New Kitchen in the works

Mom and I have been in this house for 23 years and have only recently been doing some serious renovations. Last year was the windows, we had these old metal frame low efficient, seriously stained glass windows now replaced with double panes. Then the tearing down of our old wooden garage that looked as if it would have fallen on its own anyways to be replaced by a small shed. And then there was the backyard, covered up the soil patch with patio stones and made a bed along our wooden fence (also newly done) for shrubs and bushes with a small area in the very back for my herbs.

Now the kitchen and about freaking time! We replaced the dieing fridge with a 21 cu ft GE Portfolio, bottom freezer, stainless steel door and the new stove top oven which has yet to arrive. Its on hold for us till we finally renovate the kitchen. We're spending $13,300 all cash to save on the taxes, on a local contractor thats been in and around our area for almost 30 years. Its mom's ideas but I basically chose the material and look. The kitchen is 13ft long x 9ft wide with about 10ft high, pretty small. We're replacing all the cabinets with oak doors, the counter is being replaced with arborite in a almost coffee coloured granite texture in a matte finish and the sink thats currently a 2 part with a standard size and a half. We'll be doing a double sink both the same size in stainless steel, we tried under the counter but the contractors said its not possible unless we were going with a stone top. This is all on the North wall (the 13ft length minus 24inches for the stove top oven) but on the South wall (13ft length minus 31inches for the fridge and another 28" for the dinning room enterance) we'll be putting up extra counters up top and below adding extra counter space, mom originally wanted to move the sink here but the costs was too much to rework the piping. Plus cutting out a 2ftx4ft window opening into the dinning room like a service window but we'll be adding stools on the dinning room side making a breakfast table. Floors are being redone as well and a new colour which we haven't chosen yet for the walls. We sampled the materials for the counters and cabinets and chose the look today, we gave the guys the go ahead and will be expecting them in 4-5 weeks with a construction time of, what as promised, 1 week max.

I soooo can't wait to see this. Its definatly dinging me a bit in the wallet though but ****, we're staying in this house, might as well make it more livable and make it a beaut.

I had a great program that stitched the pictures together but I can't seem to find it.

The before pictures, we were clearing out stuff so its a bigger mess then how it really was before plus I had removed a 5ft tall wire rack that was beside the wooden table. The fridge wasn't replaced in the picture but it was quite new, our old fridge was taken out about a month before we drew up the contract for the renovations. No breakfast window as it was planned, there was a vent shaft in the way. It was suppose to be on the wall where the wooden cutting board is that leads to the dining room. Also the sink was kept where it was since the plumbing was very expensive. Counter tops are arborite and the cabinets doors are real oak. New porcelain tiles and a base coat on the walls.

Yes, it is a very small kitchen but its well organized and now with plenty of counter work surface and shelves. I can't wait to get some time off to do some real baking, I haven't done my eclairs in so long that I'm almost ashamed of myself. Whats great about the size of this kitchen is that theres slightly more room then a line and as long as I got good misen place, I won't have far to jump for stuff and so far, its worked very well. It was all done just 1 week shy of Christmas so the kitchen has seen a little action plus some of our pots and pans need to be replaced. I've already gotten a few new baking sheet pans, found a spot for my knife bag so I won't have to rely on mom's dull Henkles so I'm very happy.

$13,300 for 1 weeks labor and all the materials. I don't remember how much the stove and the fridge was because that was purchased before the renovations.