As you know we are going to fix up our kitchen. Not much, not drastically, but just enough to make it practical and user friendly.
I have been cooking in small spaces, in cupboard-less, non-practical, kitchens for years… so if you are like French Husband you might think… why change now?
Because, while some dream of diamonds, or big cars, I dream of having a "nice" kitchen. One where there is a counter top instead of a kitchen table. One where I can open a drawer right underneath where I am cooking, and not have to walk ten miles to have a spoon.
I have been looking into kitchen shops, comparing sinks, checking prices, thumbing through magazines, reading forums, begging friends to give me their opinions and scribbling ideas on scratch pieces of paper.
Who knew there was a whole, wide world of kitchen counter tops to be had?
Walking into the first kitchen shop, I realized I did not know the French words for certain things: Counter top, back splash, trim, garbage disposal, drain board… I felt the size of a dried up raisin when the salesperson asked,
"How long have you lived in France?"
I wanted to say, "Not long enough to know the word for drainboard."
INSTEAD I lied. I used my handy, dandy, faithful trick and said, "Oh, about two months." Then, like always, whoever has asked the question thinks my heavy accent, massacred French is amazing.
I feel better not telling them the truth, even at the risk of burning in hell.
When the kitchen salespeople find out that I have never had a microwave oven, nor a dishwasher, nor a garbage disposal, and that my counter top is the size of a half a meter square, AND that, unfortunately for me, "Take-Out" means: Taking out the garbage to the dumpster at the end of the street. They ask, "Are you sure you're from planet Earth?"
French Husband's partner is re-doing his kitchen too. He and his wife have been living without a kitchen for two months! I asked them how they have managed cooking, do they eat out everyday? Where do they wash the dishes? They said,"We never know what we are going to find in our shower."
And I thought I was inventive.
Then this morning when I was washing up the milk pan for the millionth time, I had a remarkable breakthrough: I am going to buy a microwave.
What words of advice can you share with me about kitchens? What would your "Dream Kitchen" look like?
Fact: I am off to give kitchen design advice to French Husband's partner and wife. They want my opinion. This should be fun. I'll learn a few handy words in the deal as well.
Of course I'll post photos tomorrow because I'll need your opinion too!
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