Big Week In A Small Room

Last weekend, after I removed the wall oven from our kitchen, we just couldn't resist tearing out its boxy support framing that had stuck into our tiny pantry. Then I left for a five day business trip. I got home expecting to pick up where I had left off.

But in the meantime Lee Ann had really gotten going. She had removed the rest of the makeshift pantry shelving, dug down to the original floorboards, pulled a million staples and nails, filled and sanded and painted the floor, and repaired the holes in the walls with new tongue and groove material. (Did I mention how much I love that girl?!)

I spent all weekend building new shelving, doing trimwork and painting. We aren't quite done but as luck would have it I am traveling again this week. By the time I get home Lee Ann should have this project knocked out.

Kitchen Project

The first big change in our new kitchen will be removing the black wall oven and almond ventless hood, leftover elements from some previous versions of the kitchen that don't match the other appliances. Once these are gone we can install the drawer base (shown sitting in front of the wall oven) and a cabinet above, and a new white combo microwave and ventless hood over the range. That will be much better use of this space.

The wall oven is recessed into the adjoining pantry and messes up the space there too, so removing it will allow us to fix two problem areas.

Since I took these photos I did get the wall oven out. It is sitting in the carriage house with a growing pile of old appliances waiting to go to the scrapyard. Maybe next week I can begin the other work. Cha-cha-changes.

Fast Forward To Now

So we closed on the house, spent an excruciating three weeks moving in the pit of winter, and now we are practically settled in.

We have been making the most of our unusually warm February weather. Today Lee Ann and I took turns hewing away at the undergrowth behind the carriage house. By evening all the stringy honeysuckle you see in the photo was gone.