Kitchen D-day

I drove the kids to Hull on Tuesday afternoon to stay with my parents during the worst of the demolition.  I visited with family and headed back to Waverly the next morning.  When I got home I finished emptying the kitchen while Austin started ripping up carpet in the dining area.  We moved out all the appliances except the fridge.  Then the real fun began!

The most effect system was to have Austin do the dismantling/demo while I hauled the debris to the giant dumpster parked in the back driveway.  With them being solid, custom built cabinets, it was a little more work than just unscrewing them from the wall.  After a minor hiccup unhooking the garbage disposal and a failed shut-off valve requiring a capping of the entire water line, we had everything knocked out and cleaned up shortly before midnight.  Not a bad start!

 

The other project I worked on was organizing the temporary kitchen set-up downstairs.  I have everything I think we'll use labeled in boxes/totes and things I don't think we'll need packed away in closets.  It really helps to have a storage closet under the stairs with extra deep shelves to use as a pantry.  We also managed to get the island downstairs intact with the silverware drawer and all the plastic storage containers.  Even the fish has a new view in the basement!

I also have a large supply of random paper products to use while we don't have a dishwasher.  You know when you buy plates/cups/napkins for a special event and have a few leftover so you stick them in a box?  I had two crates of my own, plus I brought home four boxes of stuff from my mom's reverse garage sale back in May.  I've got beverage napkins leftover from our wedding, a variety of birthday themes and pretty much every holiday covered.

My other food storage place is the wall cabinets in the utility room.  These, too, are labeled on the outside to make it easier to find what you're looking for.  You don't realize how much food/storage you have in the kitchen until you have to move it.  I had been working on cutting down inventory for a while, but there's still a lot of stuff.

Dishes can be washed in the utility sink by the washer/dryer.  Hopefully the oven/stove can be temporarily hooked up sometime next week.  It's a whole new mindset when you're restricted to a microwave and a grill!  Overall, I'm happy with the set up. 

Bonus: Below is a picture of the new door on what will be the new walk-in pantry.