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Down to Earth

OUR 2nd HOUSE

Operation Heart of the Home has officially begun. 

Cowabunga, right?!  Not really.  As much as I would love to be excited about renovating kitchens…I am human.  And as a human, I would rather rest my sciatica than do DIY sometimes.  That’s perfectly normal.  For all you “I-love-work-and-would-choose-hard-manual-labor-any-day-over-watching-recorded-episodes-of-Bachelor-Pad”…well, obviously I hate you.  kidding.  only a little though. 

Okay – so our kitchen’s first closeup looked like this…

Our kitchen normally looks like this…

And I explained that our first phase is complete.  Here’s what we did in that phase:

Now we moved on to the second phase (which I explained in more detail here).  First up to bat is replacing the cabinet above the stovetop with a hood. 

Why do we need a hood?  Well…because of this bad bad naughty boy…

Check out that groddiness.  Like the aftermath of a potty-training toddler. 

Yes…the buildup on the glass stovetop was so terrible that I had to spend hours upon hours scraping it up with a straight razor.  That’s after I attempted every glass stovetop cleaning product on the market.  It as gah-ross. 

And see that vent in the middle?  That’s a downdraft vent.  Meaning, when I am burning our chicken dinner, the smoke which wants to go up, needs to go down…sounds to me like it’s against nature.  And that the vent needs to be pretty powerful.  It never worked properly.   Evidence below…

See all that soot and grease and that is on the side and bottoms of the cabinets?  Just what I wanted to do on a Saturday night – scrubbing cabinets. 

 

I got it relatively clean…but the bottom of the ‘hood’ cabinet was damaged.  I guess the heat and moisture just was too much to bear. 

So our plan was to remove the cabinet and using that as a catalyst to start working on the cabinets…

Jeremy broke out the drill and started removing the screws.  After installing cabinetry in our old house, we learned that usually upper cabinets are screwed into the studs…both on the inside of the cabinets, the outside and then also attached to the other cabinets living beside them.     

 

Then lift from the bottom and catwalk that bad boy out…

 

God bless those Nike shorts.  every skin-gripping inch of them 🙂  Sorry if that was awkward for you…you may paste your own hubbies face on his body if it makes it better.

Nine screws, a little laddering, and a lot of bending my head over to see Jer’s shorts later – the cabinet is down to earth.  And now we have the hood area clear and ready for planning.  Most surprisingly, the wall behind the cabinet was a different color.  That means that the kitchen was originally the same toothpaste color as the rest of the house.  It just goes to show that the previous owners did make at least one improvement to this house!

Next up – cabinet doors and clearing the kitchen.  erg.  My bum throbs just from thinking about that.   And not in a Nike-shorts kinda way 🙂

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  1. Great bum shots! 🙂

    I have wondered why the builders of your home made the kitchen so random. You guys are doing an AMAZING job fixing it, but with all of the space it seems very out of place… just random thoughts!

    Also, I LOVE the outdoor table!!!

  2. lol I am definitely one of those that wish I was doing manual labor instead of an office job….can I trade?? And you totally made me laugh on the whole nike shorts view thing…your realness is too awesome! Can’t wait to see the finish results!

  3. That Nike shorts comment almost caused a catastrophe! I busted up with a bunch of water in my mouth…in case you forgot I am sitting at a computer.

    You are too funny. Good luck with the kitchen, I am so excited to see the final reveal!!!!

  5. It’s looking great! I can’t wait to see what hood you choose! Also, I hear you on the gross stove top – when we moved into our apartment, I spent at least a day soaking the burners because they were so grimy (not to mention that there was dog hair in the oven… yuck!)

  6. Thank you Katie… I now feel super creepy about checking out your husbands bum. I happen to have a husband who would fill shorts like that out pretty well, so I wouldn’t mind you sharing what “model” (?) they are so I can enjoy a view like that at home.
    But back to business, congrats on your progress! And thank you for giving me a late-in-the-boring-work-day blog post to enjoy 🙂

  7. I am perfectly, and very happily married to an equally handsome boyfriend as yours. But, Jeremy has great calves! In all seriousness, what kind of work-outs does he do?

  8. I feel your pain. I’m refinishing my cabinets while on vacation next week. My kitchen doesn’t have a ton of cabinets, but I try not to think about everything I need to get done or I know I won’t start.

    I was originally going to paint, but I’ve changed my mind and am going to restain. I’m very nervous about stripping. Yuck.

    Good luck with yours! I think white will look great in there!

  9. ok… gotta ask. What’s your hubby’s workout routine?

    My hubby’s been working on his upper body (Tai Chi) and it’s looking nice… but whoa, he seriously needs the Jeremy’s Buns of Steel workout. How do you get any DIY done with that in your face? LOL

  10. I love finding old paint colors behind cabinets/toilets/etc – but I seriously have to wonder what some people were thinking. We (finally) finished our bathroom reno, and when we started the bathroom was lime green with bisque finishes. Apparently, it was also lilac at one point. Blerg.

    I also love that you take butt shots of Jeremy – I do the same thing to Brandon!!

  11. I love your kitchen! I think it will be even more amazing once you get everything done. You cracked me up with the Nike shorts comment! HAHA!

  12. That was so dumb for them to not vent the stove. Your home was obviously the previous owners custom design (maybe?) so why would they not put that in? Craziness! I was wondering the other day how you are still liking your office? Do you do all your posts in there now?

  13. From one Wife-Of-A-Nike-Shorts-Wearing-Husband to another — you done good, KB! 😉

    I tend to stop and admire the view while my Husband is wearing them and I admit, I stopped scrolling for just a split second shy of “creepy” territory with these pics too.

    Can’t wait to see how the kitchen is shaping up after seeing those Instagram pics of the cabinet sanding.

  14. I’m freaking out because our kitchen cabinets/countertops/backsplash are the EXACT same color scheme as yours, and I’ve been dying to paint the cabinets white but my husband refuses! I cannot WAIT to see what you do so I can show him that it will all make sense in time. 🙂

  15. Nope…most of the time I post while on my tush on the couch…it’s just way more comfortable…but the office is still being used. Right now it is a dumping ground for all my projects and post materials…so still blog related 🙂
    xo – kb

  16. Seriously! I am surprised I can anything at all!
    I think we just genetically are prone to bigger booties…but let me tell you about the mountain bikers bum…holy moly. That’s a routine that will give anyone buns of steel 🙂
    xo – kb

  18. Genetically speaking – the guy has good legs. But mountain biking, P90X, Insanity videos, a little toddler chasing thrown in, and the like all help too 🙂
    xo – kb

  19. I think he got them at Dicks. haha. Seriously though. I have no idea what type they are but they have pockets and are wife-approved 🙂
    xo – kb

  22. is it just me or are the the previously hidden portion of the neighboring cabs a solid color? This would mean that the glaze is supposed to be an improvement over whatever the builder did?

  23. Love your blog Katie, and since my wonderful hubby has no bottom AT ALL. So I may have placed his face (in my mind) on your boyfriend’s nice bottom..(If that’s weird, I’m sorry.. hope it’s not… a bit embarassed now)

    That said, congrats on baby boy #2 (I’ve probably said that before) I have 3 boys myself. 5, 3, and 1 yrs old.

    Love your new house and excited to see more. Even though I totally get how being that pregnant and DIY-ing would be hard.

    Thanks for your posts. They are a nice little highlight of my busy days.

  24. haha.. I’ll be waiting for Jeremy’s buns of steel workout video to be released.

    On Pinterest, I found a stop top cleaner pin.

    (1) Sprinkle baking soda on the stove top.
    (2) Put a rag in a bowl of hot water and dish shop and let it soak for a bit.
    (3) The take rag and put it on the stove top for about 15 minutes.
    (4) After 15 minutes, swirl the rag a bit to “scrub” and use the razor to get stubborn marks
    (5) Do it 2x
    (6) wipe it down with windex

    It’s worked so much better than the price bottles of cleaner I buy. A friend used this method when cleaning her rental apartment when the tenants left it a mess. Try it out..

  25. You are one blessed woman, KB! Thankfully, I am too! Gotta love hubby eye candy 🙂

    I am excited to see how this kitchen turns out!

  27. Love the shorts comment! I had to go back and look at the pictures again to see what you were talking about and let me say, I’m glad you brought it to my attention!!! Lol:) my hubby has some great legs too, but I give the booth award to Jeremy FOR SURE!! Anyway, I’m so excited to see more pictures and progress, following you FB and seeing your instagran pics, I can’t wait to see the painted cabinets!

  28. hahahaha. i’m more interested in knowing how jeremy reacts when he reads these. if it were my bf, i would just sit back and wait to hear the tone of my name being called and know – bingo! he’s read it.

  29. You are a lucky lady Katie! I am always grabbing and whistling at my hubby I’m glad to see another wife who is not complaining about their man all the time and is instead staring at a very nice set of… calves 🙂

  30. This is exactly what I want to do to my kitchen stove area. I’m looking forward to how you install the vent and then vent to the outdoors because I need to convince my husband it’s not a total pain in the batooty. We have a lovely cream colored massive microwave with a useless vent combo that I absolutely hate. I want to put the microwave out in the dining area behind some cabinets and no one will ever know–how often do we even use the thing but for popcorn! Anyway, I know installing a vent like what you will be doing will really finish off our kitchen nicely….perfect timing!

    P.S. Yeah, my husband has a flat butt/no butt so from one woman to another–enjoy the cute man butt 😉

  31. I’d love to have your kitchen. The workspace, the cabinets, everything. Obviously there are issues that you’re dealing with but it’s so much better than my kitchen. You can see what I’m dealing with here http://thebrickbungalow.blogspot.com/search/label/kitchen and that it’s terrible. I painted the cabinets (poorly but it’s temporary) until we can demolish everything down to the studs. I dream about my new kitchen every single second I’m forced to be in mine.

  32. It’s so funny you made the comment about your husband’s butt. I was totally checking it out and was like, “hmm that’s nice” only to read your comment 2 seconds later. We were like, riding the same wave length. Not in a creepy way.

  33. So excited to see what you do with this kitchen – it started off with great bones, just looks like it needed a bit of love.
    Oh also as a very objective young woman who is 100% single I can tell you that your husband has a very nice tushie.

  34. Excited to see the hood you pick!

    Way to go on the boyfriend! My hubby looks pretty cute in Nike shorts too! 🙂

    Just started following your blog recently and I am enjoying it! Thanks for good reads!
    Cindy

  36. Katie,
    I thought I already commented, but I said I’d put hub’s face on Jer’s body because while I adore my man, he has no rear… just a crack. Hope that’s still funny to you. Love your house, love your kitchen, and congrats on baby boy #2. Boys are so much fun.

    Love your blog. I click here daily for inspiration and giggles. ~Amy

  37. Just kidding, I just found my comment. I’m a complete nerd with 3 kids and getting no sleep. Ignore me 🙂

  38. It looks good so far! And I am insanely envious of your kitchen as is, that’s how bad our hasn’t-been-remodeled-since-1982 kitchen is. We still have the original cabinets from when our house was built! Even better, we JUST replaced the original oven (It was almost as old as I am!)

    Also, if you’re a Bachelor Pad fanatic I work with one of the guys who was on the show this season!

  39. Whoa… check the caboose on Jer! My hub’s got a nice tuchas too, and it’s a good thing it’s never at eye level, or I’d never get anything done.

    Can’t wait to see how the kitchen rehab develops, but take it easy, eh? Sciatica sucks!

  40. This has nothing to do with anything, but I just wanted to say… I need to buy my husband a pair of those shorts. Stat.

  41. I just died of laughter! Died!!!

    Who stores stuff above the stove anyway? I “think” we have vases up there and I have to get a ladder to reach it.

    Can’t wait to see what you guys do!

  42. We had jars – both empty glass ones and our Christmas cookie jars! It’s so interesting to hear what other people have above theirs!
    xo – kb

  46. Cracking up about the butt! Good one! I just finished staining my kitchen interior door charcoal gray. I just have to put a coat of poly over it. I removed all the original hardware (glass doorknobs) and sprayed all the metal black. I am so excited about it and hope it looks good in my kitchen. I am almost done in there, just some more painting to do on the walls and trim. That will be the death of me!!

  47. Haha “SWAT”, the superfan. The only episode I’ve ever watched was the first one where he was voted off.

  48. I don’t think anyone will remember anything about that post except for those fantastic shorts. And that is not an insult to the post (I LOVE THIS BLOG), but a compliment to your lovely boyfriend.

  52. Your kitchen project looks a lot less complicated than ours…we had to gut it ;(
    but its all done now!! I cant wait to see your improvements!
    What color are you planning on painting the walls???

  53. After also having tried every stove top cleaner, I finally found one that worked. Barkeepers friend that is 2.00 at Target was a lifesaver! Follow the directions on the back and wear gloves. It works miracles! Good Luck!

  54. we have wine glasses and big serving dishes 🙂 growing up, though, my mom always kept the potato chips up there.

  55. i was too busy looking at the scruff to look at the butt. my poor boyfriend must feel completely inadequate – first, today, I read about John building an entire deck. with his own bare hands. then this post of Jer’s butt?!? Guess he has some work to do……….

  56. I also enjoy a nice pair of Nike shorts. Or my other favotire, baseball pants! And I am not even a big fan of the sport. No wonder why you want to jump his bones all the time. He has a great backside! Thanks for sharing the photos of your man, I mean your kitchen. LOL!

  58. Katie, I have the same problem of grease and grime on our cabinets (Thanks! Previous owners.) Please, tell me how you got your cabinet so clean!

  59. Katie,

    I read your blog every day and found you through Young House Love. Thanks for sharing your everyday life, DIY projects and funny sense of humor. It brings smiles to my face. I was in the garage late last night painting my kitchen cabinet doors and laughing about the Nike shorts comment. I love your lack of censoring what is really on your mind! I look forward to seeing the progress in your kitchen. Perhaps I’ll share my kitchen makeover with you, too. It’s only taken me about two months! Thanks again for your blog and sense of humor!

    Holly

  60. I used a combination of dishwashing soap and super hot water to cut the grease, and then magic erasers to get the soot and a scrubby pad to get the dirt and stuck on stuff.
    xo – kb

  61. I haven’t decided yet. At first we thought we could get by without repainting…but the more we get into this cabinet redo, the more we are realizing how much really needs to be done. I’ll let you know!
    xo – kb

  63. I too have a hubby with great “stuff”-his is from rowing Crew in college; mountain biking and tri-athaloning and home improvements keep it all good now-and at 49, he’s pretty darn impressive! He makes me want to up my game-some days 😛

    Be happy you have WOODEN cabs-we have 1948 metal ones! Good for magnets, not good for much else. Fixed shelves, too-no rearranging to fit the height of bottles/cans/boxes.

    Good thing is we are moving later this year-hello, San Diego! Woohoo no more winter 🙂

  64. Yay! I love kitchen renovations. I’m so excited to see what all you guys do with the space. I’m desperate to get my hands on a larger kitchen we can fix up. Our little crappy rental kitchen just isn’t doing it for me. One day…

  66. I love you Katie. I’ve been a long-time reader and the Nike shorts comment finally pushed me to leave a comment… you are flippin hilarious! Congrats on the kitchen reno, and of course, those blessed shorts.

  67. I was doing the very same thing last night Holly – too funny!

    Boyfriends with great butts are wonderful 🙂

  68. Hey! Quick question – what color is the paint in your kitchen? Doing some repainting in our house soon, and noticed the color in the pic where Jeremy has removed the cabinet above the stove…lurve it! Mind sharing? I’m sure you have it somewhere on here, but I have a slow working computer right now, that might as well be running Oregon Trail on dial up. NOT. FUN.
    Thanks!
    Madison

  69. Just asking-…how do u like wenge wood i.e., deep chocolate colored kitchen cabinets with silver handles? Have u ever liked such kitchens? What do u think of those kinda kitchens?

  72. We have one box of dog cookies… and, if you can’t guess, we always forget they are there.

  74. You kill me… before I even read your shorts comments I was like, she’s not going to go this whole post without commenting on that tush! Good thing we’re on the same wave-length.
    Progress looks great!!

  75. Can you tell me where you got your green trellis rug that is running in front of your kitchen sink? I have been looking for one just like it!

  77. LOL I was noticing his shorts and cute bottom! And I totally say that in an appreciative, married lady kinda way ;D

  79. I just recently found your blog, and I have loved getting caught up, I feel like I know you guys! lol, that was not intended to be as creepy as it sounds!
    Anyways more to the point I have a suggestion on the cleaning a glass top stove thing, there is a company called NORWEX, and they sell this amazing cleaning paste, my stovetop in our new house was NASTY (and I have a tendancy to boil over stuff), but after a couple of rounds of spreading paste and gently scrubbing it looks like brand new!
    Another great thing about the NORWEX is that they are all natural so you could clean the stove and not have to worry if little Will accidentaly comes in contact with it, no nasty chemicals involved.
    Worth a try….. 🙂

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