One Step at a Time: Kitchen Edition, Still Unhinged

If I had my hinge screws, I could say that the kitchen-est side of the room was pretty much done save for a few smaller things. But I don't have my hinge screws... so even though most of the work is pretty much done, it doesn't look all that done.

Five weeks ago. It's getting to be time for a diorama of the current state of affairs.

Shortly after we moved in coming up on four years ago.

1. Deal with the inside of the microwave niche in the cabinets.

I built a little shelf for the microwave to sit on that looks nicer and has a stop in the back to keep it from slowing and unevenly moving back on the side where the controls and door latch are. I was able to use scraps from the counter top reconfiguration for supports and the stop, but bought a small piece of 1/2" plywood from the home center for the shelf itself.

This shows one of the three pieces of unfinished, half-inch plywood that made up the shelf for the microwave.

Originally, I was going to reuse the original pieces, but they were pretty grimy which might inhibit paint adhesion. Plus, you know, ick.

I'll be able to put the microwave back in place the middle of next week.

2. Do something with the terrible brick veneer behind the wood stove.

I got all the loose bricks reattached on the wall and on the base. I even removed some of the old mortar which was actually pretty quick and satisfying.

It felt pretty great to already have this masonry chisel, to remember that I had it, to actually be able to lay my hands on it quickly, and to have it work so well. These are the cut pieces of brick veneer from the base, all I used the chisel for was to remove the mortar.

EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

I also vacuumed the whole thing in preparation for priming and painting, but the next steps will have to wait until I get the stove itself prepped and painted. I'll have to vacuum again and then scrub before proceeding.

3. Paint the wood stove and stove pipe.

The paint arrived on Friday. Prepping the stove is going to be stinky and messy, so I decided to do it on Monday when Eric will be at the office and Betty will be with him. That way there will only be two of us here in the cold and stinky house.

Why there are two outlets so close to the wood stove, I don't know. Why they are at different heights... well, that's just how things are around here.

This is it what we're dealing with. Here are the brick and stove post-vacuum, pre-washed and pre-stripped.

The original list of the order I thought the projects will happen. Line through for complete items, italics for additions. I'll let myself do partial line throughs for partial completion, because it's good for my morale.

1. Light fixtures
2. Remove corner shelf in order to...
3. Remove wallpaper and repair walls (& ceiling) as necessary, get temp solution for backsplash
4. Paint walls above cabinets, around wood stove, paint laundry/bath hallway.
5. Cabinet repair, move, modify
6. Refinish cabinets
8. Level, repair, and refinish counter tops
11. New sink and faucet and the counter modifications that go with it.
10. Replace outlets, switches, plates in backsplash.
9. Install backsplash, probably tile
12. New refrigerator surface to replace old new refrigerator surface.
16. Replace light switch and plate in hallway.
14. Replace outlets, switches, plates by wood stove.
15. Paint wood stove and stovepipe. 
7. Maybe try to do something with that terrible brick veneer wood stove surround?
13. Build a door of some sort for that too-big hole for the microwave & deal with the inside.