Not gonna lie, it was messy. Pulling down the drop ceiling in the kitchen was a dirty job. Other than the regular dust of tearing into drywall, there was 30 years of dust and at least one long ago abandoned rodent’s nest up there. Some rat had a nice place to live in 2003, I’m guessing.
The Ceiling
Framing for the Coffered Ceiling
With the old drop ceiling out of the way, new drywall wnet up and recessed LED lights went in. Then, the soffits and coffered ceiling beams were roughed in. I also had to move the exhaust vent for the range hood, which is now leading to it’s new location.
I ended up using low-profile LED lights, which are only 1/2″ thick. I ordered them as a precaution, and I’m glad I did. One row of lights ended up right under a floor joist from above, so a traditional recessed can wouldn’t fit.
Yes, I know there are more seams in the drywall ceiling than necessary. I was hanging the sheetrock alone, so I did it in four-foot squares. The ceiling will be covered in beadboard, so I’m not worried about it.
The soffit fronts will remain open for a bit longer while I run the low-voltage wiring for the in-cabinet and under-cabinet lighting.
The Pantry
Framing for the New Pantry
There used to be a set of barn doors the width of this wall hiding these shelves. They are gone now. My toddler loved sliding them back and forth, and figured out any lock we put on them. So they’re gone. The new pantry will be limited to the left side here. We’re losing a bit of shelf space in the pantry, but we’re gaining a ton of cabinet space. Most of the appliance-type things are migrating to the cabinets, so the pantry will be for food only.
Next to the pantry framing (where the teal cabinet is sitting) will be the new refrigerator location. Between the fridge and the window will be some glass-front cabinets to hold the bar essentials.
I also got a lot of the wiring set, and am looking to get a plumber to come in and move the gas line for the oven.
It was a productive week! Now, back to the real job for a few days so I can continue to pay for this!