Simple Kitchen Remodel

A literally shocking experience

What a Waste

One day my wife and I had gotten so fed up with trying to share a tiny kitchen that was enclosed and poorly designed. Our marriage needed a kitchen that could function with two people in it. So, off we went! The footprint of the kitchen area wasn't great but it was this dumb "island" that just acted as a junk mail collector that ruined the flow. Yes, yes, I know, " but it has a 3-point design". This is true but what good is the 3-point design if it only functioned for one persons use at a time. While we were at it we figured we should demo the wall as well so we can watch all the HGTV and Bravo we desired. The bottom image is from pinterest and was our initial inspiration.

Per usual, off I went to learn new skills such as how do I know if this wall is load bearing, what is the proper method of creating cabinets and their doors, how can I waterproof live edge wood without ruining the natural beauty, how do you trace electrical and run new lines that are the appropriate gauge and connected to the right amp breaker.

Untrustworthy trusses

Working 60+ hours a week at your job and trying to be a weekend warrior to complete a kitchen remodel is not something I recommend. The lack of life balance took its toll and caused lots of bloody fingers, bruises, and electrical shocks.

Starting this project I knew I had basic knowledge of all the systems that needed altered but to cover my arse I pulled a structural and electrical permit prior to demo. Fun fact - they will not inspect your home until the rough-in work and demo are completed soooo good luck taking out a wall. I was familiar with traditional rafter systems but did not understand truss systems so I hired a structural engineer - the individual did not even want to bother going into my attic with me but eventually did confirm what they and I had thought all along. So, with the official results typed out and provided to me, I began the demo.

The electrical was a "hot" mess - I would like to say I never worked on live lines but I would just be inpatient at times so was shockingly reminded of my impatience through being a human voltage meter - the breakers were no where near able to produce life threatening effects so it was a calculated risk.

Tracing the lines was made easier with a circuit breaker finder. A multimeter was also invaluable for safety

Prior to taking out the wall and moving electrical I built cabinets to replace some old ones and to make ones for the soffit area which was otherwise wasted space. When you have a small kitchen you need to find space where you can. The building of cabinets was surprisingly easy - grab some birch plywood, use a Kreg, and you have just saved yourself $200+ bucks -4x8 birch plywood ran about $60 a sheet and if you are willing to lose 1-2 days in there assembly then off you go. Anna White has some good designs available for free so you can have a general idea as to the steps needed.

Functioning Disaster

Having to live in a construction site and still have a functioning kitchen is a game of hot lava. The amount of times we had to move construction materials around and setup makeshift countertops is something I wish upon nobody and it drasticlly slows the progress. Couches act as staging areas, wires drape from the ceiling while still needing to be live so we have electricity, and the floors cannot be done until the cabinets, counters, etc. are near to fully installed.

We decided to use some live edge maple I inherited for the second level shelf of the countertop. This half wall was built using the old 2x4 studs we removed - see a trend? Recylce and/or upcycle all day long! Encourage that brain to think creatively to solve a problem and save money while doing it.

Counter-productive Countertops

When you watch HGTV and listen to everyone whine about having marble or granite countertops realize this....those countertops are likely half or more of the total kitchen remodel cost. It is nuts! Also, the more you research these wonderful kitchen surfaces you realize their durability and resistance to stains are lacking. I wanted to make a maple butcher block counter top but realized I want the option to place a hot pot on my counter or to not use a cutting board. The more I researched I came to find that porcelain tile is amazing at withstanding scratches, stains, and heat!

So, next, we decided on some 2 foot x 2 foot floor tiles with a concrete design to them. We thought that we could more seamlessly hide the fact these were tiles by simply using mortar to cover the edges and seams - we bought special pens to put design in the seams but have not needed it. We only completed 1 section of the kitchen at a time so we could still use the other sections.

Floored We Did it

This project took us 8+ months to complete. The learning curve, inspections, being overworked as an OT, and completing redesigns along the way (for sake of frugality mostly) caused the delay but the next major remodel should fly since the knowledge base and experience is now there.

We are so ecstatic at our prowess now and a tremendous amount of joy washes over us. The use of tile and live edge gave this kitchen the industrial update we desired and we are now able to share this workspace with ease.

A quick lesson - don't trust your county or city inspectors! They are so unbelievably inconsistent and miss items during your rough inspection, largely due to them not wanting to be bothered. The fact that the load on my breakers was never checked was baffling to me but luckily I insist on doing things by the book so referred to the National Electrical Code constantly. I also found out that legacy wiring doesn't matter and if they see it you need to update it. For example, my final inspection resulted in me having to buy a new breaker (AFCI) for the microwave, although I had it plugged into the same breaker it had been on all along.

Last note: please for the love of life DO NOT attempt to alter electrical if you have never had experience with it. If you want to learn how to do it I hope you have the resources I had (grandfather was an electrician and father is an industrial electrician) or put some volunteer work in with your local habitat for humanity. Be safe!

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