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in if-I-do-more-work-now-I'll-have-nothing-to-do-the-rest-of-the-week news
Remember when I fantasy-renovated my bathroom? I'm on to the kitchen now.
To recap: I live in a ca. 1920 bungalow. The kitchen is at the back of the house, with entry from a latticed porch (I think not original, since a window opens on to it.) It is very very small. There is a door down to the basement, and a doorway to the breakfast nook. Two real windows, set high up, look east. The breakfast nook is between the kitchen and the dining room. It has a built-in china cabinet all along onse side, and a perhaps original 2 benches-and-a-table set. It is currently wallpapered in huge bright yellow herringbone.
So, while it pains me to admit it, I think the only thing that can be done to make this kitchen livable is to take down the wall between the kitchen and the breakfast nook, and ditch the benches and table. They're cute, and I value respecting the original features of an historic house, but the kitchen desperately needs square feet and the nook is uncomfortable to sit in. The benches are hard and they are too close to the table, so the space is currently plants underneath the window and bags of stuff waiting to go to Goodwill. Plus yet another place for Casper to back the cat into a corner.
With the wall down (I am assuming it's not structural, and I think I'm right) you get an L-shaped kitchen with 3 windows along the long wall. I think you move the sink to this wall and add the luxury of an adjacent dishwasher. Otherwise, cabinets below.
The fridge moves from its incredibly awkward position between the back and basement doors to the wall along the porch. I think you block up the window that opens onto the porch and stick the fridge there. The window is of no use anyway - even if it didn't face a porch, it's halfway taken up by the half-assed vent system for the stove. The stove goes next to the fridge (with maybe room for counter on either side). Our current stove works fine, but is definitely a heritage item. So let's upgrade to gas (we have gas heat and hot water, so nothing major there) and for heaven's sake put a hood over the thing (the porch may be a problem here.)
The wall between the former breakfast nook and the dining room is now free for up-and-down cabinets and counter. I dislike those window-y pass-throughs and they wouldn't suit the house.
The built-in stays as is.
The wall next to our bedroom - where the fridge is now - gets a new radiator and shallow built-in cupboards for storage of things like cookbooks, plastic bags, canned goods, and scarves. Plus maybe a bench that bumps out a little to take your shoes off and dump your crap. (In this fantasy, the cat miraculously deigns to enter the basement, so we put the cat litter box down there. Right now it is next to the fridge and Totally In The Way. Not to mention messy.)
We keep the current scheme of white-painted cabinets with simple pulls. The current counter is faux-wood formica, which is less objectionable than it sounds, but I have a (not necessarly based on logic) passion for Corian. So let's make it something pratical, pale-ish but not so pale it shows every drip, since we have many drips. Not fake granite. The wood floor needs to be removed and not just refinished, since there are 1/4 to 1/2 inch gaps between sections of flooring (the better for stray cat little to catch in, of course.) It should stay wood, though - I like it. White walls, and no real backsplash (who is that spalshy in the kitchen?) Nice period hanging lights, over the sink and the counter work area. No island. I am anti-island.
Should I give up my day job?
To recap: I live in a ca. 1920 bungalow. The kitchen is at the back of the house, with entry from a latticed porch (I think not original, since a window opens on to it.) It is very very small. There is a door down to the basement, and a doorway to the breakfast nook. Two real windows, set high up, look east. The breakfast nook is between the kitchen and the dining room. It has a built-in china cabinet all along onse side, and a perhaps original 2 benches-and-a-table set. It is currently wallpapered in huge bright yellow herringbone.
So, while it pains me to admit it, I think the only thing that can be done to make this kitchen livable is to take down the wall between the kitchen and the breakfast nook, and ditch the benches and table. They're cute, and I value respecting the original features of an historic house, but the kitchen desperately needs square feet and the nook is uncomfortable to sit in. The benches are hard and they are too close to the table, so the space is currently plants underneath the window and bags of stuff waiting to go to Goodwill. Plus yet another place for Casper to back the cat into a corner.
With the wall down (I am assuming it's not structural, and I think I'm right) you get an L-shaped kitchen with 3 windows along the long wall. I think you move the sink to this wall and add the luxury of an adjacent dishwasher. Otherwise, cabinets below.
The fridge moves from its incredibly awkward position between the back and basement doors to the wall along the porch. I think you block up the window that opens onto the porch and stick the fridge there. The window is of no use anyway - even if it didn't face a porch, it's halfway taken up by the half-assed vent system for the stove. The stove goes next to the fridge (with maybe room for counter on either side). Our current stove works fine, but is definitely a heritage item. So let's upgrade to gas (we have gas heat and hot water, so nothing major there) and for heaven's sake put a hood over the thing (the porch may be a problem here.)
The wall between the former breakfast nook and the dining room is now free for up-and-down cabinets and counter. I dislike those window-y pass-throughs and they wouldn't suit the house.
The built-in stays as is.
The wall next to our bedroom - where the fridge is now - gets a new radiator and shallow built-in cupboards for storage of things like cookbooks, plastic bags, canned goods, and scarves. Plus maybe a bench that bumps out a little to take your shoes off and dump your crap. (In this fantasy, the cat miraculously deigns to enter the basement, so we put the cat litter box down there. Right now it is next to the fridge and Totally In The Way. Not to mention messy.)
We keep the current scheme of white-painted cabinets with simple pulls. The current counter is faux-wood formica, which is less objectionable than it sounds, but I have a (not necessarly based on logic) passion for Corian. So let's make it something pratical, pale-ish but not so pale it shows every drip, since we have many drips. Not fake granite. The wood floor needs to be removed and not just refinished, since there are 1/4 to 1/2 inch gaps between sections of flooring (the better for stray cat little to catch in, of course.) It should stay wood, though - I like it. White walls, and no real backsplash (who is that spalshy in the kitchen?) Nice period hanging lights, over the sink and the counter work area. No island. I am anti-island.
Should I give up my day job?
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