Finished Enough #DIYKitchen

On Easter Sunday, sixteen days after tearing out the old kitchen, we hosted our first dinner in the new kitchen. The physical and emotional exhaustion of working morning to night for weeks washed away in the company of the people we love most. The counters might still be in progress, cabinets still empty, and trim still in the garage, but we can cook!

As our friend Krash, who helped with the kitchen, said, "this is your best kitchen yet." He apparently doesn't believe us when we say we're not doing this again.

Updates soon on Kenmore Pro appliances (after they're fully serviced, ahem), IKEA delivery disaster and generous response, zinc counters, and a mid-construction trip to the delightful Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum.

In the meantime, this afternoon I'll be at Wilmington College speaking on a panel as part of the Food Symposium. I'd love for you to join me - it's free!

Finished Enough #DIYKitchen

On Easter Sunday, sixteen days after tearing out the old kitchen, we hosted our first dinner in the new kitchen. The physical and emotional exhaustion of working morning to night for weeks washed away in the company of the people we love most. The counters might still be in progress, cabinets still empty, and trim still in the garage, but we can cook!

As our friend Krash, who helped with the kitchen, said, "this is your best kitchen yet." He apparently doesn't believe us when we say we're not doing this again.

Updates soon on Kenmore Pro appliances (after they're fully serviced, ahem), IKEA delivery disaster and generous response, zinc counters, and a mid-construction trip to the delightful Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum.

In the meantime, this afternoon I'll be at Wilmington College speaking on a panel as part of the Food Symposium. I'd love for you to join me - it's free!

10 Days to a DIY Kitchen

In my last post about our kitchen plans, I mentioned that we think we can do this project in ten days. Our last kitchen went from demo to functional in about the same time, so we have some confidence that we can do this again.

Why Rush The Timeline?

We love to cook and want to minimize our time without a kitchen. Second, Alex has limited ability to be away from work, so we want to maximize his time off. (I'm still working farmers' markets and teaching Bitter is Better and Kids Keep Chickens during the project.) Finally, we're putting housecleaning and homeschooling and social plans on hold while we renovate but don't want to keep those things at bay for very long.

10 Day Renovation Schedule

Here's how we hope it will play out:

Day one - Tomorrow! - tear out Day two  - tear out Day three - fix problems in sub floor, walls, hopeful we uncover nothing else Day four - adjust gas line, plumbing, electric, venting for new configuration Day five - install pre-finished flooring Day six - build island base, build and install cabinets Day seven - build and install cabinets Day eight - build and install cabinets Day nine - install appliances, sink, lights, vent Day ten - build and install counters

Cheats and Delays

The savvy among you may realize that there's a lot missing from our schedule - trim and handles and unpacking and decorating. Our ten days is counted from the time the old kitchen was semi-functional to the time the new kitchen is semi-functional. We don't expect to be truly finished for awhile later. We lived in the last kitchen for almost a year before we had finished wooden countertops!

And already we have a delay. The universe must not believe in a ten day kitchen because when we ordered appliances, the range top we wanted wasn't available for delivery until April 17. Other models that met our timeline cost $500-1000 more - for that amount we can afford to wait.

I'll take pictures and share updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you want to follow along. 

10 Days to a DIY Kitchen

In my last post about our kitchen plans, I mentioned that we think we can do this project in ten days. Our last kitchen went from demo to functional in about the same time, so we have some confidence that we can do this again.

Why Rush The Timeline?

We love to cook and want to minimize our time without a kitchen. Second, Alex has limited ability to be away from work, so we want to maximize his time off. (I'm still working farmers' markets and teaching Bitter is Better and Kids Keep Chickens during the project.) Finally, we're putting housecleaning and homeschooling and social plans on hold while we renovate but don't want to keep those things at bay for very long.

10 Day Renovation Schedule

Here's how we hope it will play out:

Day one - Tomorrow! - tear out Day two  - tear out Day three - fix problems in sub floor, walls, hopeful we uncover nothing else Day four - adjust gas line, plumbing, electric, venting for new configuration Day five - install pre-finished flooring Day six - build island base, build and install cabinets Day seven - build and install cabinets Day eight - build and install cabinets Day nine - install appliances, sink, lights, vent Day ten - build and install counters

Cheats and Delays

The savvy among you may realize that there's a lot missing from our schedule - trim and handles and unpacking and decorating. Our ten days is counted from the time the old kitchen was semi-functional to the time the new kitchen is semi-functional. We don't expect to be truly finished for awhile later. We lived in the last kitchen for almost a year before we had finished wooden countertops!

And already we have a delay. The universe must not believe in a ten day kitchen because when we ordered appliances, the range top we wanted wasn't available for delivery until April 17. Other models that met our timeline cost $500-1000 more - for that amount we can afford to wait.

I'll take pictures and share updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you want to follow along.