Put down the power tools.

Ahhhhh … finally! Dodging and stalled by illness, gigantic operations, side effects, and general ennui, Phase One is happening in April and May — reno of the “cooking side” of the kitchen. (The “washing side” will come later.)

A corner of the living room is already piling up with big boxes full of ovens, induction burners, storage, new pans, wall-mount stuff, an exhaust fan, and yes, restaurant-style stainless steel prep tables and shelves.

This weekend, the gross cabinets and broken hood are coming off the back wall, and the old range is going to the boneyard. There will be some plastering to do as well. While we are on vacation in May, our next-door-neighbor contractor is pulling down the plaster and lath ceiling. This will leave us with big giant 1840s rough beams, plus a foot-and-a-half more ceiling height!

I’m following an interesting trend — no conventional range. I’ve noticed it in a few new-build apartments and tiny houses several times. Have you noticed a lot of our appliances are turning into countertop units — air fryers, instant pots, et al?

So we’re going with all-countertop. The oven will be a convection unit, but it can handle a moderate turkey. It’s also an air fryer, steam oven, programmable several ways, blah blah. For the stove, we’re going with induction burners.

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I could’ve gotten a unit with four, but it’s rare we use more than one burner at a time, and extremely rare that we use more than two. (We most often use the oven.) I figured why waste space. The gas line for the range will be turned off, capped, and left in place in case the next folks want to do something differently.

Here’s a picture of what it looks like now (I know… It’s disgusting and mid-construction besides), and a pic of what it will look like after this first phase is done. (Although the restaurant prep table I bought is wider, and I decided to go without wheels.) I call it “Industrial Cottage Chic,” but really, it’s just my style.

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