2019 When God Closes A Door (Part 3)

Our kitchen was remodeled in 2006. We removed the builder grade cabinets that were cheap and not in the best condition, and replaced them with similar cabinets built by my then brother-in-law. My ex-husband didn't want to redo the kitchen because he thought it was a waste of money, even though the cabinet under the sink had gotten wet causing the Formica to warp. He grudgingly agreed but it would be done by his brother to save money. You know the old saying, You get what you pay for? Yeah, it's accurate.

When his brother came to ask what we wanted in the kitchen, I was surprised at how much J insisted on certain things when he spent no time in the kitchen other than to get a drink of water. I did all the cooking, all the cleaning, all the organizing. I was pretty clear on what I would like in the kitchen, and losing cabinet space was not one of the options. But he was adamant that he wanted one of the cabinets converted into a trash cabinet. I conceded, though I knew this meant I would lose both a cabinet and a drawer. I asked for glass doors on the cabinets where the dishes were kept; he insisted on glass doors on the mug cabinet as well. I got to pick the colors, and in my mind the cabinets would be wood. Unbeknownst to me, he told his brother to make laminate cabinets. In other words, we were switching cheap cabinets for cheap cabinets. The "upgrade" was Thermofoil cabinet doors. If you're not aware, Thermofoil (or RTF) is medium density fiberboard (MDF) covered in vinyl that is baked on. It's promoted as a rigid surface that doesn't scratch. My experience with them was not a good one. Not only is the surface NOT scratch resistant, the RTF began to peel after a few years. I should have been excited when the kitchen was done; I'd dreamt of redoing the kitchen for years. Instead I was disappointed and unable to protest because it was family and everyone else thought it was amazing and beautiful and to complain would be ungracious. So I decided to make the best of it. 

While I was married much of the decor were items J had brought from Nicaragua. It wasn't my taste but he lived in the house too and marriage is about compromise. Once we separated I packed up all his knick-knacks and simplified.

During the kitchen reno, we finished upgrading to all stainless steel appliances. After he left, I re-converted the trash cabinet into a regular storage cabinet and bought a stainless steel trash can from Costco. Above the cabinets, where all his chachkies had been, I put a few fake plants. I turned the mug cabinet into a spice cabinet and decluttered most of the mugs and glassware.

 

I also simplified the countertops. Other than a few necessary things I kept the decor to a minimum. A couple of vases with flowers, a bowl of fruit, some jars on the small shelves beside the cabinet, and the kitchen looked tidy and neat. 

The decluttering didn't stop in the kitchen. Throughout the house I was being ruthless. I streamlined my closet to only the clothes and shoes I actually wore. I got rid of decor I'd had for years but didn't care for anymore or felt it was excessive. I went through my DVD collection, CD collection, photographs, Christmas decor, linen closet, kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and I got rid of bags and bags of "stuff". It wasn't because I was embracing minimalism, though I have become more minimal in the past few years. No, this was a prompting of the Holy Spirit that I needed to prepare for a change. I didn't know when this change was going to happen, but I did know it was going to be big. And soon.