:

This corner will hold a double-oven. Above the double-oven will be a cabinet with slots to hold all my baking sheets! The dishwasher stays right where it is but a new one will be coming.

Turning the corner and standing now where the double-ovens will be:

The stove / oven will be replaced with a 36″ cooktop. It will also be located closer to where the refrigerator sits. This will give me/us 18″ on either side of the cooktop. AHHH, countertop beside the cooktop to actually work.

Presently when we go to use the microwave we have to make sure that not too many lights are on in the kitchen/laundry room/family room/bathroom since they are all on the same circuit. The entire kitchen will be rewired! YEA!!! No more blown circuits. Oh, and an excellent exhaust system will sit right above the cooktop too that will exhaust to the outside. Amazing idea isn’t that! An exhaust system that EXHAUSTS. And there will NOT be an appliance sitting above the stove that prevents the cook from lifting the lid off of a canning pot, or from lifting the lid off of a spaghetti pot, or from lifting the lid off of a chilli pot without moving the pot OFF THE STOVE. WHO DESIGNED THIS PLACE???? Obviously it was NOT a cook!

The refrigerator will move four feet to the left and into this wasted space. Well, the dogs might not call this wasted space but soon it will be my space. MY!!!

Oh, and that trash can that really has never found a home in this kitchen and has moved from spot to spot will be gone in the new kitchen. Instead the trash can will be located beside the sink in a wonderful pull-out drawer.

Opposite to the kitchen work area is the eating part of the kitchen. Chloe’s dog crate will disappear and in its place will be a custom-built hutch. I’m not sure if it will be built-in or a stand-alone piece but DH will design and build it. Oh, and that light fixture is going! The wall color, hubbard squash was a color I was contemplating for a little while but it doesn’t go with the cabinets, granite, and floor tile we have chosen.

So, take one last look because tomorrow all the cabinets are being pulled out.

I cannot wait!!!