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Designing Your Project
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Planning & Budgeting
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Proper project planning and budgeting saves time and money
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Tips & Tools
Tips & Tools that will help you throughout your project
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CREATING A TEMPORARY KITCHEN
“Your kitchen will be “Out of Order” for just a few weeks or several months while the professionals renovate and install your cabinets and decorative enhancements. In the meantime, here's a list of suggestions to help you create a safe, temporary kitchen that works for you and your dinner guests”
Choose a space for your temporary kitchen
To create a temporary kitchen, you’ll need to find an area in your home that has enough room to cook and prepare a meal.
Make sure that the area is well ventilated and is near an electrical outlet that can support small appliances.
Bring out the portable cooking appliances
In today’s mantra of “dinner on the go,” we are fortunate enough to have access to a range of quality, portable cooking appliances such as countertop grills, crock pots, convection ovens, microwaves, hot plates…well, the list goes on. These portable appliances are great to have on hand when you’re facing a kitchen renovation, large or small.
Keep your portable appliances in a central location with a recipe box of meals that can be made using each appliance.
Keep things cool
Talk with your construction manager to determine the best place for your refrigerator. Ideally, it should be moved to the garage, dining room, or an area in your home that has the proper electrical requirements. Most importantly, avoid putting it on carpet or flooring that might be damaged in case of a leak.
Additional tip—to recreate a kitchen work zone, position a mini fridge next to your portable cooking appliances so everything you need for meal preparation is in one place.
Set aside your essential cooking items and place settings
When you’re packing up the items in your existing cabinets, select a serving set for each person (plus an extra set or two for unexpected guests) with cooking utensils that are must-haves to make a meal—a can opener, colander, cutting board, knives, favorite pans, measuring utensils, etc. The rest of the dishes and appliances should be carefully packed and stored until the project is complete.
Keep it neat
Take advantage of the mock-counter space that a long, sturdy table can provide and position each appliance in a neat row for fast, easy use. Accent the table with a small storage container for cooking utensils like a can opener, spoon, spatula, etc.
Additional Tip - Reuse old base cabinets in an alternate room (dining, garage, etc) to store canned and boxed goods, dishes, and glasses – top them with your old countertop or a large piece of plywood and you’re half way to a temporary kitchen.
Designate one sink, preferably a utility sink, to wash dishes
It may not be ideal to eat next to the closest utility sink. Instead, use a small tote to collect all dirty dishes after a meal. This way, you can easily carry dishes to the sink and avoid spills or stains along the way.
Be safe
Wherever you decide to do setup your temporary cooking space, make sure that the area is well ventilated, portable appliances are plugged into surge protectors, and a smoke alarm is installed near the cooking area. Be sure to unplug appliances after you’re done using them.
Keep all activity out of the room that is under construction. Communicate this to family and friends by sealing off the entranceways to that room with large sheets of plastic and possibly even a baby gate to keep out children and pets.
Be a resourceful chef
Precook meals before the installation process and freeze them. Homemade stews, soups, and baked goods are a wonderful treat when you’re missing the luxury of your former kitchen setup.
Tired of cooking in? Treat yourself to new restaurants or visit markets for freshly prepared foods. If your home project is during the summer, enjoy your outdoor grill and picnic with friends and family.
Hang in there!
We understand that everything may feel scattered around your home, but remember it’s only temporary. The end result will be that perfect kitchen you’ve been planning for all this time!
Tips to creating a temporary kitchen
