The Forbidden Room

The fun kid craft project didn't happen.  We made paper airplanes and then ended up going outside.  It was surprisingly dry all day.  Still cold, but dry.  They asked to go out and I gladly obliged.  But I did end up tackling a small project while they were napping.  I suppose it's not really a project - I was still ticked off at the ghetto busted coffee pot we've been using for years and decided I was going to MAKE the two-year-old, new-in-the-box, too-tall one work.  I nearly killed myself getting it down from the 30 foot high top shelf (that may be a bit of an exaggeration) in the laundry room, but I prevailed.  And since I'm not just one to sit something down and call it good, it turned into a whole countertop rearrangement.  Then, since everything was off the counters, it turned into a full kitchen deep clean.  Okay, that's a lie.  It turned into a partial kitchen deep clean.

I know I said I would never post pictures of the kitchen because I hate it, but I changed my mind.  But before I do, I will rant about what I hate:

I hate that the refrigerator is where it is.  It should be on the back wall with built-ins around it.  And most  definitely a pull out pantry on one side.

Where the fridge currently is, there should be a DISHWASHER.  C'mon 1947, what were you thinking?!

The two corner lazy susans are ridiculous.  The whole thing spins, including the "door", so everything is always sliding off into the back corner and jamming the whole thing up.

Almost as important as the dishwasher, there should be one of those skinny cupboards next to the oven that sheet pans and muffin tins stand up in.  Above it should a drawer for potholders.  Duh.

The counters should absolutely NOT have little pastel covered leaves all over them OR disgusting metal trim that nastiness is always stuck under.  (The back splash is the same as the counter, but I used some special primer and painted it the same color as the walls years ago.)

The drawers should not throw out my back when opening and closing them because of having to use the force of Zeus.

And what in the heck is that metal vent thing under the sink?!  Three of the strips are broken off, making it even more ghetto.

As of 2007, the child locks for cupboard doors don't work with our old school setup, so we lock the one under the sink with carabiners.  (It's actually to keep the dog out of the garbage - the kids never got into anything they weren't supposed to.)

Nothing fits under the top cabinets because they're so low.

Oh, and also, because it's been buggin' me, I'll mention it.  I moved an old wood ice chest off that back wall and put a table there instead.  Now the picture and shelves look like they're hung too high because the table is so much lower.  Plus, where the corner shelf is sitting, there used to be a giant hanging corner shelf mounted there instead.  It's in the dining room now.  So all in all, I just hate that whole wall right now.

Things I DO like:

The window over the sink.

The faucet (my one splurge when I first bought the house.)

The oven.

The shelf above the cupboards with the blue glass on it.

The handles on the cupboards and drawers.  (Most are original - I had to do some serious work to get them presentable when I bought the house.)

I think that's it.  Hmmm, which list is longer?

So without further ado, I present to you......my kitchen 

(click on the photos to enlarge them):

Thar she blows.

See the carabiners?

Like my coffee pot shoved in the only six inches it will fit in?

This is standing in the doorway to the dining room.

The door with the window goes to the driveway - no one ever uses the front door.

This door goes to the utility/laundry room, which also leads to the attached garage.

Here's where the fridge should be.  And more storage.

I have some pictures of the dining room too, so you can see how they're connected.  I go back and forth, (in my pretend fantasy remodel), debating whether or not to take out the wall where the fridge is now.  Not all of it, just above the base cabinets.  Would open it up to the dining room and I could actually talk to people when I'm in the kitchen.  More than one person in there now is too many.  Add The Dad, The Kids and The Dog while I'm trying to get dinner made and it makes for a very cranky Mom.  Open wall would mean contact without them all being under my feet.

Here it is:

This is standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Little bit different angle.

Head on from the living room.  The white cabinet in the corner is the one I moved out of the kitchen in an attempt to move the fantasy remodel along.  It didn't work.

The wall on the right is the one I'm considering busting into.  (Again, in my head.)

So there it is folks.  The room I was never going to photograph is now officially online.  Oh the humanity.