Heating Up Stew in the Laundry Room

Kitchen remodels are messy, time-consuming and expensive. But we knew that going in. The overriding lesson for us, at this stage of being almost through, is one of delayed gratification. Emphasis on the gratification part.

Our Dream Kitchen has been in the planning stages for many years. It took that long to save for it, too.

The extensive work being done on our mid-century modern home’s kitchen is gratifying to behold. We partnered with a team of energetic professionals. Is there a lot of inconvenience? Not if you’re organized. Let me explain.

Our remodel necessitated setting up a temporary kitchen in the laundry room. Fortunately, there is a deep utility sink, in which I’ve set a small plastic receptacle for dishwashing. Using paper plates is great, too, but in order to feel more like normal, I use our everyday dishes, too. Drying them all upside down on a dish towel draped across the top of the closed washer makes me smile. It’s like we’re camping in.

I’ve set up two separate tables against the walls: one larger table for cooking — mostly reheating premade, homemade dinners, which I spent a week preparing and freezing — which holds the crockpots (2 sizes), an electric skillet I’ve learned to use like an oven, a microwave, and a plate & utensil organizer, among other things. The other, smaller (lower profile) table holds the coffee-maker, the essential mug tree, paper towels and a bin of snack crackers, among other things. (There’s ample wall space adjacent to the washer and dryer, though now, it’s rather tight walking through.) Above the table is a conveniently placed shelf that under ordinary circumstances, holds folded clothes. Today, it holds my utensil bin, various wraps for leftovers and another bin for granola and other bars. We also use the space underneath the tables for storage and garbage collection.

We are about to complete week 5 of the project (I say “we” because I’ve been in on the design and decision making. I trust my ideas, but believe me, you don’t want me wielding a sledge hammer, drill or a level. I’d be like, “That looks level enough to me.”) We have 2 more weeks to go, give or take. And though our family room is currently off-limits since it’s open to the kitchen, our home has a small den near the laundry room. We rearranged some furniture and find the den a great space to relax. I even placed a small dinette set against a wall where we pray each evening and have our meals.

Getting away from all of the dust is impossible, not quite like the Dust Bowl of the ‘30’s, but it has given me an appreciation for what those folks endured. I’ve learned to wipe/mop/vacuum/sweep every chance I get. When the workers are finished and we have our house back, I think the dust will be settling long afterwards. While we wait for appliance installation — our new gas range, microwave drawer and trash compactor — there is finishing work galore. Our fridge is currently in the dining room. We are able to reuse it as well as the dishwasher — which is also currently in the dining room — both relatively new appliances.

The Dream Team from Fairmont Kitchen Center has been arriving each workday like it’s their job. It is their job! Workers include nearly a dozen skilled craftsmen and women (not all of whom are here at one time, of course) who give me the impression that they really like their jobs. You can tell by their demeanor, their professionalism and training that they take pride in their work. What more could I want? They ask all the right questions and provide prompt answers to my questions. They’ve been willing to redo some things that needed to be. Our floor guy, Ron, a friend of ours, was willing to work with them. He and his right-hand man, Roger, fit in quite well. From Darlene’s brilliant design to Jeff’s project management, and from the electrician, plumber, carpenter, painter, floor installers, tile setter and countertop installers, the work is being beautifully done.

These are the four major changes I will enjoy in comparison with my former kitchen:

1. The new island is free-standing (not attached to a wall as previously) and devoid of a cooktop. Countertops are a light-colored quartz. They remind me of a sandy beach.

2. A new walk-in pantry replaces a hidden butler’s pantry that used to be accessible only through a powder room.

3. A free-standing, walled hutch is being built where the old island used to be attached.

4. I’ll be cooking with gas.

The new cabinets are a mix: most of the base cabinetry is aqua-painted hickory, with the woodgrain showing through, and overtop and on either side of the new gas range are white oak cabinets, and a range hood.

If I were to share the lessons learned in this process, so far, they’d consist of the following:

1. Do your homework. Consult design guides and hone in on what you really like. Save photos.

2. Research your kitchen install company. Visit their showroom. Schedule a consult. Share photos.

3. Get an estimate and tweak the design until the numbers are to your liking, where necessary.

4. Set up your home for a six-week upheaval in your normal routine. (You’ll be parking your car where you can get out if you need to. Workers drive big vehicles that can fill your driveway space.)

5. Search “temporary kitchen” on Pinterest and get some great ideas for that day when demo actually begins.

6. The weeks before demo, when you still have your oven, precook some delicious homemade goodies that freeze well. Add them to your favorite frozen foods.

7. Invest in a stack of compartmentalized, food-prep trays with lids.

To avoid eating out or having to get take-out, plan your evening meal early in the day. Thaw your frozen, precooked meals for a few hours before reheating.

Some foods you may want to “bake.” Frozen quesadillas from Trader Joes worked great: cover thawed wraps in foil, place in the covered electric skillet. Set your heat a bit lower than you would in your oven, and turn the food every ten or fifteen minutes until hot.

We borrowed a table-top microwave from a friend’s storage and we use it almost every day.

Keep an extension cord handy. Ours covers all of the electric cookware, but don’t make the mistake I did. I left the extension cord plugged into the wall even when it was not in use. When I plugged in a small crockpot, the connecting end was really hot to the touch. I unplugged everything quickly and went to DuckDuckGo (I don’t google anymore) and read about hot extension cords. I discovered you should always unplug from wall when not in use. Now it’s cool again, even when plugged in, but I still check it.

Last but not least, start a home-improvement account. Automatically set aside money each month into that account. That way, when you’re ready for extensive home improvements, make a list of priorities. Check your account, see what needs to be done, and schedule the work. Or wait until you have enough saved, and then enjoy the process.

Inspiration photo: courtesy of Houzz.