Kitchen Remodel

Anyone who’s ever lived through a kitchen remodel probably has some vivid memories of the experience.  What I remember looking back is much different than what I imagined it would be like.

I figured we’d eat out or order food most nights during the 2-3 week span that the room would be out of commission.  Mother nature decided to give us some snow the first weekend, though, and not even the restaurants were open.  It wasn’t so bad, though.  We had a toaster oven and a full pantry.

Ah, but before I get anymore into the experience, here’s some before-and-after photos!

I was so afraid of not being able to “boil water”, but there are so many other food options.  Don’t stress, and just jump in.  Yes, there will be some things that you really miss, but come on, it’s only for a few weeks!

For me, the biggest grumble was the month after we moved in… waiting for the final details to be finished.

In the end, Corvallis Custom Kitchens & Baths delivered everything that we asked for.

Those who were here for the past round of holidays will feel that this isn’t THAT much different.  A lot of things stayed the same, but that was because we spent the past 5 years figuring out how we wanted the flow of this space.  The stove used to be where the refrigerator is.  That’s not just a plug, it’s moving a gas line (thanks Wade!)  Now that refrigerator also has water going to it so we have ice-cold filtered water and ice!

Yes, the cabinet layout is the same, but there are hidden improvements like the drawer bank under the buffet.  It actually bumps under the stairs another 12 inches, making for massive amounts of storage in those drawers.

All these cabinets have these cool gentle close thingies.  I never slam the doors and they always close.  Love it!  The drawers also have a gentle close, but beware folks, the cabinet maker had to come out and adjust them since many were sticking 1-2″ open.  Frustrating, but they seemed to make short work of fixing the issue once they got out there.

I am LOVING my laminate counter tops.  I know, granite is all the rage, but the value of the house just can’t justify $65 a square foot.  What you see is a custom variation.  It’s matte vs. the traditional high gloss of marble.  I am so pleased with how it looks and feels!  I also really like the treatment we did on the backsplash.  Starting with a 1×6 board, they covered it with the laminate, and that was it!  I really like the way the back wall of the stove totally makes sense in this design, too.

Ah, but enough about the end result.  Here is a gallery of photos about the process.