# Kitchen size - I bet you...



## Saphellae (Apr 29, 2008)

...that NONE of you have a kitchen this tiny.  Post your pictures of your kitchen, however ashamed or proud you are!

My kitchen is a box.  I just moved in here a few months ago with my S.O. and he already had this apartment. Needless to say that the kitchen in our next one is going to be alot bigger (he has to make it up to me for making me cook in that!) 

I have one workspot, which is crammed between the wall and the fridge.  The other spot is just big enough to put the utensils I'm using to cook, and the ingredients I put into the pots. And the dishes go there too.

He can NEVER help me in the kitchen because if we're two people it's just too many.
It's not that I don't trust his culinary skills, oh no... 

Oh yeah, and its an ugly kitchen too.


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## Katie H (Apr 29, 2008)

Hey, my sweet angel, at   least you  have drawers and cabinets.  I   would kill for those.   We  lovingly refer  to our  kitchen as  "one step  above  a campfire."


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## Saphellae (Apr 29, 2008)

I'd rather have wooden shelves!! Those kitchen cabinets smell like the cheap paint, and the glasses and dishes always have paint on the rims and the bottoms of them from sitting in the cupboards. Lining them has helped, but not with the smell.

Everytime I wash them and the walls, the sponge is white with paint. It's nasty!


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## Katie H (Apr 29, 2008)

Perhaps if you  put a couple of charcoal bricks, sounds goofy, on each  shelf  that   would  help  reducing/eliminating the  smell.  Ugh.  That smell  would  drive me  nuts.


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## Saphellae (Apr 29, 2008)

Our stuff is so crammed in there that we can't fit anything else lol.  He refuses to get rid of his old glasses, when MINE are newer and nicer.. LOL


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## Katie H (Apr 29, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> Our stuff is so crammed in there that we can't fit anything else lol.  He refuses to get rid of his old glasses, when MINE are newer and nicer.. LOL



There's another way.   You can  hang   the charcoal in  plastic net  bags from  the underneath side  of the shelf above.  Just   put  the charcoal  in  one of   those  little  mesh bags  that  onions come in.  Screw  a cup hook  on the  underside of  the  shelf  above  and   hang the  bag.  That is,  on  the  shelves  where   there's  room below.


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## Calya (Apr 29, 2008)

I am scared of your kitchen! I wouldn't cook then, I would be so frustrated. 
At least you will get a bigger kitchen soon.


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## quicksilver (Apr 29, 2008)

_       Is that a gas stove I spy? Would kill for that!  Charcoal will help, so will baking soda. Looks clean and I like a white fridge._
_Small space, less to clean. The more you have the more you have to maintain. Good Luck._


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 29, 2008)

Katie E said:


> Hey, my sweet angel, at least you have drawers and cabinets. I would kill for those. We lovingly refer to our kitchen as "one step above a campfire."



LOL! I will keep that in mind. My kitchen is hopfully going to be demoed this summer but the renovations are lagging. One wall is open to the structure. I have a bit of counter on either side of the sink which is occupied mainly by a dishrack and a coffee pot. The foundation has failed so it slants considerably to one side... I had to shim the fridge to keep the door from swinging open all the time. A ladder hung on one wall serves as adduitional shelving. A step stool is the only piece of furniture. My pots are hung on nails above the stove.... all this is annoying but I make do the worst part is that the only window is 6' off the ground and only about 12" wide by 2' high so I cant see into my patio that makes me crazy I cant wait to rip it out and put in a big window. It is small 10'x10' but when done will be open to the dining room and visually connect to outside I cant wait but I have to finish up the rest of the house first.

I have lived in a whle bunch of places and had a bog range of kitchens the one I have now is the worst but at least it is mine so I can make it into something cool eventually

The kitchen pictured is tiny true but you can still cook great stuff I have had smaller my first ny apartment had a ministove a sink and a fridge recessed into the wall with no counter space at all!... its the lack of storage that get you... I really want to get my griswolds out of storage but I just have no room


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## Barbara L (Apr 29, 2008)

When I was 9 we lived in an adorable but tiny house in Independence, Missouri.  It had a small living room, small bathroom, small dining room, and a tiny kitchen.  It also had attic space and a small basement (not usable as a room).  I'm sure you have noticed by now that I did not mention bedrooms.  There were none.  My sister and I slept on mattresses in the attic, and my mom and dad slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room.  Anyway, the kitchen was so tiny that you could stand in the dining room and reach almost everything!  I loved that house, but I was only 9!

Barbara


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## Katie H (Apr 29, 2008)

Barbara L said:


> When I was 9 we lived in an adorable but tiny house in Independence, Missouri.  It had a small living room, small bathroom, small dining room, and a tiny kitchen.  It also had attic space and a small basement (not usable as a room).  I'm sure you have noticed by now that I did not mention bedrooms.  There were none.  My sister and I slept on mattresses in the attic, and my mom and dad slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room.  Anyway, the kitchen was so tiny that you could stand in the dining room and reach almost everything!  I loved that house, but I was only 9!
> 
> Barbara



Well,  of  course, Barbara.   The house  was just  your   size.   I love  your  story,  though. Definitely  remembered through a child's  mind.   Oh,  that we all could remember many things  this way.


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## jpmcgrew (Apr 29, 2008)

It's called an efficiency kitchen. Not much fun for one who likes to cook but yet it's workable. My kitchen/ dining room is pretty big but not nearly enough cabinets and the way it's layed out there is nothing I can really do about it. I do have a pot rack but alas still not as much storage as I would really like. The good thing about your kitchen is it forces you to clean as you go.


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## jpmcgrew (Apr 29, 2008)

Barbara L said:


> When I was 9 we lived in an adorable but tiny house in Independence, Missouri. It had a small living room, small bathroom, small dining room, and a tiny kitchen. It also had attic space and a small basement (not usable as a room). I'm sure you have noticed by now that I did not mention bedrooms. There were none. My sister and I slept on mattresses in the attic, and my mom and dad slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room. Anyway, the kitchen was so tiny that you could stand in the dining room and reach almost everything! I loved that house, but I was only 9!
> 
> Barbara


 When I was a kid in Germany all we had was two bedrooms,a kitchen and a bathroom we did have a huge barn like building next to it and a cellar to store a truck load of potaoes and for laundry done by hand. In the kitchen there was a couch on one wall and the table, a tiny fridge in the corner, sink, stove and heating stove which was the only heat and that's where everybody hung out my uncle slept on the couch in the kitchen.The other rooms had no heat but the bedrooms had big fluffy down conforters. My Oma would take a hot water bottle to warm the bed for me I slept between my grand ma and grand pa. My life was perfect to me as it was all I knew.


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## Maverick2272 (Apr 29, 2008)

PanchoHambre said:


> LOL! I will keep that in mind. My kitchen is hopfully going to be demoed this summer but the renovations are lagging. One wall is open to the structure. I have a bit of counter on either side of the sink which is occupied mainly by a dishrack and a coffee pot. The foundation has failed so it slants considerably to one side... I had to shim the fridge to keep the door from swinging open all the time. A ladder hung on one wall serves as adduitional shelving. A step stool is the only piece of furniture. My pots are hung on nails above the stove.... all this is annoying but I make do the worst part is that the only window is 6' off the ground and only about 12" wide by 2' high so I cant see into my patio that makes me crazy I cant wait to rip it out and put in a big window. It is small 10'x10' but when done will be open to the dining room and visually connect to outside I cant wait but I have to finish up the rest of the house first.
> 
> I have lived in a whle bunch of places and had a bog range of kitchens the one I have now is the worst but at least it is mine so I can make it into something cool eventually
> 
> The kitchen pictured is tiny true but you can still cook great stuff I have had smaller my first ny apartment had a ministove a sink and a fridge recessed into the wall with no counter space at all!... its the lack of storage that get you... I really want to get my griswolds out of storage but I just have no room



OMG I am not Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought I was the only one with a kitchen that desperately needed knocking down!! DW would kill me if she knew I was posting these pics cause she is way behind on dishes.. so NO ONE tell her:


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## jpmcgrew (Apr 29, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> OMG I am not Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> I thought I was the only one with a kitchen that desperately needed knocking down!! DW would kill me if she knew I was posting these pics cause she is way behind on dishes.. so NO ONE tell her:


 Your DW is doing the best she can with the tiny kitchen it is really hard to not be cluttered when you just have no place to put anything. Some day I may decide to live full time in an RV if so I will hafto get used to a small kitchen but I know by that time I wont be trying to cook copious amounts of food anyway. Not only that but I will also need to give up my many so called worldly possessions Ah the simple life sounds so good.But???


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## Saphellae (Apr 30, 2008)

> OMG I am not Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> I thought I was the only one with a kitchen that desperately needed knocking down!! DW would kill me if she knew I was posting these pics cause she is way behind on dishes.. so NO ONE tell her:



I really like your fridge. We have a dinky one.


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## Constance (Apr 30, 2008)

When I was first married, I lived in a couple of apartments with very tiny kitchens. One opened into the living room, which wasn't too bad, but the other one was similar to yours except one end was all open shelves. 
I think the worst thing for me was not having a window.


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## Jeekinz (Apr 30, 2008)

An apartment I lived in had an awful kitchen.  The counter/cabinet was one of those one piece metal jobs.  2 drawers and 2 cabinets with chemical storage under the leaky sink.  My counter space was the size of two placemats on either side of the double sink.  I had a Magic Chef gas stove with no hood.  There were two windows but only one opened, and the other faced west, so in the summer it was like a saunna in there.  I used a drop leaf table to put the microwave and could fold out the flap when I needed to 'spread out'  LOL


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## Barbara L (Apr 30, 2008)

Constance said:


> When I was first married, I lived in a couple of apartments with very tiny kitchens. One opened into the living room, which wasn't too bad, but the other one was similar to yours except one end was all open shelves.
> I think the worst thing for me was not having a window.


I would hate that!  The tiniest dwelling is made "larger" by having a window to look out of!

Barbara


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## GotGarlic (Apr 30, 2008)

We renovated our kitchen last summer, and I just love it 






Saphellae, listen to all these stories. You're just starting out - we've all been there. My first apartment was half of the upstairs of a house. The kitchen was similar to yours. Each new place we lived got better and better, till we bought the house and went backward  The house had a kitchen from the '40s. We were able to bring it up to about the '80s, and then last summer, I got almost my dream kitchen. One day, you'll have yours, too.


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## buckytom (Apr 30, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> DW would kill me if she knew I was posting these pics cause she is way behind on dishes.. so NO ONE tell her:


 

umm, mav. are your fingers broken? (lol, that's what my wife would say if i said she was behind on the dishes)


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## qmax (Apr 30, 2008)

Remodeled mine 5 years ago.


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## suziquzie (Apr 30, 2008)

Ding!
Chalk one up for BT!!!!


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## Jeekinz (Apr 30, 2008)

qmax said:


> Remodeled mine 5 years ago.


 
Nice.

Do you have a better shot of the backsplash and those black tiles?  Also, where did you get the greenhouse window?

Looks great.


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## qmax (Apr 30, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Nice.
> 
> Do you have a better shot of the backsplash and those black tiles?  Also, where did you get the greenhouse window?
> 
> Looks great.



Actually I don't have a closer pic.  They are the same Volga Blue granite as the counter top.  Supposed to be Orion's Belt.  When my kid was about 5, we were going for a walk and he asked me if I had a star.  I said I didn't know, do you?  He says yes, points at Orion's Belt and said that's mine in the middle and you and Mommy's on the sides.

The greenhouse window was original, not part of the remod.


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## Jeekinz (Apr 30, 2008)

Looks great, great story, too.


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## Wart (Apr 30, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> OMG I am not Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> I thought I was the only one with a kitchen that desperately needed knocking down!!




Not hardly!

I have pictures of my kitchen before knocking it down. It's a nightmare I would rather not remember. In a previous thread I mentioned how there were joist in the back of the house that needed replacing, there were a few under the kitchen that needed replaced too. And a mouse (mice?) had stashed at least a 5 pound sack of cat food under the cabinets.

Wife insisted on this house because of the amount of money we could save. It only cost me my sanity.

The whole house needed reworking so we rented a 10 yard dumpster and filled it with 'house'. This is where the kitchen stalled.





Click the image to see a larger version.

Wife asks me when I'm going to finish it. I remind Wife how when you start with a nightmare and get it to only a not-disturbing dream it can be lived with for quite a while.

Whach you think of the lights? LOL, It was Industrial lights done this way or crawl through the attic with pink insulation to do the wiring .... I hate pink insulation (pathologically) ... Some day I'll put in real fixtures, probably after going on Valium.

Yes, the floor is urethaned plywood. We took up the carpet in the bedroom with the intent of putting down hardwood, discovered the room really could use a second sub floor. Put the sub down, urethaned it to seal it, it didn't look bad so I started running numbers and found we could second sub floor with urethane the entire house for the cost of doing one room in hard wood. It's quite functional.


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## GB (Apr 30, 2008)

My brother lived in an apartment on Beacon Hill in Boston. His kitchen was so small that you had to open the fridge door in order to open the oven door otherwise the oven door would hit the fridge and not get more than a few inches open. His bathroom also had a slanted roof. You could not stand in the shower because of it. He had a stool in there so he could shower sitting down. Same for the toilet. Not a problem for girls, but guys did not like it.


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## vilasman (Apr 30, 2008)

how do you post a pict, I'll play


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## Saphellae (Apr 30, 2008)

> Saphellae, listen to all these stories. You're just starting out - we've all been there. My first apartment was half of the upstairs of a house. The kitchen was similar to yours. Each new place we lived got better and better, till we bought the house and went backward
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yep, it is making me feel better that I will have a great kitchen one day  I just wish I had a bigger one.. and with a window / stove vent... it gets hot as heck in there when I have the oven and one or more burners going.  I have to do the dishes as I go or else I won't have room lol



Wow GB, that is crazy. I'm happy to say I can stand up in my shower.

I have other reasons for wanting to move out.

At the tail end of January we were visiting my hometown 4 hours away for a friends wedding.  Right before the wedding (on the way there, actually) we got a phone call that the heater had exploded hot water all over out bedroom and was continuing to do so like a fountain.  We asked them to call us back with more information.

Right after the wedding we were just sitting down at the reception and got another call, and we left immediately.  I wanted to be at that wedding so badly, but we just had to get home.

Anyways, the heater exploded in our apartment on the 19th floor and the water went all the way down to the 4th by the time they stopped it.  We had a brand new, 5000$ tempurpedic mattress that took all the water like a sponge.  When it was full the rest of the carpet soaked with over two inches of water on it.

To make a long story short, alot of things were ruined. They are STILL trying to blame it on us.  The windows in this apartment are inward swinging, and to lock them you twist the handle down.  Needless to say, a gust of wind on the 19th floor opens these windows fairly easily.  And, since it was winter, they said that it made the pipes burst.

I don't believe it, to be honest.  There is piping hot water flowing through the entire building.  I might be inclined to believe it if the water was stationary in our heater.  They are trying to say that we left the window open in the middle of winter, and left for the weekend. Unbelievable!  We have records of other tenants saying their windows
blow open as well, and we have proof that there are serious pipe problems here.

Okay, I'm done my rant :p LOL!


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 30, 2008)

Wart said:


> Not hardly!
> 
> In a previous thread I mentioned how there were joist in the back of the house that needed replacing, there were a few under the kitchen that needed replaced too. And a mouse (mice?) had stashed at least a 5 pound sack of cat food under the cabinets.
> 
> ...


 
wart... LOL! My kitchen "foundation is 2x6 on dirt! I bough a fixer upper too only to find out after the fact all the hidden problems like failing brick and rotten beams. 

I actually like the lights.

The floor loolks pretty good. I should have done that! Too late though I only have 1 room left to go on the wood floors... (I thought I could restore the old wide boards LOL! You should have seen what was left of them).  

Kitchen is next on the list. I am hoping for demo in July or so


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## luvs (Apr 30, 2008)

my kitchen's a BABY! it's like an efficency kitchen, attached to another room.
we need table trays to cook meals & i barely cook with my mandoline cause trays wobble. my mixer, coffeepot, blender, school knives-in my living room.


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## Saphellae (Apr 30, 2008)

> _ Is that a gas stove I spy? Would kill for that! Charcoal will help, so will baking soda. Looks clean and I like a white fridge._
> _Small space, less to clean. The more you have the more you have to maintain. Good Luck._



I'm not sure if its a gas stove.. how do I tell?


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## pacanis (Apr 30, 2008)

Here's 20 lbs of poo-poo in a 10 lb bag.
My other house had a nice kitchen compared to this one. This house I had to get a few rooms liveable on little money, so for the kitchen I ripped out the metal cabinets, patched the ceiling and floor, painted everything, had linoleum put down, then started putting together cabinets and cramming stuff in. I'm still adding cabinets to this poor design. 
Stove around the corner from everything, where the old lady I bought the place from had her washing machine, limited counter space (especially cuz the counter has a way of collecting things, like my DO that I don't want to put back in the cellar). The dishwasher door is hard to get around with my breadmachine/pressure cooker cabinet right across from it. No window outside! Terrible lighting. The fridge door opens into a window sill that looks onto a sun porch (the porch was added on, which is why there aren't any more windows in the kitchen that look outside). I keep a knife set (under the towel) and some cookbooks, on the sill, but it is hard to get ice trays into their spot in the freezer because the door doesn't open quite all the way. The registers were in stupid spots, so I had to be carefull not to cover those with anything, which is why there's that gap between the refrigerator and counter, because there's a floor register there.

What really needs to be done is the bathroom ripped out and relocated to a room to the right. Right now it sits basically behind the stove with the door just out of the pic. Then the kitchen could expand into where the bathroom was (is now), which would give me more outside wall for a window and I could add a walk-in pantry..... I could knock part of the wall out where those two "dead" windows are on the left and make it into a bar area with a couple stools...... 20 grand of spare cash and I'll be set!


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## Jeekinz (Apr 30, 2008)

If ^^^ that was my kitchen, that bathroom would be history.  No way am I walking that far from the fridge to the stove.


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## Saphellae (Apr 30, 2008)

> Here's 20 lbs of poo-poo in a 10 lb bag.


I like how you described it at the beginning. LOL!!

I think we all wish that the government would give us each 20 grand and we could all build the kitchen of our dreams.

Edit..

I think if anything, I want a kitchen that cleans easier.  The linoleum squares in my kitchen lift up because of the flood we had, and theres a baseboard under a cupboard that comes out and its the nastiest thing ever.  Brown crap, nasty glue, I always have to clean it thoroughly as it tends to be growing something in there...

I desperately want to clean under the stove and the fridge after the flood, because I can SEE the grime, but I can't get to it. I couldn't move the fridge out all the way or the stove. God knows how they got it in there.

Think "Honey I Shrunk the Kitchen Appliances"


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## Llamaso (Apr 30, 2008)

One nice thing about a small kitchen is that you save alot of steps.  That is a cute kitchen.  Roy


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## GB (Apr 30, 2008)

qmax said:


> Remodeled mine 5 years ago.


That just really freaked me out. I had to look twice. My in laws just redid their kitchen this year and it looks VERY similar to yours qmax. I love the wine rack in the island. My inlaws do not have that. What a great idea.


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## pacanis (Apr 30, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> If ^^^ that was my kitchen, that bathroom would be history. No way am I walking that far from the fridge to the stove.


 
I have long arms. I only walk as far as the end of the counter and toss the food over into the pan 
I'd say it takes some getting used to, but you never do


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## Jeekinz (Apr 30, 2008)

pacanis said:


> I have long arms. I only walk as far as the end of the counter and toss the food over into the pan
> I'd say it takes some getting used to, but you never do


 
Just a quick thought:  If you did remove that bathroom, you would have plumbing available in the center of your kitchen for an island/sink combo prep area thingamabob.


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## vilasman (Apr 30, 2008)

here is my humble and mostly clean kitchen
my wife is going to kill me
and any complements should go to her, she picked the house and all the furniture, I just picked the kitchen stuff, but not the major appliances


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## pacanis (Apr 30, 2008)

Yeah, jeekinz. Like the one vilasman just posted 

Right now I'd just be happy with a window and some natural lighting. Although there _is_ a window in the bathroom right above the tub, so I could pull a Kramer and eat while I'm taking a shower. Then I'll have my window to look out


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## Maverick2272 (Apr 30, 2008)

buckytom said:


> umm, mav. are your fingers broken? (lol, that's what my wife would say if i said she was behind on the dishes)



Two things I do not and will not do:
Foot rubs
Wash dishes

Everything else I will do, and I do, on a regular basis. Dishes are in fact the only thing she is responsible for inside the house.

The fridge is nice, we love it! Got it in February, a couple of months before I had the heart surgery. It is the only thing new in that kitchen outside of maybe the toaster and coffee maker, LOL.
The kitchen was remodeled in the 70's, and they did a horrible job. Covered up every problem they had. I have to re-do most of the plumbing, so until I get well enough to do that I won't have the water/ice features on the fridge hooked up. Or the dishwasher for that matter, or the garbage disposal...
Uggggg....... DW bought the house for the same reason someone else stated on here, to save money. Counting all the costs of upgrades and repairs, and considering we have done them all ourselves to save money, it adds up to more than if we had bought a new house at the time.
So much for saving money...


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## Barbara L (May 1, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> I'm not sure if its a gas stove.. how do I tell?


If it cooks with fire, it is a gas stove.  If it has coils and no flames, it is electric.

Barbara


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## Jeekinz (May 1, 2008)

Here's mine. The DW and I did all the work ourselves. Still need countertops. I built the island from a set of cabinets that was on the far wall (really had no use), the worksurface I built from roughsawn rock maple, it's 2'x4'. The top is black absolute granite tiles. We laid a floating engineered wood floor which is great on your feet and back. Where the wood french door are used to be just an archway. I found the doors on Ebay for $175 shipped. Refurbished them, and installed them myself. The martini glass graphic is faux frosted glass cut vinyl.


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## jpmcgrew (May 1, 2008)

I love the color on your walls.


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## Jeekinz (May 1, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> I love the color on your walls.


 
Thanks, or my DW thaks you - lol.  It's a base color with a slightly darker color sponged on top to give it some texture.  We hated it at first, now couldn't live without it.


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## pacanis (May 1, 2008)

Yeah, that's a pretty cool color. I think RR has something similar to it that I saw last night on one of her '08 shows. It looks very nice with your dark wood. Much better than her TV kitchen


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## Robo410 (May 1, 2008)

I've had kitchens that small twice in my life.  Both were apartments, and they taught me to work in a clean and organized manner.  I developed the concept of mise en place before I knew the term.  Many cooks in pro kitchens have no more space to work than that.


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## GotGarlic (May 1, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> I'm not sure if its a gas stove.. how do I tell?



A gas stove has a flame in the burner when you turn it on - it's hard to miss  Yours is electric.


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## Andy M. (May 1, 2008)

Jeeks, that's a very life-like dog statue.


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## GB (May 1, 2008)

qmax said:


> Remodeled mine 5 years ago.



Here is my in laws kitchen. Check out the similarities.


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## sattie (May 1, 2008)

Wow, some really lovely kitchen setups I must say.  There aint no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I am posting pics of mine.  I hate my kitchen although it is probably not as bad as I make it sound.  But you folks really do have some nice kitchens, you are very fortunate!


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## Jeekinz (May 1, 2008)

Andy M. said:


> Jeeks, that's a very life-like dog statue.


 
She's a camera slut - lol!


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## Saphellae (May 1, 2008)

The posted kitchens are all beautiful! I wish I could post my best friends mother's kitchen. It is absolutely gorgeous. Too bad she lives in my hometown.

Ah, it is a coil stove but it is not gas. Electric all the way.  I think a gas stove would be illegal in that kitchen, theres no vent or window, i'd die in there!

Oh, and I love the Spaniel! What's her name??  She looks like shes following you  Thats so sweet.


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## Jeekinz (May 1, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> Oh, and I love the Spaniel! What's her name?? She looks like shes following you  Thats so sweet.


 
Bloo is always underfoot. LOL


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## Saphellae (May 1, 2008)

Bloo... Awwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!


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## LEFSElover (May 1, 2008)

We bought our house for the kitchen.  Not home or I'd ask DH to take some photos.  Some of your kitchens are so fun, others, well, I can only say.............................................................I'd move


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## qmax (May 1, 2008)

GB said:


> Here is my in laws kitchen. Check out the similarities.



Similar on overall layout, and the colors are really close.  Different style though.


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## luvs (May 1, 2008)

thread kinda gave me a boost. i'm prouud that i can work around my prehistoric kitchen, be it not what i'd choose if i were rich.


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## Saphellae (May 1, 2008)

Well, it's almost 5pm, time to get to work in my dinky kitchen lol!


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## pacanis (May 1, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> Well, it's almost 5pm, time to get to work in my dinky kitchen lol!


 
Yes, there are some of us that will toil away in spite of our kitchen's downfalls.
That or start grilling out more 

I can't afford to move because of my kitchen  I have a really nice bedroom


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## Robo410 (May 1, 2008)

big or small, old or new, vintage or modern, a well kept kitchen is a thing of beauty!


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## pacanis (May 1, 2008)

I like Uncle Bob's "kitchen".
We haven't seen any pictures of that lately.
Now that is a beautiful kitchen


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## fireweaver (May 1, 2008)

for the 3 years of my residency, i was renting a little rowhome in baltimore.  the kitchen was a whole lot like the one you've posted, Saphellae: microscopic, craptacular paint job, NO storage for anything.  only difference was if you'll imagine yours stretched out into a straight line in a little skinny room instead of a box.  NO counter space, literally: apparently, in the 50s, they figured that all you needed was a half-meter drain board molded as one piece of metal with the single sink.  i had to buy a ginormous counter-depth cutting board from ikea to serve as a counter, and sat it on one side of said drain board (other side being used for it's intended function, to hold the dish drying rack, as there was certainly no dishwasher in that tiny cave).  i had to flip the cutting board every time i scrubbed it down completely because it would warp due to the underlying tilt of the drain board.  the microwave and toaster oven were balanced on a very tiny, very narrow cheap pine shelving unit on the non-applianced wall...you could easily touch everything by standing in the center.

but i've since moved down to the burbs of d.c. for my real job, and the kitchen was one of the things i loved best about this house:












it's not my super dream kitchen, but it suits me just fine...it is after all, just me living here.  i love my big sunny back porch door, my warm sandy-colored tile, my shiny new gas stove, and that lovely mahogany color to the cabinets.  and of course, plenty of space for the 44-bottle wine rack!  i like the big, open feel to it, which means when i'm having a dinner party, everyone piles up in the kitchen to chat while i cook.  someday, there will be a bigger space, with a lovely butcher block island (i'm jealous for sure of some of the amazing pics upstream in this thread!), but it works great for now.


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## jpmcgrew (May 1, 2008)

Hope this works


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/jpmcgrew/IMG_0700.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/jpmcgrew/IMG_0696.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/jpmcgrew/IMG_0701.jpg


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## babetoo (May 1, 2008)

LEFSElover said:


> DH took some pix for me. They turned out pretty blurred so I'm disappointed but you can sorta tell what it looks like.
> What you'll see if I can upload these that is.......
> 1. my ''kitchen store'' aka pantry, yep, full and bulging at the seams
> 2. the door that closes the pantry which is also full
> ...


 

i love the blue sofa. where did u get it?

babe


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## LEFSElover (May 1, 2008)

babetoo said:


> i love the blue sofa. where did u get it?
> 
> babe


oh thanks, we had it made in sunny southern California


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## Jeekinz (May 1, 2008)

fireweaver said:


> for the 3 years of my residency, i was renting a little rowhome in baltimore. the kitchen was a whole lot like the one you've posted, Saphellae: microscopic, craptacular paint job, NO storage for anything. only difference was if you'll imagine yours stretched out into a straight line in a little skinny room instead of a box. NO counter space, literally: apparently, in the 50s, they figured that all you needed was a half-meter drain board molded as one piece of metal with the single sink. i had to buy a ginormous counter-depth cutting board from ikea to serve as a counter, and sat it on one side of said drain board (other side being used for it's intended function, to hold the dish drying rack, as there was certainly no dishwasher in that tiny cave). i had to flip the cutting board every time i scrubbed it down completely because it would warp due to the underlying tilt of the drain board. the microwave and toaster oven were balanced on a very tiny, very narrow cheap pine shelving unit on the non-applianced wall...you could easily touch everything by standing in the center.
> 
> but i've since moved down to the burbs of d.c. for my real job, and the kitchen was one of the things i loved best about this house:
> 
> ...


 
What I want to know is:  How the heck you keep all those wine bottles corked?


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## Maverick2272 (May 1, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Bloo is always underfoot. LOL



Now I miss my Springer! Phe-Phe (her nickname, full name was Ophelia), was the same way, following me everywhere I went. Where you found me, you found her, and that includes the bathroom and shower, LOL.


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## fireweaver (May 1, 2008)

Jeekinz, i have no powers whatsoever at keeping those bottles corked.  it being just me (and thusly unable to really consume all 44 bottles in one evening), i manage to keep it sort-of stocked


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## MexicoKaren (May 1, 2008)

Oh, I love looking at everyone's kitchens! The kitchen is always my favorite room in any house. I have posted a pic of my kitchen on another thread, but here it is. To appreciate how far we have come, I've also posted a picture taken the day we moved in, almost two years ago, 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			








I love the brightness in my little kitchen - it is not fancy, but it suits my needs perfectly.


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## GotGarlic (May 2, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> Oh, I love looking at everyone's kitchens! The kitchen is always my favorite room in any house. I have posted a pic of my kitchen on another thread, but here it is. To appreciate how far we have come, I've also posted a picture taken the day we moved in, almost two years ago,
> 
> I love the brightness in my little kitchen - it is not fancy, but it suits my needs perfectly.



Wow, Karen, that's amazing. I love the brightness, too. Great colors. That certainly was a lot of work.


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## sattie (May 2, 2008)

WOW MK!!!!  What a transisition!  Awesome job girlie!


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## pacanis (May 2, 2008)

I can't think of anything different to say; Wow.... what a transformation!
It gives folks like me inspiration!


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## MexicoKaren (May 2, 2008)

Ah gee - thanks, guys! It was pretty grim when we first moved in - the house was just a shell. You had to be able to imagine what it could look like. You can see our patio through the back door, with a big lichee tree right in the middle.  When we moved in, it was just a sea of mud and garbage. Now it is our dining room/living room. We are very happy with the results, but there is still lots of work to do.........


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## suziquzie (May 2, 2008)

Here's mine, in all it's little ugliness. 
It's functional though, if I dont have anyone in there with me! 
The big island helps, at some point we will extend the sink counter
and the island will be moved over about 2 feet to end at almost the deck door. 
And someday we will also have a deck..... 

Oh, and my kids are hams like the dog is.


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> Hope this works
> 
> 
> http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/jpmcgrew/IMG_0700.jpg
> ...


 
 Can someone tell me how to get these up as pictures instead of links? Please?


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Suzi, I love your kitchen. The cupboards are very nice.

Karen, your kitchen is so fun!  It's so Mexican too!  Reminds me of a tex-mex design.   I adore bright kitchens and yours takes the cake!


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## CharlieD (May 2, 2008)

no matter how big the kitchen would be, it would be too small for me. I have too much stuff and if i had biger kitchen i would get even more stuff, i love pots/pans/gedgets. It's crazy, it's adiction.


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

I love browsing the kitchen sections at stores.  I think I am addicted as well.


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## suziquzie (May 2, 2008)

jpmc.... I'm not sure how from photobucket, I just attached them from my hard drive.


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## Fisher's Mom (May 2, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> no matter how big the kitchen would be, it would be too small for me. I have too much stuff and if i had biger kitchen i would get even more stuff, i love pots/pans/gedgets. It's crazy, it's adiction.


Me, too, Charlie. I would absolutely love to have a huge commercial style kitchen in my home. Stainless everywhere. Loads of open shelving. 2 big sink areas. A drain in the floor. I would especially like 3 or 4 large stainless work tables. I have one now in the center of my kitchen and that is where everyone gravitates and most food prep gets done. I greatly admire beautiful wood cabinets and granite counter tops but I prefer the easy cleaning of stainless - there is virtually no maintenance.


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## pacanis (May 2, 2008)

Well, I suppose I can 

Right click and copy the link, click on the yellowish photo icon on the Reply toolbar, backspace out the existing "http://", then paste your link into the field.

Works for me 

edited to add: Obviously this is one of jp's pics


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## Fisher's Mom (May 2, 2008)

This is the best thread!!! I love peeking into all of your kitchens. They are all beautiful to me, even Saphe's charming, miniature one. JP's wonderful, bright cabinets are a delight, not to mention the gorgeous countertops. Suzie's abundant and beautiful cabinets (and kids) are a pleasure to look at. Fireweaver's lovely dining area right next to her charming kitchen. Lefse's gorgeous countertops and backspash. MexicoKaren's fantastic Mexican kitchen and to-die-for patio. Maverick's busy, happy kitchen complete with adorable kid! GotGarlic's "straight out of Tuscany" remodel. Pacanis's bright white kitchen with the wonderful quirky layout. Jeekinz delicious orange kitchen with the fabulous bar and french doors. Villasman's inviting, open kitchen. Wart's fantastically quirky, evolving kitchen (I love the light fixture). Qmax's kitchen that could be on the pages of House Beautiful. This has been better than a stack of magazines because all of you _really cook_! Thanks for inviting me into your kitchen's everyone!


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## suziquzie (May 2, 2008)

My cabinets? Are you 2 feeling alright? 

Those ugly cabinets are the original 1973 yuckys the house was built with! 
I can't wait to get rid of them! 

But thank you kindly.


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## pacanis (May 2, 2008)

I hear ya, Suzi.
"wonderful quirky layout"??? What's wonderful about telling the dogs to move everytime I want to get around the corner and over to the stove?


But that was a very sweet post, FM


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

Pacanis you are awsome. Thank You very much. Now I will try to do the other two on my own


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## MexicoKaren (May 2, 2008)

Fisher's Mom - I feel the same way! I love hearing about the new creations you are all making and to be able to see your kitchens (and glimpses of your families) is great fun. Even though they are all so different, it is clear that all of them are serious kitchens for real cooks (and most are also neater than mine- oh well....)


----------



## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)




----------



## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)




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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

Sorry about the two seperate pics. Can anyone guess what my favorite color is?


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Are those ALL fondue pots?


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## suziquzie (May 2, 2008)

mmmmmm is it purple?? 
could be copper too.....


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## Jeekinz (May 2, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> I would especially like 3 or 4 large stainless work tables.


 
I like the idea of SS work surfaces for the easy to maintain aspect.  But when I was a heavy equipment mechanic, I had a few SS workbenches.  In the summer it was like working on a griddle and the reflection of the sun was blinding - lol.  I'd break a sweat just walking by them. 

It's a pain in the neck sometimes with the wood surface I have. Anytime I want to work with any meat I have to drag out a cutting board and then theres another thing that needs to be washed.  If/when we move, I'd like either a portable SS workstation that I could use outdoors with the BBQ or in the house, obviously.  OR a dedicated 'butcher station'.  The portable tables are frickin' expensive though.

My island only sees dough, fruits and veggies.  Things of that nature.


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## Jeekinz (May 2, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> Are those ALL fondue pots?


 
Party at JP's!  No double dipping!

If those are Mauviel I'm gonna pass out.


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Party at JP's! No double dipping!
> 
> If those are Mauviel I'm gonna pass out.


 No Mauviel. The other pots are fondue/chafing dishes I got all but one which was my dads on Ebay. Party is on! You guy's would love it out here if you like the outdoors it's like living in a National Park.

Where I live you can't get in without a password for the gate.

VPR invite and no I dont own HB just works here. I used to work at the high country lodge( Costilla) for eight years


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

I absolutely love the outdoors.  I am dying here in the city for a backyard good ol bbq, bugs and all!!!!!!

In fact, last night I had a craving for a bbq burnt hot dog.


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## pdswife (May 2, 2008)

http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=407&c=4 

That's part of mine


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Absolutely gorgeous, PDS...The gas stove really lights my flame!  Hehehehehehe.  I know, that was a bad one.


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## pdswife (May 2, 2008)

Here's more

http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=406&catid=member&imageuser=2193

I can't find the photo of the double oven...I must have deleted it.


Thanks Saphellae!  I like it.


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Thats an adorable breakfast nook.  I can't wait to have my dream home!!


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## pacanis (May 2, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> Sorry about the two seperate pics. Can anyone guess what my favorite color is?


 
Copper?


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## Fisher's Mom (May 2, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> I like the idea of SS work surfaces for the easy to maintain aspect.  But when I was a heavy equipment mechanic, I had a few SS workbenches.  In the summer it was like working on a griddle and the reflection of the sun was blinding - lol.  I'd break a sweat just walking by them.
> 
> It's a pain in the neck sometimes with the wood surface I have. Anytime I want to work with any meat I have to drag out a cutting board and then theres another thing that needs to be washed.  If/when we move, I'd like either a portable SS workstation that I could use outdoors with the BBQ or in the house, obviously.  OR a dedicated 'butcher station'.  The portable tables are frickin' expensive though.
> 
> My island only sees dough, fruits and veggies.  Things of that nature.


You're right, those work tables _are_ expensive. And we have to remember that when we set a hot pan on it, the whole table top gets hot. But I love the big casters - I can just roll it around wherever I want. In fact, every cabinet in my kitchen is free-standing so I can just carry them out or re-arrange them. The sink cabinet is too, but I'd have to disconnect the plumbing to move it. I love the idea of a butcher's station. I've added that to my dream kitchen wish list now.


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## Fisher's Mom (May 2, 2008)

Oh yeah, PDS! If I had a breakfast nook like yours, I'd never get anything done! I can see myself sitting there all day at that gorgeous table, drinking coffee and gazing out all those windows. It must be heavenly!


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

PDS love the windows so light and airy.


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> Fisher's Mom - I feel the same way! I love hearing about the new creations you are all making and to be able to see your kitchens (and glimpses of your families) is great fun. Even though they are all so different, it is clear that all of them are serious kitchens for real cooks (and most are also neater than mine- oh well....)


 MK my kitchen is rarely that neat for pics I just moved some junk from counter to table and vice-versa. I always tell people my house is messy because there are people who actually live in it.


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Bleh bleh bleh!!

We don't have any hot water in the building today   I really want a shower! We have a dinner date together tonight.


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## luvs (May 2, 2008)

Andy M. said:


> Jeeks, that's a very life-like dog statue.


 


Saphellae said:


> Bleh bleh bleh!!
> 
> We don't have any hot water in the building today  I really want a shower! We have a dinner date together tonight.


 

we didn't, either, fer 2 1/2 days! & we couldn't cook, either. thank goodness my friend offeref to let me use her shower.


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## suziquzie (May 2, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> MK my kitchen is rarely that neat for pics I just moved some junk from counter to table and vice-versa. I always tell people my house is messy because there are people who actually live in it.


 

Ditto!
I didn't post mine til today, because until this morning it had it's usual "lived-in" look!


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## ironchef (May 2, 2008)

Here's the kitchen where I do most of my cooking at:


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## MexicoKaren (May 2, 2008)

I am so impressed with your perseverance, Lfselover - I could probably never do that. As a matter of fact, I just skipped the whole issue of cabinet doors and have open shelves in my kitchen, like a real Mexican kitchen. Problem here is, unless you use _parota _wood or some other bug-resistant material (very expensive), the termites will just eat it up! Your butter dishes are awesome, by the way!


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## Saphellae (May 2, 2008)

Iron, looks like a great place to work! Everyone seems happy.


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## MexicoKaren (May 2, 2008)

Yep, he's got us all beat when it comes to cooking equipment.......love that BIG refrigerator!


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## fireweaver (May 2, 2008)

yep, LEFSE, i feel ya on that.  every house i've ever lived in has had those same crappy cheap "oak" veneer cabinets of which you speak...except for the last 2, which had plain painted plywood cabinet faces.  sigh.  i went all crazy on those plywood ones in my house in college by repainting them actual white (instead of the vague dingy off-white they were), and then using a stamp set in, yes, 6ish colors.  the stamps had 4 or 5 different size/shape grape leaves and one little round circle.  i think it was supposed to be ivy with berries, but it turned into a grape arbor in my hands.  leaves were all shaded different greens,  the dots got stamped into grape clusters in shades of purple and wine, and a thin vine was free-handed to connect them up.  all of the corners of the cabinets had some random and irregular amount of grape vine growing over them.  loved it, wish i had a pic.  it was an inexpensive and attractive fix for those monstrosities, but was a lot of work.

i have it easy in this house; very nice **brand new** cabinets had been installed by the previous owner, who was basically flipping the house.  they're even the color i would have picked on my own.

Karen, you could have a cottage industry in shipping us some of those amazing tiles!!

and ditto, all, i LOVE this thread!


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## Saphellae (May 3, 2008)

Keep the pictures and great stories coming everyone!  I know there are TONS of DCers who haven't posted their pictures yet


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## buckytom (May 3, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> Iron, looks like a great place to work! Everyone seems happy.


 

if they're not, he fires them!


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## Jikoni (May 3, 2008)

Here is mine. cute kitchens. http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=754&c=4


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## pacanis (May 3, 2008)

I need a nice exhaust hood.
Then I wouldn't have to keep my smoke alarm disabled.....


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## Jeekinz (May 3, 2008)

Jikoni said:


> Here is mine. cute kitchens. http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=754&c=4


 
OMG...I love that!  Only thing I would add is a gas cooktop.  I love those cabinets and hardware.  What year is that house?  The full mortise door hardware is awesome.


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## Jeekinz (May 3, 2008)

pacanis said:


> I need a nice exhaust hood.
> Then I wouldn't have to keep my smoke alarm disabled.....


 
They make ventless ones that are easy to install and pretty affordable.  They have a little filter that needs to be cleaned every so often.  Although, sometimes I get on a roll, and the thing is helpless.


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## pacanis (May 3, 2008)

Yeah, my microwave above the stove has one, but it's pretty noisy and unless the pan is directly under it (as in using a back burner) it's pretty worthless.


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## Maverick2272 (May 3, 2008)

We had an over the stove micro like that as well, it wasn't quite that bad but still only got about half the smoke. And it was noisy too!


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## ironchef (May 4, 2008)

Here's how the kitchen looks before service and before anyone else gets in to work:


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## expatgirl (May 4, 2008)

are you looking for an heiress, Ironchef????  jest kidding.......it's really beautiful...I could be real happy cooking there


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## expatgirl (May 4, 2008)

we had really bad mouldy smells in India after the monsoons and I finally had the driver find me some charcoal which I shoved under the furniture and in the closets----it really did help absorb the odors


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## mikki (May 4, 2008)

I went from having 5 cupboards to this when we bought or doublewide. One of the stipulations I put on picking out the new place was that the kitchen was big. there is a total of 25 cupboards and 7 drawers, plus the door straight ahead on the left is a pantry that is 41/2 foot wide by 91/2 foot long for all my food including my chest freezer.


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## sattie (May 4, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> We had an over the stove micro like that as well, it wasn't quite that bad but still only got about half the smoke. And it was noisy too!


 
What is bad about those OTS Microwave vents, is that they are not properly vented.  They recirculate the air back into the house as opposed to out of the house.  Boy, if I knew half the crap I know now when I bought my house!!!!


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## texasgirl (May 4, 2008)

Ok, I hope these don't come out too big.
It was an awful partical wood box with holes cut out for doors and drawers that the previous owner did. We tore it all out and opened it up. It's not fancy, but, it's all I need


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## GB (May 4, 2008)

sattie said:


> What is bad about those OTS Microwave vents, is that they are not properly vented.  They recirculate the air back into the house as opposed to out of the house.  Boy, if I knew half the crap I know now when I bought my house!!!!


They do not have to be. I have one and it is vented outside.


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## MexicoKaren (May 4, 2008)

Texasgirl, it looks pretty fancy to me...nice work! I love the paint job on the walls - pretty color of blue. What you need in the middle of that blue wall is one of my colorful Mexico paintings...wish I could bring you one!


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## middie (May 4, 2008)

I envy all of you with big beautiful kitchens.


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## pacanis (May 4, 2008)

Mine has the duct outlets if I want to vent it out a rear wall, too.
It's just too bad it's not on an outside wall, but it's too noisy anyway. I couldn't hear the TV.


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## texasgirl (May 4, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> Texasgirl, it looks pretty fancy to me...nice work! I love the paint job on the walls - pretty color of blue. What you need in the middle of that blue wall is one of my colorful Mexico paintings...wish I could bring you one!


 
oooo, I would love a colorful paintings! My living room is all indian stuff. That would blend in, I think. I wish you could bring me one too


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## MexicoKaren (May 4, 2008)

Stacy, this one would look great on your blue wall....


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## Maverick2272 (May 4, 2008)

My OTS micro had the option of venting inside or outside. It had filters on it, they kinda sorta worked a little. In the summer we vented it outside so as not to heat up the house, and in the winter we vented it inside so as not to waste the heat.


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## Wart (May 5, 2008)

Quirky?

*QUIRKY!??!!*


My Industrial lights? The floods on the walls? The plywood floor??

The wood under the coffee maker looking like there is dripping coffee stains?







The corner cupboard with what could be lewd patterns in the grain?

The home made piney wood bench 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 with the raw wood top 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 that flips up 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 to receive cuttings from the board?

Quirky? How dare YOU!!!



Yeah, it is a bit odd. 

I have one last piece to make before starting on the doors. That piece being the island. I still havent decided what size to make it. Time to get a tape and start measuring ....

One of the things I was unimpressed with while looking at ideas in the box stores was how cheaply kitchen cabinetry is made. I'm not referring to only the presswood crapola from KraftMade and such, I also mean the Thomasville stuff. If not for being attached to the floor and/or walls the box store stuff would collapse. Least thats how it seemed to me. The stuff I build can be unscrewed from the toe kick and have legs put under it. 

The kitchen is ~ 10 x 19 and originally had 30 and 32 inch 'doorways' just shy of the mid point on the long walls. The cooking section was/is in the shallow end and the dining section was in the deep end. It felt like a dungeon. I'm not claustrophobic but something about it (?) was oppressive. 

Out came the wrecking bars and SawZall, walls and doorways get opened up, sink gets moved so there is a contiguous work area and an alcove built for the range. The actual work area is 7 1/2 to 8 feet by 10 feet and quite functional.

A bigger kitchen isn't always better. I was watching the trophy kitchen show(s) and wondered how anything got done in many of these kitchens without walking shoes. Refrigerators next to ranges and ovens, ornate decorations in effluent areas, lace curtains, chandlers, ranges in islands that share public space .... heck, my range is buried in an alcove 10 inches from a walk way and I was worried that was too close.


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## GrillingFool (May 5, 2008)

This is my kitchen, just before we moved in. LOTS of cabinets... which I have managed to fill quite nicely! 
Could use more counter space, but I get by.
Gas stove, electric oven in the wall, area for kitchen table opposite the
long wall of cabinets...


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## PanchoHambre (May 6, 2008)

Ok yall I am sort of embarassed but this is what I am dealing with right now...

of course he dosent care he just wants the scraps

This is where I was a few months ago looking from the "dining room" in

I took down the drywall and chipped off the plaster to "expose" the brick... what I exposed was a structural disaster.... note this pic... the brick is gone from half the wall you are looking at the bacl of the kitchen wall... the opening to the dining room is in the middle there now.... hopefully I will demo the rest by the end of the summmer. All of your awesome renos give me hope

feel better about your kitchens 

All those DIY shows make it look so easy LOL


----------



## MexicoKaren (May 6, 2008)

If we ever got everything we wanted, we'd end up bored, right? Nice to have something to work towards...looks like what you have is pretty functional, and you've got some really nice cookware. Thanks for sharing it with us - I'm sure it will be beautiful when you get it done....


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## suziquzie (May 7, 2008)

Ahhh but Pancho you get kudos for dealing with it! You're still pluggin away in the kitchen, just think how much you'll love it when its finished!


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## PanchoHambre (May 7, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> If we ever got everything we wanted, we'd end up bored, right? Nice to have something to work towards...looks like what you have is pretty functional, and you've got some really nice cookware. Thanks for sharing it with us - I'm sure it will be beautiful when you get it done....


 
LOL true karen I am looking foward to gutting it.All those pots are out drying on the stove after the chicken poach and potato salad making. I have alot more but it is all in storage right now... I am looking foward to getting my griswolds and knives on display.

 The thing that drives me the most crazy (of all the aweful things) is the tiny window and the solid door cant wait to get a nice big window and a door with some glazing in there so I can see my tomatillos etc. They fortressed in the house. You can see the dining room window covered up in one photo too it was behind a wall covered with paneling and plastered over. I mean security is important but I can't live in a cave.


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## Wart (May 13, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> If we ever got everything we wanted, we'd end up bored, right?




Oh Karen, Karen, Karen .......

You must not understand the DIYer.

When a contractor does the job it gets done, there is an end.

For the DIYer there is no end. No matter how much gets done and finished there is always something else that can stand a changing. Either minor or severe.

I'm afraid to start something new because it always leads to something more.

It's imposable to get everything we want because there is NEVER an END! NEVER!!! NEVEAHAHAHhAAhaHAHAAHahaahAHAAhaahahaah ....

I need a drink ...


----------



## LT72884 (May 13, 2008)

Y'all lucky, you have dishwashers, i dont have one, but when i get married, ill have a new washer machine and dishwasher, i just dont know her name yet. Kinda an all in one package. Buy one get one free type of thing.


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## GotGarlic (May 13, 2008)

Wart said:


> Oh Karen, Karen, Karen .......
> 
> You must not understand the DIYer.
> 
> ...



Not to mention, once you've "finished" all the rooms, it's time to start over again ... re-painting, re-finishing floors, re-decorating after 10 years of the same stuff, etc.


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## Maverick2272 (May 13, 2008)

For some strange reason these last couple of posts make me feel better... Like... I am not alone out there... that this is all perfectly normal... cool...


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## MexicoKaren (May 13, 2008)

Wart said:


> Oh Karen, Karen, Karen .......
> 
> You must not understand the DIYer.
> 
> ...



Reading this (and others') response, I can attest that DH and I are genuine DIYs. And in Mexico, hiring a contractor does not assure that "there is an end." Sometimes, it is just a beginning!

We've been working on our house for almost two years - latest project? To add an upstairs. Houses in Mexico are constructed of bricks, cement and stucco. There is always rebar sticking out the top so that another story can be added as resources become available - there are no home equity loans and few mortgages here, so everyone just pays cash as they can afford it. We started with building a set of stairs to the roof, and the second picture shows the cement pumper truck laying the roof in the forms.The far right shows what our house looks like today - DH is just finishing the plumbing upstairs so that another layer of cement can be poured in the bathroom (that's right - they just bury the plumbing in the cement!) Then comes electricity, windows and floor tiles. Oh - and paint!













THEN, we get to start on the landscaping. Whew.........


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## PanchoHambre (May 15, 2008)

Wart said:


> Oh Karen, Karen, Karen .......
> 
> You must not understand the DIYer.
> 
> ...


 
LOL  Wart my house is definintley driving me to drink!

Everything you say is true.... with the exception of the contractor thing.... you need to edit that statement with a "good" or "Reliable" 

Getting closer to my kitchen.... ripped up the floor boards in the room above it last night. Need to sister some joints and hopefully saturday I can dump my truck and pick up some new wood and install the new sub floor.

One thing I had to do was give up on deadlines or dates and just do what I can when I can.


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## LPBeier (May 15, 2008)

Oh, Karen, your house looks beautiful, even under construction.  I love the colours and shapes of the architecture in Mexico.  So alive, and artistic, like your paintings!


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## MexicoKaren (May 15, 2008)

Thanks, Laurie. Mexico is definitely inspiring...just a different kind of place. When we head back north for a visit, everything looks so colorless and boring. I can't figure out why a place like Portland, OR (where we moved from) has so many gray and white and beige houses, when it rains so much that something bright would be so welcome.


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## bethzaring (May 15, 2008)

okay, i just noticed this thread, I'll try to post 4 pictures of my main kitchen and one of the canning kitchen


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## MexicoKaren (May 15, 2008)

Oh, how I envy you your canning kitchen. It would be a great place to steam tamales, too!


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## PanchoHambre (Feb 5, 2009)

Wart said:


> Not hardly!
> 
> I have pictures of my kitchen before knocking it down. It's a nightmare I would rather not remember. In a previous thread I mentioned how there were joist in the back of the house that needed replacing, there were a few under the kitchen that needed replaced too. And a mouse (mice?) had stashed at least a 5 pound sack of cat food under the cabinets.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the inspiration Wart I am copying your floor


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