Kitchen Remodel: Week 2

The second week of kitchen renovation has come and gone. I’d like to say this process is flying by but that isn’t the case. It’s been a lot easier, as we’re getting used to our new temporary setup and I realize how much I took for granted, like a big sink and dishwasher. Plastic and paper utensils have been a huge help (I know, not great for the environment, but we never use disposable products so it’s sort of balancing out) as is having clearer goals for planned meals in. The first week was hectic but we’re falling into a pattern of using our slow cooker and panini press for most meals.

I prepped a few meals ahead of time in my freezer to eat during this renovation and that certainly came in handy to bring dinner over to our neighbors who just had a baby. I reheated the meatballs and homemade marinara in my slow cooker and served it with rolls and sliced provolone for sandwiches. I also made a big Italian salad with lemon vinaigrette and a delicious no bake lemon pie. The whole thing was easy to put together and I sent the food over in disposable aluminum pans to make it easy for them with cleanup. I reheated a double batch so we could have this meal as well. Let’s just say, after many days of leftovers, we’re going to take a break from meatballs for awhile!

Back to the kitchen. New drywall went up, a bigger vent was added for our hood, and everything was patched and painted. I chose Harbor Gray (BM) for our kitchen color because we had most of the house painted that color when we moved in and I thought the extension into the kitchen would flow well. With the cabinetry going all the way to the ceiling and adding backsplash, there isn’t a whole lot of exposed wall for paint color anyway, so it was probably the quickest decision I made for this entire kitchen!

The countertops we chose arrived to the warehouse this week so I drove out to go see them and make sure we liked them. That was a nerve-racking drive, I won’t lie to you! If you’ve ever been to look at slabs, the lighting at these places make it so hard to get a true feel for the color and with stones stacked together, it’s almost impossible to see the full thing in it’s entirety. To save the suspense, I was very happy with it but will be anxious to see how they look in our kitchen with the cabinets and backsplash. Praying it all looks as I’m visualizing it!

The space is looking pretty clean again and we’re gearing up for our cabinets to be installed for week 3. Here’s to a hopefully smooth install!