Unfortunately, demolition did not turn out to be as fun as I originally thought. I thought it would be like the HGTV shows... grab a sledgehammer and go to town... fortunately, Jim is smarter than me and explained why we could not use a sledgehammer. Total bummer, but I understood that we had to save the floors and dry wall as best as possible.
Jim began ripping out the 'cabinets,' and we learned that they really were not cabinets. Instead, it looked the original owner built in cabinet-like structures secured to the wall and floors - I'm talking plywood, 2x4's, etc. Tearing out the cabinets was more about stripping out pieces of wood. What a mess! I was responsible for carrying all the wood and millions of nails out to the trash cans in the back yard... Jim did all the hard work.
Overall, we are very excited to get rid of the fake, shelving-paper-lined, broken cabinets; cracked and peeling laminate counter top; weird/gross vent about the stove; rolling/portable dishwasher; annoying double bowl sink, and outdated kitchen. Here are some before and demolition pics... more to follow:
Chase enjoys the mountain of cardboard from the cabinet shipping boxes.
Faolan is standing in the spot where the dishwasher will be installed. In more ways than one, he has served as a dishwasher recently!
I will continue to add pictures as the progress continues... all the cabinets are now installed! And, the dishwasher and new stove just arrived on Saturday. The granite template appointment is set for this week, although it may have to be pushed back slightly. All the cabinet installation was done by Jim, my dad, and Jim's co-worker - with a few special guest appearances by my brother and a friend of ours - Matt. The help has been invaluable! 