When our story left off, we were in the middle of a kitchen shuffle—rearranging appliances and reorganizing the layout as part of our kitchen renovation. Our primary goals: update the appliances, improve the workspace, and make the kitchen function better for everyday life.
Before the new appliances arrived, we had to remove a few built-in items that no longer fit our plan. First up was the cabinet that held the wall oven. We decided to remove the wall oven because it was discolored, cooked unevenly, and simply wasn’t worth replacing. Wall ovens are generally more expensive than ranges, our cabinet was unusually narrow so modern wall ovens wouldn’t fit, and the tall cabinet dominated the room visually. We wanted only the pantry and refrigerator to be the tall elements, so the tall oven cabinet had to go—though we planned to salvage useful parts like doors and drawers.
We emptied the cabinet, turned off the power, removed trim and screws, and pulled it out of its spot. The oven was hardwired, so disconnecting it required a little electrical work. We capped exposed wires and placed them safely in the metal electrical box, keeping the power off in that area until an electrician could inspect and finish the job.
After a few more fasteners were removed and a bit of careful maneuvering, the oven and its cabinet were free. We’re donating the oven to a local Habitat For Humanity ReStore and set the cabinet components aside in the sunroom for reuse. Saving cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and trim lets us reuse materials and reduce waste during the remodel; anything we don’t need will be donated or listed locally once the project wraps up.
The next morning our new appliances arrived: the refrigerator in place, the range waiting nearby, and boxed dishwasher and microwave staged in the living room. Only the refrigerator was ready to use immediately, but the presence of brand-new appliances made real progress feel tangible. With the wall oven gone and the new range not yet installed, we temporarily lost our baking option—so getting the new stove into its permanent position became a priority.
One obstacle stood in the way: an existing cooktop and countertop that had to come out. We emptied the cabinet below, turned off power, and prepared to remove the cooktop. Per the installation instructions, the cooktop should have lifted out easily, but it didn’t budge. After investigating, we found it glued to the countertop with black silicone. Many homeowners warn that gluing a drop-in cooktop to the counter is risky because removing it later often shatters the glass. We attempted to free the cooktop slowly and carefully, but small cracks appeared in the glass and it became clear the unit was no longer suitable for resale or donation.
Accepting that the cooktop was likely ruined, we moved on to removing the surrounding granite. We began with the backsplash, which came out surprisingly easily and created access behind the cooktop. Even with extra room to work, the cooktop still wouldn’t separate from the granite, so we decided to remove the entire section of stone along with the appliance. Once the granite was loosened with a few careful cuts through silicone caulk, a crowbar and screwdriver helped pry the slab free.
Granite is very heavy, so we called in reinforcement (my dad, who came prepared with gloves). With three people we moved the countertop slab into the carport where it’ll wait to be donated or listed. Back inside, the cooktop and granite were gone, leaving a clear opening for the new range.
We removed more trim, unscrewed the cabinet base, and pulled it out. The new 30″ stove fit into the space; we left the protective wrapping on it so no one would try to operate it before the electrician converted the hardwired connection to a standard plug and completed the final hookup.
Notes about the new installation:
- Our microwave is currently mounted unusually low, which limits clearance above the stove. We plan to replace it with a properly installed range hood for better ventilation and appearance.
- The new stove is 30″ wide, while the previous cabinet base was 36″. We’ll add 3″ filler pieces on each side and paint everything white to create a built-in look without relocating the venting. This preserves a practical work triangle and avoids major ceiling work to re-center ducts.
- The stove is counter-depth and appears a bit forward because we haven’t pushed it all the way in yet—electrician work will require pulling it out again.
The 36″ base cabinet we removed didn’t go into the donate pile. Instead, we’ll reuse it where the large wall-oven cabinet used to be, as part of a new run of workspace from the built-in refrigerator to the peninsula we plan to add. Reusing this cabinet reduces the number of new units we need to buy and keeps costs down while maintaining function.
As we cross items off our kitchen renovation list, new tasks emerge. The immediate priorities are securing materials—cabinets, countertops, backsplash—painting the newly exposed paneling, and scheduling the wall removal work. We’ve selected a contractor to help with structural changes, so the next month should bring more visible progress. The project is moving along: appliances in, old units out, and plans taking shape.
