Kitchen Makeover - Part Three

Houses are like giant, 3D jigsaw puzzles.  Work in one room affects the whole thing.  And stalled work in one room slows everything down.  Work in our bedroom has stalled, which means that work in the kitchen has come to an end for now.

Fortunately, we were able to get it to the point that it's workable, if not entirely perfect.

After assessing what we had, we decided that we needed more storage and a lot more work surfaces than were there.  We wanted to use furniture we already had, as much as possible.  An old dresser that belonged to my mother was moved next to the stove and given a new Ikea countertop.  It gives us lots of storage as well as a really big work surface.

While we were at Ikea, we checked out the "As Is" section and found this piece.  It was missing a screw and had a few little scratches on the top.  But it fits perfectly next to the fridge.  At some point, we'll add a shelf or two down below and get the last of the boxes unpacked. 

Up above it is a double knife rack.  We like to have the stuff we use every day out on display.  It's so much easier to cook when you're not hunting through cupboards and drawers for the things you need.

Stuff that we use less frequently, though, is kept in closed storage.  That way, we won't have to wash it before we use it!

The rack above the Ikea counter was originally a shelf in an old fridge.  I picked it up for a couple of bucks at the Habitat ReStore. 

And the piece over the stove is an old condiment rack - the kind you find in a diner.  I'm actually using it for what it was designed for.  That's pretty rare in my house!

One last work surface and we were good to go.  That marble table in the middle is handy for so many things.  Eating, obvs.  But also cooling pasta and the like in a hurry.  Make sure the marble is clean and then spread the cooked pasta or polenta or risotto out on the top.  Cools right down in no time.

And if I ever start making pies in a big way...

I should tell you that the table, though a splurge, cost us about a hundred dollars at a used restaurant equipment supply.  These places are a great resource for kitchen equipment.  You can find them in any major city.  And you don't have to own a restaurant to shop there.

I hope you like my kitchen so far.

On Wednesday, I have a guest coming in to tell you what cookware you need for a well-equipped kitchen.