Foodie without a Kitchen | A Full-Home Reno Journey

Cooking is my passion, my favorite pastime, and my preferred way to relieve stress. I rarely eat out, and when I do I am usually disappointed. That said, the focus of my concern before and during this renovation has been my kitchen.

This may sound bizarre, but I wasn't worried that I would need to pack the majority of my belongings into a storage unit, or that we would have only one 10x10 room to function as a combination bedroom, living room, and office. It was not that we would have no walls or insulation, nor was I worried that I would sweat to death due to lack of an air conditioner.

Don't get me wrong, my pre-renovation kitchen was not fantastic (see below), but it was functional and comfortable and it served me well. The major issue was that a wall in the kitchen was acting as the gateway between our existing house and the rear addition. Consequently, in order to join the old and the new, the entire kitchen would need to be gutted.

<--This entire wall needed to be removed -->

Another cause for my anxiety was that this would not be your typical 4-5 week kitchen renovation. Due to the tremendous scope of our reno, once the kitchen was gone, there would not be a new one for months. I continually delayed the kitchen demolition, but there came a time when I couldn't hold off any longer and away it went. 

I must tell you that it has been 7 weeks since those photos were taken, and there is still no semblance of my new kitchen in sight. Surprise! I have not yet wasted away. My talented and thoughtful husband created a temporary kitchen to keep me sane (and to keep himself fed!).

It's certainly nothing to brag about but it has everything I need: prep space, storage, a sink, and a stove. I have managed to make some pretty impressive meals in this makeshift kitchen. In fact, I whipped up this gluten-free spaghetti a la puttanesca last night:

I think Jamie Oliver would be proud!

Based on my experience thus far, I would like to offer a few pieces of advice for anyone planning to undergo a kitchen renovation:

1. Plan every aspect of the kitchen renovation and order all materials well before it gets underway - you don't want there to be a delay because the tile, plumbing fixtures, or appliances haven't arrived.
2. Don't feel that you need to eat out every night - you can create a culinary masterpiece without a chef's kitchen.
3. Prepare meals in advance - before demoing the kitchen, I prepared, portioned, and froze a variety of meals including chili, pasta sauce, marinated chicken, soups, casseroles, curries, and even meat for burgers. I just defrost, reheat, and enjoy a home-cooked meal with none of the mess.
4. Pack up anything that isn't an absolute necessity - renovations can lead to disorganization; the less stuff you have in the way, the easier it is to stay organized.
5. Create a temporary kitchen - set up in an area that won't interfere with your kitchen reno and make it as functional as possible.