A simple kitchen reno -- finally finished!

Our house is finally back to normal after a lot of hard work. Yes, we started a long-dreaded kitchen renovation back in April, and we are very pleased with the results. (Click here for my previous moodling on the topic, and a picture of the day my old counter tops disappeared.)

Allow me to mention that there's something about renovations that flies in the face of our life goals. Voluntary Simplicity is about living simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with the poor and all of creation, so the frivolous spending of money to fix up a kitchen feels wrong when there are so many people in the world who don't have the simple basics they need to survive. The only way to combat this feeling is to avoid the frivolous and the trendy. In our renos, we did our best to reduce waste, reuse or recycle what we had, and go for simple beauty and practicality. And I hope to find ways to use my kitchen in service to those less fortunate.

I wish I had before and after pictures so you could see the difference, but somehow before pictures never got taken, and if you watch home reno shows at all, it would seem like we didn't change very much anyway. HGTV seems to concentrate on trendy and over the top designs and colour schemes that soon go out of style, but we chose a classic plan and will stick with it for years to come so as not to create a lot of waste now or in the future. For example, rather than get the latest in cupboards, we kept our old ones (gasp!) because they are nice solid oak -- just wait a few years and they'll be the next trend! Not that it matters a whit to us.

We aimed for practical, so all that really changed structurally speaking is that our fridge and dishwasher traded places, and we added the two nearest counter pieces with cupboards made to match the ones we already had. What a difference the changes have made to the way our kitchen functions! We're not bumping into each other nearly so much as we put meals on the table or empty the dishwasher, and I'm thrilled to have enough cupboard space so that running to the basement to get bread bowl or food processor isn't necessary any more! (I run enough river valley steps when I walk the dog!)

There are some nice aesthetic changes, too. The new cupboards match the old ones (thank you, Delton Cabinets!), and we found better door pulls that don't bite my fingers. The fridge no longer blocks the window, and I love the sunshine that crosses our new counter space on the right. All the counter tops are a fresh arborite that actually wipes clean. A new back splash means grout isn't falling out every time I wipe it. And for a nature lover like me, it's nice to have a leafy-patterned lino underfoot, and spacious skies blue on the walls. (Who names these paint colours?? Our dining/living room is whispering waterfall pale green. I'm not kidding.)

Of course, it all cost a pretty penny, but it would have been a lot more expensive if we hadn't kept the existing cupboards, subcontracted a lot of the work, and done the really time consuming stuff ourselves (like scraping off the previous tiles' glue and re-painting the insides of the old cupboards). Net result: a simple, spacious, and more functional kitchen that is already making this year's garden produce easier to handle. Not to mention less waste of renovation resources!

I've heard a lot of kitchen reno horror stories -- usually from people who rip everything out because they want a complete update. But keeping it simple makes a lot more sense -- not just for the homeowners' pocketbook and sanity, but also for the sake of the planet. And of course, we are known for trying to keep things simple around here!

The case of the missing mixer

Look Ma, no counter tops!

Did I mention that we are undergoing a "minor" kitchen renovation? Actually, it's turning out to be more "major" than we hoped. When we moved into my dream home 15 years ago, we noticed that the counter tops were pretty worn, but replacing them wasn't as important to us as opening up the wall between kitchen and dining room/living room, so that was our first kitchen reno.

Of course, the counter tops have only gotten worse over time, as have other little problems. We opened up our kitchen space, and no sooner was the wall gone than the little old fridge that came with the home died... and we learned that new fridges wouldn't fit under our old (but still lovely) oak cabinets. So for the past 15 years, our fridge had to sit half-blocking the kitchen window. As for counter space, there was never enough for a gardener who processes a lot of backyard produce.

So when our kitchen windows began clouding up last fall because their seals were done, we did some thinking and planning, and bit the bullet because we knew that changing the windows would lead to a cascade of repairs that meant we might as well take time to renovate the kitchen as a whole.

I find it interesting how just the word "renovation" evokes major excitement in some people. For me, it evokes dread, but I guess I'm not one who watches Home Reno TV channels where renos look so easy and glamourous. We certainly aren't looking for the trendiest new kitchen, or the inevitable setbacks that go with it. Functional is enough when you're trying to live Voluntary Simplicity.

First step -- replace the windows. Easy peasy as we didn't have to lift a finger (other than working to pay for them).

Second step -- remove the old backsplash tiles to allow for new countertop. Quite a bit more work, as we had to make choices about tiles that would match our new arborite. I'm no designer, but I think we did okay. Because Lee is quite particular about having a decent surface for the new backsplash, he put in a lot of hours and muscle removing the tiles and glue from old plaster walls while I was planting our garden.

Third step -- the new built cabinets were installed on Monday, no problem, and the fridge finally took its rightful place after 15 years of warming itself in the kitchen window. I could have kissed Tim, the installer.

Fourth step -- things get complicated. Yesterday morning, the countertop guy came to template everything, old and new. In looking at the removal of our old countertop, he concluded that the bottom cupboards and counter top had been built so well onsite (by the previous owner of our home, who was a finishing carpenter), cutting out the old countertop was impossible because he'd probably end up demolishing all the kitchen drawers since everything fit together so closely. He recommended removing the old arborite with heat and laquer thinner, and applying a new sheet of arborite. A very messy process and a big setback. Just the idea made me groan... and swear.

Thank heavens for Tim, the guy who installed the new built cabinets on Monday. He turned up again yesterday afternoon to check whether the counter tops could, indeed, be removed. "Nothing is impossible," he said, and got to work. He soon discovered that if he took out the sink, he could pry the counters up. No messy laquer thinner required!

Expecting removal and installation in one day (next Thursday) as had been promised, I wasn't exactly prepared when Tim said, "I guess you'll want to empty your bottom cupboards if I'm ripping the old one out right now." After 15 minutes of racing back and forth, they were mostly emptied (I covered our lazy susan pantry corners with towels), and I was laughing at my living room. Pots, pans, waffle iron, tinfoil and wax paper, cutlery holder, potato masher, spatulas and rolling pins all over the place. And our kitchen sink is now out in the garage!

We've been without our dishwasher for two months now (the old one quit as we started this whole process). Of course, the kitchen sink has been really important. Now the laundry sink in the basement has kitchen sink status as we carry basins of dishes down there.

First world problem, for sure. Yes, my back aches with this setup, but at least I'm not carrying jugs of water for miles. This week I am thinking of women all over the globe who don't have the benefit of a sink with running water, never mind hot and cold. How spoiled are we in North America, but we complain when our dishwashers so much as leave a streak!

Tomorrow, we will have new lino installed. For today, I am waiting to hear when the templater will come back to finish the job he started before complications set in.

I am also looking for the hand mixer that I use to mix up my breakfast smoothy. In the fifteen minutes of madness emptying cupboards yesterday, I can't figure out where it went!

What a guy!

We've been living in this house for nine years now, and though a wall had been knocked out between kitchen and dining room and new windows were installed, the kitchen had never been properly repainted, though the dining room had. The kitchen ceiling was so discoloured, and the walls weren't much better. As we hadn't done any home maintenance for almost a year, I happened to make a comment to Lee about how nice it would be to give the kitchen a fresh coat of paint the next time we were in reno mode.

I honestly didn't expect him to act on it. He had a pretty exhausting summer thanks to a trip overseas, and his vacation time came in short chunks rather than the nice two-week stretch it seems to take him to fully relax. There was always yard work or some minor project that prevented him from really taking a break, and I didn't mean to add to that with my kitchen comment.

I didn't realize it, but Lee was in a painting kind of mood. He repainted the cast iron railings at our front step because I'd been talking about doing that for a while, and then he took me to Rona to pick out paint for the kitchen.

Lemon Tart yellow was my choice -- for me, happiness is a yellow kitchen. I debated a bit about Lemon Tart or Cool Lemonade, and thought about how my kids complained about the lack of colour in our home (we like light, so we prefer white walls, especially in the winter). They wanted something bold. Lemon Tart was definitely bold in my books, so I went with that. The lady who mixed the paint gave me two thumbs up for my choice. So did our girls.

It took a week from buying to applying the last coat on Friday evening when Lee got home from work. The girls were ecstatic... but I wasn't so sure. It was SO bright. Hard on the eyes, almost. Definitely tart. Especially with our new ceiling light fixture. After we cleaned up, Lee and I took a walk to my parents' house for a visit with my dad (who had just had a cornea transplant and sees fine now!) and as we chatted, I mentioned my misgivings. My mom turned to Lee and said, "Do you think it's too bright?"

"I have no opinion on the matter," he said, to both my delight and exasperation. He was content to leave the decision to me, but at the same time, no help at all! When we got home, I pulled down a bit of the green tape to see how Lemon Tart looked against our white, and said I'd have to sleep on it.

I woke at seven, early for me on a Saturday morning, and went to look at the kitchen. Lemon Tart was definitely harsher than I expected it to be at that early hour. I tried to like it, I really did, but I also realized that the person who spends the most time in the kitchen had better be sure she likes it, especially since we don't paint that frequently. Could I live with Lemon Tart yellow for the next ten years? No. But how would I break it to Lee, who was looking forward to a Saturday with nothing pressing?

He appeared ten minutes later, took one look at my face and said, "We could mix the leftover ceiling paint with your Lemon Tart, and that might do it. What do you think?"

So that's what we ended up doing. Our girls complained as Lemon Tart was covered with something lighter, but as I pointed out to them, they can paint their own kitchens their own colours someday. One coat was all it took, and I was a much happier camper. My kitchen is a warm, buttery yellow now, and looks pretty sharp. Lee also sanded and repainted the stove top ceiling vent so that it looks brand new. He's pretty proud of that piece of work, and rightly so.

Best part of all? When everything was finished, I asked Lee what he thought of our kitchen. "I have no opinion on the matter," he said. "But I think you made the right choice."

What a guy! And I say that with absolute affection!