They started on Thursday last week and came back on Friday to do more. They still need to return sometime this coming week to bring our wine fridge, but otherwise it’s in!! π
We still need to remove the old fridge from the space, but after spending Friday afternoon, evening and all of Saturday organizing we feel it is basically “moved in” now! And, we are so in love β€οΈπ…with the kitchen (and each other, of course! π )
I have even baked already in the new space testing out the location of our pantry items, dishes, etc. It was so smooth and easy. You might see me in this kitchen more than ever before, but I won’t get ahead of myself. π€ͺ For now, though, we are in awe of how much it has changed the energy and our use of the room compared to before.
Now, just to keep it clean and decide when to have our first kitchen dinner party! π
Our first proper renovation in the house has begun.
The kitchen is an interesting place in my history. For me, it has very mixed emotions. My unhappiest and happiest memories are in a kitchen.
Before my family, I would be punished in the kitchen. The grand event that got me moved out of my second adoptive family occurred in the kitchen. When I used to get panic attacks as an adult, they were always in the kitchen. My displeasure of cooking likely stems from these buried traumatic moments of early childhood.
However, I have very happy memories sitting at the island watching my mom or dad cook. We would have conversations as I sat watching. Or, I would take over the oven watch when Mom had finished making the dough for cookies. Dad reviewed the art of seeing how fractions were applied in life by asking me to convert recipes as he made muffins or cut vegetables.
Later in life I would be curious as parties would always somehow migrate to the small space of a kitchen. No matter how much space was available to sit on a balcony, in a living room, or elsewhere, one could always find a number of people stuffed closely in a smaller kitchen space conversing happily. The kitchen seems to be the heart of a home.
Thanks to my happy memories, I have slowly been able to overcome my preference to avoid it – though I still don’t cook much because M does! I have always preferred baking to cooking as well. Anyway, when we bought our house, we knew that the kitchen would eventually need updating. For M, it is absolutely the heart of a home. He loves to hold counsel, entertain, and shoot the breeze while we prepares a meal. So, we wanted to make it a modern and happy space where we could hold smaller dinner parties with that quaint at-home feel.
Although we had some challenges with finding the right company to work with us in a timely manner, we finally have some progress. In less than an hour this morning, they came and took away the “old” kitchen. The “new” one comes on Thursday. In the meantime, the tiles will be removed, the electrician will come to redo wiring and prepare the space for everything to work well beforehand. Then, all being well, I shall post on Friday with pics of the finished space! Stay tuned!
_The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering_ by Marie Kondo
Since I am in the middle of moving it seemed like a prudent book to read. Although I did not quite finish it in time to take complete action with my belongings before they needed to be packed up, I have taken some notes to consider when it comes time to move in.
Kondo’s approach is rather interesting, combining new-age thinking with practical solutions to keeping a home tidy and neat. She points out that it is not just about being organized or putting things in the right place, but it is also about making sure what you have in your home is actually bringing you joy and positivity in the space in which you reside.
Although I do tend to go through my clothes quite regularly, her suggestion to pile up every article of clothing in one place, touch each piece and decide if it sparks joy or not to determine if it should be kept or not is a new concept. I do love my clothes and I did have time to go through almost every article I have before packing up. Despite getting rid of about three bags earlier this year, I also got rid of another large garbage bag full of items, plus a load of shoes that I was holding on to!
When we move in and unpack things, I will apply her principle of throwing away papers and only keeping papers that fall into one of three categories. This will be a challenge as a recovering academic, I like to hold on to articles or magazines – just in case. However, I can see her point in that we just no longer need papers in our lives. If I really want to hold on to something I can either scan it or make note of where to find it electronically later (though she is right in that it is highly unlikely I will ever want to see it again…).
I gleaned a lot of good ideas and am looking forward to our new home where I can apply her approach so that we have a tidy and joyful home filled with a focus on love, laughs and living fully rather than being weighed down (consciously or not) by unnecessary clutter.
