Demo, Dinner and Decisions

I am now officially in the throes of a full-blown kitchen remodel. Demolition started on Monday, but our work really began on Saturday.

We had to clear out almost the entire contents from our storage room which is located beneath our kitchen to give our contractor easy access from below. We used this as a perfect opportunity to get rid of those things that have been cluttering up our storage room (and our life).

What a messy job! I filled the mini van full of things to go to the local charity. Good stuff, too. Just not things we want anymore and won't be using in the future. Framed posters, small appliances, full sets of dishes. Like I said, good stuff.

What a feeling of lightness! Well, that is until we realized that this was only part of our efforts for the weekend. We also had to empty out the kitchen in time for Monday's demolition party.

14 storage containers later, we had everything labeled and stacked neatly. We also created a temporary kitchen in the basement with a hot plate, microwave and griddle (and one really handy 18" deep rack as a temporary pantry). So far, we've only bought one take-out meal. Not bad!

As I was telling my girlfriend though, our meals are not so elaborate. We are consuming things like turkey dogs and baked beans. Lots of pre-bagged salad for the adults while the kids want Annie's microwave mac. If we can keep it easy and interesting, I'm hoping we can maintain this. the less we spend on take-out, the more that's left over for the remodel!

I've been feeling a bit of pressure to make sure I choose the correct finishes for the kitchen. I have settled on a lightly stained maple cabinet - which came as a surprise, I never really envisioned myself as a Maple gal - with rich marble counters. Our stainless appliances are already in the house and waiting to be installed... The door style is very simple, to fit with my 1920's house - not a true Shaker door either, I didn't want to date to kitchen with too specific a look. Yikes! I feel my customer's pain, I understand what they go through to make decisions!