Inside: Get been-there recommendation on learn how to survive a kitchen rework–and feed your loved ones throughout the course of.
Practically 20 years in the past, we fell in love with a small, 100-year-old home on a fairly, tree-lined road.
Largely, we fell in love with the bones of the home.
The kitchen, not as a lot.
The counters had been blue, the range was black, the fridge was off-white. It was purposeful however outdated. Clear however cramped.
We purchased the home figuring we’d have the kitchen transformed. As a result of how arduous might that be?
Yeah, proper!
The corporate we employed took the kitchen all the way down to the studs, pushed the ceiling up, leveled the flooring, dismantled an previous coal chimney, opened up a wall, and located sufficient costly surprises alongside the way in which to go away our authentic finances within the mud.
Did I point out I used to be additionally pregnant, sick with nausea and vomiting, and had a toddler?
In fact it was effectively price it. Right now I look again on the “earlier than” images and really feel grateful for our larger, extra trendy area.
However it wasn’t straightforward. And one of many hardest elements was holding everybody fed and not using a working kitchen.
So I made a decision to stroll down reminiscence lane with our personal kitchen makeover in case you’ve acquired a rework in your future and need assistance surviving the method.
I additionally reached out to my Actual Mother Vitamin Fb neighborhood for his or her greatest recommendation and acquired so many nice suggestions, I needed to share them right here too.
Plus, I’m sharing before-and-after images of our renovation and the little “kitchen glow-up” we just lately did.
6 Suggestions for Surviving a Kitchen Rework
1. Make a Short-term Kitchen
Our contractor moved our previous fridge into the lounge, the place we arrange a short lived kitchen area with a small desk, microwave, and toaster oven.
A folding desk or card desk is useful for this. And earlier than you pack all the pieces away, put aside some objects that may enable you to in your makeshift kitchen, comparable to:
- Espresso maker
- Chopping board
- Pots/pans
- Strainer
- Can opener
- Spatula and different cooking utensils/instruments
- Spices & cooking spray
Right here’s some reader recommendation:
“Discovering a devoted spot to have zones for various issues helped us. Cooking space, prep space, place for making lunches and so on. fortunately we have now an enclosed facet porch that labored completely.”
“We moved fridge & microwave to our stroll out basement, purchased a scorching plate, toaster oven, and hubby constructed a kitchenette.”
“I had my makeshift kitchen arrange within the storage with the fridge, an induction scorching plate, toaster/convection oven and a microwave. Additionally had the crockpot and rice cooker helpful.”
“We sealed off our eating room and made it a makeshift kitchen. We had our fridge in there, a desk, prompt pot, air fryer, and so on all arrange so we might entry it. We used paper plates and cups, and so on. we additionally bought a couple of giant, heavy obligation plastic shelving items to make use of as non permanent pantries. We packed all the pieces in plastic tubs that we thought we’d use (a reducing board, a couple of knives, and so on) it was rough-but we made it!”
2. Preserve your sink so long as doable
Everybody, together with me, agrees that coping with soiled dishes is the worst a part of a kitchen rework. So if you happen to can, cling on to your kitchen sink so long as doable.
You might also have a sink you should use in a basement, toilet, storage, or laundry room. However “don’t do dishes within the bathtub,” one reader cautioned. “It would kill your again. I ended up in PT due to that.”
READER TIP: “I stocked my freezer with crock pot dinners earlier than the work began and used sluggish cooker liners.”
3. Lean on small home equipment
Whereas your oven’s out of fee, smaller home equipment can save the day. Listed here are some to contemplate (ask a pal or neighbor to borrow if you happen to don’t have one):
- On the spot Pot
- Air fryer
- George Foreman grill
- Microwave
- Toaster oven
- Sizzling plate/induction burner
- Electrical skillet
- Electrical griddle
- Camp range to cook dinner outdoors
READER TIP: “Be additional good to neighbors and associates within the months/weeks main as much as the renovation so you’ll be able to name in some favors & get invited to dinner.”
4. Time it proper
If doable, schedule your renovation for hotter months when you should use your grill and eat outdoors.
Bonus: Summer time can also be when associates and neighbors will journey. One reader urged a swap the place you water their vegetation and fetch the mail in change for utilizing their kitchen whereas they’re gone.
READER TIP: “Our Blackstone grill is savinnngg me proper now. It principally does most of what you are able to do on a stovetop in a pan, it’s only a griddle: Stir fry model dishes, breakfast hash, and so on. in addition to burgers and whatnot.”
5. Meal plan & suppose E-A-S-Y
Having some form of plan in place may also help scale back stress (you’ll have sufficient of that already). Seize my free meal planning worksheet if you happen to’re a pen-and-paper particular person.
Listed here are some reader recommendations for lower-effort meals:
- Costco pre-made dinners
- Sandwiches
- Salad kits
- Dealer Joe’s frozen/microwavable meals
- Pre-prepped meal supply service
- Freezer meals you’ve made upfront which you could microwave
- Pizza supply as soon as every week
Think about filling a plastic bin with shelf-stable objects you should use for easy meals and snacks comparable to:
- Peanut butter
- Shelf-stable microwavable rice and pasta pouches
- Canned meals comparable to canned beans, soup, veggies, and fruit
- Power bars
- Complete grain crackers
- On the spot oatmeal
- Applesauce and fruit cups
- Cereal and granola
Seize extra concepts, plus 10 straightforward meals you may make and not using a range, in my submit 45+ Wholesome Dorm Meals Concepts
READER TIP: “Don’t suppose it’s important to cook dinner – chilly meals are positive, too. Deal with it as an journey.”
6. Let go of guilt
Give your self grace whilst you’re going by means of a rework. As a substitute of beating your self up over disposable plates and frozen dinners, channel that power into selecting out new home equipment and selecting between 500 kinds of drawer pulls. Right here’s what else Actual Mother readers needed to say:
“Don’t attempt to save the setting in 3 months (that means you should use paper plates for a couple of weeks to avoid wasting your sanity), and preserve your humorousness.”
“Paper plates, cups and plastic cutlery. Shake off no matter guilt you suppose it is best to really feel and name it ‘self-care.’ Make a listing of carry-out/dine-in choices you’ve gotten needed to try to work that expense into the finances if you happen to can.”
“There have been MANY instances we simply had sandwiches and cereal for all 3 meals.”
“Preserve it easy as a result of life is sophisticated when your complete kitchen is torn up.”
READER TIP: “You possibly can at all times get compostable paper plates and bowls if you happen to use a composting service.”
Our kitchen rework
Listed here are some before-and-after photographs of our kitchen area, which was renovated 16 years in the past. What they did:
- Eliminated an higher block of kitchen cupboards and a peninsula separating the kitchen and consuming space to make one large room.
- Eliminated a part of an previous coal chimney and turned it into one facet of an ornamental mantle over our range (the facet cupboards have cabinets for spices, and so on.).
- Opened up a kitchen wall into the eating room.
- Eliminated a drop ceiling.
- Eliminated laminate flooring and wove the unique flooring from the eating room into matching hardwood within the kitchen.
- Put in new perimeter cupboards and black granite counters, plus a kitchen island with a soapstone countertop.
- Relocated the again door.
Our kitchen “glow-up”
Now that our kitchen is sufficiently old to drive, it felt like a superb time for somewhat refresh.
So we changed the backsplash and the pendant lights to provide the room somewhat increase with out spending an entire lot of cash.
