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Updating our 1971 Kitchen: Appliances, Cabinets, and Countertop

We worked hard to get in the cabinets and new appliances before my wedding season kicked in, and we accomplished it. When we planned to put in the new cooktop, we suddenly realized the countertop was cut, and the old one was slid in. We would have to replace that section at least of the countertop. They are laminate. I am not a fan, at all, but figured I would live with them until we decided on the fottprint of the kitchen we desired after living and working in it for probably a year….and saving for our dream kitchen, We thought, do it once, do it right. Well it didn’t work out that way! We didn’t have a budget for a total remod, I wasn’t even budgeting for laminate…but here we are with an expensive cooktop, and a hole too big to put it in! So we went shopping at the big orange box store, and the blue one, and some bargain spots. We soon learned we had to replace all of it, not just that section! In order to get it without the built in backsplash, it has to be custom ordered.

So we went back to the big orange box store. The design consultant had limited hours at our local store, so we made an appt. It took us weeks to agree on a design, finally I said to my husband, we have to decide now, the appt. is today. He winds his finger around the dozens of samples and throws his finger at one as if he were blindfolded. THIS ONE!

I thought he was being sarcastic! White marble laminate. I asked, Marble, white marble? For this house? He very seriously answered Yes. After weeks of back and forth on completely different opinions. I exclaimed SOLD! Lets go get this done. It wasn’t what either of us wanted, but it was a compromise, and we realized we’d both be happy with it. Laminate Marble, sounds scary though! We began calling it Farble, fake marble for short! OH and this would require a new tile backsplash as the one in doesn’t match…add that to the budget. But I didn’t complain. I was not a fan at all, I would have lived with it, but was so much happier that I wasn’t going to have to!

We meet, we let him know the little card we picked out, and then we learned we couldn’t DIY it, the custom order pieces come with installation, so that was an additional cost ( and a secret sigh of relief from my husband) Again we move things around in the budget for the rest of the house, and we make it happen. It took us weeks, and we just need to make this happen, because in the mean time we have a half burner 1971 electric cooktop.

Design, finish and edge. I had no idea laminate offered so many options! The design we chose was from WilsonArt. What they do with laminate these days is actually very cool and durable. The fabricator and installer come a couple weeks later to do the template. All goes well, until the finish we chose could not be done in the edge we chose. Back and forth between distributor nd store to get it straight of what was available, naming of each etc. and get it selected. It would help tremendously if Home Depot had up to date smaples from the manufacturer, with available finishes and and edges. But they do not, and their computer system seems outdated as well. As each time they sent over the order to the fabricator, it was changed. We learned it defaulted to one finish, which was not available in the edge we chose. Finally after several emails and weeks, it gets sorted out. We aslo ordered a new sink from Home Depot, may as well right?!

We were responsible for the removal of the old countertop, sink and cooktop. Afternoon before install we receive a very apologetic and sincere phone call from installer WareRite. Thecountertop was dropped while loading and has broken beyond repair. The day after Christmas! We had scrambled to clean up Christmas, taken time off to get it done, and turned away business to do so. I remained calm, and was informed it could be another 4 weeks!

I emailed a few days later, asking if there is any way this can be expedited. WilsonArt is closed for the holiday and until after 1st of year. So I wait to hear. And Wait. play phone tag with Home Depot, a week turnaround on email responses, and now we are apparently under negotiations of what they can reasonably offer me. 4 weeks later, I wait for an answer, as apparently my countertops are sitting in the warehouse of WareRite….waiting upon management of both Home Depot and Ware Rite.

I will keep you updated!

DIY Ikea Cabinets and Appliance Shopping

Just after buying the new house, my husband and I set out for a new oven, then discovered that would also require a new cabinet. After much dismay on the cost of wall cabinets, we found that Ikea had reasonably priced cabinets that we could DIY. Then we discovered the cooktop needed to be replaced as well, not all burners worked, and tripped the breaker. We also realized the french door fridge wasn’t wide enough for normal cake plate. So 1 appliance turned into 3…well 4, we also needed a microwave.

We decided to find the cabinets first, then the appliances that would fit in them. We were quickly shocked at the prices, and realized we would need to DIY, set out to bargain outlets, second hand stores etc. We finally decided on Ikea! We could both agree on a style there, and it fit into our budget. This took us weeks! Then on to researching what ovens we could fit into these cabinets.

My husband is a tech geek, and as soon as we started looking at appliances, he was just drooling over the Samsung Smart refrigerators. Luckily it was a time that sales and rebates were available at our local appliance store, Percy’s, We chose a cooktop, a double oven that I had dreams about, a micro, and to my dismay a smart fridge. We bickered and bartered! It was not what we set out to spend, so we went over the projects, and made concessions, and gave on some things I wanted, and some he wanted, and there we were the proud owners of a giant tablet on a shiny new refrigerator. ( insert eye roll). I now am more obsessed with this appliance than he is, but that is a story for another day 😉

We set up our delivery date, and it was time to get busy buying and building our cabinets. Sounds easy right? Nope!

Updating the original 1971 Kitchen…phase 1

We wanted to live in the house for a bit to see if the kitchen layout works for us, and decide whether or not this is the footprint for us… do we like the layout, peninsula vs. island, how does the space work, and how do we work in the space. Many of our family and friends wondered why we had to redo our kitchen, because at first glance it looks completely operational; however, we had to make some immediate changes, it just won’t work for us. It is nearly all original to the home when it was built in the 70’s. Some changes have been made, but just cosmetic. Paint, tile, countertop, dishwasher and refrigerator. Let’s talk about the oven! First and foremost, a regular size cookie sheet doesn’t fit inside this, it is original to the home, from 1971! It’s adorable, and a vintage gem, it still works perfectly, but I am a home baker, and I need an oven for all of my cakes and cookies. So we set out to just change out the oven. Well folks it isn’t that simple! The cabinet which houses the old oven, isn’t large enough for any modern wall oven….that a cookie sheet can fit in. Step one…replace the cabinets! Because an entire kitchen remod is not in the budget, just for now, we will replace the oven wall cabinets. Or so we thought!
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