Our Temporary Kitchen (In the Basement)
I’ve been getting lots of sympathetic messages & comments about living through my second kitchen renovation in one year (see number one & number two here), BUTÂ this time around is nothing like the last. Trust me when I say I’m more than surviving! About six months ago, when Emmett and I started having the conversation about selling, buying, and renovating again- I told him I wasn’t sure if I had another live-in renovation in me. It’s emotionally and physically draining to live amongst a messy construction zone, and I wanted to be honest with myself. One of the biggest reasons we bought our current home was because we knew it would be easier to live here while renovating because of the excess space. Gone are the days of remodeling the one & only bath, running to Starbucks to pee, then heading to a friend’s house to shower. Don’t get me wrong- we did that for 7(!) years and it’s definitely doable, but this time it’s a totally different ballgame for us. Click through to read all about it and see our temporary kitchen setup in the basement that is making life SO much easier while we renovate the kitchen.
The size of this house was a big selling point for us. We don’t have kids or a crazy need for this much space (although it’s wonderful for house guests), but we knew we needed a garage for our tools, equipment, and square footage that would make our renovating life less stressful. It’s something Emmett and I honestly talk about at least once a week… how happy we are with how this renovation is unfolding and how much easier it seems having adequate amenities even when one room is under construction. Am I suggesting buy a bigger house if you’re planning to renovate? No, no, no! I will be totally honest though- after renovating two smaller homes, the logistics are certainly easier with more square footage. It just means you have to plan in a different way.
On that note, if you’re tackling a kitchen in a smaller house, this post is for you… my tips for surviving a live-in kitchen reno! LIVE-IN being the key words. For those of you who have additional space or can squeeze a makeshift kitchen into another room (like the laundry room, basement kitchenette, etc), my current post might feel more relatable.
This is our basement. Is it dated? Yes, but I’m so ecstatic to have a functional kitchenette like this one! It’s also full of potential and possibilities. Emmett and I have been able to resume a bit of normality during our big reno upstairs because of this area.
We have an apartment-sized fridge, a working sink (complete with a garage disposal), a place to sit down and eat our meals, plenty of cabinet space for our regular dishes, and a countertop for food prep. We did buy this electric cooktop (pictured below) before beginning the renovation, so the only thing we’re missing is an oven. I suppose I could buy a countertop toaster oven, but we’re honestly doing fine without. This is a vastly different experience than our previous kitchen renovation earlier in the year. We were washing dishes in the bathtub and living solely off of carry out & fast food. I really don’t feel deprived at all.
 The dogs even have a little watering station down here since we’ve been spending so much time in the basement. It’s one of their favorite areas in our house! The love snuggling up on the sofa, watching TV, and now begging (ha!) while we eat dinner in this space. I should’ve shot the other half of the room which houses our “family room”… basically our sofa, coffee table, TV, dog toys, side tables, etc. Just imagine our old living room furniture in a new space- really nothing has changed except we upgraded our 10-year-old TV.
See? Zero reasons to complain over here! I have nothing but excitement and love for this house. Eventually we’ll make our way to the basement and renovate the lowest level of our home, but for right now- we’re just enjoying it as is. It might be a couple years before we make it down here, but I’m perfectly content and appreciative.
How many of you have survived a live-in kitchen renovation? It’s no joke!! Hopefully most of you had a temporary setup that made it easier. This time around, I’m counting my blessings for sure. Ha!