"Look What Mom Did!"

I've been holding out for a "new addition" to our house.
The next best thing to a baby - a "great room" with a new kitchen, dining and living room.  For a variety of reasons that plan is on hold.

Elle Decor on Houzz

To occupy myself (I suppose!) I've been attacking any project that I can do without the Mr.  (Which amounts to a lot of moving furniture, framing pictures and painting!)

One problem that has (constantly) bugged me are our kitchen cabinets.  They were dark stained (think 60's) plywood - not great quality but super huge/useful.

When we moved in, we painted the upper cabinets.  I didn't want to mess with painting the base cabinets because they are laminate and we were only going to "live with it" for a little while!  10 years later and I've had enough...  (almost!)

That big cabinet above the stove is the one - the height above the stove (fire hazard!) the lack of a range hood and it seems to take up so much "weight" in the room.
It really is one solid piece - everytime I mentioned taking it down, my husband shook his head and walked away, or feined a headache!

What's a girl to do?
1.  Empty it out.  Check.
2.  Inspect.  (9 nails, and a bunch of caulk at the top holding it up!)
3.  Get the "claw" (I once was "employed" at pulling nails :)
4.  Wait for husband to leave for work and the kids to go to bed. (No witnesses needed!)
5.  Grab the ladder, a stool and yank those nails out!
6.  Take a picture to prove that I didn't call Dad in on the "fun".  (Which may have been a good idea as this one demo has taken the spunk out of me!)

A vent fan for the stove and either open shelving (Like Lisa from A Vintage Vine has done here.) or a 12 in cabinet (It's dusty out here!) next to the stove will (hopefully!) replace it.
Remember when I was just going to paint, replace some furniture and window treatments? Yikes!  My list has grown, my budget, not so much!

With much remorse and regret I got up the next morning and realized...I have no regret!  I'd been hating on that poor cabinet too long!

Looking at this picture I think - take down the other one!

Some factors (excuses) to consider:
1.  Teeny tiny budget.
2.  We have few matching dishes.
3.  The remaining cupboards are full of edited stuff.
4.  I may really want to take that other one down but am too afraid (Yikes!)

What would you do?

More to come...Stay Tuned!