My Birthday Wish: A Kitchen Makeover

Filed under: Kitchen, Your Home, Projects

One writer explains why all she wants for her 50th birthday is an updated kitchen, even if her friends think she's a bore.

I'm getting used to the shocked stares and high-pitched cries of "but why?" from others when I tell them my 50th birthday gift is going to happen in my kitchen: All I want is a kitchen remodel. But I don't care about going on a trip of a lifetime, I don't want a party, and I don't want a new diamond anything. Face or body work -- well, as tempting as that is, I'll pass if I could find my way around a fresh set of cabinets and shiny new countertops. Call me boring or old fashioned, but this is what I want most, and here's why.

I hate my kitchen. I hate it so much that it makes me want to scream sometimes. It's awful. Just take a look below. See what I mean?

I dislike sagging body parts, too, but I can live with that for a while. I cannot live, however, with my kitchen for one more minute. Travel, parties, jewelry -- been there, done that, and it's not as much of a priority as it is to gut my kitchen and start fresh.

I'm in and out of the tiny galley kitchen all day cooking, making kids' lunches, baking snacks for kids and friends, putting on a pot of coffee, feeding the cat. But the reasons why I want a kitchen makeover -- a seemingly unromantic, impersonal gift -- goes deeper than resale values. Maybe you can relate to a reason or two:

It's Dingy and It's Deteriorating
Getting a new kitchen is a necessity. The original 1950s cabinets are so old that grime is impregnated on the doors and on the inside shelving. The dirt is impossible to fully remove. The paint, and the wood beneath the paint, is chipping away. And who knows what's between the stove and the wall -- I can't remember the last time I pulled the stove out to clean the cobwebs and wayward corn kernels.

I've given up on a spic and span kitchen. My white appliances, well, all the years of handling handles and knobs has left grayed shadows that even Mr. Eraser can't make disappear. And there may be bugs. We plan to replace the wallboard and what's behind it, but I'm afraid to see what lives behind the walls once we start demolition. I've seen ants and spiders disappear between the cracks of the cabinets. Oh, and did I mention that my cabinets don't fully close?

It Makes Me Sad
I feel sad when I walk into my kitchen even though friends and family try to make me believe that it's a "cheerful" space because it has white cabinets. My shoulders droop, I sigh, and I think, ugh, not this room again. I don't want to go into the kitchen, yet I have to, and that leads me to my next point.

I Do Less Cooking
I love to cook but not in this kitchen. Years ago, when my husband and I gave our kitchen a DIY facelift of painted cabinets and a new floor, I took up cooking with a vengeance. It was clean, fresh and inviting. I want to feel that way again. My kids have been asking me to make things like Chinese food and pie, and I don't have room to prep either.


I'm Sick of Writing About Other People's Beautiful Kitchens
Though I've written about design for longer than I've owned my house, I've never had the pleasure of having a room designed for me by a professional. We are the quintessential DIY family and the thought of spending money for someone else to do the work is...difficult. But, I want to do this for the kitchen, for my family, but mostly for myself. I'm tired of writing about everyone else's beautiful projects and then going back to my icky cook space.

I'll Prove that Less is More
We are not enlarging the kitchen's footprint, but we are going to subscribe to my personal philosophy that a small space can be beautiful with quality materials and craftsmanship. I do not believe a bigger kitchen is better; I've seen some large and inefficient kitchens where the cook is so scattered because everything is too spread out, or the space is cold and unwelcoming. I prefer small and efficient, but warm and inviting.

It's My Space
The last reason I want a new kitchen for my big birthday is because the kitchen is my domain. It's my room. We have no plans to move for a long time, so why not make it special, comfortable, and pretty for myself and for my family? My kitchen does not reflect my true personality and my creative urges, but that's all about to change.

Readers, what do you think -- is a new kitchen a fair ask for a birthday present? What room are you dying to remodel? Weigh in on our Facebook page!

More great ShelterPop stories:
Lose Weight at Home
How to Not Get on "Hoarders"
Kitchen Makeovers: Color in the Kitchen
Kitchen Island Ideas


Here's a video about how to organize your kitchen around healthy eating.

 

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