Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What about the area where the coats are hanging? Is there a closet elsewhere that could be used or could everyone just put their coats in their bedroom closet to reclaim that space? If so I'd consider a pantry be built there for things that are used less in the kitchen as well as food storage.
You state that there is nothing but cement behind the wood paneling. Is the house of cinderblock constuction? If so, can you call in someone to lay over real plaster on top of the cement instead of hanging sheetrock? I think it will look ok but you can only do the one kitchen wall and will have to do the entire length of it.
If the upper cabinets are not being used because of the height then absolutely lower them. Frankly they look a bit short/small to be very functional I'm wondering about replacing them altogether.
That mini half-wall "faux hallway" leading out the kitchen door. Does it serve any function other than decorative? If not, may I suggest: rip it out, it is taking up valuable space and adding to the knotty pine forest dillema! You could then add more cabinetry and working space/storage on the kitchen side by making an inverted "L" there. The pantry would then flank the other side (where coats hang now).
Seriously, I think you can move the refrigerator over to the corner where the microwave sits. The table and bins/other stuff in front of the wall heater need to go away completely. You could take that work table in the middle of the room and place both the microwave and toaster oven on it putting it were the refridgerator sits now.
The existing island is a whole 'nother source of problems. Does it sit between structural beams or are those decorative?
I'd start simple because "fixing" the kitchen is going to be expensive. I also frankly like the flavor of the kitchen...reminds me a bit of older homes you find in the Appalachians.
First, declutter. Sort all of the food into boxes. Get things like pots and pans properly stored away. Figure out what is junk from what is collectible and get rid of it.
Once every counter and table space is cleared off, you'll be better able to identify what actually doesn't work in the kitchen. They actually have a lot of counter space...more than I do, but they've got every bit of space cluttered up with stuff at the moment so it's not usable.
Next, look at putting a pantry closet in to the right of the fridge. It's a prime spot for a pantry and the microwave could be relocated to a countertop pretty easily. Or if that microwave/toaster oven rack is vital, put it where the little round table currently is.
After that, yeah, tile flooring would be an improvement. The rug is probably filthy from food and grease spatters.
Calel and lifelongm0gal, i am taking both of your advice.
I am removing that coat rack, and placing a china type dresser in that area. That way my mom can place all her little collectible items in it. Which will clear up alot of space. I personally like the kitchen island. We use it as out dinner table, and when people are over they sit there and in the living rooms, so they always in the same room. And yes it does sit in between 2 support beams.
I also agree that the first thing should be to declutter. I have convinced my mom to hold a yard sale so we can get rid of things she never uses anymore. This will get rid of alot of stuff that is hiding in the island storage space. I think i am going to leave the fridge where it is, remove the microwave and toaster oven and what it sits on, build a pantry in its space, and either move the toaster oven to the counters, or a small shelf type to sit below the heater vent.
First im going to do the most important, and thats to declutter.
ok....so i have been giving some thought to all the stuff that is on top of the table that is infront of the heater vent and i have come up with some sketches of a pantry.
The pantry will be going to the right of where the fridge sits. I will remove the cabinets that sit above the fridge to make the pantry go from floor to ceiling.
The sketches:
This pictures shows the dimension of the box that i will make the shelving in.
The dimensions will be 38inches wide, 96inches tall, and 36 inches deep.
This picture shows what the shelves will look like. The parts labeled 1 and 2 will be rectangular boxes sitting opposite of each other. Their dimensions will be 6inches deep, 96inches tall, and 12 inches wide. Part labeled 1 wil be shelving that faces you asoon as you open the pantry door. The dimensions will be 24inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 96inches tall.
I got this idea from a google picture that i found. here is the link
Anything you could do to create a pantry similar to the one in your Google image would be a plus. You definitely need to get control over the food storage. In your original photos, every surface of the kitchen is covered with supermarket items that need to be collected in one place, organized by type, and stored where they can be accessed when needed. By "organized by type" I mean like with like. All cereal boxes in the same place and stored with other breakfast food like oatmeal. All spices on a spice rack. Gather all the oil and vinegar bottles and things to make salads and put them in a sturdy plastic or metal container that can be brought out to the counter when you're making something with those items. Same for baking products. Sugar, flour, etc., in plastic containers and store them with baking powder, salt, etc., in a container that you can get out when you're baking. All snack foods in a special bin -- chips, cookies, etc. See the links at the bottom of this post for appropriate storage containers to be used in the kitchen.
Put ALL like items together, not just food. All glasses together (you can put a sliding rack under the cabinet the glasses are stored in to hang stemware -- that saves a lot of space). All dishes in the same place. All pots and pans in one storage unit (a hanging pot rack?). Baking sheets and flat pans can be stored in a narrow base cabinet VERTICALLY so more will fit and it will be easier to access. All silverware in one drawer or a storage caddy. All cooking utensils in one place near the stove. All cleaning products should be under the kitchen sink. You can even get a slide out container for them so you can fit more in. And for heaven's sake, get a shoe rack by the door and get those shoes off the floor before someone gets hurt!
An over-the-stove microwave is a good counter-space saver. I would replace that center table with a piece (not knotty pine!) that contains some storage. I would also put a new countertop on that bar area that is wide so you can have more surface area for working or eating and the bar stools will just slide under it. I don't see a dishwasher in the photos. The addition of one to the kitchen would certainly curtail some of the chaos. They aren't that expensive as appliances go, and you have room for one next to the kitchen sink, which is where it belongs for plumbing purposes. And, of course, I agree that new flooring should be a top priority. Even linoleum-type, self-stick tiles (not hard to install -- I've done it myself -- and inexpensive) would be an improvement over unsanitary carpeting.
Is there any way you can move some of the functions of this kitchen to another space? Do the pets have to be fed there? Could items that aren't immediately in use (I counted nine liter bottles of soda, for example) be stored in a garage, basement, etc.?
I concur with others that in a perfect world this kitchen should be a gut-job, complete remodel. But if that isn't within your skill set or budget, there is still TONS that could be done to make the kitchen more functional, attractive, and ABOVE ALL, organized so that tasks can be completed safely and effectively. This alone would be an enormous gift to your loving parents.
I don't mean to insult your family, as you seem to be a genuinely caring and thoughtful person, but as it stands now, your family is on the road to a hoarders-type crisis. I'm not kidding when I say, watch some episodes of Clean House on the Style TV channel. You'll see how their crew tames messes that look like your kitchen. I understand that these situations can become simply overwhelming to families who have priorities or issues that make focusing on house-cleaning seem a project for another day. So you will become a big hero to your family if you just get the chaos under control. Start with just making things better. You can worry about a perfect, magazine-worthy kitchen at a later date.
All the best to you and here are some product links:
Note: There are two Container stores in the Boston area. There is an IKEA in Stoughton. Overstock.com is mail order only, but the shipping cost is only $2.95 no matter what you buy. All Target and Walmart stores have departments dedicated to organizational and storage items (bins, containers, shelves, etc.) Just taking a trip to a Container store will give you lots of ideas for organizing clutter and "containing" your kitchen and the sales people are very helpful with advice.
thank you very much for the honest remarks. I personally agree with you when you say its hoarders-type crisis. That hoarding is my parents. My mom likes t keep everything even if she doesnt have a use for it.I try to convince her to get rid of some things and she just moves it to another area. its gets quite frustrating when i have to help her clean it and then it looks nice for a week and then it goes back to looking like what it did.
One day, i think i am going to go through her things in the kitchen and get rid of some things i know she has no use for, are missing lids, and are broken. If i dont she will never get rid of them.
We are going to go with ceramic tile for the kitchen, just needed to clean the kitchen and set these out before we lay the tiles down. Should the tile be layed under the pantry cabinet or should we just tile up
the pantry.
Give me a second as my heart palpations stop. Wheww...those pictures set off my OCD.
Here are my thoughts...
The kitchen works for the style home and I would not do much but change out the flooring, the light fixture and the countertops. I agree with Desertsun, from the way you are talking it doesn't sound like you are qualified for any major renovation. I am not trying to be snotty but I have renovated several homes and trust me, things can go wrong and they do. Leave the walls in tact. I think drywall will look odd. The house is rustic so I think you should stick with that. I understand getting rid of the carpet. Carpet does not belong in a kitchen.
I think its incredibly sweet that you want to really do something nice for your parents but I am telling you from experience, hoarders don't take care of their homes. My mother is a hoarder and her house looks like your parents. Its very distressing to me and I have completely cleaned and reorganized her house many times over. She never keeps it up. My mom told me a few years ago she would keep up the house if she got new carpet and new paint. I helped her do these things. A month later the house was a wreck again. If you are thinking that if you completely redo the kitchen it will help, I can assure you, it wont.
Purchase a pre-made pantry cabinet from IKEA, Home Depot, or Lowes etc and set it next to the fridge for extra storage. Replace the floor, light fixture and possibly the countertops. It will freshen things up without a major overall. IMO, the kitchen works with the rest of the home. The biggest change will be if your parents keep the kitchen clean and clutter free.
thank you very much for the honest remarks...
We are going to go with ceramic tile for the kitchen, just needed to clean the kitchen and set these out before we lay the tiles down. Should the tile be layed under the pantry cabinet or should we just tile up the pantry.
Thank you much for the links and ideas
You're welcome. I would lay the tile first, THEN build the pantry. The floors of pantries can get very dirty and having a floor that is even with your other floor will enable you to open the door and clean it at the same time you wash the kitchen floor.
I also agree with fallingwater that the effort you would make in changing out the knotty pine would not pay off unless you have an unlimited budget. Also, the suggestion to replace the light fixtures and ceiling fan with more up-to-date ones would do a lot to improve the look of the room. You can get electrical fixtures in a huge variety of price ranges. In my kitchen, I recently changed out the three light fixtures (which each had two standard bulbs) to new ones that each have three halogen bulbs. I paid less than $200 for the whole project and it's a remarkable improvement to the room -- in terms of lighting as well as appearance. This is the online dealer where I bought my fixtures: Lighting Fixtures for Home - Decor, Lamps, Light Fixtures | Lamps Plus
Good luck with your project.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
