Out with the old...in with the new!

Anyone who has ever been to our house can attest to that fact that our kitchen range has been in dire need of being replaced since the very day we moved in over three years ago. To say that it was a bit outdated is almost laughable in how much that understates things! The timer didn't work. One of the burners (our only large one) was completely shot, and the others were well on their way in that direction. The oven was the size of a postage stamp. And, well, it was just plain ugly. And yet, we managed to cook some stellar meals with the old workhorse. We learned to adjust the heat on the main burner 1/1000th of a turn to change the heat setting from scarcely cooking to nuclear. When the temperature in our kitchen rose 10 degrees any time the oven was in operation (the insulation was totally shot - tons of fun with two curious kiddos), we would throw open a window or two or step out for some fresh air, even in the dead of winter. The photos of Jack's first Thanksgiving show him red-faced and sweating profusely as we all ate our meal in the sauna that was our kitchen after the oven had churned out a pan of dressing and pies galore. We'll just say it was an exercise in building character. :)

When we bought the house, our first major project was going to be to replace the range. We couldn't figure out why such an easy fix would've been neglected by the previous owners. I mean, how hard is it to take out a range and install a new one? (Let me restate: how hard is it for a professional, NON-Bell to do so?) The answer is pretty doggone difficult when the range is an oddball size, and none of the standard 30-inch models will fit in its stead. The only outright replacement was manufactured by a single company (GE), and it was nearly a carbon copy of the old range, only with a bit of an updated facade and a price tag of nearly $1500. No thanks! We had quotes done as to the cost of having the cabinets retrofitted to accommodate a standard range, and when we discovered the labor alone would be $1000, "easy" project priority #1 was officially tabled.

That is, until Uncle Sam decided to give us a rebate check, and we opted to do as any responsible citizen would and SPEND it. (Hey - that's what it was there for...seriously!) Through a partnership that Matt's company has with Maytag, we got an outstanding deal on a smooth-top, double-oven range (just about half of MSRP!), and our realtor set us up with a contractor to do the work for us. And the rest is history! I took some pictures as the process was underway. It was quite the undertaking, but the difference is incredible, don't you think? The entire complexion of the kitchen has changed!