Kitchen - Picture Group #2 - the demolition

This is the 2nd installment of pictures of our kitchen remodel.  This project started in 2007.  Bob finished an attic space above our kitchen and made it into a bedroom for Maria with a bathroom, walkin closet, bay window and even a closet built just for shoes.  At that same time Bob started the plan for the kitchen.  But then we moved to Belgium and the project was put on hold until 2011 when we started the project again knowing that we would come back to the US in 2012.

These are the doors leading out to the old screened in porch.  That is Bob standing out on the sub floor that will eventually be part of the kitchen.  Those doors were kept and are now located in the exact same position but just at the edge of the sub floor where Bob is standing.

Here is the old screened porch.  Have I already said how much I loved that part of our house?  The brick columns are really the only things left from the old structure.  A new crawl space was dug out.  There is also a door to the right of the picture leading into the family room.

Here is the heart of the old kitchen without cabinets.  Take note of the window.  In the new kitchen it is in the same place but it is much taller.  If you look closely above the window you can see that Bob thought ahead and put in something he refers to as a "header" above the old window when he raised the ceiling.



I added this picture too even though it was taken before the ones up above it.  I wanted to show the beautiful wood floor which Bob and his brother layed in 1999.  It felt odd taking it up  but there was no way to keep it with the addition of space to the overall kitchen.

 Tomorrow's picture will be of the construction.

Kitchen - Group #1 - The Beginning

Over the next few days I want to show the transformation of our kitchen.  This is group #1 which means you are seeing the kitchen as it was.  Built in 1991, our house was quite typical of the style of houses in our neighborhood.  The ceiling was originally 8ft just in the kitchen because the original owners wanted it to be "cozy".  We also had a 4x6ft ceiling light which dropped down another 6" over the island.  It felt very closed in.  At the time these pictures were taken, Bob had already raised the ceiling another 12" into an attic area on the 2nd floor.  (That attic space became Maria's room, but that is another story.)



 

This is the desk.  It was fun for about 10 years but then it just became the catch all for every homeless item in the house.  You know what I mean..."I don't know where to put this so I will just stuff it over by the desk."  The cabinets were filled with everything from advent candles to liqueur to bills. That middle drawer held at least 100 pencils, pens and markers, half of which didn't work. It also held 7, yes 7, scissors.

To the right of the desk was the refrigerator, microwave and oven.  Massive.  The refrigerator never worked well. The freezer door didn't shut all the way unless you smoothed out the gasket with a spatula and fridge froze every head of lettuce that stayed in there longer than 10 hours.

This is the island obviously.  It had a cooktop with a grill which I never used, not even once.  On the other side were 2 burners.  That is correct, 2 burners.  I have no idea how I cooked with just 2 burners for all those years.  When we moved to Belgium and I had 5 burners, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  It was great!!!

This is basically the kitchen on its way to being demolished!  I remember when my friend Jennifer and I hung that border.  Actually, she hung the border and I watched.  I remember how expensive that border was.  It was from Longaberger and had matching chair pads, placemats and napkins.  Sooo 90"s.  That wall to right will eventually disappear.  On the other side of it is/was our screened in porch.

And here are the doors leading out to the screened in porch.  We loved that porch with its wonderful breeze flowing through it even in the summer.  We used it all the time.  I will really miss it but what we got in return was much better.

One more picture. 

Tomorrow will be the next picture in the series leading up to the finished kitchen.  In case you were wondering, these pictures where taken in the spring of 2011.  Since we were living in Belgium at the time, we could let the project take as long as we wanted.

Commitment to Blog

You have no idea how much guilt I carry when I don't post on this blog!  I have a Facebook account so I tend to put quick pics on there instead of blogging.  I really don't like Facebook very much.  Right now it is filled with political comments and status updates from the same people everyday.  I don't write more than a sentence on Facebook which is quite depressing since I LOVE writing my thoughts on this blog.

Since we returned to the US, I really didn't think I had done anything that seemed exciting enough to write about.  Hmmm.  I was wrong.  Here are the things that have happened since my last blog post on Sept. 11...

• I have had 3 mammograms, 2 biopsies and a lumpectomy.  All is fine, thank goodness.  Going through a breast cancer scare in October when everything is pink and awareness is highlighted at every turn, is not ideal.
• Maria was on TV practically every weekend with her sideline work with the Purdue football team.  She is a Trainer and wants to be a physical therapist.  It is so cool to see her heading toward her goal.
• We have been to 3 Purdue football games and watched them lose A LOT!! My hopes of following the team (and Maria) to a bowl game in a warm location on New Year's is slowly slipping away.
• Leah and Jenn have adjusted well to their new high school.  They are so lucky to go through new things as a team.  They walk into a new situation as a pair with an automatic best friend.  Lucky girls.  They have learned that every school has a "mean girl", maybe even more than one.  I hate when another kid makes my kids cry.  I hope my kids are never the one who makes anyone else cry.  On a positive note, their grades are excellent.
• Leah and Jenn are playing with the New World Youth Orchestra in Indy. Leah just found out she is 1st chair Bassist. Jenn is 2nd chair, 2nd stand.
• Bob got to stay home for much of the time when I was going through my tests and surgery.  That was nice.  He is now back on the fast track of traveling to places near (Chicago) and far (South America and Zurich).
• Bob and I got to travel to the Ryder Cup in Chicago.  We had a great time watching the US let their lead slip away.  This was probably the last Ryder Cup we will go to since the next one will be back in Europe 2 years from now.  We are slightly interested in going to more golf matches closer to home.
• We got a Pool!!!
• We got a new deck!!!
• We finished the kitchen remodel!!!
• We got a new HVAC system!!!
• We have no money left and will be eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner for the next 3 years.  Just kidding.  We have saved the entire time we were in Europe and Bob has worked really hard.

Well that's what we have been up to.  I guess we have done some pretty exciting things since moving back to the US!