I just packed up this week past and the kitchen was demolished on Tuesday. I can't believe how much stuff I have! No wonder I think I need more storage and have ordered uppers that go all the way to the ceiling! I tried to exercise some discipline and throw out all the old things I rarely use anymore. I wasn't very successful... let's say it was like removing sand from the desert with a teaspoon. I guess I'm just attached to my old favs, like special friends. Plus, my mom passed away last year and I ended up with most of her stuff - as the only girl child, my brothers simply delegated all that kitcheny/household stuff to my best judgement. How could I possibly get rid of the green glass citrus squeezer??? or Grandma's best china?? Or Auntie's hand painted china, etched aluminum trays or the ancestral beer glasses?? For the record, I did throw away all the sippy cups and souvenir kiddy dishes (the baby starts HS next week), and at least 2 dozen coffee mugs are packed to donate to the local thrift (I'm sure those breed in closed cupboards) but I still have at least 3 dozen I can't part with. Hey, who wants to come to my place for coffee? Or tea? I counted 6 teapots, keepers all. I do think I'll replace all, or at least most of my kitchen towels. They have all seen better days, even if they rarely see the light of day anymore. We are currently settling into our "temporary kitchen" in the wet bar area of our basement rec room. This classic piece of 1960s design and construction leaves much to be desired functionally, but at least it boasts running water and a usable refigerator. Ironically, in the 13+ yrs we've lived in this house, we have seldom ventured into this cubby-hole, except to access the beer fridge. Now, I can hardly wait until the kitchen is completed so I can start planning its renovation...

Hardware is already installed, counters go in tomorrow (YEAH!!!!!). The floors will be messy, though; the wood needed to be patched where we bumped out the bay window and under some of the old cabinets we removed, so they need to sand and stain the entire kitchen. Do I just need to wait until that is done? Do I need to protect my glides somehow? I read that granite dust can ruin the Blum glides but what about the wood floor dust? Anita

Beth H. : thank you. He made the countertop himself out of 2 3/4" plywood and we bought formica 180fx laminate for the counters (and done the ideal edge) and used the same 180fx for the backsplash. I know alot of ppl don't like laminate, but I actually do and I do alot of food preserving and canning and the backsplash washes off so easily. With hubby doing all the work and making everything himself the total price of our whole house remodel came to $20,000. And that included, 6 new windows, 2 full baths, a kitchen, and flooring.... (during covid with prices more than double on alot of things. So we saved quite a bit! Overall, I love the way it turned out! And I'm extremely proud of my hubby!

We have Shaker-style doors with slab drawers too. I like them--they're much easier to clean and the hardware is easier to place well. We chose them because the original built-ins in our 1915 house all had shaker doors with slab drawers and we wanted to match the aesthetic, so definitely not a new or especially modern thing! If you add cabinets after closing would it be with the same manufacturer/installer? That would make me a little nervous--I'd rather do 42" with a simple flat moulding if there's a chance the finishes/paint wouldn't match perfectly.