Planning, Revising and Reality Check Computes

Oliver is holding out - he doesn't like change and  he can sense there is change on the horizon.....(sorry, but I couldn't resist). 

By this point, I had met Cathy, Kitchen Specialist at the Lowes Pickering store. Cathy worked with me for hours over several evening and eventually provided me with the reality check:  Give up on the old cabinets. It's impossible to reconfigure my old cabinets into a new kitchen design. Rob assured me it was feasible to remove the wall and reinforce the structure with an engineered beam. I now had a visual in my head of  the transformation to an open space but I had no idea how many decisions still lay ahead of me: Space design, cabinetry, styles, wood type and finish, hardware, flooring, lighting, electrical, and The Unexpected.
I packed up the old kitchen,  and prepared myself for living in a "temporary kitchen" in the living room/dining area and Rob diligently minimized the inconvenience of it all by ensuring I had a temporary space with the working basics of a kitchen. He always ensured I had a working stove and fridge and running water whenever possible.

A final look at my old wall, soon to be HISTORY!

One last look at the old kitchen.....

Old cabinetry gone! In one day, Rob and Adrian had removed the old cabinets. 

Later on, I lost lots of sleep over my decision not to have Rob remove these bulkheads.....but in the end I like having them remain behind.

Here is the ugly box everybody loves to hate. It is a common feature of the bungalows in this neighbourhood.

The hole where the The Old Ugly Bulkhead and valence used to be. I was pleased to see those eye-sores out of my kitchen.

                                                                     

Oliver

Homer

This was one of the memorable moments to me - the evening I returned home to find the central interior wall separating the kitchen from the living/dining rooms was GONE. The acoustics, the open space felt amazing! I cracked open a bottle of wine to celebrate.

 The view from kitchen into dining/living room - the engineered beam.