Bought a house, estimated the renovation budget plus 10-15% for inevitable extras, and we set aside 5000 EUR for the kitchen!!!!
That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.








That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.
J
j.bautsch3 Apr 2019 11:38So far, they haven’t touched the orchid either. I hope it stays that way because it’s so beautiful. We also have a “tree” in the living room that was specifically chosen for being non-toxic. The leaves do get nibbled on quite a bit, but well, it still makes the space feel a bit more homely.
H
hampshire3 Apr 2019 17:45j.bautsch schrieb:
(important for us were 2 work surfaces since we usually only cook as a couple) nothing is left standing on the main work surfaces at our place and I love it. I can’t stand it when there’s too much clutter. That’s skilled minimalism: two people can cook together efficiently in a compact space. There shouldn’t be much left out, otherwise the surfaces become unusable. Plants on the windowsill often get in the way with inward-opening windows.