Renovating Your Kitchen? – What to Expect

What you can expect:

• Living without your kitchen

  • The beginning of the actual construction of your kitchen renovation is a very exciting time! But the process can be trying on your whole family. A positive attitude and always keeping in mind how awesome the new space will be, how much it will improve your lives, helps you to minimize the stress surrounding the project.
  • If you have small children, emphasize what a wonderful adventure this is! Make it fun to do things differently for awhile.
  • Some strategies for kitchen-less living:
    • Use the grill. It’s amazing what you can cook beside just meat. And it’s not just for the warm months … my Dad always used the grill all year long.
    • Use a hot plate or crockpot. A propane camping stove.
    • Have salads & cold food… gazpacho anyone?
    • Pretend you’re camping. (But with a refrigerator.) …and the tent isn’t leaking.
    • Get take-out or prepared foods from the market.

• Effects on the rest of your house

  • When your kitchen is vacated to allow for the construction to begin, another room will become the “temporary kitchen”. At a minimum, it will have the refrigerator, some “counter space” (a table?) for food prep and usually a way to do some minimal cooking. (Maybe a microwave or hot plate.)
  • This means that some of your other living spaces will shrink. (Time for some cozy family time?)
  • As with any construction project, it also means dust & dirt. No matter how wonderful your contractor is, how diligently they put up dust barriers and clean off their boots – there will still be dust in the rest of the house. So lighten up on your expectations of a pristine house while you’re under construction… maybe use it as an excuse to let things slide a little & skip a cleaning here & there?

• How long does it really take?

  • Typically a full kitchen renovation takes a good 2 months, depending on the size & complexity of the project. If there are items with a long lead-time, be sure that they are ordered before everything is ripped apart. Talk to your contractor about exactly how long your specific project will take. Also, the more decisions you’ve made ahead of time, the smoother the construction will go & the quicker you’ll be able to love & enjoy your wonderful new kitchen.

Before You Begin:

It’s not just about packing up your pots and pans….

First & foremost – Have an awesome design!!! We can help you figure out what isn’t working with your current kitchen.

• Too small?
• Too dark?
• Are you isolated? Disconnected from the rest of your family?
• Inefficient work area?
• Everyone underfoot?
• Is it embarrassingly outdated or ugly?
• Maybe it doesn’t allow you to entertain the way you’d like to?

And then we can help you get the kitchen / home you’ve always dreamed of … or even one beyond your imagination!

Preparing for Construction:

• Designate an area to be your “temporary kitchen”.
• Decide what your strategies for cooking / eating will be… (See above).
• Pull aside the essentials for the time you will be out of your kitchen. (Dishes, glasses, silverware, bowls, blender, utensils, etc.)
• Pull aside the food you will need. (Will some of the less frequently used items just get boxed up for the duration?)
• Find a way to store the things you’ll need in your “temporary kitchen”. Storage crates? An old bookcase from Goodwill or the ReStore that can be donated back when you’re done?
• Get the grill in good working order. Get propane or charcoal.
• Box up everything you can live without. Put the non-food items out of the way (attic, basement) if possible.
• Get into a mindset to enjoy this adventure!

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!