The kitchen looks really charming at a glance, due to the wood floors, gorgeous refrigerator that I bought when I moved in, the awesome paint color on the walls (Mexican Chile from Home Depot), and the french doors installed during the exterior remodel. But despite these things, it really, really sucks. Here is a kitchen tour, counterclockwise.
View from the door into the living room. That's the laundry room/storage to the left. The doors under the sink and the upper doors to the right of the fridge don't close:
The back wall next to the french doors, where I come and go most often. The french doors (just out of the frame to the left) go to the deck and out to the carport. Check out the clutter. My fault, not really the kitchen's fault. But I want more storage. I plan to leave this little cabinet where it is when I renovate. I adore it. My grandmother bought it antiquing in Vermont some decades ago:
Continuing on to the eating area. It looks charming but it's actually the worst part of the kitchen. There isn't quite enough room for the table and chairs. It's awkward and uncomfortable and seats only 4 for a basic meal (there's nowhere to put the food!). I've tried to give it some character with a cute light fixture but there's a limit when the space is so small. You can see the open door to the water heater to the left. It is the reason the kitchen feels so cramped:
The view into the living room from the French doors. That's the water heater cabinet behind the door. The entry is narrow and cuts off the kitchen from the rest of the living space. Note, however, that the hardwood floors are continuous through the doorway. Lovely:
Continuing on around, this is the telephone table just to the left of the doorway into the living room (hi Pirate!). Absolutely wasted space, and a sh*t collector. The ovens are old and funky. I've never used the lower oven, and the upper has temperature control problems. Note the ugly ventilation space just above the oven-it's just a hole in the cabinets:
The cooktop, where I spend a lot of time. I do a lot more cooking on the stove than in the oven. I actually love my little cooktop despite the fact I need to turn it on with a match and the fact that it's almost impossible to clean. I hate the crowded space, though, and the laminate that runs up the wall behind it:
Disorganized storage. I want cabinets with fittings that will help me stay more organized, and I want pullout cabinets holding the pots and pans so I can reach them more easily:
Just to the left of the cooktop is pretty much the only working counterspace except a small area to the left of the sink. It's really difficult to cook more than one dish at a time in this kitchen. I love giving dinner parties but I hardly ever do because I simply don't have the space in the kitchen or elsewhere for prep, serving, and eating. Note the partly open cabinets. They don't close. I can't even get into one of the upper cabinets--it's wedged shut! The laminate countertops are so old that they are permanently stained. No matter how much I clean they have yellowish blots all over them, and they get dirty very fast. You can't just wipe them down:
Next, the adorable window over the sink. it's staying just like it is. But as you can see, there are some, um, unpainted spots where a flourescent fixture, complete with cord, was hanging when I moved in. More greyish-pinkish laminate backsplash:
Ah, the sink. What can I say? I scrubbed it with Comet before taking this picture. This is as clean as it gets, folks:
Next, the drawers where the dishwasher will go. I've never had a dishwasher. I find it really depressing to have a great dinner party, and then spend two hours doing dishes after everyone goes home--I look forward to changing that! Note the spaces between the drawers and frames. Also note that the third drawer does not close any more than that. Grrrr.:
OK, now you've seen it. Next post: the plan.
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