A kitchen renovation is one of the most exciting and difficult renovations that we do. But there are key components to surviving a kitchen renovation that will make your life much easier.
A temporary kitchen is the key component to surviving a kitchen renovation. It’s typically not a “pretty” set-up, but it will keep you sane.
LOCATION: In this project, my client has a two-bay garage just off the mudroom. Since the project was done during the summer/ fall, weather was not an issue. If a garage is not an option, we typically will use a dining room, laundry room, basement or foyer to create a temporary kitchen.
SINK: Losing the kitchen sink is by far the worst part of the renovation. Creating a temporary sink is always possible, so discuss this with your builder. Either using your old sink with a plywood top or buying a used sink from ReStore is a great resolution. Even if it means drilling temporary holes in your floor, these can be patched relatively easily assuming that the space is part of the renovation.
APPLIANCES: You will be able to reuse your refrigerator without a problem. A dishwasher is typically a luxury that you don’t get to have during a renovation. An electric cooktop or electric oven can be used but gas appliances are too complicated to connect for a temporary kitchen. A hot plate, microwave and toaster oven are reasonable substitutions for built-in appliances because they are light-weight, flexible and inexpensive.
As you can see from these images, these clients were actually able to set up a functional and reasonable kitchen to survive a kitchen renovation with two small children.