Kitchens

NaBloPoMo day 13

Last night I went out shopping with my mom. We headed to the Ikea that's in the area. Whoo! I don't know why, but that place is just so cool! I can do without the cheap (not just inexpensive, but cheap) kitchenware. After all, I make money selling good quality stuff. But it's so much fun to walk through the store and get great ideas.

Car Guy and I are redoing our kitchen in 2008. Complete redo. Down to the studs and subfloor. I've still got major research and planning to do, but I'm thrilled that I'll finally be getting a kitchen that works. Some of the reasons our current kitchen doesn't do anything for me:

• Not enough storage. When you've got almost everything in the catalog ("Spoiled Cook", rhymes with "Hampered Jeff") then storage becomes an issue. I've got 2 useable drawers, a couple of lower cabinets, and only 1 upper cabinet right now. The only thing that saves me is the pot rack I installed over the sink, so my cookware doesn't take up much cabinet room (there are some seldom-used pieces and all my lids in a cupboard).


• 30 year old appliances with all the problems to be expected. The wall oven cycles wildly, and I usually have to set it to 50°F LESS than the temp I actually need. Except when it's warm outside, then I have to set it 75°F less. Or not. And there's no window in the door for checking on things. And the cooktop has 1 unuseable burner and push buttons, so I can't control the heat well. And did I mention that they're Coppertone?


• Poor layout. Of course, "poor" is generous. Dismal is more accurate. Appalling, even more so. The back door hits me in the back when I'm getting things out of the oven, and the dishwasher is on the wrong side of the sink, if I want to unload it directly into the (one) upper cupboard. There's a cabinet that opens in the breakfast area (useless), and when the dishwasher is open, it blocks 2 other cabinets, preventing them from opening.

What does this have to do with my shopping trip? When we remodel, I'm getting cabinets from Ikea. I love that they're 1/3 the price of others, but are still strong enough to support granite countertops. And that I can easily install them to be a little taller than standard. And that I can get all the little organizing goodies to keep things neat.

But what I forgot to do last night is ask someone in the kitchens department if we can get (or need) an appointment when we come in to get the cabinets. I count 26 cabinets on my plan, plus filler pieces, legs, handles, and cover panels. That's a lot of boxes to pick out in their warehouse area.

I can't wait.